Green Mountain College to close its doors pg. 3
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COMMUNITY NEWS
TAKE ONE February 2, 2019
Serving Addison, Rutland & Chittenden Counties
Alarm over extreme-risk gun cases
UVM study: Manure and greenhouse gases
By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
MIDDLEBURY | A recent, thwarted shooting threat at a Middlebury school triggered the seizure, by local police, of legally owned guns. Recent “extreme-risk ” gun confiscation incidents, are reportedly troubling and alarming to advocates of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Last spring, Joe Blanchard, of North Chester, became one of the first Vermonters to have his guns taken away under Act 97, Vermont’s new extreme risk protection order law. Gov. Phil Scott signed the measure after police thwarted a teen’s plot to shoot up Fair Haven Union High School. Blanchard’s running afoul of the state’s new gun regulations is a complex case with multiple layers. The 44-yearold landlord already had a reputation in the community for holding passionate views about guns and the police. Whatever his views may be, police are trained to be “fair and impartial” when executing their duties. Last April, Springfield Police pulled Blanchard over for having a burned out headlight on his Jeep. During the stop, they discovered his registration and auto insurance had expired as well, and he was allegedly carrying an AR-15 rifle; police attempted to tow his car away — a move Blanchard said he strongly, but nonviolently, protested.
Manure injection practices and warming winter temperatures interact to increase greenhouse gas emissions says new research by University of Vermont’s Carol Adair and colleagues. Photo by UVM From Campus News Reports UNI V ERSIT Y OF V ERMONT
BURLINGTON | Decisions farmers make over the spring and summer can dramatically increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions later in the winter. That’s a key takeaway from a new University of Vermont study that shows, for the first time, that the impacts of farmers’ manure use decisions extend beyond the growing season to influence emissions on warm winter days.
» Gun cases Cont. on pg. 5
“This could have big impacts as winters become warmer and soils thaw more frequently,” said lead author Carol Adair “If croplands move farther north with warming climates, this could increase the contributions of agriculture to global GHG emissions.” The study, published in Soil Science Society of America Journal, provides some of the first measures of GHG emissions from agricultural soils in Vermont and highlights important trade-offs with current agriculture practices, such as injecting manure into soils. » Manure Cont. on pg. 6
Declines in forest industry a concern By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
ICE JAM: The Middlebury River was jammed with broken ice blocks of all sizes after a night and day of warming temperatures and heavy rain. The not unexpected “January thaw” triggered a fast meltdown. The ice had touched the bottom of the Moses Cameron Memorial Bridge Jan. 24, spanning the river, which serves snowmobilers along the VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) trail in Middlebury. Photo by Lou Varricchio
MIDDLEBURY | Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) announced on Jan. 22 that Vermont communities struggling to overcome the decline in the forestry industry will now be able to consider accessing a $7 million taxpayer-funded grant program to kick-start new economic opportunities. “As a competitive global market has put pressure on our forest-based businesses, Vermonters are doing great work to reinvent the forest economy. Th is includes investing in outdoor recreation, developing new forest-based products, like wood pellets for modern wood heat and looking for ways to bring broadband and other modern infrastructure to rural communities,” said Scott, who is the state co-chairperson of the NBRC (Northern Border Regional Commission).
“This federal-state partnership provides financial support to bring new ideas to scale. I want to thank Senator Leahy for his continued support of Vermonters and Vermont’s rural economy, particularly in response to these challenging circumstances.” Leahy said, “For generations, many communities across Vermont, northern New York and New England relied heavily on the economic benefits of the forest economy. But recent down-turns in wood markets have taken a toll. We need new solutions, new markets and sustained federal investment to ensure our rural communities can capitalize on new opportunities and retain their vibrancy. “This new initiative will allow for demonstration for new wood products, such as mass timber construction, while also looking to help communities with critical needs such as closing the digital divide.” » Forest industry Cont. on pg. 6
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