The Atlantic: America’s Pandemic Star Loses Some Luster. “As the Delta variant has penetrated Vermont’s once-formidable defenses, the state’s leaders are now debating how to respond—or whether to respond much at all. Vermont’s experience, they concede, might simply be a preview of the virus’s endemic future, when states can realistically hope only to keep COVID-19 contained, not eliminate it entirely.”
Vermont Business Magazine: Vermont Professionals of Color Network debuts new website. “Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC) announced the launch of their redesigned website with the goal of increasing visibility of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) statewide, and increasing access to statewide resources to the BIPOC community.”
Washington Post: State troopers accused of making fake vaccination cards resign after colleagues turn them in. “Shawn Sommers and Raymond Witkowski resigned Aug. 10, a day after a colleague raised concerns about the alleged fraud to supervisors, while David Pfindel’s resignation took effect Friday after an investigation by Vermont’s Department of Public Safety, according to a police statement. Authorities said the three men, who were reported to supervisors by their fellow troopers, ‘are suspected of having varying roles in the creation of fraudulent covid-19 vaccination cards, which may be a violation of federal law.’”
VT Digger: As Covid-19 reappears in Vermont long-term care facilities, many staff remain unvaccinated. “Almost eight months after vaccines became available to medical staff, the overall vaccination rate at Vermont nursing homes was 78%, as of late July. Individual nursing homes ran the gamut when it came to their clinical staff’s vaccination rates, from a high of 95% at Menig Nursing Home in Randolph to a low of 56% at St. Johnsbury Health and Rehabilitation.”
NBC Boston: New Online Trail From Famous Vt. Cheesemaker Connects Consumers to Farms. “One of the best-known brands in grocery stores across New England and beyond has a new tool that aims to drive business to dairy farms that welcome visits. The Vermont-based Cabot Cooperative Creamery, which makes the famous Cabot Cheddar Cheese and other dairy products, is pointing consumers to where they can visit member farms — the ones that are set up for public visits.”
NBC 5: Vermont group launches free tool aimed at rooting out workplace inequities. “Advocates for equity in the workplace launched a new online toolkit and resource manual that offer ways for employers to look at the pay they’re giving workers to see if men, women and people of color are on level playing fields professionally.”
NBC 5: ‘Black voices of Vermont’ aims to build community and promote learning. “A new project in Vermont aims to amplify voices of Black youth and strengthen a sense of community. ‘We’re getting progressively better over time,’ Yeshua Armbrister, 19, said of Vermont communities’ goal of being ever more inclusive. Armbrister is one of the first participants in Black Voices of Vermont, a new, interactive media project focused on highlighting the experiences and viewpoints of Black teens in the predominantly white state.”
BusinessWire: State of Vermont, NIC Vermont Launch New Outdoor Recreation Mobile App (PRESS RELEASE). “Built in partnership with the state’s digital government services partner, NIC Vermont, the mobile app provides a wide offering of features, including interactive maps, and enables users to easily access policy information and guidelines for activities, such as hunting, trapping, fishing, boating and hiking in Vermont.”
Vox: Social distancing is a luxury many can’t afford. Vermont actually did something about it.. “Researchers studying Covid-19 policy say Vermont’s successes are inextricably linked to its approach to helping at-risk groups avoid the virus. ‘Vermont’s prioritization of its vulnerable populations has helped both to protect those [people] from the worst outcomes we’ve seen in other settings but also contributed to the much lower transmission rates in the state,’ said Anne Sosin, the program director of Dartmouth College’s Center for Global Health Equity.”
NPR: Two Rural States With GOP Governors And Very Different COVID-19 Results. “One of the things happening in South Dakota is an infection rate that’s among the worst in the nation, at about 8,000 cases per 100,000 people. In Vermont, another small, rural state with a Republican governor, Gov. Phil Scott has embraced safety measures, and the differences are pretty stark. Like South Dakota, Vermont has fewer than 1 million residents, most of whom don’t live in cities. It has about 500 cases per 100,000 people. That’s the lowest rate in the nation.”
VTDigger: How libraries across Vermont are continuing to serve people despite a pandemic. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, Vermont’s public libraries have figured out how to serve their communities despite mandatory closings and limitations. Initially, like every institution in Vermont, libraries across the state shut down in early March to help combat Covid-19. But in mid-April, libraries found ways to reach people — through curbside services and expanded digital resources. In the months since, the individuality of each of Vermont’s libraries has shone through.”
Seven Days Vermont: Revamped Vermont Guidance for Schools Could Allow Three Feet of Distancing Instead of Six. “At a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott told Vermonters that he’d sign an executive order declaring September 8 the first day of class for schools around the state. ”
VTDigger (Vermont): VTDigger launches campaign finance database. “Our campaign finance portal shows readers the top contributors to each campaign, how candidates rank over time and how they compare to each other, along with the raw data that powers the state’s database. This is only the beginning of the tool. Candidates must file new campaign reports on a monthly basis, and we’ll keep adding them along with new insights and features for our readers.”
WCAX: UVM researchers look at police funding across Vermont. “As funding for police departments is under scrutiny across the country, a new database compiled in collaboration with UVM researchers is comparing police budgets from more than half of Vermont cities and towns.”
Washington Post: Vermont borders states with major covid-19 outbreaks, but you won’t find that here. “Months into the pandemic, Vermont’s governor says the state is ‘the envy of the nation,’ with little more than 1,100 confirmed covid-19 infections and 56 deaths. Perhaps most remarkable is that Vermont has been relatively spared the effects of the disease even though a huge swath of the nation’s cases are mere hours from its borders; neighboring New York and Massachusetts have approximately half a million confirmed cases between them, and more than 37,000 deaths.”
