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Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – December 2024

by cgrotke | Health

Welcome to the December 2024 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them. Numbers are quite low, but not zero. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH and MA do weekly updates, near the end of the week, so we update on Fridays usually. Variant updates are every two weeks.

November Precipitation 2024

by local | Nature

Dryness has abated somewhat with 2 larger storms in the past 10 days.  Precipitation for the month measured 3.01″  compared to the normal of 3.53″.  The second storm included snow for many including here with 4.3″ and more at higher elevations.  My November snow average going back to 1993-94 is 2.8″.  There have been 5 years with 10 or more inches in November over that time period.

For the calendar year my total stands at 41.68 inches compared to the norm of 43.24″.  One month to go.  All numbers are from my location in the SE corner of Brattleboro.

It’s Enough To Make You Sick

by RDavis | Health

Vermonters who purchase their own health insurance whether they are young or old got some really bad news recently. The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) approved increases in the small group market for Blue Cross and MVP that border on outrageous. The GMCB is charged with the task of assuring the solvency of insurance companies so the consumers’ needs for affordable insurance do not enter the mix very much.

Blue Cross asked for a 24% increase and ended up with a 22.8% increase which translates to an average annual increase of 19.8%. MVP asked for an 11.5% increase and the board gave them 11.1% which is a 14.2% increase over last year. The board does have a time when the public can comment before the increases are finalized, but when people tell them they can’t afford another double digit increase they show little sympathy and hide behind statements that the cost of health care is rising too fast.

Everyone is taking a hit, but seniors may have a harder time than others because a lot of us are living on fixed incomes and have to live within a budget range. This kind of increase blows any budgeting out of the water. I have a Vermont Medigap Blue Plan D Medicare supplemental policy with Blue Cross of Vermont that cost me $191 a month last year. I was notified it will cost me $234 in 2025. It will cost me an extra $516 next year for the privilege of buying a Medigap policy. The cost of Medicare Part B is also slated for an increase.

Bafflingly Blind

by AnneODyne | Questions & Answers

I remember as a young kid observing the arrangement where a lawyer would defend as a matter of their profession the most dangerous or deranged suspects. I thought about the ethical dilemmas that must have been involved. In my young mind it had to be complicated. What if the advocate intuited their client’s guilt?

Now as an adult I’m reading about special prosecutors being prosecuted just for doing their jobs.  How does this make sense?  Given the venal behavior of the Supreme Court, and the professed intentions of the Attorney General nominee, and near unlimited powers of immunity granted a priori to an executive officer, can we even call what we have now a system of Justice?

World Chess Championship: Ding-Gukesh Singapore 2024

by CCM Holland Mills | Recreation & Sports

Ding Liren defends his newly-won crown against Gukesh Dommaraju, the youngest challenger ever at age 18.  Game 1 begins Monday 25 November 4am EST; Game 14 will be December 12; if necessary, tie-breaking games will be played December 13.

The time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game. There’s a 30-second increment per move starting on move 61.   Players are not allowed to draw by agreement before move 41.

Brattleboro October Precipitation

by local | Nature

Continued dry with only 2 rain events during the month totaling 1.38″.  Normal rain for October is 4.77″. For the calendar year the total is now 38.67″ compared to the NOAA average of 39.71″.  At the end of August the calendar year total was a +5.37″ and now we are over an inch below normal.  It has been enjoyable weather.

Across Windham County, CoCoRaHs stations reported a high of 2.71″ and a low of 0.73″ for the month of October.  I did see a few snowflakes in the air one day this month.  All my numbers are from a rain gauge located in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro.

Lantern Walk hosted by Brattleboro Area Hospice

by BrattleboroHospice | Family

Brattleboro Area Hospice will hold its 2nd Annual Lantern Walk on Thursday November 7th, 5:30-7pm.

Location: The walk will start and end on the Common on Park Place. The route will walk down Main St., turning around at Elliot St. and returning to the Common for a short remembrance service.

We will start gathering at 5pm and begin walking at 5:30pm. Lanterns will be provided or you may bring your own. It will be dark by 5:30 so a flashlight is recommended.