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Victim advocates unsettled by drop in help hotline calls during stay-at-home order

By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Advocates for victims of domestic violence are seeing a significant drop in the number of calls to help hotlines since the state mandated stay at home orders in mid-March. And they find that drop “unsettling.” On Monday, Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said that overall 911 […]

Early spurt of gardens, seed sales, farm shares

By Evan Chadwick ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Covid-19 crisis has spurred an early spike in sales of seeds and growing supplies as well as people signing up for Community Supported Agriculture, even while it has stymied this summer’s farmers markets. Jon Cohen, farmer and owner of Deep Meadow Farm in Ascutney, says that so […]

In reversal, health department recommends wearing masks

By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Vermont’s Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine stepped out ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today saying that Vermonters should wear cloth masks in public even if they have no symptoms. But his remarks were not without caveats and qualifiers. “At this moment in time, […]

Weston Playhouse cancels summer season

By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Playhouse has canceled for the foreseeable future its summer theater season as well as all special events and concerts planned for the playhouse in downtown Weston and the nearby Walker Farm. Susanna Gellert, the executive artistic director of the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, announced Thursday that […]

TRSU offers superintendent position to Fierman

By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last night, the Two Rivers Supervisory Union board offered Green Mountain High School Principal Lauren Fierman a two-year contract to replace Meg Powden as superintendent beginning on July 1, 2020. Powden resigned from the post on Jan. 13 effective June 30, 2020, opting not to complete the […]

Hance named Chester town manager

Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In the 15 years that Julie Hance has worked for Chester town government, she has been assistant town clerk, assistant town treasurer, zoning administrator, executive assistant and assistant town manager. On Wednesday, April 1, the Chester Select Board unanimously named her town manager and gave her a one-year […]

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  • State's Covid-19 modeling shows peak mid-April to early May

    State’s Covid-19 modeling shows peak mid-April to early May

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a lengthy Zoom news conference Thursday afternoon, members of the Scott administration explained that modeling done to predict the course of the coronavirus in Vermont is showing that the isolation and distancing measures ordered by the governor are working and that the peak of the infections […]

  • More medical surge sites announced for Vermont

    More medical surge sites announced for Vermont

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Scott administration today announced that two more medical surge sites will be established — one in Rutland and one in Essex Junction —  as the state prepares for a large increase in the number of Covid-19 cases. In a press release today, Gov. Phil Scott said […]

  • Police agencies search for missing Springfield man

    Police agencies search for missing Springfield man

    © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Three police agencies are searching for a Springfield man who was reported missing to Hartford Police and was last seen in Chester. Joshua Webster, 39 of Springfield was last seen leaving a home on Regina Drive in Chester early in the morning on Saturday March 7. A relative reported him […]

  • Commentary: Managing stress under Covid-19

    Commentary: Managing stress under Covid-19

    By Richard W. Root II, Ed.D., ABP Twin State Psychological Services New reports about Covid-19 are becoming more widespread and can be stressful to deal with. Here are some tips to help you manage stress, put news reports in perspective and maintain a positive outlook. Keep things in perspective. Take a deep breath and remind […]

  • Chester Select Board to hold April 15 public hearing for Town Plan changes

    Chester Select Board to hold April 15 public hearing for Town Plan changes

    In accordance with the provisions of 24 V.S.A. §4384, the Town of Chester Select Board will hold the second (and final) of two public hearings on April 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Town Offices to hear public comments on adopting the Chester Town Plan with amendments as described here. The meeting will be […]

  • Springfield Medical Systems manages under Covid-19 changes

    Springfield Medical Systems manages under Covid-19 changes

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic has meant that health care systems have had to make changes to the way they work on a day-to-day basis while coping with shortages in gear and uncertain finances that can be difficult for rural providers and all the more […]

  • Green Up Day delayed til May 30

    Green Up Day delayed til May 30

    Effective Monday, March 30, Green Up Vermont’s plan is to postpone Green Up Day from Saturday, May 2 to Saturday, May 30. The distribution of Green Up Day supplies will happen the first week in May, organizers announced. Although Green Up is shifting its planning toward May 30, the organization will still look for final […]

  • Testing reveals more cases; infections jump by 37

    Testing reveals more cases; infections jump by 37

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The expanded testing regime announced by Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine seems to be turning up more new cases than were found when screening was limited to only the very sick. On Friday, Levine said that by having received a larger stockpile of test kits, the state […]

  • To the editor: Some in Congress favor military over health care

    To the editor: Some in Congress favor military over health care

    While Vermont communities were watching for signs the federal government would help them weather the current public health issues, 130 federal legislators had their sights set on something else. These members of Congress had the audacity to jointly petition the House Armed Services Committee, just four days after the White House declared a state of […]

  • Gov. Scott: If you don't need to come to Vt., don't

    Gov. Scott: If you don’t need to come to Vt., don’t

    By Shawn Cunningham ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Scott today ordered restrictions on travelers arriving in Vermont and ordered the lodging industry — including Airbnbs and others offering short-term rentals as well as campgrounds and RV parks — to close and stop taking reservations. […]

  • To the editor: Family Center seeks monetary donations

    To the editor: Family Center seeks monetary donations

    The Chester Telegraph is republishing this letter from the Chester-Andover Family Center seeking funds. While its website is still experiencing problems, the link to its Paypal account works. The Chester-Andover Family Center is asking the community for help in keeping our Food Shelf fully stocked to meet the needs of participating residents. As you know, […]

  • Weston board delays decision on special Town Meeting in its first remote session

    Weston board delays decision on special Town Meeting in its first remote session

    By Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In its first video-conferencing meeting during the Covid-19 shutdown, the Weston Select Board on March 24 delayed action on a proposal by board chair Denis Benson to hold a special Town Meeting to postpone large town expenditures such as a $90,000 bridge replacement and $30,000 for a fire […]

  • State Police check compliance at hundreds of hotels/motels

    State Police check compliance at hundreds of hotels/motels

    © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Vermont State Police troopers visited 295 lodging establishments across the state to check their compliance with Gov. Phil Scott’s Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order which required commercial lodging establishments to immediately begin to cease operations due to the coronavirus pandemic according to a VSP press release issued Sunday afternoon. […]

  • Covid-19 testing kicks off at Landmark College

    Covid-19 testing kicks off at Landmark College

    By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Just before 8 a.m. Sunday morning, in a chilly drizzle, Lt. Col. Miles Trudell and his crew of National Guard soldiers were putting the finishing touches on a drive-through testing operation at Landmark College’s parking lot D. The tents for registering and testing patients and processing specimens […]

  • Hospitals must protect patient information

    Hospitals must protect patient information

    From Grace Cottage Hospital In light of the recent pandemic of novel coronavirus known as Covid-19, Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital in Townshend has received inquiries about patients that have been tested for coronavirus within the community. While it is understandable that people want this information to protect themselves and their families, Grace Cottage […]

  • Chester Select Board agenda for April 1, 2020

    Chester Select Board agenda for April 1, 2020

    The Chester Select Board will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 via Zoom and at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., where the Select Board chair and the town manager will be located. To log-in to Zoom call (646) 558 8656 and enter the Meeting ID544 784 834  or https://zoom.us/join and add Meeting ID: 544 […]

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