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Kay Wright of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, has been charged with one felony count of embezzlement and three counts of misdemeanor false pretenses. According to documents filed with the court, Wright was the chief of the Veteran’s Affairs canteen store in White River Junction.

During her employment with the VA, she took money belonging to the VA from the safe, petty cash, cash registers, and a bill changer and used it for her own personal expenses. She also falsified petty cash records to indicate money had been spent for office supplies when it was used for another unauthorized purpose. According to the AP, she allegedly stole $1,300 during the summer of 2013.

Wright pleaded not guilty Tuesday at her arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division. If convicted she faces a penalty of up to thirteen years in prison and a fine of up to $3,500.00.

Source: Vermont AG. June 16, 2015

Appearances by former Vermont Expos/Major League shortstop Orlando Cabrera and former Boston Red Sox great Bernie Carbo, a Ted Williams Bobblehead giveaway, three "Hot Dog Heavens", and three post-game fireworks shows highlight the Vermont Lake Monsters 2015 promotional schedule, the team announced today. Opening day is June 19.

A member of the 1995 Vermont Expos and the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox, Cabrera will be at Centennial Field on Saturday, August 29th to sign autographs pre-game and throw out the first pitch.

A few of the other great giveaways at the ballpark this season include: children's BMX bike helmets on July 12th, Burton Backpacks to the the first 500 kids (5-18 years old) on on August 8th, a Ted Williams bobblehead to the first 750 fans on August 13th and Lake Monsters caps will be handed out on August 20th.

Vermont Business Magazine With the Burlington Boathouse and Lake Champlain as a backdrop, Governor Peter Shumlin today signed into law the state's most comprehensive legislation in its history, which will address the problem of polluted storm water runoff into Vermont’s lakes and waterways. Shumlin said there are three major contributors to the pollution: runoff from farms; roads, particularly dirt roads, and impervious surfaces, including paved roads, parking lots and roofs.

The legislation (H.35) recognizes that clean water is fundamental to Vermont’s quality of life and economy and gives the state the authority and capacity to control pollution and keep waterways free from the most significant threats to these shared resources.

A tiny fly from the Pacific Northwest may provide new hope for towering hemlock forests dying along the East Coast. Deep-green hemlock forests stretch from Georgia to southern Canada. Or at least they used to. Over the last few decades, the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect, has killed millions of these trees as it spreads north and south along the spine of the Appalachians — leaving behind only ghostly acres of gray trunks.

But now a team of scientists, co-led by Kimberly Wallin with the University of Vermont and U.S. Forest Service, and Darrell Ross at Oregon State University, have shown that two species of silver flies from the Pacific Northwest — Leucopis piniperda and Leucopis argenticollis — will attack and eat adelgids not just on western hemlock, but also on eastern and Carolina hemlocks.

by Bill Schubart I no longer believe in economic development. There, I said it. Now, let me clarify. I believe the best business development strategy is being a great place to live, educate, and conduct business, as the Business Roundtable likes to say. I’ve become pessimistic about conventional “tools” in the economic development tool box designed to entice businesses to locate or relocate here. Historically the location of most businesses is serendipitous, occurring because the owners chose to live here full or part-time for a wide range of reasons. I believe seductions such as tax incentives or green cards for foreigners are a race to the bottom.

In 2005, Toyota was locating a new auto assembly plant and chose Ontario over Southern states that offered hundreds of millions in tax abatements because Canada has a national health care system and a better skilled and educated workforce, not because Canada bought them with tax incentives.

A new labeling initiative launched at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s (SVMC) Cancer Center is reducing the risk of preventable medication errors. According to Charles Still, the senior systems analyst who oversaw the effort, “Fewer than five percent of US hospitals are using this labeling technology, which highlights very discrete and important elements of a medication label. While clear labeling is important for all medications, it’s of particular importance in cancer treatment, where every administered medication is formulated for the specific needs of each patient.”

The equipment necessary to produce medical labels is highly specialized. It needs to interface with the hospital pharmacy system simply and securely.

Crystal Rock Holdings, Inc (NYSE MKT: CRVP), whose brands include Vermont Pure, announced its financial results for its second quarter and first six months that ended April 30, 2015. These results will be filed on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission today. Total sales for the second quarter ending April 30, 2015 increased 1% to $18.7 million compared to $18.6 million during the same period in fiscal 2014. Gross profit for the same periods declined 7% to $8.1 million from $8.7 million. Gross profit as a percentage of sales was 43% for the three month period ending April 30, 2015 compared to 47% the same period in 2014. The Company had a net loss for the quarter of $641,000 compared to net income of $127,000 for the three month periods ending April 30, 2015 and 2014 respectively.

On June 10, 2015 Gifford officially celebrated the opening of the new Menig Nursing Home, an anchor facility for a new senior living campus on 30-acres of meadow land overlooking the Green Mountains in Randolph Center, Vermont. Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott, Green Mountain Care Board Chair Al Gobeille, and Division of Licensing and Protection Director Suzanne Leavitt were among the distinguished guests who gathered to cut a red ribbon that stretched across the entrance to the new building. Neighbors and community members, many who supported the project through a long planning and permitting process, joined Gifford staff and Menig residents—who had settled into their new home a week earlier—to share stories and a celebration cake.

Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has announced a special event to celebrate the career and departure of Dr Beach Conger, who has been affiliated with the Hospital for almost four decades. On Thursday, June 18, 2015 from 4 to 7 PM, friends, family, patients and colleagues are invited to gather at the Sumner Mansion Inn in Hartland, Vermont, to pay tribute to the work and life of Dr Conger, an accomplished physician, author and educator.

“Beach is a role model, a mentor, and a Mt. Ascutney Hospital institution,” says Hospital CEO Kevin W. Donovan, “and he is all of that because first and foremost he is an extraordinary doctor. He has treated thousands of patients here with his unique combination of intelligence, sensitivity, skill and unpredictable wit.”

Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system (D-H) has appointed Dr Mark A Creager, Professor of Medicine at Harvard and a nationally known expert in the field of cardiovascular diseases, as Center Director of the D-H Heart and Vascular Center. Creager comes to Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the Geisel School of Medicine after a distinguished career at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Currently, he is president-elect of the American Heart Association and will serve as president from 2015-16.

SVMC ExpressCare, a convenient walk-in clinic, is now open 8 am – 6 pm seven days a week. The scheduled started June 14. The new hours provide the last patient of the day the convenience of filling a prescription—if they have one—before pharmacies close. The office is located in Suite 111 of the Medical Office Building at 140 Hospital Drive in Bennington.

“SVMC ExpressCare is here to provide same day health services for people of all ages. Our team of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and support staff is dedicated to providing the care you need at the time you need it,” said Robert Tarnas, MD, the clinic’s medical director.

The clinic will provide care to patients of all ages with minor illnesses and injuries, including coughs, colds, and flu; eye and ear infections; pulled and strained muscles; cuts and scrapes; bites, stings, and rashes; stomach aches; and other conditions.

As of July 1, 2015, Howard Center will implement an expanded tobacco-free policy in keeping with its mission to support client health and well-being and in compliance with new State mandates for designated agencies. The organization will partner with 802Quits to transition all locations to tobacco-free facilities and to provide resources for any individual who expresses the desire to quit using tobacco. The policy will apply to all staff and clients at all locations, with the exception of clients living in Howard Center residential homes.