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The bill, which Gov. Phil Scott is expected to sign, would fundamentally change how the state pays for and governs its K-12 schools.
Vermont Green capped off Women’s Week on Saturday with a 2-1 win over AS Blainville in front of another sold-out crowd.
Vermont became the first state in the county to legally recognize same-sex partnerships 25 years ago. Former Rep. Bill Lippert, the only openly gay member of the Vermont House, gave an impassioned speech urging his colleagues to pass the measure. Lippert's remarks are widely seen as a turning point in the debate.
Last month, South Burlington decided to table all-resident voting at this time, citing the current political climate.
Survey data showed that less than half of local high schoolers feel they matter to people. Here's part of the response.
The yearslong push to put guardrails on when — and how — companies can commodify key aspects of a person’s identity has taken on new urgency in Montpelier. But the tension between strict consumer protections and their potential impact on local businesses continues to thwart compromise over an issue that states are reckoning with nationwide.
The Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market is the only market in the state that owns its land. But others are raising money to secure their sites.
Vermont hospitals currently have the highest markups for drug prices in the country. Under the new law, drug prices at Vermont hospitals would be the lowest in the country.
The Trump administration want to cut the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Advocates in the Northeast warn the results would be dangerous to residents, if not deadly.
Players in the White River Valley have been coming together over soccer for decades. But of course, it’s about more than just soccer.
Lawmakers put $150,000 in the budget for community radio stations. The money will help the stations purchase public safety equipment so they are better equipped to assist in disaster response.
Chocolate is one of Vermont’s top food exports. But cacao doesn’t grow here — and climate change has been disrupting the global supply chain.
Thirty-seven hours before graduation, Erica Heilman talks with nine high school seniors about their hopes and dreams for the future...and prom. They also talk about prom.
Most people who go to college in Vermont leave the state after graduation. That's more than any other state.
Maybe you need an orange plow truck. Or a Mount Philo State Park leaf blower. Or a park ranger’s rowboat that might not float. Everything's a treasure for someone.
For the first time in decades, scientists are not going to stock Lake Champlain with hatchery lake trout. That's because wild fish are finally spawning and sustaining their populations again.
The banquet, called Wlipogwat, offered a taste of animals and plants harvested on Abenaki territory. It's part of ongoing efforts by Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations to protect their knowledge, culture and homelands.
Former Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith was recently asked to lead a review of cost effectiveness of many programs at the University of Vermont Health Network. He told Vermont Public that the network’s administrative costs was one area he planned to look into.
Nearly 40 Vermont musicians submitted their videos to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. Vermont Public chatted with a few about the original songs they chose and their video ideas. (And we asked them to sit at our colleague's tiny — and meticulously decorated — desk and pose for photos).
Singers with the Green Mountain Chorus, Vermont's oldest barbershop ensemble, have fanned out across parts of northern Vermont each Valentine's Day for decades — serenading Vermonters in offices, homes, restaurants and even on the street.
Champlain College's Game Studio has over 20 years of experience training students for the video game industry, including at their international campus in Canada.
A group of 85 refugees from Jordan and Syria are in Brattleboro taking part in a first-of-its-kind college preparatory program as they get ready to attend American universities and colleges in the fall.
HomeShare Vermont matches people with extra housing space with people who need it. It's a system based on mutual benefit that offers a sensible and friendly solution to housing challenges.
Chris Taylor has served as an assistant coach with the Green since their inaugural season in 2022. He spoke with Vermont Public about where the team is headed and what he sees as Vermont's new golden age of soccer.
My decade-long career as a journalist has been driven by a desire to tell human stories — not just the happy ones, but the stories of complicated people, and those who are frequently overlooked or disregarded by society and the media. In the past year, I’ve faced a new challenge in my reporting: the deaths of people I’ve written about.
The Made Here film The Quietest Year chronicles how one woman's fight against noise pollution shifted into a larger-scale discussion about the role noise plays in our lives.
After his wife's unexpected death, Dave Dauphinais is trying to preserve her beloved Tuftonboro General Store — and her legacy.
In the two weeks since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has released dozens of orders reshaping federal policy and agencies. A new task force created by state Treasurer Mike Pieciak is focused on helping guide Vermont residents, businesses and nonprofits through the federal transition.
Known for his gruff-yet-sweet demeanor, Ushakov demanded the best from performers at the downtown Burlington live music venue.
Outside of Vermont, governments have bet big on encouraging modular construction to accelerate homebuilding. But there are some risks and barriers.
From work stoppages to canceled flights, here's how President Donald Trump's recent actions are impacting Vermont's refugee agencies and the communities they serve.
The inpatient psychiatry unit at Central Vermont Medical Center recently stopped admitting new patients. At the end of January, it will close altogether in an effort to save the hospital system money.
Pandemic-era federal funding allowed Vermont to double its budget for free weatherization for low income households, and, for the first time, help people with leaky roofs or dirt floor basements. Now, a key share of that money is about to dry up.
