COLLEGE NEWS
VTSU
Vermont State University welcomes Caitlin Stover, as the new dean of nursing and health sciences. Stover joins VTSU as the nursing program continues to expand to meet the demands of the health care workforce crisis.
Stover has worked in nursing education for more than 17 years, many of them in at the university administration level. In her position at VTSU, she will oversee the nursing program and the education of allied health professionals, including radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, dental hygienists, and future physical, speech and occupational therapists. She created a nursing program from the ground up at her last job at Assumption University, where the inaugural class had a 100% pass rate on the nursing boards.
Last year, VTSU announced it would grow its nursing program to 1,000 seats. Investments in facilities and equipment include renovations to expand the nursing education center at Williston, create a new nursing education center at Johnson, a telepresence classroom at Castleton, and updates to its lab in Lyndon. Dean Stover will be taking the lead on this expansion.
AROUND TOWN
Bridge illumination
MONTPELIER — Montpelier Alive has been working since 2023 to light up downtown bridges. It has installed electrical infrastructure, contracted with a professional lighting company, and raised funds from organizations interested in revitalizing downtowns.
August features lighting installed on six of the bridges, with a seventh installation happening in the fall. The lights will be turned on Nov. 16 at Montpelier Alive’s opening celebration and lantern parade.
The goals of the project are to draw visitors downtown and also help to focus attention on the city’s relationship with its watershed. Montpelier Alive has organized related educational events, including free walking tours from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Aug. 29 and running through Sept. 27 (meet at Gurton Park between Shaw’s and The Drawing Board on Main Street); and an exhibition on the history of Montpelier’s bridges displayed in the window of Walgreens on Main Street.
Blood shortage
The American Red Cross continues to experience an emergency blood shortage and asks the public to book a time to give as soon as possible to ensure lifesaving medical care is not impacted. Severe weather events country-wide have forced the cancellation of dozens of blood drives in recent weeks, making it tougher for the blood supply to recover.
Because blood has a short shelf life and can only come from volunteer blood donors, any disruptions in the ability to collect lifesaving blood can have serious consequences for hospitals and patients.
To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). In thanks, all who come to give through Aug. 31 will get a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card by email. See RedCrossBlood.org/Help for details.
IRS deadlines
In a previously published “IRS deadlines postponed” article, eligible counties were listed as Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor.
IRS has now amended those eligible counties to be Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties — omitting Bennington, Franklin, Grand Isle, Rutland, Windham and Windsor counties.
AROUND VT
Grants
Gov. Phil Scott, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and Vermont’s congressional delegation announced $2,155,468 in Community Development Block Grant federal funding awards through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP). Six projects receiving this latest round of grants are:
Town of Underhill, Subgrant to United Church of Underhill, partnered with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity, to construct infrastructure that will serve eight new units of affordable homes.
City of Rutland, Subgrant to Housing Trust of Rutland County to complete the renovation of four affordable rental properties with 22 existing housing units and 13 new housing units being created resulting in 35 total affordable housing units located at 194-208 Columbian Ave. and 74 Park St. in Rutland and 18 Drake Road in Castleton.
City of Vergennes, Subgrant to Friends of the Vergennes Opera House to complete renovations to Vergennes City Hall/Opera House that will make the facility compliant with ADA regulations.
Town of Granville, Grant to develop renovation plans that will bring the town hall into compliance with ADA regulations.
City of Rutland, Subgrant to Housing Trust of Rutland County to complete planning to merge HTRC and NeighborWorks of Western Vermont into one entity.
Town of St. George, Grant to complete planning related to accessibility and ADA compliance upgrades to the Town Office and Old Schoolhouse/Emergency Shelter located at 21 Barber Road.
VTF&W
Gray squirrels
The Vermont hunting season for gray squirrels is from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. The department recommends squirrel hunters wear a blaze orange vest or hat anytime they are afield. The daily bag limit is four gray squirrels, and the possession limit is eight.
Importing deer, elk
Hunters traveling outside Vermont to hunt deer or elk need to keep in mind a regulation designed to protect Vermont’s wild deer from chronic wasting disease remains in effect.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department rules it is illegal to import or possess deer or elk, or parts of deer or elk, from states and Canadian provinces that have had chronic wasting disease, or from captive hunt or farm facilities, with the following exceptions:
— Meat cut up, packaged and labeled with hunting license information and not mixed with other deer or elk during processing;
— Meat that is boneless;
— Hides or capes with no part of the head attached;
— Clean skull-cap with antlers attached;
— Antlers with no other meat or tissue attached;
— Finished taxidermy heads;
— Upper canine teeth with no tissue attached.
The following states and provinces that have detected CWD in either captive or wild animals are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.
VTF&W is also reminding hunters that using any type of natural deer urine-based or deer body fluid attractant scents is prohibited in the state because of the CWD threat.
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