Wednesday, November 21, 2018
The Burlington Free Press reported in March that Catherine Iraheta, a former sales and marketing executive, had sued the stations’ owner, Nexstar Broadcasting, and its former general manager Craig Marrs. On Monday, the Free Press reported that a second former employee, Desiree Roberts, is seeking to join the suit. Both are represented by attorney John Stasny.
Iraheta's suit describes a “good old boys’ club” atmosphere and claims that Marrs complimented her legs and, while staring at her breasts, asked if she was wearing a bathing suit. After she complained to the human resources department, the suit claims that Iraheta experienced retaliation and was ultimately forced to resign.
Roberts, who worked as a photographer and backup director for the stations from November 2017 until this summer, claimed that Marrs berated her during a meeting after she made complaints about anchor Michael Hoey-Lukakis, who she said made derogatory comments about women and graphic sexual insults. She, too, said she was effectively forced to resign.
Marrs retired earlier this year and did not respond to a phone message seeking comment. Reached by email, Hoey-Lukakis, who is not named as a defendant in the suit but is accused of misconduct, said he could not comment.
Tags: Fox 44 , ABC 22 , Nexstar Broadcasting , Burlington Free Press , media , Craig Marrs , Michael Hoey-Lukakis , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Reports filed Tuesday with the Secretary of State's Office show that the biggest spender was A Stronger Vermont, a political action committee funded by the Republican Governors Association. The super PAC doled out $826,366, mostly on pro-Scott television advertisements, including $101,396 in the closing days of the campaign.
Scott, who defeated Hallquist by a margin of 54 to 40 percent, raised $719,956 during his reelection campaign and spent $617,201 of it, according to his latest filing. Hallquist, a first-time candidate for public office, raised $590,719 and spent $563,422.
The reports are the first required of Vermont candidates since November 2, days before the November 6 election. Those who continue to raise or spend money must file one more report in December.
Compared to the 2016 gubernatorial race, 2018 was a relatively low-budget affair. Two years ago, Democratic nominee Sue Minter spent more than $2 million on her unsuccessful run for governor, while Scott spent more than $1.6 million.
Tags: Phil Scott , Christine Hallquist , David Zuckerman , Don Turner , Republican Governors Association , Image , Web Only
The three-member commission is a quasi-judicial body that regulates energy, telecommunications, water and wastewater utilities. The department advocates for the public interest when cases come before the commission.
Both entities' budgets rely on a tax levied on utilities, but that revenue source has been declining. Earlier this year, lawmakers asked the department, in consultation with the commission, to report back with recommendations about how to address the problem.
In its November 15 report, the department proposed several short-term fixes for its own financial woes, which would come at the expense of the commission. It recommended taking $800,000 from the commission’s reserves to close its own budget gap and suggested that its share of tax revenues should permanently increase from 60 percent to 65 percent, reducing the commission’s share to 35 percent.
Tags: Public Utility Committee , Department of Public Service , June Tierney , Anthony Roisman , Margaret Cheney , Sarah Hofmann , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 19, 2018
Gordon Winters plans to open an Ace Hardware on College Street by early January. He's in the midst of renovating the 4,000-square-foot former office space and received his building permits from the city last week.
"There’s definitely a want for it, there’s definitely a need for it," Winters said.
The store, located next door to a Northfield Savings Bank branch, will contain typical hardware store amenities as well as wares that cater to the local population: packing and cleaning materials for college students, specialty plumbing for the city's older buildings, and a marine section for boaters, Winters said.
The store will be laid out in Ace's "urban downtown format" and will "pack a lot more stuff into smaller spaces," he said.
Tags: Ron Redmond , Gordon Winters , Miro Weinberger , Ace Hardware , Burlington , downtown , Image , Web Only
Vermont continues to have a single female statewide officeholder — Treasurer Beth Pearce — and has yet to elect a woman to U.S. Congress.
Elsewhere in the country, a record number of women ran for, and were elected to, Congress — a trend generally attributed both to anger at President Donald Trump and to the #MeToo movement. Several races remain undecided but at least 125 women will serve in Congress, changing the makeup from 20 percent female to 23 percent, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
But in Vermont, three long-shot female congressional candidates, including Republican Anya Tynio, came up short in their respective bids to unseat incumbent Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) easily fended off eight opponents, including one woman.
