A 35-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the arson attack on Friday that damaged an office in Burlington, Vermont, belonging to Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bernie-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT), according to authorities.
Shant Soghomonian, who is also known as Michael Soghomonian and is previously of Northridge, California, was arrested on Sunday pursuant to a federal criminal complaint, the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the District of Vermont <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/suspect-arrested-arson-burlington-office-senator-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release.
The complaint charged Soghomonian with using fire to damage the building at One Church Street in Burlington – a building used in interstate commerce and as a place of activity affecting interstate commerce, the release added.
On Friday morning, Soghomonian entered the building, proceeded to the third floor, where Sanders&#8217;s office is located, and was &#8220;recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter,&#8221; the release said, citing court documents.
&#8220;A blaze quickly began while Soghomonian departed via a staircase&#8221; and it &#8220;damaged the outside of the office door and surrounding areas, and the building sprinklers discharged on multiple floors,&#8221; the release continued.
&#8220;The Senator’s office was occupied by multiple employees who were not physically injured during the incident,&#8221; the release said. &#8220;It is not known how many other occupants were in the building, but no injuries were reported.&#8221;
The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the District of Vermont said that Soghomonian faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
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An initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge had not yet been scheduled, and a counsel for the suspect had not yet been identified, the release noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Seen this man around Burlington, Vermont? Police are asking for assistance in identifying this suspect in connection to a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders&#39; office. A motive is unclear. <a href="https://t.co/RALcX8TpjQ">pic.twitter.com/RALcX8TpjQ</a>
&mdash; Madeleine Hubbard (@MadeleineHubb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MadeleineHubb/status/1776976283764961710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Police had previously <a href="https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/Press/arsonseeking-suspect#:~:text=Attached%20Press%20Release%3A-,Download%20arson.pdf,-(997.07%20KB)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a photo of the suspect that showed him wearing a hat, dark jacket, and long pants to track down the man.
Sanders <a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2024/04/05/senator-bernie-sanders-joins-striking-workers-at-hotel-figueroa-in-downtown-l-a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had been</a> in Los Angeles on Friday to join a picket line where hotel workers were on strike to demand improved pay and working conditions.
&nbsp;

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Arrest Made In Arson Attack On Bernie Sanders’ Office

Arrest Made In Arson Attack On Bernie Sanders' Office

Arson

Bernie Sanders

Congress

Fire

Politics

U.S. Senate

Vermont

A Vermont high school girls basketball coach on Monday slammed a decision to ban his team from competition after he forfeited a game last year over another team’s transgender player.
Mid-Vermont Christian School coach Chris Goodwin defended his decision to forfeit a playoff game in February 2023 against Long Trail School. Goodwin said the participation of a biological male on the other team was too dangerous to his own girls to allow the game to go forward.
“I’ve got four daughters. I&#8217;ve coached them all at one point in their careers playing high school basketball. I&#8217;ve also filled in for the boy&#8217;s coach when he can&#8217;t make a practice, and I run those practices, and boys just play at a different speed, a different force … than the girls play,” Goodwin told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/vermont-girls-basketball-team-banned-play-forfeiting-game-team-transgender-player">Fox News</a>.
“After discussions with the administration and our players and parents, we decided that instead of going against our religious beliefs that … there are differences between male and female, we are created differently, we decided to forfeit that game and withdraw from the tournament,” he continued. “And at that point, the state of Vermont governing body kicked us out of all athletic competitions in the state.”
Goodwin sat alongside Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Ryan Tucker, who is representing Mid-Vermont Christian School in a lawsuit against the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA)
“The state is basically attempting to purge individuals like Chris and other family members in the state, from public discourse, from the ability … to speak out … on issues of significant, public concern,” Tucker said, according to Fox News.
The VPA sent a letter to the school in March that said Goodwin’s decision to forfeit the game did “not meet the expectations” of VPA policies on inclusivity and “gender identity.”
The head of school at Mid-Vermont Christian, Vicky Fogg, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/us/mid-vermont-christian-school-transgender-athlete-ineligible-future-activities/index.html">defended</a> the school’s decision in a statement.
“We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” Fogg said. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
Last week, the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell girls basketball team <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13105605/Trans-basketball-high-school-game-injury-forfeit-Massachusetts.html">forfeited</a> a game mid-way through after three of its players were reportedly injured by a transgender player on the other team. Video of the game showed one injury that a girl sustained after she and the transgender player wrestled for the ball on the court.
“The bench was already depleted going into the game with the 12-player roster having four players unable to play,” a school representative said in a statement explaining the decision to forfeit the game. “When the coach saw three more go down in the first half leaving him with five players, he made the call to end the game early. The upcoming Charter School playoffs were looming, and he needed a healthy and robust bench in four days.”

