Vermont

Vermont to receive millions in federal funds for climate resilience transportation projects

Published

2 years ago

July 29, 2022

Vermont to receive millions in federal funds for climate resilience transportation projects

Tropical Storm Irene broken or destroyed 200 Vermont bridges, together with this one in Cavendish, when it hit the state in 2011. Over the subsequent 5 years, the state is eligible to obtain $37 million in federal funding, the feds introduced on Friday. Heavy rainfall is among the most vital risks to roads and different transportation infrastructure throughout the state. File picture by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger

Over the subsequent 5 years, Vermont will probably be eligible to obtain $37 million in federal funding for transportation tasks that may make the state’s infrastructure extra resilient to a altering local weather, the U.S. Division of Transportation introduced Friday.

The brand new program is designed to “assist communities defend their transportation infrastructure from excessive climate and enhance routes that first responders and firefighters want throughout disasters,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in a written assertion.

Vermont is about to obtain $7 million this fiscal 12 months from the funding bundle, known as the Selling Resilient Operations for Transformative, Environment friendly, and Price-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Formulation Program, a part of President Joe Biden’s federal infrastructure legislation.

Officers at Vermont’s Company of Transportation “will assessment the undertaking eligibility necessities with a view to consider and prioritize tasks” for the funding, Joe Flynn, secretary of the company, stated in a press release.

The steering from the feds, launched Friday, “is the important thing doc we now have been ready for to start the method of creating our spending plan for this funding,” Flynn stated.

A complete of $7.3 billion will probably be out there to states to allow them to put together for excessive climate occasions, resembling wildfires, flooding and extreme warmth.

The announcement comes after an intense warmth wave threatened roadways, railways and airplane runways in elements of the U.S. and Europe earlier this month.

In Vermont, heavy rainfall is probably going essentially the most important hazard to roads and different transportation infrastructure. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene broken 200 bridges, 1,000 culverts and a pair of,400 highway segments within the state.

In August of 2021, flash floods soaked the southern half of the state, inflicting $5 million value of harm, together with $1.6 million in harm to state roads.

Common yearly precipitation within the state has already elevated by 21% since 1900, in response to the Vermont Local weather Evaluation.

“Excessive climate occasions resembling droughts and floods are anticipated to proceed to extend with local weather change,” it discovered. “Vermont experiences 2.4 extra days of heavy precipitation than within the Sixties, most frequently in summer time.”

Chris Campany, director of the Windham Regional Fee and a member of the Vermont Local weather Council, stated he hopes the federal funding will assist cities implement their particular person hazard mitigation plans, lots of which embody transportation planning.

Putting in appropriately sized culverts, specifically, can be an necessary transfer for Vermont cities, he stated.

“That won’t sound very attractive, however they’re completely crucial,” he stated.

Culverts can get plugged up throughout floods, successfully creating dams, which pose a threat to housing and infrastructure downstream.

Eligible tasks embody these that concentrate on “resilience planning, making resilience enhancements to present transportation property and evacuation routes, and addressing at-risk freeway infrastructure,” in response to the U.S. Division of Transportation announcement.

“States are inspired to work with regional and native accomplice organizations to prioritize transportation and emergency response enhancements, in addition to handle vulnerabilities,” the division stated.

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Vermont

Vermont H.S. sports scores for Saturday, Jan. 11: See how your favorite team fared

Published

8 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Vermont H.S. sports scores for Saturday, Jan. 11: See how your favorite team fared

The 2024-2025 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

►Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter:@aabrami5.

►Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

SATURDAY, JAN. 11

Boys basketball

Games at 2:30 p.m. unless noted

Hartford at Middlebury, 12:30 p.m.

Missisquoi at Lake Region, 1:30 p.m.

Milton at BFA-St. Albans

Williamstown at Northfield, 6:30 p.m.

Girls basketball

Games at 2:30 p.m. unless noted

Danville at Winooski, 11 a.m.

Spaulding at Milton, 11:30 a.m.

Mount Mansfield at Colchester, 12:30 p.m.

Otter Valley at Mount Abraham, 12:30 p.m.

Montpelier at Stowe, 1 p.m.

Richford at Enosburg

Peoples at Twinfield/Cabot

Brattleboro at South Burlington

Burr and Burton at Champlain Valley

Rutland at St. Johnsbury

Williamstown at BFA-Fairfax, 3:30 p.m.

Boys hockey

Essex at Hartford, 2 p.m.

Burlington at U-32, 2:30 p.m.

Mount Mansfield at St. Johnsbury, 3 p.m.

Milton vs North Country at Jay Peak, 4 p.m.

Harwood at Stowe, 4:15 p.m.

South Burlington at Champlain Valley, 4:45 p.m.