A retail store in Middlebury, FLŌRA Cannabis, filed the lawsuit. It could have a large impact on the state's retail cannabis industry.
Hundreds of Afghan refugees have settled in Vermont in recent years. Now, one of those families wants to make the state feel more like home by buying a house. And they’re taking advantage of a new partnership intended to make that dream more achievable.
Lake Morey Resort, which has been maintaining the lake's skating loop, lost their insurance coverage. But at the eleventh hour, the town of Fairlee stepped in, agreeing to maintain the ice and provide insurance coverage for the activities there.
Obama-era rules, which Trump kept in place during his first administration, currently prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from making arrests at so-called “sensitive locations,” including schools, churches and hospitals. But Trump reportedly wants to rescind that policy.
In Vermont, many dairy farmers don’t seem immediately concerned about losing their workforce. But farmworker organizers say they’re worried about increased immigration enforcement worsening poor conditions on farms.
Vermonters bet just over $140 million in 2024, the first year of legal sports gambling in the state. During that time, the state has worked to grow its resources for people with gambling problems.
Myra Flynn, host and executive producer of Homegoings, talks about the evolution of season two and what's in store for the show's third season.
The town of Tunbridge has been battling a landowner for almost five years over who has the right to maintain former public roads, which are now used for recreation.
Religious institutions are no exception to the ongoing labor shortage in Vermont and nationwide. Churches are having a hard time finding pastors as more clergy are retiring and dying than going into the ministry. Synagogues and mosques are being impacted as well.
Recovering from and adapting to flooding is a long and complicated process for towns. And often, there’s no roadmap for how to do it. Barre City wants to make one. And if it works, it could be the kind of climate solution that helps other Vermont communities too.
A well-funded electioneering operation bankrolled by Gov. Phil Scott helped Republicans capitalize on voter disaffection over the rising cost of living in Vermont.
On Wednesday morning, Vermonters learned Donald Trump is their president-elect. That afternoon, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed crisscrossed Franklin County to hear how residents were feeling.
Townshend held a square dance and potluck at Town Hall, one floor above where the town was holding its Election Day polling.
Election Day is here. Polls in Vermont open at various times and will remain open until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Self-described queer post-punk band Thus Love, of Brattleboro, has received positive press in Rolling Stone, The Guardian and more. Their newest album, All Pleasure, dropped on Nov. 1 before the band heads out for a U.S. and U.K. tour.
The right to abortion, as well as gender-affirming care, are very much in flux on a national scale. Vermont’s politics and policies lean toward protecting these medical services.
This election season, Vermont Public has heard from hundreds of residents on what issues matter most to them. Taxes quickly emerged as one of the most salient topics.
Four educators say they were forced out of a therapeutic school in Brattleboro after raising concerns about student mistreatment. While administrators at the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. School for Autism deny the allegations, the state has opened an investigation.
The Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created after lawmakers apologized for the state’s role in the eugenics movement. But the office has a “seemingly impossible scope,” leaving some questioning whether the commission’s work will reach communities most impacted by eugenics.
What actually happens after you drop your envelope in the mailbox? Vermont Public’s Bob Kinzel spent a morning with election officials in Montpelier, including City Clerk John Odum, to learn firsthand how ballots are processed and what measures are in place to keep results secure.
Candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor shared their campaign platforms with incarcerated Vermonters in a first-of-its-kind event at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Vermont lawmakers passed historic child care legislation in 2023, and more than $100 million has been invested in the child care system. But voters say more work needs to be done to support the system.
H. Brooke Paige, seeking the office that oversees voting in Vermont, says he is not confident in the integrity of Vermont elections but offered no specifics. Incumbent Sarah Copeland Hanzas says Vermonters can trust that elections are well-run.
Christine Farrell, who owned Burlington’s Earth Prime Comics, is believed to be the first person to have a complete collection of everything published by DC Comics. Her collection starts in 1935 and includes the first appearances of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, as well as more obscure comics.
The Democrat, Mike Pieciak, and Republican, Joshua Bechhoefer, shared diverging visions of their priorities as treasurer if elected next month.
Some experts say increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to providers, and boosting funding for primary care, could help address increasing costs and barriers to access.
The Republican candidate, H. Brooke Paige, says if he were elected he would ask the governor to replace him.
For years, multiplayer video games have been moving more and more online. But some hardcore gamers still gather in person to compete against each other at the highest levels, including in the Green Mountain State.
The decision came at the conclusion of an emotional four-hour meeting, in which even some proponents of consolidation said the board and administrators had failed to make a convincing case for closure.
Vermont Public is working to hear from as many Vermonters as we can about what issues they want candidates to address.
According to state data, there were 1,722 unhoused students enrolled in Vermont public schools last school year — a roughly 70% increase from five years prior.
For 50 years, the United Church of Underhill’s Old Fashioned Harvest Market has welcomed scores of visitors. And James Morris has been there most of that time — his voice booming over the hubbub.