Basketball

Vermont Girls’ Coach Defends Decision To Forfeit Game Over Transgender Player: ‘Boys Just Play At A Different Speed’

Transgender Athletes

A Connecticut woman will become Vermont’s first nonresident to die by medically assisted suicide on Thursday.
76-year-old Lynda Bluestein traveled from Connecticut to Vermont on Wednesday to prepare for her scheduled death. Bluestein’s son, Jake Shannon, <a href="https://connecticut.news12.com/exclusive-bridgeport-woman-heading-to-vermont-to-die" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> News 12 Connecticut that Bluestein will take a lethal injection on Thursday morning. 
&#8220;I&#8217;d like to be remembered as someone who never thought that second best was even in the realm of possibility; who always believed that you can make everything better,&#8221; said Bluestein.
Bluestein said the state of Connecticut was “cruel” for not allowing medically assisted suicide. Supporters of assisted suicide also commonly refer to the practice as medical aid in dying (MAID), physician-assisted death, and aid in dying.
“Our state has failed my family and many others. Who can take a calendar and say that&#8217;s the day I&#8217;m going to die?” <a href="https://connecticut.news12.com/bridgeport-womans-journey-to-death-begins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Bluestein. “I was astonished on how cruel that felt.”
In anticipation of her death last month, Bluestein <a href="https://westportlibrary.org/westport-library-to-welcome-wind-phones-a-gift-to-the-community-and-a-lasting-tribute-to-the-remarkable-lynda-bluestein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> two “wind phones” to her local library, one of which resides in the children’s section. The phones aren’t connected to anything. Rather, the user carries on a one-way conversation to their deceased loved one as a means of processing grief. The concept originated with an unconnected telephone booth in Japan established in 2010 by a man grieving his cousin’s death. 
Since its legalization in 2013, <a href="https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Legislative-Reports/Patient-Choice-Legislative-Report-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200 individuals</a> have died using Vermont’s medically assisted suicide, according to a report from the Vermont Department of Health to the state legislature. Over 150 of those cases sought suicide due to cancer, including Bluestein, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Only those with a terminal illness given six months or less to live qualify for medically assisted suicide, and the individual must self-administer the medication. 
The state classifies the manner of these deaths as natural, with the cause listed as the underlying disease that prompted them to seek medically assisted suicide.  
In addition to Vermont, nine other states and Washington, D.C., allow medically assisted suicide: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and the state of Washington. However, only Vermont and Oregon allow nonresidents to obtain it. 
Bluestein <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/29/nyregion/connecticut-vermont-medical-assisted-death.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> Vermont in 2022 over its original restriction of the practice to residents only. Last May, the state legislature removed that requirement.
Over the years, Bluestein and groups like the Death With Dignity organization have advocated to legalize medically assisted suicide in Connecticut, but to no avail. Proposed legislation on the matter dating back to the late 1990s initially made it no further than introduction. Legalization gained slight momentum with committee assignments beginning in 2020; however, the bills haven’t advanced out of any committee over the last three legislative sessions. 
In Bluestein’s last testimony <a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/PHdata/Tmy/2023SB-01076-R000227-Bluestein,%20Lynda,%20Ms-Supports-TMY.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advocating</a> for legalization of medically assisted suicide, she insisted that the majority of Connecticut residents support it. 
“When I, like so many before me, have just wanted ‘to wake up dead,’ I want it to be at home and at peace,” said Bluestein. 
Over 5,000 patients in eight states died from medically assisted suicide from 1998 to 2020, <a href="https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgs.17925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to data published in 2022 by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to <a href="http://speakingofsuicide.com/resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources</a> for a list of additional resources.

