Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Justice Department threatened to cut federal funding for the state of Vermont and the city of Burlington in letters that warned each may be violating federal immigration law.
The government agency sent the letters Wednesday to 29 different jurisdictions "that may have laws, policies, or practices that violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, a federal statute that promotes information sharing related to immigration enforcement."
“Jurisdictions that adopt so-called ‘sanctuary policies’ also adopt the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “I urge all jurisdictions found to be potentially out of compliance in this preliminary review to reconsider their policies that undermine the safety of their residents."
The letters give each jurisdiction until December 8 to prove they're in compliance.
Tags: Patrick Leahy , Jeff Sessions , Miro Weinberger , Tom Anderson , immigration , sanctuary city , Image , Web Only
Judge John Pacht said Jody Herring's August 2015 killing spree, triggered by the DCF's decision to take custody of her 9-year-old daughter, was the "hardest case" he'd seen in his 35-year legal career.
"I have a great deal of compassion for Jody Herring, but I also have an obligation to assure that this community is safe, that people can start to heal, and that the enormity of the crimes are reflected in the sentence," Pacht said before siding with prosecutors and handing Herring the maximum penalty for her crimes.
In a brief statement before she was sentenced, an emotional Herring apologized. She had each of her three children taken from her in custody proceedings — including a child that was conceived during a rape — and said she could empathize with the loss that her victims' families feel.
"I know how it feels. And I'm very sorry. I can't take back that day. I wish I could," said Herring, her voice severely shaking. "But I can't. I handle my stress so differently than anyone else does. I wish I could help myself. I asked for help several times, and I didn’t get it."
Tags: Jody Herring , Lara Sobel , David Sleigh , DCF , Barre , courts , crime , Matt Levine , Scott Williams , John Pacht , John Campbell , Image , Web Only
Vermont Sen. Dustin Degree (R-Franklin) is resigning from the state Senate to accept a position in Gov. Phil Scott's administration.
Degree will serve as special assistant to the governor and executive director of workforce expansion, the governor's office said in a Wednesday morning press release. Scott also appointed Sarah Buxton, a former Democratic House member from Tunbridge, to serve as director of workforce policy and performance within the Vermont Department of Labor.
Buxton lost her seat last November and has been working in the Labor Department since March. She'll start immediately.
Tags: Dustin Degree , Joe Benning , Corey Parent , Phil Scott , Sarah Buxton , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Williams was slated to take the witness stand on the second day of Jody Herring's sentencing hearing in Washington Superior Court. Herring's defense attorneys had subpoenaed him to testify.
But at the last minute, Williams filed a motion to quash the subpoena and avoid testifying.
Lawyers and Judge John Pacht retreated behind closed doors to discuss the motion. When they came back into the courtroom, Pacht, citing "reasons that implicate privacy and confidentiality concerns," temporarily granted Williams' request. The judge made additional reference to "Mr. Williams' circumstances at this point" and agreed to seal related documents.
Tags: Jody Herring , Lara Sobel , David Sleigh , DCF , Barre , courts , crime , Matt Levine , Scott Williams , John Pacht , John Campbell , Brad Stetler , Image , Web Only
"You are going to see more fatalities on the roadways," Anderson said at a Statehouse meeting of the Marijuana Advisory Commission.
His conclusion came as part of a report he gave to the legislative panel in his role as chair of its highway safety subcommittee. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, another subcommittee chair, also presented Tuesday.
The commission is tasked with reporting back to the legislature with its findings in January.
Tags: Cannabeat , Ann Pugh , Marijuana Advisory Committee , Mark Levine , Tom Anderson , cannabis policy , recreational cannabis , Image , Web Only
Last week, Gill told Seven Days he was considering whether to run; now he's made up his mind.
"The big issue is I'm too interested in policy," he says. "As chair, I'm not supposed to be involved in policy."
Like the difference between an umpire and a ballplayer? "That’s a perfect way to put it," he says. "I want to be a player."
He adds that he "absolutely" plans to run for elective office "if the opportunity becomes available." Gill was a candidate for state Senate in 2016, when there were two vacancies among Chittenden County's six seats. He finished eighth in a hotly-contested Democratic primary.
Tags: Faisal Gill , Dottie Deans , George W. Bush , Terje Anderson , Peter Jemley , Tess Taylor , Brittany Cavacas , Scott Garren , Billi Gosh , Mildred LaBeur , Floyd Nease , Ed Cafferty , David Glidden , Noah Detzer , Michael Ross , Conor Casey , Image , Web Only
The four-member Capitol Complex Commission, charged with overseeing the “architectural and aesthetic integrity” of the Vermont Statehouse and its grounds, last week chose not to approve another rink for the upcoming winter, citing aesthetic and technical concerns.
✖Commission member Jireh Billings of Woodstock said he loves the concept — "the idea of people skating in front of the Statehouse is quite a postcard," he noted — but the sloped lawn creates complications.
That postcard became a reality last January when a group of volunteers called the "Put a Rink on It Committee" got the go-ahead to set up a temporary rink in one corner of the snow-covered lawn. The committee had spent more than a year lobbying for the rink.
Tags: Vermont Statehouse , ice rink , Capitol Complex Commission , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 13, 2017
A four-member committee, composed of Jane Knodell (P-Central District), Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4), Chip Mason (D-Ward 5) and Adam Roof (I-Ward 8), is tasked with deciding by the end of the week how the council will narrow four finalists to one buyer at a meeting scheduled for November 27. Under the resolution, Tucows, Keep BT Local, Schurz Communications and ZRF Partners must submit revised bids for the council to consider by November 20.
The council adopted the measure by an 11-1 vote.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Tucows , Keep BT Local , Schurz Communications , ZRF Partners , Jane Knodell , Kurt Wright , Adam Roof , Chip Mason , Joan Shannon , Image , Web Only
On the opening day of Jody Herring's sentencing hearing in Washington Superior Court, several of her family members took the stand and described a family riven by physical, mental and sexual abuse for generations.
As a young girl, Herring was generally happy and especially close with her father, David Herring, witnesses said. He died in 1979 after he was shot in his backyard, and his death was ruled a suicide. But Jody Herring, who was 5 years old and home at the time, and other family members have long believed that he was murdered, witnesses said.
Tags: Jody Herring , Dave Sleigh , DCF , Barre , Lara Sobel , court , sentencing , Rutland Regional Medical Center , Image , Web Only
The Fox News host's fans are upset that the coffee machine-making company has pulled its ads from Hannity's show after he showed support for Roy Moore, the Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate accused of having made sexual advances on teenaged girls as young as 14.
The company's brewing machines became blameless victims in a bizarre saga. Hannity supporters posted videos on social media of themselves bashing their Keurig machines with golf clubs, hammers and even dropping them from second-floor apartments.
Tags: Keurig Green Mountain , Sean Hannity , Roy Moore , Washington Post , Bob Gamgort , Image , Web Only