Nursing home mandate on hold after court ruling

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NORTH HAVERHILL—The Grafton County Commissioners voted on Tuesday morning to “pause” a vaccination requirement for Grafton County Nursing Home staff.
The decision came just a day after a federal court in Missouri temporarily blocked implementation of a Biden administration rule in New Hampshire and nine other states. The rule requires health care workers at locations participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 by Jan. 4. Workers receiving a two-dose vaccination need their first dose administered by Dec. 5 to comply with the federal mandate.

State plans civil rights challenge

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NEWBURY—Newbury’s denial of the Covered Bridge Treatment Center site plan application violates federal civil rights laws, according to the Vermont Department of Children and Families and the Vermont Permanency Initiative.
The Newbury Development Review Board issued its decision rejecting the Covered Bridge site plan application on Nov. 12. In its decision, the DRB stated that DCF and VPI argued that the proposal was exempt from conditional use review because it was a “residential care home” or “group home” serving persons with disabilities.

Town appeals court ruling

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NORTH HAVERHILL—The town of Haverhill has appealed a Grafton County Superior Court ruling made in the lawsuit between the town and precinct of Woodsville over how the two entities share highway revenue.
Last year, Woodsville sued Haverhill alleging it had illegally withheld funding under state law in 2019 and 2020. Haverhill countersued claiming it had overpaid the district from 2016-2019 some $650,000.

Historic signs get a makeover

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ORFORD—They were old, rusty and difficult to read, but two historical markers in Orford are looking like new thanks to some motivated residents and the expertise of a metal artisan.
Ann Green and Orford Town Administrator Esther Dobbins-Marsh spearheaded the restoration.
“The town is very fortunate to have historic iron signs,” Green said.

Lyme man arrested for Orford murder

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ORFORD—Lance Goodrich, 35, has been accused of killing his 25-year-old cousin, Brooke Goodrich, who was found dead at her home in Orford on Saturday.
Lance Goodrich, of Lyme, pleaded not guilty on Monday afternoon to second degree murder after he allegedly shot Brooke Goodrich at her Route 10 home. He will remain in custody after not seeking bail during a brief remote hearing.

Precinct audits reveal lapses

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WOODSVILLE—Six years of precinct audits are in the books.
At a public presentation last week, Woodsville residents touted the audits as exonerating the precinct from whispered accusations of fraud and ushering in a new era of responsible fiscal management.
Still, the audits detailed extensive lapses over the last six years, which may have ramifications for Woodsville taxpayers as the precinct rights past wrongs and also considers how to fund its highway and fire departments with virtually no guaranteed future support from town coffers. In the 59-page audit of 2020, there were 9.5 pages reporting on the district’s “significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.”

Pratt home is past Covid outbreak

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BRADFORD—The Margaret Pratt Center has won a COVID-19 battle.
When the virus came to call, it was no match for the prepared.
Thirteen breakthrough cases were discovered in fully vaccinated staff and residents who suffered only mild symptoms in an outbreak which began on Oct. 29.
The center currently has 46 residents with a 40-member staff.
The outbreak was traced to someone outside the center.

DCF plans court challenge

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MONTPELIER—The Vermont Department for Children and Families will appeal to the Environmental Court to overturn the Newbury Development Review Board’s decision to deny the proposed Covered Bridge juvenile detention facility.
DCF Commissioner Sean Brown told legislators during a hearing on Nov. 19 of the Joint Legislative Child Protection Oversight Committee. DCF will appeal the decision alongside Becket Family of Services, the private contractors that would operate the facility under its Vermont Permanency Initiative subsidiary.
“We are disappointed in that decision, and while it is a legal document and any challenge to it will be a legal process, we believe there is basis for appeal,” Brown said.

DRB rules against detention center

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NEWBURY—The Newbury Development Review Board has rejected the site plan application for the proposed Covered Bridge juvenile detention center.
In a 7-0 decision issued on Nov. 12, the board found that the development could not satisfy the town’s zoning regulations in the rural district where Stevens Place is located.
Covered Bridge would be owned and operated by the nonprofit Vermont Permanency Initiative, Inc., an offshoot of Orford-based Becket Family of Services. VPI has been operating an assessment and treatment center for adolescents at that location for several years.

Budget prep now underway

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BRADFORD—Selectboard members will start reviewing a proposed 2022 budget in earnest at their meeting on Nov. 23.
The board, which typically meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month, moved its next meeting to Tuesday, Nov. 23 so as not to conflict with the Thanksgiving holiday.
A preliminary draft of the budget prepared for the meeting on Nov. 11 shows more than $2.5 million in proposed municipal spending. There are earmarks for the town-operated summer camp which was cancelled the last two years due to COVID-19 and inadequate staffing.