Fog settles between hills at daybreak as

Connecticut Woman To Become Vermont’s First Nonresident To Get Medically Assisted Suicide In State

Connecticut Woman Becomes Vermont's First Nonresident To Get Medically Assisted Suicide In State

Connecticut

Social Issues

A Vermont Christian school that pulled out of a basketball game over a trans-identifying male player is suing the state for barring it from state tournaments as well as a state tuition program.
Mid Vermont Christian School in Hartford <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/vermont-expels-christian-school-tuition-program-sports-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a federal lawsuit against the state in Burlington on Tuesday, alleging that the Vermont Agency of Education committed religious discrimination when it refused to designate the school as an approved independent school.
&#8220;Mid Vermont Christian and its students are being irreparably harmed by being denied participation in the Town Tuitioning and Dual Enrollment Programs and middle school and high school athletics,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://adflegal-live-drupal-files-delivery.s3.amazonaws.com/2023-11/Mid-Vermont-Christian-School-v-Bouchey-2023-11-21-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>.
&#8220;This civil rights action seeks to protect a Christian school and its students and parents from unconstitutional religious discrimination and hostility,&#8221; the complaint <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/christian-school-suing-officials-barred-events-forfeiting-game-trans-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.
Back in February, Mid Vermont Christian forfeited a girls basketball playoff game, saying a trans-identifying male player on the opposing team jeopardized “the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.”
The opposing team from Long Trail High School automatically <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/christian-school-suing-officials-barred-events-forfeiting-game-trans-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> the game.
The next month, the body that governs school sports, the executive council of the Vermont Principals’ Association, <a href="https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/11/christian-school-that-objected-to-transgender-athletes-sues-vt-after-its-banned-from-competition.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the Christian school from future tournaments. The council ruled the school had violated the council’s policies on race, gender and disability awareness.
Meanwhile, the Vermont State Board of Education <a href="https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/11/christian-school-that-objected-to-transgender-athletes-sues-vt-after-its-banned-from-competition.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires</a> independent schools to provide the board with a nondiscrimination statement and post the statement on their websites. If the board does not approve a school, that school may not participate in the state&#8217;s town tuition program, which funds private school tuition for students in areas without a public school.
&#8220;The State is entitled to its own views, but it is not entitled, nor is it constitutional, to force private, religious schools across the state to follow that orthodoxy as a condition to participating in Vermont&#8217;s tuitioning program and the State&#8217;s athletic association,&#8221; the school&#8217;s lawsuit says.
The school&#8217;s girls basketball coach, who has coached the team for the last 10 years, said he could not have imagined telling his daughter she could not play sports due to her religious views.
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&#8220;No one, including our student athletes, should have opportunities taken away from them because of their religious beliefs,&#8221; coach Chris Goodwin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/christian-school-suing-officials-barred-events-forfeiting-game-trans-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
&#8220;Vermont has repeatedly discriminated against Christian schools and their families for following their religious beliefs,&#8221; ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker said.
&#8220;Put simply, Mid Vermont Christian School believes that boys are boys and girls are girls. They have been punished for this belief. No school or parent should have to change their beliefs to participate in athletics or a state tuitioning program,&#8221; Tucker said.

Syracuse v Villanova

Christian School That Protested Trans-Identifying Student Sues State

Freedom of Religion

Gender

Religion

Religious Freedom

Religious Liberty

Religious Schools

Transgender

Women's sports

Police have released a sketch of a person who might be connected to the shooting death of a retired Vermont college dean found dead on a walking trail.
Honoree Fleming, 77, was found dead on a trail in Castleton, Vermont, on October 5, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/sketch-released-person-interest-fatal-shooting-vermont-trail/story?id=103905459" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. She was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a death that shocked the community.
On Wednesday, Vermont State Police <a href="https://vtstatepolice.blogspot.com/2023/10/update-vermont-state-police-releases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a sketch of a man that witnesses reported seeing on the trail shortly before Fleming’s body was discovered. The man in the sketch was seen on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail around 4:30 p.m. on October 5, just before passers-by found Fleming’s body. Those witnesses described the man as white, in his 20s, with short red hair, and about 5’10” tall. He was seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and was carrying a black backpack.
Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit leader Capt. Scott Dunlap told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday that the sketch was their “best lead” since they still have no suspects.
&#8220;It&#8217;s somebody that we want to talk to in regards to her death,&#8221; Dunlap said.
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Dunlap added that the sketch is based on multiple witnesses who saw the man on the trail on the day Fleming was found.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve had witnesses that came across him acting very strangely, oddly,&#8221; Dunlap said without providing additional details on what the witnesses found so odd about the person’s behavior.
Castleton Police Department Chief Peter Mantello warned people not to try to apprehend the man themselves.
&#8220;Do not confront this person,&#8221; he said, according to ABC. &#8220;Do not try to do anything on your own.&#8221;
Fleming had retired as dean and professor of education at Vermont State University. She would regularly take evening walks along the trail and was doing so when she was killed. Police said Monday they didn’t know if Fleming was targeted specifically or if the community was in danger.
“I recommend to the public to be vigilant, have some awareness,” said Maj. Dan Trudeau, who leads the Vermont State Police’s criminal division, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vermont-state-university-castleton-rail-trail-shooting-9ad92f84f68649cfc5394bab54071b04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the AP</a>. “If you’re out, be with a friend.”
Castleton resident Mary Waite told the AP that she didn’t leave her house much over the weekend after Fleming’s body was found, and has been more cautious about the woods behind her house. Waite, a lifelong resident of Castleton, told the outlet, &#8220;We’ve never had anything like this. Not a thing.”