Cary Brown, executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women, said she's "beyond impatient" to send a woman to Congress. But she isn’t disheartened by the outcome in state legislative races because “we are starting from such a high place.” In June 2018, Vermont was tied with Arizona for having the highest percentage of women — 40 percent — in its state legislature, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Tags: Year of the Woman , Vermont Commission on Women , Beth Pearce , Emerge Vermont , #MeToo , Donald Trump , president , Ruth Hardy , Jill Krowinski , Cary Brown , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 16, 2018
The court said Judge Martin Maley made two mistakes in McAllister’s trial: He allowed jurors to consider separate sex-for-rent allegations for which McAllister was never convicted, and he improperly told the jury to ignore statements by McAllister’s accuser.
Tags: Norm McAllister , Martin Maley , sexual assault , prostitution , Vermont Supreme Court , Bob Katims , Image , Web Only
Thursday, November 15, 2018
The 88-page report, created by the taxation and regulation subcommittee of the Governor's Marijuana Advisory Commission, recommends a 20 percent excise tax on all retail cannabis sales, in addition to the state’s 6 percent sales tax. Towns could also choose to levy a 1 percent local option tax. The panel recommends that the tax revenue be distributed to cities and towns statewide; it would also pay for the administrative costs of regulating the new market.
Consumers in Massachusetts, which has legalized retail sales, pay 17 to 20 percent in taxes.
Deputy Tax Commissioner Craig Bolio noted that the recommendations are only in draft form and may change before the governor’s commission issues its final recommendations in December.
Tags: Cannabeat , marijuana , cannabis , pot , legalization , tax and regulate , retail , Vermont , Sam Young , Dave Silberman , Craig Bolio , Phil Scott , governor , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The case dates back to July 31, when a Hartford police officer pulled Pixley over for allegedly veering over the center line while driving to pick up prescriptions for his elderly parents. Pixley, who works as a dishwasher, said he had been sleep-deprived and described his prescribed medications to the officer.
That didn’t appease police, who, according to Kenyon, impounded Pixley's car, handcuffed him and and temporarily locked him in a holding cell. Blood tests later revealed that Pixley had caffeine and a prescribed medication in his system at the time of his arrest, Kenyon reported, leading police to cite him with a DUI.
In response to inquires, Cahill informed Seven Days and the Valley News by email Wednesday that his office would only charge Pixley with negligent driving. He is scheduled to be arraigned November 20. The Valley News first reported the prosecutor's decision.
Tags: Valley News , David Cahill , DUI , Jim Kenyon , Scott Pixley , Image , Web Only
Official results from last week's election showed Joseph's fellow incumbent Democrat, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero), placing first with 2,100 votes and Republican challenger Leland Morgan coming in second with 1,984.
Morgan's nephew, Michael Morgan, finished third, with 1,952 votes, while Joseph claimed 1,926.
A candidate is eligible to request a recount if the margin between winner and loser is less than 5 percent of the total votes cast, "divided by the number of persons to be elected," according to Vermont statute.
Judge Robert Mello scheduled the recount for 9 a.m. on November 28 at the Grand Isle County Courthouse in North Hero, according to Joseph.
Tags: Vermont House , Ben Joseph , Leland Morgan , Michael Morgan , Mitzi Johnson , recount , elections , Grand Isle , Image , Web Only
Douglas Wolinsky will temporarily manage the Homestead at Harborview in St. Albans. Since last week, he has been overseeing the three other properties: the Homestead at Pillsbury in St. Albans and Pillsbury Manor South and Allenwood at Pillsbury, both in South Burlington.
Combined, they house some 200 seniors.
Andrew White, the founder of East Lake Capital Management, which owns the properties, was not present at a Montpelier court hearing Wednesday morning on the merits of the receivership. State officials allege that complaints about his facilities included lack of staffing and adequate food. Residents and their family members had complained that White was not cashing rent checks for months.
Tags: Senior care , Vermont , Andrew White , Pillsbury Manor South , Homestead at Harborview , Homestead at Pillsbury , Allenwood at Pillsbury , Image , Web Only