For an ocean bird traveling from its breeding grounds in the Arctic, Lake Champlain looks a lot like the sea. This skinny stretch of water serves as a migration corridor for some birds who are usually hundreds of miles away, in the Atlantic.
Huntington resident Beverly Little Thunder, who is enrolled in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, recently attended the Burlington screening of the documentary Sugarcane.
On the latest installment of Rumble Strip, Erica Heilman explores the evolution of grief with Tara Reese.
The most recent horse seizure came on Sept. 10, when Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department game wardens and Vermont State Police troopers took at least 20 horses from Townshend's Friesians of Majesty. Troopers seized two more horses earlier this year, and 13 last year, due to a lack of care.
Grace Miller parsed 15 years of school spending data to figure out if the school district consolidation law saved any money. And while her statistical analysis found that merged and unmerged districts ultimately spent about the same amount, she also found they spent money in very different ways.
Restorative justice is a process that focuses on the offender repairing the harm caused by their actions, and uses dialogue and empathy rather than punishment. Vermont's only women's prison has had restorative justice classes for the past few years.
Local entrepreneur Harmony Edosomwan is taking part in a 10-week program through New York University intended to lift up Black business owners. Her catering business, Harmony's Kitchen, serves authentic soul food from its Winooski hub.
The same federal bureaucracy that hampered flood recovery for individuals after last summer's floods is plunging small, rural towns into crippling debt.
Early voting for the general election began on Monday in Vermont. Voters have a 45-day window to vote in-person or by mail. General election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
“There is no hospital in Vermont that is not in jeopardy,” stressed the consultant who led work on the report. Recommendations include closing inpatient beds and converting emergency departments into urgent care centers at Gifford Medical Center, Grace Cottage, North Country, and Springfield hospitals.
More than 100 people eventually showed up for a meeting to voice anger and frustration about taxes — and seek answers.
In the woods of a Windsor County town, artists leave behind their smartphones and embrace working and living off the land. While in residence with The Sable Project, the artists also showcase their works-in-progress at community events, and share locally-produced food.
The Luman R. Nelson taxidermy collection, which includes more than 600 birds and animals, has been in Marlboro since the early 1960s. The museum where it’s housed lost their lease and the collection is to be put into storage.
The union representing health care and higher education employees, AFT Vermont, says it’s doubled the number of workers in its ranks over the last six years.
Vermont needs 24,000 new year-round homes to get the housing market to a healthy place — that's according to the recent Vermont Housing Needs Assessment report, from the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Housing official Alex Farrell breaks down the report.
The Dozer is 2 pounds of burger, eight strips of bacon and cheese, and a pound of fries. It has to be eaten in 30 minutes or less.
The school board has once again trimmed its spending plans for the year, and scheduled a fourth budget vote for Sept. 17. Early voting has begun.
In May, the Department for Children and Families unveiled a plan to build a new secure youth facility in Vergennes — partially on land that once housed the Weeks School, a former youth detention center with a troubled history. Some advocates say it’s a physical reminder that the state hasn't done enough to reckon with the past.
Vermont’s Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas recently sat down with Vermont Public's Bob Kinzel to discuss the growing use of AI in politics and potential changes to stop the spread of disinformation.
The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets runs a program in the summer testing mosquitoes for Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus. The stakes are raised as EEE is detected in more bugs around the state.
Removing the residency requirement has brought an influx of out-of-state interest to Vermont's program.
Vermont has a reputation for being a place that is relatively safe from the worst impacts of climate change. However, the latest series of climate fueled flooding disasters is raising questions about whether that’s the case.
The elder Lydia Clemmons was one of the original owners of Clemmons Family Farm, an icon of African American cultural heritage in Charlotte, Vermont. She died at the age of 101.
Cases are on the rise in Vermont, but a new COVID-19 booster is on the way. Vermont will have doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available in the next couple of weeks through health care providers, pharmacies and some free or low-cost clinics.
After a month of asking questions, Karen Meisner and Pär Winzell are learning that no one has adequate answers.
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles recently unveiled the Blue Envelope Program. The program intends to make routine traffic stop interactions between drivers on the autism spectrum and law enforcement officers easier.
With only 15 students when it closed, Windham is an extreme example. But the dynamics at play in this tiny southern Vermont town are nevertheless emblematic of widespread trends.
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center released two polls of Vermont voters. One found a large partisan divide on a question regarding financial conditions. Another saw politically diverse support for incumbent Gov. Phil Scott.
Vermont has a new law that allows former foster care children to see their records — which were previously locked to them and only available to some state employees, and birth and foster parents. Vermont is one of few states in the U.S. to allow this access.
Janet Bailey shares her memories about growing up in an intentional faith community in Paraguay, and then moving to the states, to a farm in Brattleboro.
A series of catastrophic floods over the past 14 months is raising new questions about how, and whether, Vermonters can coexist with the rivers they live by.
The union is asking for higher pay, better staffing ratios and more sustainable work schedules.
The National Truck Driving Championships feature written exams, truck inspections and driving challenges.