Suspect Sketch

Police Still Searching For Person Who Shot And Killed Retired Vermont College Dean, Sketch Released

College

Crime

Murder

U.S.

The driver who allegedly caused the crash that killed actor Treat Williams has been charged in his death, Vermont State Police stated in a <a href="http://vtstatepolice.blogspot.com/2023/08/update-no-2-shaftsbury-barracks-fatal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
Ryan M. Koss, 35, who was driving a Honda Element at the time of the accident, was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/02/entertainment/treat-williams-death-driver-cited-vermont/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> on Tuesday with &#8220;grossly negligent operation [of a motor vehicle] with death resulting.&#8221; Koss voluntarily met with police and was processed on the charge, after which he was released. He is scheduled to appear on the morning of September 25 for his arraignment.
According to the police report, Koss turned into the path of Williams&#8217; motorcycle — and Williams was unable to avoid a crash. The 71-year-old actor was thrown from the motorcycle and sustained critical injuries, and he was later pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. The New York Medical Examiner&#8217;s Office listed severe trauma and blood loss as the official cause of death.
Williams — who starred in &#8220;Hair,&#8221; &#8220;Everwood,&#8221; and The Daily Wire&#8217;s &#8220;Run Hide Fight&#8221; among other projects — spent most of his life outside Hollywood, greatly preferring his property in Vermont. He was survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and two children.
His daughter Ellie shared a tribute to her late father in mid-July, just a month after he died.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cunq8gQLKhe/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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&#8220;I have never experienced this kind of grief before, so it’s hard to put my thoughts into words, but I’ll try my best for now,&#8221; she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. &#8220;I have been home with my family in Vermont for a month now, but it feels like just yesterday that I frantically got on a plane home after I got that phone call.&#8221;
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&#8220;It feels like he’s just away filming. However, I keep forgetting that he’s not coming home this time,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This love is a once-in-a-lifetime love. A father&#8217;s incomprehensible love for his daughter, and a daughter&#8217;s boundless love and complete admiration for her father.&#8221;
&#8220;Dad, I love you more than words could ever describe. You have given me the best life imaginable, and I could not have ever dreamed of having a better father. Thank you for loving me completely. I know you will walk with me by my side for eternity. Until we find each other in the next life, Ellie Belly,&#8221; she concluded.

Hallmark Channel And Hallmark Movies And Mysteries Winter 2016 TCA Press Tour – Arrivals

