Turkey hunter cited for shooting fellow hunter
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TIMES ARGUS STAFF
TIMES ARGUS STAFF
Times Argus Staff - Published: November 19, 2009
BRADFORD – A hunter accused of shooting and injuring another hunter last month in Bradford has been cited to appear in Vermont District Court in Chelsea to face an aggravated assault charge.
Richard Sylvester, 42, of Topsham told police he thought he was firing at a turkey when he pulled the trigger and shot Ryan Terrill, a 22-year-old Bradford man on Oct 25 at about 8:20 a.m., according to a news release from the Vermont State Police.
Sylvester and Terrill had arrived separately at a cornfield on Sand Hill Road in Bradford on Oct. 25, police said.
Terrill showed up first and set up a hunting chair in the woods near the cornfield, said police.
Sylvester told police he arrived at the field, saw turkeys, parked his vehicle and started stalking the birds, the news release said. He reported hearing a turkey and shooting at what he thought was a turkey within the wood line, and ended up shooting Terrill, police said.
Terrill was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. where he was treated and later released for his injuries.
Vermont gets 'healthiest state' title
MONTPELIER — For the third year in a row, Vermont has been ranked the healthiest state in the country.
United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention say in their 20th anniversary edition of America's Health Rankings that Vermont is the healthiest state.
Vermont was ranked ninth best for the lowest number of people lacking health insurance, second in both public health funding and in keeping its violent crime rate low and fourth best for fewest children living in poverty.
Vermont also had rates of smoking and obesity that were below the national averages.
Springfield Hospital sues Vt. to recover funds
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Hospital is suing the heads of two Vermont agencies to recover $1.2 million in Medicaid funds it says were cut from the hospital's budget.
Attorneys for the hospital argued in papers filed in federal court that a new funding formula cut in half the funding used to support the low-income patients treated in Springfield.
The Rutland Herald says Springfield Hospital was the only hospital in the state to have its funding cut significantly by Susan Besio of the Office of Vermont Health Access and Human Services Secretary Robert Hofmann.
The hospital contends the changed funding formula was never submitted to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services for approval.
Besio and Hofmann both declined comment, saying they hadn't seen the lawsuit.
Burlington Airport hires growth consultant
SOUTH BURLINGTON — The Burlington International Airport has hired a prominent aviation marketing firm to help restore growth at Vermont's largest airport.
The Burlington Free Press says the number of fliers at the airport dropped 10.8 percent last month compared with October 2008.
So far this year boardings are down 6.1 percent.
Airport Director Brian Searles says aside from the recession, there are two reasons the number of people flying from Burlington is down: Smaller planes and fewer flights.
So the airport hired Evergreen, Colo.-based Boyd Group International to help bolster service.
CEO Michael Boyd says the declines in Burlington are due to the national economy.
Vt.'s Douglas to meet Republican governors
MONTPELIER — Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas is in Austin, Texas, to meet with his fellow Republican governors.
The mood is expected to be upbeat at the meeting of the Republican Governors' Association on Wednesday, today and Friday.
That group just saw its ranks grow by two, when Republicans won off-year elections for governorships in New Jersey and Virginia.
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