A handful of colleges and universities are trying to address what has become — along with food — the fastest-growing cost of college: student housing.
The 10th Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival kicks off on Wednesday. Lloyd Komesar, the festival's outgoing executive director, sat down with Jenn Jarecki to reflect on a decade of work, and what comes next.
With few teaching candidates applying, especially in more rural districts, administrators are being forced to get creative — like walking the streets of Barre City to find applicants.
The youngest Vermont delegate in Chicago is Addie Lentzner of Bennington, who will be entering her sophomore year at Middlebury College.
On a recent Saturday, a Middlebury filmmaker tried to pull off a rather remarkable — or should we say re-BARK-able — stunt. To launch his latest film Inside the Mind of a Dog on Netflix, Andy Knight Mitchell decided to try to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of dogs to attend a film screening.
Following a recent visit to Ukraine and Poland, Vermont Public checked in with Magicians Without Borders, a nonprofit run by Lincoln's Tom Verner and his partner Janet Fredericks that uses magic to entertain, educate and empower.
Up until about 20 years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find wheat fields in Vermont — it hasn’t been grown for baking here since it was planted by early European settlers. When colonial America expanded West, the crop largely disappeared from the Northeast. With its return, so too is bread made from 100% local ingredients and related industries like grain milling.
Two Democrats are hoping for a chance to challenge Gov. Phil Scott for Vermont's top office, and multiple candidates are vying for spots in the race for lieutenant governor.
Nestled in the Green Mountains, the Driving Range features 4 miles of gnarly climbs, twisting curves and adrenaline-pumping drops.
The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium's Eye on the Sky is forecasting that tropical depression Debby will bring heavy downpours and the threat of flash flooding to the region Friday into Saturday.
Donna Macomber and Linda Macomber discuss their bond, how they showed up for each during health challenges and what it's like working with people at the end of their life.
Bill Mares, an accomplished author and journalist, former state lawmaker, high school teacher and beekeeper, died last week. He was 83.
Atlas Bederson and Allison Druin discuss allyship, mental health care advocacy for teens and youth, and finding a community.
Newport's only bookstore functions as a community center for readers and writers in one of Vermont's northernmost regions.
More than 100 residences in the Northeast Kingdom have been damaged or destroyed by flooding, and extensive damage to local roads has stranded scores of people in their homes. Volunteers hiked into some of those areas to make what was, in some cases, first physical contact with stranded households.
After a repeat of devastating flooding in Vermont, a lot of people have brought up an old idea to help fix this problem: dredging our rivers. The issue is, digging rivers deeper makes flooding more destructive.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in an interview this week with Vermont Public that he supports Vice President Harris in her presidential bid and will campaign for her. He also hopes the candidate develops a policy platform that supports working-class Americans.
The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program will bring $229 million to the state — one-third of all the money Vermont needs to supply everyone with high-speed broadband service.
“This is an event that we’ve never had before to this degree, so we’re venturing down a road that we haven’t been on, and it’s not a good road to be on,” said Lyndonville Fire Chief Jeff Corrow.
Keegan Albaugh and Marlon Fisher talk about forming deep connections among Vermont dads through Dad Guild, starting with awkward playground meetups and a belief that "this is gonna be a thing."
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch says he envisions an entirely new federal disaster response system, in which state and local entities would be authorized to distribute the billions of dollars in public and individual assistance that are currently administered by FEMA.
Vermont GOP Chair Paul Dame says the jury is still out for some Vermont Republicans regarding former President Donald Trump's current campaign.
The New Farms for New Americans program provides farmland and resources for immigrants and refugees at the Intervale Center in Burlington. The program works to address food insecurity and provide traditional or culturally significant agricultural experiences. Farmers in the program are once again dealing with flood impacts in the area, but the Center made changes last summer to lessen the burden.
Scientists say that recent flooding will worsen water quality for Lake Champlain and other Vermont waterways, but it's not expected to be as bad as 2023.
Finding and getting medical care can be a challenge, especially for older people in rural areas. To help fill in these gaps, over a dozen towns in Vermont and New Hampshire have something called a community nurse. Some towns think this saves money by limiting unnecessary 911 calls and hospital trips.
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta provides a summer camp experience each year for children with cancer, those who are recovering and their families at their property in South Hero. They also now offer year-round programming. The camp's executive director says summer camp is a unique experience that provides children with the opportunity for connection.
Why are queer central Vermonters so responsive in a community crisis? Reporter Erica Heilman speaks with some members of the LGBTQ+ community in central Vermont about their swift response after the recent floods.
Last month, H.55 became law, authorizing Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak to establish a Vermont Baby Bond Trust program and develop a pilot. The program will provide funds to young Vermonters born into poverty. Their use is limited to wealth-building activities.
A Greensboro family will not lose their 300-acre farm, and a 66-year-old woman will get back her house after the village of Orleans seized it. Both cases are tied to tax sales — a process municipalities can use to collect unpaid taxes, but that can also lead to people losing their homes.