Man Charged In Crash That Killed Actor Treat Williams

Car Crash

Celebrities

Hallmark

Hollywood

New York

At least one person has died and dozens have been rescued amid widespread flooding in the Northeast as torrential rains have triggered flash floods. 
On Sunday, a 43-year-old woman died in Orange County, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a>, after trying to save her father’s dog amid the flooding while others in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vermont" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vermont</a>, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts also faced flash flood threats. 
&#8220;Her fiancé literally saw her swept away,&#8221; New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/07/11/us/flooding-vermont-ny-new-england#orange-county-woman-43-died-trying-to-rescue-her-fathers-dog-during-flood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of the woman who died. Parts of New York and Vermont experienced 7-8 inches of rain in just hours leading to flash flooding as rivers overflowed. 
Hochul partially blamed the storms on climate change in a Twitter thread on the torrential rains. 
“Orange County experienced a 1-in-1,000-year weather event last night. The rain has subsided, but the crisis is not over,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1678420537645604867">said</a>. “Make no mistake: This is our new normal. We are the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change &amp; the last generation with a shot at doing anything about it.”
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/07/11/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-vermont-emergency-declaration-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> an emergency declaration request from Vermont Republican Governor Phil Scott, authorizing federal assistance to the areas impacted by the flooding, including the counties of Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor.
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Scott on Tuesday told people in Vermont to stay alert for continuous storm updates. “Just because the rain has stopped in some areas, does not mean the threat of flooding has gone away. Stay vigilant and stay updated,” he tweeted. 
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Just because the rain has stopped in some areas, does not mean the threat of flooding has gone away. Stay vigilant and stay updated: Road Closures- <a href="https://t.co/1yTIkChKHe">https://t.co/1yTIkChKHe</a> Shelters- <a href="https://t.co/U1tu6Q0xLT">https://t.co/U1tu6Q0xLT</a> Alerts- Register at <a href="https://t.co/DMwd2IW5Zm">https://t.co/DMwd2IW5Zm</a>
&mdash; Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPhilScott/status/1678736711960895490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Aerial footage of Montpelier, Vermont’s capital, showed the streets full of water. Local officials have <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenKMaloney/status/1678748095180419077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> about potential spillover from a nearby dam. 
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Downtown <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Montpilier?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Montpilier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vermont?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vermont</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VermontFlooding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VermontFlooding</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VermontFlood?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VermontFlood</a> Aerial video from the crest this morning on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Winooski?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Winooski</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/River?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#River</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jpetramala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jpetramala</a> <a href="https://t.co/WUjZWuWJL4">pic.twitter.com/WUjZWuWJL4</a>
&mdash; WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) <a href="https://twitter.com/bclemms/status/1678718547046850560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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According to city officials, the recent flooding is one of the worst in nearly 100 years. “It’s not just your imagination that this is a big flood. This has been the second highest recorded Winooski River level in history, behind only the historic 1927 flood. This is higher than 1992 and both 2011 flood events,” city officials said on Facebook. 
Other footage from the state showed similar scenes as water filled the roads in Barre City. 
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Flooding in Barre City <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VT</a> this evening. It is a very dangerous night for central Vermont. Do not travel in and around Montpelier/Barre. 📹 John Bergman <a href="https://t.co/0qsvRYaZrg">pic.twitter.com/0qsvRYaZrg</a>
&mdash; Jess Langlois (@JessWCAX) <a href="https://twitter.com/JessWCAX/status/1678566901092438018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Fifty people have been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/heavy-rains-wash-across-us-northeast-catastrophic-flooding-possible-2023-07-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rescued</a> by emergency teams in Vermont, some by swift boat. New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu said he would send more boats and Black Hawk helicopters to aid in rescue efforts. 
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Heavy Rains Cause Catastrophic Flooding In Southern Vermont

