Thursday, February 20, 2020
Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced the settlement, which stems from incidents at three facilities in 2018 and 2019, at a press conference Thursday afternoon. The agreement settles claims relating to the state’s vulnerable adult statutes and the False Claims Act.
“Here is the bottom line," Donovan said. "We will not tolerate substandard care in the state of Vermont for the most vulnerable of our state.”
The three facilities — St. Johnsbury Health & Rehab, Berlin Health & Rehab Center and Burlington Health & Rehab Center — rank among the lowest rated in the state, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare system. The St. Johnsbury and Berlin homes both have one out of five stars, based on metrics that include three years' worth of health inspections, staffing levels and clinical outcomes for residents. The Burlington facility has two stars. The statewide average for nursing homes is 3.2 stars, while Genesis-owned homes average 2.6.
Tags: Genesis HealthCare , nursing homes , eldercare , Web Only , Image
WCAX-TV weeknight news anchor Galen Ettlin and Burlington Free Press multimedia journalist Ryan Mercer separately announced their departures in social media posts this week.
Ettlin, who has spent nearly two years with WCAX, told Seven Days that he has accepted an out-of-state journalism job, though he said he can't say where it is until next week. He said working in Vermont has been a "surreal experience," particularly given the access that media has to those holding the state's highest offices.
Tags: Galen Ettlin , Ryan Mercer , Media Note , WCAX , Burlington Free Press , Web Only , Image
By the time it was over, Bloomberg was reeling — and Sanders was still standing.
Leading the attack against the former mayor was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who just moments into the debate referred to him as an arrogant billionaire “who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians.’” Later, in the most memorable exchange of the night, she eviscerated him over allegations of sexual harassment at his company, Bloomberg L.P., and mocked his explanation.
“I hope you heard what his defense was: 'I’ve been nice to some women,'” she said. “That just doesn’t cut it. The mayor has to stand on his record, and what we need to know is exactly what’s lurking out there. He has gotten some number of women — dozens, who knows? — to sign nondisclosure agreements, both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace.”
Tags: Amy Klobuchar , Bernie Sanders , Chuck Todd , Election , Election 2020 , Elizabeth Warren , Joe Biden , Michael Bloomberg , Pete Buttigieg , Primary 2020 , Senator , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Supporters including Mayor Miro Weinberger have touted the potential for so-called accessory dwelling units to boost the city's housing stock and benefit both homeowners and renters.
The changes were among several housing initiatives proposed in the wake of the mayor's 2019 Housing Summit.
Under the new rules, additional off-street parking will no longer be required for accessory dwelling units. They will also be allowed on some lots previously deemed too small, so long as stormwater treatment requirements are met.
Tags: accessory dwelling units , Burlington , housing , affordability , Web Only , Image
Senators seem to support a bill that would require electric utilities to get all of their power from renewable sources by 2030. The state’s renewable energy standard already calls for them to reach 75 percent renewable by 2032. So the new benchmark seemed manageable to members of the Senate Finance Committee.
But the bill’s call to double — from 10 percent to 20 percent — the amount of renewable energy that utilities would have to purchase from new Vermont sources like solar seemed to be a bridge too far for some senators.
Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington), who chairs the committee, cautioned members that the requirement was causing some utilities — and her — concern over potential cost hikes.
Tags: renewables , climate , S.267 , Sen. Chris Pearson , Web Only , Image
Burlington will not reinvest any proceeds from last year's sale of Burlington Telecom back into the company.
City councilors early Wednesday nixed a proposal by Mayor Miro Weinberger to use $2.4 million of the proceeds to purchase a small stake in the new company, a subsidiary of Indiana-based Schurz Communications.
The fateful decision, made after midnight during a marathon meeting, ends a tumultuous two decades of municipally owned broadband.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Burlington City Council , Miro Weinberger , Brian Pine , Joan Shannon , Jack Hanson , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Yet the “official document” was actually a plea for donations from the Republican National Committee. The form imitated a U.S. Census questionnaire — except for the types of questions it contained and the request for funds at the end.
“Do you approve or disapprove of the Democrats’ never-ending witch hunt to try to destroy President Trump?” one question reads, with “approve,” “disapprove” or “unsure” as possible responses.
The final of 41 questions asks for a credit card number, donation amount and certification that “the answers to the enclosed 2020 Congressional District Census Document are my own.”
Tags: 2020 , Burlington , Donald Trump , Election , Election 2020 , Phil Scott , Primary 2020 , Republican National Committee , U.S. Census , Web Only , Image
Those were some of the key findings of a new Vermont Public Radio — Vermont PBS poll released Tuesday morning.
The survey of 603 registered voters conducted earlier this month showed Sanders with a commanding lead over his fellow candidates, suggesting that he is well positioned for the March 3 primary in Vermont.
Tags: Bernie Sanders , David Zuckerman , Donald Trump , Election , Election 2020 , Phil Scott , poll , president , Primary 2020 , Rebecca Holcombe , Senator , Web Only , Image
Alice Little — who has reportedly earned more than $1 million in a single year working at a legal brothel in Nevada, which she says makes her the state's highest-earning licensed sex worker — extended the offer in a YouTube video posted last Friday.
“You have a tremendous opportunity to be the first state to legalize sex work at the state level,” says Little, sitting on the foot of a bed. “As someone that’s been in this industry for the past four years, I want to help shape the future of sex work in America and ensure that we have a system that values everyone involved.”
Tags: Sex worker bill , Good Samaritan bill , Selene Colburn , Alice Little , Moonlite Bunny Ranch , Montpeculiar , Web Only , Image , Video
Monday, February 17, 2020
The advisory, issued Saturday, affected much of Burlington and parts of South Burlington that rely on Burlington's municipal supply. It was lifted early Monday.
The Department of Public Works posted the update on its website in English, Swahili, French, Somali and Nepali.
Tags: boil water advisory , Burlington , Web Only , Image