People in hard-hit Northeast Kingdom towns like St. Johnsbury, Lyndonville and Barnet are surveying damage and figuring out how they'll carry on after last week's flooding. Some are facing permanent displacement.
Vermont State Climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux about the role of climate change — and geography — in the flooding Vermont saw last week.
Jerry Williams and Jeane Wolfe are still waiting for a buyout of their home after last year's flooding. On Thursday, they watched as the Gihon River rose again.
"We thought we were good," Amy Channell says. "We were all communicating with each other about what we're seeing on the news, and 'OK good. We can sleep tight tonight!' And it's like, we can't let our guard down."
On Thursday morning, Lyndonville was inundated with water — washing away houses, businesses and roads. Tens of residents were evacuated, and many have been displaced; one death in Lyndonville has been reported. Residents in the Northeast Kingdom town say it's the worst natural disaster to date.
Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium Director and Senior Meteorologist Mark Breen joined Vermont Public to give a live storm update on the morning of July 11.
A year after historic floods swept through Vermont, one couple in hard-hit Cambridge village is still grappling with big questions about what’s next for their home, even as they rebuild and prepare for the next flood.
A year after floods devastated many municipalities across Vermont, there’s an urgent need for towns to take on projects to limit damage from future disasters. But that work will take years and cost millions of dollars.
Under the surface of a clean and welcoming downtown business district, the effects of the flood and the lingering fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic have brought the economic future of Montpelier into question.
Doug and Rhoda Mason found a place to live after their home was destroyed in a landslide last July, but the Barre City couple is still very much displaced.
Farmers at the Intervale Center in Burlington are reflecting on the 2023 floods, while also preparing for the future.
When the floods washed through Calais last summer, the town lost roads, buildings and even animals. Alice Seavey-Windsinger, a goat farmer, was separated from her animals — goats, chickens and bees — as the water flowed in. A recovery mission using a canoe saved her goats, but she lost her bees. Now, one year later, Seavey-Windsinger has relocated to higher ground, but is still dealing with the physical, and emotional, impacts of the floods.
Recovery for Barre's North End neighborhood is proceeding in a much more piecemeal fashion than the wholesale transformation envisioned by the governor.
The 300-seat playhouse, which was flooded during the 2023 storms, is still dark, and the theater company is trying to come up with a plan to get it opened once again.
Plainfield couple Karen Meisner and Pär Winzell's 200-year-old house was devastated by the historic 2023 flood. A year later, they share their reflections.
Made up of Mikey Dyke, Judi Emanuel and their children, Caribbean Rain started performing as a formal band at the same time that the family relocated to Vermont. Following a recent health crisis, the family is more determined than ever to share their music.
As the park owner tries to rebuild one year after catastrophic flooding, officials have gone to court to try to stop the work, and former residents are watching closely.
Last month, early voting started for Vermont's primary election. Vermont's 45-day window to vote either by mail or in person is the longest in the country. Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Interviews with flood survivors, state and local officials and current and former FEMA employees reveals a pattern of administrative bloat at a federal agency that, to many Vermonters, seemed less interested in providing assistance than in finding ways to reject requests for aid.
A new sign that showcases Burlington's waterfront was unveiled this week. It was created specifically to improve accessibility for those who are blind or visually impaired. It is the first in Vermont's Queen City, according to organizers.
In recent decades, tick populations have boomed in Vermont and other Northeastern states — as have tick-borne diseases like Lyme. Scientists say climate change is one piece of the puzzle, but it’s not the only thing driving the expansion of their range.
The settlement covers Greg Bombard's 2018 arrest by a state trooper who said Bombard flipped him the middle finger — and a second, related citation nearly six years later, on Christmas Day.
Last week, Vermont Green Football Club hosted its first women's match ever in an exposition exploring the possible expansion of the league.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department found a black racer snake in Guilford — the latest in a spate of rediscoveries by the department. The species has not been seen in Vermont for 10 years.
Dozens of prescribed burns take place each year in Vermont. The point of these fires is to help wildlife.
Richard Jackson recently received the French Legion of Honor for his service during World War II. The medal was delivered after a chance encounter at the senior facility where he lives.
Outright Vermont, a statewide nonprofit that focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ youth, announced last month that it acquired Camp Sunrise, a 146-acre property in Orwell. The organization is aiming to start hosting Camp Outright, a "summer camp with a queer twist," at the site.
The governor’s willingness to use his veto pen — and Democrats’ ability to erase it — represents a deepening partisan chasm in Montpelier.
Since 2005, the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has hosted the Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival. The free event, which had a brief hiatus during the pandemic, is designed to teach kids how to fish in a sustainable way.
The students who first stepped onto the escalator in the former Macy’s building as freshmen are graduating. And while attending class in a defunct department store may sound pretty dystopian, for BHS’s class of 2024, that was just high school.
A vocal group of Londonderry residents say new proposed changes to the town's zoning regulations threaten their way of life and their livelihoods.