1 Dead, Dozens Rescued After Torrential Flooding Shuts Down Northeast

Floods

Kathy Hochul

Severe Weather

The disgraced former CNN producer who pleaded guilty last year to sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl was sentenced on Tuesday to more than 19 years in prison during a U.S. District Court hearing in Vermont, according to federal authorities.
John Griffin, 45, of Norwalk, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in federal court in December after a federal grand jury charged him with multiple counts of using interstate commerce to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity at his Vermont ski house.
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BREAKING: A former CNN television producer, John Griffin who had pleaded guilty to luring a 9-year-old girl into illegal sexual acts was sentenced to 19 years in prison and an additional 15 years of supervised release. <a href="https://t.co/rDNYPTNQoR">pic.twitter.com/rDNYPTNQoR</a>
&mdash; I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImMeme0/status/1671326117087653889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Leveraging his personal wealth, John Griffin targeted and sought to abuse vulnerable young girls,” U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/connecticut-man-sentenced-235-month-prison-term-inducing-minor-engage-unlawful-sexual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
According to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-cnn-staffer-for-chris-cuomo-arrested-for-enticing-children-as-young-as-9-years-old-for-sexual-training-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court records</a>, Griffin contacted the parents of girls younger than 18 through online messaging apps Kik and Google Hangouts and persuaded them to allow him to train their daughters in sexual submission.
In July 2020, Griffin paid a Nevada mother and her 9-year-old daughter, whom he met online, more than $3,000 to fly to Boston, Massachusetts&#8217; Logan Airport, and drove them to his house in Ludlow, Vermont. Griffin told authorities that he engaged in “sexual training” of the child, which included forcing the minor female to perform a sex act with him and using the child to engage in bondage and sadomasochistic activity.
The girl and her grandmother took part in the hearing Tuesday via video, according to <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2023/06/20/fired-cnn-producer-sentenced-to-nearly-20-year-in-prison-for-luring-sexually-abusing-child/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local media</a>.
“The child that you raped was my granddaughter,” the grandmother said to Griffin, “You forever ruined a 9-year-old girl.”
The girl told the judge that she will &#8220;never trust anyone again.&#8221;
“You make me sad and angry,” she told Griffin.
According to a statement from the Department of Justice issued last year, Griffin told people purporting to be parents of minor children that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age,” and that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men.
“Mr. Griffin preyed on a vulnerable woman and her child, using his wealth to lure them to his home to manipulate and sexually exploit them,” Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office Janeen DiGuiseppi said. “This sentence reinforces the message that the victimization of children will not be tolerated by law enforcement, and the FBI will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure justice is served to those who cause irreparable harm and trauma to these innocent young victims.”
Authorities ordered Griffin to pay approximately $1.1 million in restitution to the child victim and forfeit the Tesla he used to transport the girl and her mother from Boston to Vermont, among other items.
Federal authorities dropped two remaining counts of enticement of a minor against Griffin as part of a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-06/US%20v.%20John%20Griffin%20Plea%20Agreement_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plea deal</a> in 2022.
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Griffin’s LinkedIn account said that he worked on CNN’s “New Day,” which former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo hosted for a number of years before the network gave him a primetime show. Griffin stated on LinkedIn that he worked “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Cuomo and saw “him through each show and producing live breaking news across the country and around the world.”
According to his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-griffin-6804174b/">LinkedIn</a> page, Griffin previously worked as a producer at ABC, Fox News, and CBS.
Griffin also received an additional 15-year supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/cnn-producer-john-griffin-child-sexual-abuse-b2361683.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Independent</a>, authorities ordered Griffin can only have contact with people under 18 years old with the presence of another adult approved by a probation officer and cannot be in areas where children congregate, including schools, playgrounds, and theme parks, unless approved by the probation office beforehand.
U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III described Griffin’s conduct as “outrageous” and explained that such conduct warranted a severe penalty.
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

Disgraced Ex-CNN Producer Sentenced To 19 Years In Prison For Sexually Abusing 9-Year-Old Girl

Child Sex Abuse

Legacy Media

The death of a 29-year-old Vermont man awaiting trial for allegedly murdering his mother and grandfather to collect millions of dollars in inheritance is not suspicious, the state Department of Justice said Friday.
Nathan Carman was alone in his cell at a county jail in New Hampshire when guards found him dead around 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning, he left behind a note for his attorneys in what is being called a likely suicide, The Middletown Press <a href="https://www.middletownpress.com/connecticut/article/nathan-carman-ct-cause-of-death-note-jail-cell-18156065.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The actual cause of death, however, will not be publicly released, per the policy of The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examine.
&#8220;We believe Mr. Carman left us a note that we look forward to receiving to make sense of a very tragic situation,&#8221; said David Sullivan, an attorney for Carman.
Carman was set to go on trial for the murders on October 2. He was accused of shooting and killing his grandfather, former Army paratrooper and self-made millionaire John Chakalos, in 2013, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/vermont-real-estate-heir-accused-killing-wwii-hero-grandpa-inheritance-october-trial-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Carman allegedly killed his grandfather to collect $550,000 from the family trust fund, which he reportedly spent within three years.
Out of money, Carman took his mother, Linda, out on his boat in 2016, which he intentionally sank to kill her and collect $85,000 in insurance money, prosecutors allege.
The indictment against Carman was unsealed in May 2022. It does not explain how Carman allegedly killed his mother, but it says he purposefully sunk the boat the two were on that day. Carman spent eight days on a life raft after the boat sank before being found by a commercial fishing ship.
In 2016, after the boat sank, Carman <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nathan-carman-man-rescued-sea-suspicions-compound-grief-mom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press that he tried to find his mother when the ship began to sink. He told the outlet that he heard a “funny noise” coming from the engine compartment, and water started pouring in, sinking the boat in just minutes. He claimed at the time that he saw his mother in the cockpit of the boat and rushed to grab food, flares, and life jackets, but she was gone when he looked back.
“What happened on the boat was a terrible tragedy that I am still trying to process and that I am still trying to come to terms with,” he told the AP at the time.
Suspicions were raised even at the time of the incident, including the death of Carman’s grandfather three years earlier. He told the AP in the same interview that he had nothing to do with his grandfather’s death.
“My grandfather was like a father to me, and I was like a son to him,” Carman said at the time. “He was the closest person in the world to me, and I loved him and he loved me, and I had absolutely nothing to do with his death.”
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A search warrant had been issued in 2014 relating to the death of Carman’s grandfather, Chakalos. The warrant, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nathan-carman-charged-killing-mother-linda-2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> by the AP, explained that Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive, had purchased a rifle consistent with the one used in the shooting, and discarded his hard drive and GPS unit around the time his grandfather died.
Chakalos divvied up his $42 million estate between his four adult daughters, one of whom was Carman’s mother. Carman’s three aunts filed a lawsuit in 2018 in which they accused him of killing his grandfather and possibly his mother to gain the money. In the lawsuit, they asked a judge to block Carman from receiving his inheritance.
Carman’s trial is set for October 2 and is expected to last for more than two weeks.

