The Valley Reporter, serving the Mad River Valley and Sugarbush and Mad River Glen ski communities since 1971. Local news and local views of Waitsfield, Warren, Fayston, Moretown and Duxbury.
High court upholds conviction in wrong-way crash death of 5
March 12, 2021
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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) The Vermont Supreme Court on Friday upheld the conviction of the man who drove the wrong-way on Interstate 89 in Richmond in 2016, killing five teenagers.
The court rejected the argument by attorneys for Steven Bourgoin that prosecutors had failed to prove he intended to kill the teenagers and that the trial court admitted undisclosed testimony at the trial. We conclude that this evidence was sufficient for the jury to find that defendant knowingly disregarded his subjective awareness of the very high risk of death or serious bodily injury that his actions posed to other persons driving on the interstate at that time, said the decision, written by Associate Justice Harold Eaton.
By Matt Krauss
The largest nonprofit media organization in Vermont history will soon have 117 employees, annual budget of $18 million and $91 million in assets. Seven Days has around 43 employees and VTDigger around 22. How many at your local newspaper? Their budget? Local newspapers will soon face new competition for scarce ad revenue, talent acquisition/retention, fundraising/donations and future subscribers. The outcome? Put a large fish into your aquarium. What happens to the small fish?
The CEO vows increased news coverage (20 current news employees), integrated fundraising, new audiences, increased local content/programming, etc. They will create, market and display content on integrated audio, video, digital and new platforms. An ascendent multimedia giant covering all of Vermont and beyond as far as Montreal. Millions in cash reserves. Who competes with this?
2020 real estate, by the numbers
As with many things related to the year 2020, the real estate market was like a tale of two cities, the pre-COVID market, and the COVID market. Realtors had to learn new ways to do business safely once the state allowed the showing of properties to resume. Video and virtual became the norm and many buyers moved forward with offers without ever setting a foot inside, or even traveling to Vermont to see what they were purchasing. Vermont was the safe haven for many city dwellers looking to get back outdoors, and the Mad River Valley, with a plethora of recreation opportunities, became the destination of choice for many. Adding to the pressure were low interest rates and fewer properties on the market resulting in a sellers’ market not to be rivaled in recent history if ever.