The bill also contains a first-in-the-nation ban on phthalates, a type of chemical used in food packaging and production materials. Much of what is banned in the law will go into effect in 2026.
Vermont State Police announced last week that they’d identified the parents of an infant who was found dead on the side of the road in Northfield in 1982. Law enforcement officials say no criminal charges will be filed.
The Village of Woodstock recently kicked off their first weekend-long Pride of Woodstock with a high heel race — and the participants delivered.
After nearly 30 years at the Vermont Superintendents Association, Jeff Francis is retiring this summer. His career has spanned some of the consequential educational reforms in state history. He talked with Vermont Public's Lola Duffort about the overhauls he's seen over the years, the expanding role of public schools, and how we talk about the cost of public education.
The Division of Historic Preservation recently led an archaeological dig to determine if the assumed location of the former Vermont State Hospital Cemetery was accurate.
Vermont's largest public transportation provider, Green Mountain Transit, is facing declining ridership and inflation, leading to changes like reintroducing fees in the Burlington area for the first time since the pandemic.
On a recent Sunday morning, Vermont Wild Kitchen hosted about a dozen Vermonters in Franklin County to learn about raising rabbits for meat. The group cooked up some rabbit dishes for lunch at the Fairfield Community Center — but first, they met the animals, alive, at G.I.V.E. A. Care Homestead in Bakersfield.
At a rally for climate action at the Vermont Statehouse, one high school senior reflected on what he's learned from his years of activism.
More than four years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the state judiciary is still struggling with an enormous backlog of criminal cases and competing public pressures around how justice should be pursued. To better understand how the system is working, Seven Days and Vermont Public embedded two reporters at the Burlington criminal courthouse for one week.
Gov. Phil Scott signed legislation that allows primary care physicians to order tests and certain medications without seeking prior authorization from a health insurance company — a process many doctors say can delay treatments. Insurers said the bill would lead to rate increases.
The powerful chair of the Senate appropriations committee and former secretary of human services shocked Vermont's political world last week when she announced that she will not seek reelection.
Older adults have a lot to gain from having pets — from improved physical health to a better quality of life. That’s the motivation behind a volunteer program in Chittenden County called Aging in Place with Pets.
A Unified track team at Hanover High School in New Hampshire brings students of all abilities together.
About one in five students at Vermont’s largest university reported facing food insecurity. That’s in line with the rates among college students across the country.
The team, established in 2007, is gearing up for a Saturday match up with a New York derby squad. Although they continued practicing and traveling for games across New England for the last few years, this marks the first home match for the Vermont team since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first month of legal sports betting in Vermont, the state made over $1 million. Most of the bets are coming from men under 35.
In Vermont, there are a handful of vets who will provide at-home euthanasia for pets, but Dr. Bruner is one of two that have practices that focus primarily on end-of-life care, a growing area of veterinary medicine. Vermont Public joined Dr. Bruner on a home euthanasia visit.
This year's Arts Access Summit, presented by Inclusive Arts Vermont, hones in on the topic of rest in the disabled arts community.
The number of Vermonters who died from opioid overdoses fell last year — the first decrease in five years.
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced on May 6 that he will seek reelection to the U.S. Senate. The 82-year-old is hoping to serve a fourth consecutive term.
The family of Andy Reichsman, of Marlboro, has been trying to get the seized artwork back for decades. The Croatian government, late last year, returned the valuable paintings and lithographs.
New Hampshire author, educator and comic story teller Cindy Pierce likes honesty and, when possible, a healthy splash of humor. So when her 93-year-old mother died in 2019, Pierce channeled her grief into a one-woman show that she hopes will honor her mother's life and resonate with others caring for aging parents.
Vermont’s only women's prison is half a century old and in terrible shape. The state has set aside millions for a new facility but construction is years away.
Legislation that's up for a final vote in the Statehouse this week would allow children as young as 16 to be charged as adults for drug trafficking.
Adirondack Forest Ranger Robbi Mecus leaves a legacy that includes some of the most heroic search and rescue missions in recent decades.
As marginalized populations ponder the future of civil liberties under a U.S. Supreme Court that’s already reversed abortion rights and affirmative action policies, the Legislature is looking to strengthen anti-discrimination laws in Vermont by adding an equal protection clause to the state’s constitution.
Senate lawmakers have largely rejected proposed tax increases that would have funded more than $100 million in housing and health care initiatives.
Admissions offices are trying everything from entrepreneurship programs to hunting classes.
This weekend marks Waking Windows' third festival since taking two years off due to the COVID pandemic. Venues around Winooski will showcase musicians, comedians, local authors and more for the three-day event.
There are different models of small, microtransit bus services popping up across the state, and each is working in its own way.
There are more than 80 unsolved homicides and missing persons cases in Vermont. These decades-old investigations present unique challenges: witnesses and detectives who worked the case may be dead, physical evidence can deteriorate and the case files can be hard to find.
Burlington-based HOPE Works is Vermont's oldest and largest sexual violence crisis center. Executive Director Natania Carter reflects on 50 years of service.