Nathan Carman

Death Of Real Estate Heir Accused Of Killing Mother, Grandfather Not Suspicious, Authorities Say

Death

Actor Treat Williams — star of &#8220;Everwood,&#8221; &#8220;Hair,&#8221; and The Daily Wire&#8217;s 2021 release &#8220;Run Hide Fight,&#8221; — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/actor-treat-williams-confirmed-dead-after-motorcycle-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died suddenly</a> on Monday after a motorcycle crash, but his last few social media posts showed him loving life away from the Hollywood spotlight.
Williams lived in Manchester, Vermont, with his wife of over 30 years, Pam Van Sant — and he told Vermont Magazine in 2021 that he never really wanted to live anywhere else.
&#8220;There was something incredibly special about it to me, and the people here are incredibly honest, real, and good-humored. There’s also always something new to discover somewhere on a dirt road that you’ve never traveled on before,&#8221; he explained at the time. &#8220;I think very few people are lucky as I am to say, ‘I love where I live.’ I don’t have any fantasies of being somewhere else,” he added. “I have everything I want and need in Vermont. I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve never seen a place as beautiful as Vermont.&#8221;
And just hours before his agent confirmed his death, Williams shared a photo and a video of the mowers running on his land.
&#8220;Mowing today. Wish I could bottle the scent,&#8221; he captioned a still photo.
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Mowing today. Wish I could bottle the scent <a href="https://t.co/xg9GG6XVHC">pic.twitter.com/xg9GG6XVHC</a>
&mdash; Treat Williams (@Rtreatwilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rtreatwilliams/status/1668328124181012480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The video included the caption, &#8220;What a real Vermonter does.&#8221;
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What a real Vermonter does <a href="https://t.co/gNflWGoxdN">pic.twitter.com/gNflWGoxdN</a>
&mdash; Treat Williams (@Rtreatwilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rtreatwilliams/status/1668398606083055616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The news broke of the actor&#8217;s death just hours after those posts were shared, when his longtime agent Barry McPherson confirmed the details with <a href="https://people.com/treat-williams-dead-at-71-7511398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People Magazine</a>.
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&#8220;He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off. I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented,&#8221; McPherson told the outlet.
Williams&#8217; family released a statement to entertainment outlet Deadline as well:
<blockquote>It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time.
Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.
We are beyond devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.</blockquote>
The actor was 71 years old.
&nbsp;

Treat Williams’ Final Social Media Posts Show Him Loving Life Out Of The Hollywood Spotlight

Treat Williams' Final Social Media Posts Show Him Loving Life Out Of The Hollywood Spotlight