Brattleboro at Woodstock, 6:45 p.m.

Rice at Burr and Burton, 7 p.m.

Spaulding at Middlebury, 7 p.m.

Rutland at Colchester, 7:30 p.m.

Girls hockey

Spaulding at Rutland, 11 a.m.

Woodstock at Brattleboro, 4:45 p.m.

Harwood at Burr and Burton, 5 p.m.

Rice at Burlington/Colchester, 5 p.m.

Stowe at Middlebury, 5 p.m.

Essex at BFA-St. Albans, 7 p.m.

U-32 at Kingdom Blades, 7 p.m.

Gymnastics

Harwood at Burlington, 2 p.m.

Montpelier, St. Johnsbury at South Burlington, 7:30 p.m.

Wrestling

Michael J. Baker Classic at Essex

MONDAY, JAN. 13

Boys basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Randolph at North Country, 6:30 p.m.

Harwood at U-32

Winooski at Twinfield/Cabot

Northfield at Milton

Brattleboro at Champlain Valley

Thetford at Williamstown

Oxbow at Hazen

Girls basketball

Vergennes at BFA-Fairfax, 7 p.m.

Essex at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.

(Subject to change)

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Vermont

Scott’s plan to cut school spending worries some educators

Published

19 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Scott’s plan to cut school spending worries some educators

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont educators are leery of plans from Gov. Phil Scott to control costs in Vermont’s education system. In Thursday’s inaugural address, Scott pitched sweeping plans to rein in spending which has led to skyrocketing property tax rates.

Last year, one-third of Vemont’s school budgets failed and voters sent more Republicans to Montpelier in years in what some dubbed a tax revolt.

Democrats say everything should be on the table to fix the tax troubles, but some in the education community remain wary.

In his address, the governor outlined a multiyear plan to overhaul how we fund public schools and rein in the cost of spending which has skyrocketed to $2.3 billion.

“In too many districts, teachers aren’t paid enough, administrators are tied up in bureaucracy, schools have too much empty space and many are in disrepair,” said Scott, R-Vermont.

He proposes consolidating dozens of school districts and supervisory unions, putting guardrails on local school spending and completely rewriting the school funding formula with the aim of cutting back on staff and the 80% of school costs that go to wages and benefits.

But some in Vermont’s education community see it another way.

“We have to be clear what is the problem we’re trying to solve. We’re not spending too much money in public education; we’re having a difficult time funding it,” said Don Tinney the executive director of the Vermont NEA.

The Vermont teachers union contends the state has enough taxing capacity to fund schools and students’ complex needs. But they say the state should instead fund schools through state and income tax instead of a property tax.

“We believe the income tax is the fairest way of doing that because people are paying what they can afford to pay,” Tinney said.

As for the funding formula, Scott argues more affluent towns that can afford higher property taxes spend more and approve their local budgets, which drives up costs in the statewide education fund.

“Those higher spenders can actually increase the rates of those districts whose kids and teachers are getting less,” Scott said.

The governor is expected to introduce a formula where districts are paid a flat rate and any additional spending would have to be raised locally.

But some worry that will lead to inequitable opportunities for kids.

“There are states that use foundation formulas to keep poor people poor and drive down public education costs and allow for more opportunities for private schools and school choice schemes. I can’t see Vermont allowing that to happen,” said Jay Nichols of the Vermont Principals’ Association.

Vermonters are still staring down a 6% property tax increase if school budgets as drafted pass on Town Meeting Day.

Scott says in the weeks ahead, he will unveil ideas to hold taxpayers harmless and keep taxes flat.

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Vermont

Vermont expected to get light snow Saturday. Here’s the forecast

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Vermont expected to get light snow Saturday. Here’s the forecast

Wintry weather spreads across the South

Significant snow and icy precipitation are moving from Texas to the Carolinas.

Following a week of cold temperatures and harsh winds, this weekend will see light snow across New England, including Vermont.

While the snow is expected to cover the entire state of Vermont, this weekend’s snowfall will be calm, with no strong winds to create a storm and only a small amount of accumulation.

Here’s what to know about the timing, location and effects of Saturday’s snowfall in Vermont.

Where in VT will it snow Saturday?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) of Burlington, light snow is expected throughout the day on Saturday, with the greatest chances of snow in the morning. Most areas of the state will see one inch of snowfall, with two inches possible in the middle region of the state.

While Vermont has seen extremely strong winds over this past week, the wind is expected to die down Friday night and stay mild throughout the snow Saturday. As of right now, the NWS has not issued any hazards or warning for Saturday, as the snowfall is expected to be calm.

VT weather next week

Temperatures will stay in the 20s throughout the weekend, with slightly warmer temperatures coming in next week. Snow showers are expected overnight from Monday to Tuesday.

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