Renters — who often foot the bill for utilities — have a lot to gain from things that save money and reduce emissions like weatherization, switching to electric appliances and other upgrades. So why is it so hard to do this work in rental properties?
JAG Productions, a Black theater company based in the Upper Valley, shares work that reflects and deconstructs racial, gender, sexuality and class hierarchies. After months of fundraising and planning, the company a new artist showcase called JAG Underground.
Every year, lawmakers must pass a bill that sets the property tax rates necessary to pay for school budgets. For this week’s edition of the Capitol Recap, we explore how lawmakers in the House want to use this legislation to respond to double-digit property tax hikes.
Roughly one in three school budgets failed in Vermont on Town Meeting Day this year. School districts across the state are now entering second and third voting rounds to get budgets approved by voters.
Roughly one in three school budgets failed in Vermont on Town Meeting Day this year. School districts across the state are now entering second and third voting rounds to get budgets approved by voters.
Two young citizens of Odanak First Nation described what they call Indigenous identity theft, particularly in Vermont, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The Abenaki Councils of Odanak and W8linak bought a billboard in Times Square to highlight the topic.
The Made Here film Seeds of Change: Breaking Free from the Prison Food Machine follows an organic farmer in Maine who set out to transform the prison food system with an organic gardening program.
Amid the bleak reports about a precipitous loss in numbers and types of birds around North America and the rest of the world is a glimmer of hope in Maine's North Woods.
The Vermont Language Justice Project’s funding is an open question. But according to testimonials from people working in Vermont’s health, refugee resettlement and equity organizations, the project’s services are vital — and there would be a void without them.
The House wants to set up another decade of major spending on the housing crisis — and taxes to go with it. The Senate and the governor would rather focus on regulatory changes.
Bram Kranichfeld, a veteran prosecutor and ordained priest, took over as Franklin County state’s attorney after his predecessor resigned amid an impeachment inquiry. Kranichfeld was permanently appointed about three weeks ago, and will serve until January 2027.
The 23-year-old folk artist grew up in Norwich and you can hear the Upper Valley's influence in his music. His debut EP "More Than One Way Home" was released in March.
Robin Allen LaPlante moved to Vermont in 2018. She shares some of what she's learned during her first seven years — featuring mud roads, trips to the trash transfer station and being a "flatlander."
"I was in perfect … synchronization with the sun and the moon. And it feels so good, right?" Julio Desmont said. "I’m so happy. The eclipse is something else."
The Vermont Senate has lost one of its most respected and influential members, and his departure signals a potentially generational change in the chamber.
The parking lot of the Green Mountain Mall in St. Johnsbury was opened up to eclipse watchers, including some RVs that were parked there overnight.
Thousands of visitors came to northern Vermont to see the eclipse under mostly clear skies, many having changed their plans at the last minute.
Around 3:25 this afternoon northwestern Vermont will be plunged into darkness for about three minutes as the moon completely covers the sun. State officials estimate that 160,000 people could come to Vermont to view this once-in-a-generation celestial event.
Vermont towns in the path of totality have a unique and, for some, daunting opportunity to capitalize on the thousands of visitors who will be visiting to see the April 8 eclipse. The small border community of Alburgh is taking a chance and throwing a big party.
Between 35% and 45% of the mature brown bullhead in the lake have melanoma, a skin cancer. This rate of cancer has never been documented in fish anywhere else.
After volunteering to take care of Brattleboro's flowers for about 10 years, Dick DeGray says this is his last season.
Floodplains hold water and keep it out of downtowns and homes. But in a state in dire need of housing, conserving land for protection could take away from building enough houses.
Eve Meehan, who performs as tip/toe, recently released a new album titled Hot Girls Don't Trust the Government.
State and federal supports aren't providing much in the way of relief for many residents and businessowners who are trying to pick up their lives after the July floods.
Vermont lost more than half of its apple crop after a hard frost in May. Orchards are trying to encourage visitors to still come out and support them, even with little or no fruit to buy.
For students who were impacted by July's floods, returning to school may feel extra difficult. To help make the transition easier, some Vermonters have been working together to collect, donate and deliver hundreds of lunchboxes, binders and many other kinds of school supplies to the districts that were hit hardest.
Bear Pond Books was one of many businesses in Montpelier forced to close its doors due to flood damage this summer.
Vermont is among a minority of states that lack a mandatory flood risk disclosure law for real estate transactions, leaving prospective homebuyers and renters with limited information.
Pär Winzel and Karen Meisner say they've met more people in the three weeks following the July flooding than they did in the previous two years of living in Plainfield.
Andy "A_Dog" Williams died in 2013 of acute myeloid leukemia, or ALM. An annual celebration in his honor offers an opportunity to become part of the national bone marrow registry, along with local music, art and skateboarding.
The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival is underway, showcasing more than 125 films. One of them was shot almost entirely in Bristol, Vermont — though it spans three generations and over 6,000 miles. Vermont filmmaker Sierra Urich’s debut documentary feature is called "Joonam."