Run Hide Fight

Local authorities and state governments in the northeast U.S. are asking the federal government for more help as they deal with an influx of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrants</a> crossing from Canada into the U.S. 
Between October 1, 2022, and February 28 of this year, around 2,000 Mexican migrants illegally crossed the Swanton Sector, a 24,000-square-mile stretch of border between Canada, New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Authorities recorded only 200 such crossings during the same time period of the previous year, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/border-crossings-canada-new-york-vermont-nh-up-tenfold-rcna75087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, and the spike is causing alarm among Americans who live near the northern border. 
“People are scared,” a Champlain County, New York, resident said. “It’s the fear of the unknown. They’re [neighbors] worried about their safety, because they don’t know these people.”
Another New York resident told NBC that illegal immigrants have shown up at her home, leading her to set up security cameras. 
“It’s not something I would usually do,” she said. “But it makes me think twice. And with the kids and the family, I gotta install cameras.”
Due to Canada changing a <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20200621/037/index-en.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> in 2016, Mexican migrants can fly to the country without visas. The migrants then attempt an illegal crossing from the north instead of trying to walk across the southern U.S. border, believing that will be an easier route to enter America illegally. The northern border only has 2,000 Border Patrol agents for a 5,000-mile stretch while the U.S.-Mexico border has 16,000 agents for 2,000 miles of border, according to NBC. 
Attempts to cross the northern border, however, can also be treacherous, especially in the middle of winter. The border along the Swanton Sector is heavily wooded and has limited access to emergency services, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-hampshire-governor-more-can-should-done-address-alarming-rise-northern-border-crossings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Last month, a Mexican migrant died while attempting to cross into Vermont from Canada. 
Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-hampshire-governor-more-can-should-done-address-alarming-rise-northern-border-crossings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> a letter earlier this week to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, requesting more federal agents to assist with the situation at his state’s border with Canada or for permission for state authorities to take more action to stop the illegal crossings. 
&#8220;The Biden Administration has cut funding and hindered the state’s ability to assist in patrolling the northern border,&#8221; Sununu wrote. &#8220;If the Biden Administration truly believes that securing the border is a priority, I hope you will partner with the State of New Hampshire to make this a reality.&#8221;
Earlier this month, DHS sent 25 additional Border Patrol agents to the northern border to help states handle the spike in illegal crossings.

U.S. Border Patrol

Illegal Immigrant Crossings Are Spiking … At The Northern Border

Illegal Immigrant Crossings Are Spiking ... At The Northern Border

Border Crisis

Canada

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Illegal Immigration

New Hampshire

A Christian school forfeited a girls’ basketball game in the state playoffs because their opponent had a high school boy on the squad. Now the Vermont Principals’ Association has <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/vermont-christian-school-barred-future-tournaments-forfeiting-game-against-team-trans-student" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned the Christian school</a> from future tournaments.
In February, Mid Vermont Christian School’s girls’ basketball team was scheduled to play against Long Trail Mountain, which has a high school boy on its girls’ basketball roster. Vicky Fogg, the head of Mid Vermont Christian School, issued a statement delineating why her school would not play.
“We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players. Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general,” Fogg stated.
But on Monday the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), which controls high school sports in the state, sent the Christian school a <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/caledonianrecord.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/f7/6f700631-6d1f-5564-960e-3794223f7178/640f76738d754.file.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, which stated: &#8220;On March 13, 2023 VPA Executive Council met and determined that Mid-Vermont Christian’s forfeit (2/20/23) and corresponding rationale as shared in the Valley News of 2/25/23, violates VPA Policies which are aligned with Vermont state law. Specifically, the school’s actions do not meet the expectations of the VPA’s 1st and 2nd policy, Commitment to Racial, Gender-Fair, and Disability Awareness and Policy of Gender Identity, respectively. Thus, Mid-Vermont Christian school is ineligible to participate in VPA activities going forward.&#8221;
VPA executive director Jay Nichols <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2023/03/13/vermont-religious-school-that-refused-to-play-team-with-trans-player-banned-from-sporting-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> the VPA board voted unanimously, 15-0, to ban Mid Vermont Christian School, saying, “If you don’t want to follow VPA rules, that’s fine. But then you’re just not a VPA member. It’s fairly simple.”
In January, Fogg wrote to Vermont’s Agency of Education asking permission to receive public tuition funding while noting it had the right to protest anti-discrimination laws.
“As a religious organization, the school has a statutory and constitutional right to make decisions based on its religious beliefs, including hiring and disciplining employees, associating with others, and in its admissions, conduct and operations policies and procedures,” Fogg wrote. “By signing this form, the Mid Vermont Christian School does not waive any such rights.”
“Transgender and gender nonconforming students are to be provided the same opportunities to participate in physical education as are all other students,” the Vermont Agency of Education&#8217;s best practices states. “Generally, students should be permitted to participate in physical education and sports in accordance with the student’s gender identity. Participation in competitive athletic activities and sports will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.”

basketball

Christian School Girls’ Basketball Team Refuses To Play School With Boy On Roster. Association Bans Them From Future Tournaments.

Education

High School

Sports

Women's Basketball

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