Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Vermont’s COVID-19 cases climb by seven to 29
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine announced that seven more people in Vermont have tested positive for the coronavirus bringing the total for the state to 29 since the first case was announced on March 7. The first case in the United States was detected on Jan. 19 […]
Distance learning, meal delivery begin within GM school district
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Shortly after 7 a.m. on Thursday, buses rolled up in front of the Green Mountain High School in Chester as staff members pushed carts and sheet pan racks filled with boxes of bagged meals through the wet snow for students who are staying home until at least […]
Scott closes child care centers to most starting Wednesday, COVID positives up to 17 Urges private centers, orders others to care for children of 'essential persons'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was a seemingly quiet day on the Vermont coronavirus beat with scarcely a peep from the any of the authorities involved in containing the pandemic. Until 6:57 p.m. when the Health Department sent out its daily update with numbers but no statement that the state had […]
Restaurants ordered closed, state agencies, courts alter operating processes Wrap-up of today's government changes that may impact you
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gathering the news now is a bit like drinking from a fire hose. Here are today’s updates. On a normal news day, any one of these would be a big story. Monday morning, Gov. Phil Scott held a press conference with members of his cabinet to answer […]
UPDATE: State announces 4 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 12
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC UPDATE MARCH 16 1:45 P.M. The Vermont Department of Health Laboratory reported another four cases of the new coronavirus COVID-19. All are Vermont residents. To date, the lab has reported eight positive cases among Vermonters, and four cases among people not from Vermont. These Vermont lab results […]
Scott directs ‘all schools’ to be closed by Wednesday Districts must make 'continuity of education plans'
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC In a press release this afternoon, Gov. Phil Scott announced that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a Continuity of Education Plan for the orderly dismissal of all schools, and cancellation of all school related activities, no later than Wednesday, March 18. This directive, which will be […]
TRSU schools closed; Health Dept. did not recommend shuttering Contact occurred at Cavendish Town Elementary
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The schools of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union will be closed “until further notice” starting on Monday, March 16, according to an email sent on Saturday by Superintendent Meg Powden to families, teachers and staff of the six schools in the SU. The email states: “An individual […]
Local agencies prepare to confront COVID-19
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With one confirmed case of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 in the state of Vermont, most area towns and first responders are now beginning to organize their responses to this new health threat. The Vermont case — a Readsboro man — tested positive and is hospitalized in […]
Cavendish library board disputes Powden email that it agreed to move from CTES
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Alittle more than 30 years after the ground breaking for construction of the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library, it was announced that that institution’s board had decided to vacate the building and move to the town Green. But the problem is that the board had never discussed that, […]
GM school budget passes despite large increase Newcomer Wade elected to board along with incumbents Alexander, Fromberger, Lamphere
By Shawn Cunningham ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a Green Mountain Unified School District budget that represents a 9 percent increase over last year, but also includes a number of initiatives geared at giving students the additional educational opportunities promised in the Act 46 consolidation process. The $14 million budget funds […]
Gun resolution dominates Cavendish Town Meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Thirteen minutes was all it took for the residents of Cavendish — led by moderator Mike Ripley — to fly through the legal articles on the Annual Town Meeting Warning. But a non-binding resolution regarding the right to keep firearms sparked a discussion and vote that took […]
Few disagreements at Weston Town Meeting But 'bathroom talk' dominates Wilder Library discussion
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The post-Town Meeting lunch — prepared by the Little School — was scheduled for noon, but by 10 til 11, with 24 of 25 articles decided, Weston Town Moderator Wayne Granquist was asking the 80 voters attending to either stay or return for the chili and cornbread […]
Budget passes easily, surplus hangs up Andover Town Meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC More often than not, Town Meeting Day meetings consist of a lot of quick approvals of important business and one or two relatively minor questions that take up the lion’s share of time. And so it was at Andover on Saturday, Feb. 29 as the Select Board […]
GM board gives 3 principals 2-year contracts coming out of questionable executive session Board member says SU 'ignored' audit committee's request
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC If the Green Mountain Unified School District board didn’t break Vermont’s Open Meeting Law last Thursday evening, they took it to the breaking point. The board entered the first of three executive sessions during the meeting using the exemption for “labor relations agreements with employees,” to discuss […]
Understanding ownership split for Springfield Hospital, clinics 'Working relationship' between the two to continue, CEO says
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The interim CEO of Springfield Hospital says that that organization is not cutting its ties with the network of area clinics, as has been previously reported. Michael Halstead told The Telegraph in an interview last week that the changes that will occur when Springfield Hospital comes out […]
Search begins for new Two Rivers schools superintendent
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With less than five months before Two Rivers Supervisory Union Superintendent Meg Powden is scheduled to step down, the TRSU board began discussing how it would conduct its search for her replacement. Powden resigned her position on Jan. 13, just seven months into the first year of […]
Showers of flowers and a flurry of snow-filled fun
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing With Valentine’s Day and the Winter Carnival falling around the same time this year, it was a busy weekend in Chester. With the help of veteran florist Cheryl LeClair, the new Flower Shop at Chester Hardware, which was opened this past summer by store owners Julie and Bob Pollard, experienced a […]
TRSU staff negotiations may bust legal budgets again
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Despite requests from members of the Green Mountain Unified School District board to see how legal costs could be contained, the teacher bargaining council for the Two Rivers Supervisory Union continues to have a Burlington attorney attend every negotiating meeting at a cost of more than $1,100 […]
Cavendish selects ponder meeting conduct code Tierney Road quarry foes to continue fight
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Stemming from some heated exchanges in regard to the Tierney Road quarry dispute, the Cavendish Select Board on Monday night took up a proposal by member Sandra Russo to institute a code of conduct for the board’s meetings. Russo’s code was less to promote civility and seemed […]
Smoke scare at Rowell’s Inn days before opening
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday Chester firefighters were called out for a smoke alarm at Rowell’s Inn in Andover, just days before its scheduled opening as a restaurant, bakery and bed and breakfast. “The owners were lighting a woodstove when a back-draft blew smoke into the building,” […]