Popular trail networks in the Green Mountain State suffered significant damage in July’s flooding. But the damage could have been a lot worse. That’s according to the Green Mountain Club, which maintains the Long Trail network. Since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, they’ve been preparing for major flooding by implementing more climate-resilient designs and maintenance on their trails.
More than a month after rain and floods pummeled Vermont, the immediate cleanup is over. Hundreds of people face a difficult choice: should they rebuild — especially as climate change is expected to bring more frequent severe weather?
This week marks the beginning of classes at the newly created Vermont State University. It comes after three years of work merging Castleton University, Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College. But the transition has not been without turbulence.
A late season freeze and devastating flooding this year has shown more state and federal aid is needed for farmers to survive these extreme weather events
While some buildings have reopened post-flood, several key buildings in the state capital — including the Supreme Court building — will remain closed during recovery. Officials are moving some services to nearby buildings.
University of Virginia researchers say the complaint line run by the grassroots workers’ rights program Milk With Dignity improves conditions for both farmworkers and farm owners. But the program currently only covers one-fifth of Vermont’s dairy industry.
Patti Casey, who directs the Vermont Agency of Agriculture's work surveying mosquitoes and ticks, explains how our wet summer has increased mosquito populations. Plus, tips for staying bite-free and the ecological importance of these annoying creatures.
Many farmers in Vermont face significant crop losses, even those that weren’t hit directly by the July floods. That's in part because the ground has been so saturated in recent weeks.
Jada and James Anair talk about losing their home to the July floods, in a time when homes are hard to come by.
The Vermont Community Broadband Board is discussing new polices to protect communications union districts that are working with companies in Vermont's broadband buildout.
Even if Vermonters can’t yet put an exact number on homes lost to the floods, it’s clear that the flooding will exacerbate the state’s housing shortage, likely placing even greater pressure on an already tight rental market.
Century-old photographs and diaries sat in a water-soaked basement in Strafford for over a week. A network of volunteers helped save them.
Vermont Public's Mary Engisch spoke with Liz Royer, executive director of the Vermont Rural Water Association to take a deeper look at how the flooding has impacted Vermont's water systems.
Erin Moreau, the Waterfront superintendent and harbormaster, and Megan Moir, division director of water resources for the city of Burlington, discuss Burlington beach closures and cyanobacteria.
Darryl Leroux is a French-Canadian scholar who studies white settler identities. He published a paper last month in the American Indian Culture and Research Journal focusing on claims to indigeneity in Vermont and New Hampshire.
The Wishing Falls, located between Williamstown and Chelsea, did flood a bit during the July storms. But it's still accepting wishes.
After catastrophic flooding swept Vermont last month, the state received even more torrential rain last week. Middlebury received up to 6 inches of rain in the span of hours, leading to road closures and rescues.
Kitty Kitty, a beloved cat who lived Last Stop Sports Bar in Winooski for more than a dozen years, died this month. She was 16 or 17, according to Shayla Ruland, the bar's owner.
Flood survivors in Orleans County have finally been added to the list of people that are eligible for individual assistance from FEMA, but the long wait for federal help is just one of the hurdles to disaster recovery in the rural Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont is home to nearly 1,000 dams. And many were pushed to the limit during last month’s catastrophic flooding, putting residents downstream at risk.
Farms across the state, including at the Intervale in Burlington, provided for state food assistance programs — but now they are recovering from catastrophic flood damage that wiped out crops.
The exhibit deals with themes of the climate and housing crisis, both involved with the causes and consequences of July’s historic flooding.
After Tropical Storm Irene, disposing of manufactured homes — and assuring their owners received adequate aid from FEMA — was a particularly confusing ordeal.
Brattleboro Housing Partnerships took on one of the largest flood mitigation projects in the state after Tropical Storm Irene. During the recent flooding, buildings left on the site remained dry.
How the Johnson Health Center, which is part of a community-wide network centered around substance use recovery, is now tasked with rebuilding after the flooding.
Doug and Rhoda Mason lost the Barre home they've lived in for 41 years after a landslide destroyed the structure on July 11.
"It's really understanding that nature will win and that we have to design our systems in concert with nature," said Sue Minter, executive director of Capstone Community Action and a former recovery officer after Tropical Storm Irene.
State and local officials say it appears many of the post-Irene upgrades held up during this month’s storm. But early returns also suggest that some communities that didn't update their infrastructure paid a heavy price, and even some that did weren't able to completely escape catastrophic flooding.
While many flood relief efforts last week were focused on sheltering humans displaced during the flood, some families were worried about their more ... furry ... family members that couldn't live at home or in crisis shelters. The Central Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team helped.
After historic flooding, saturated hillsides pose additional threats for hard-hit Barre residents.
In the heart of Waterbury, many are recovering from flood waters, in the same way they did with Irene 12 years ago.
Farmers growing culturally significant foods with the New Farms for New Americans program lost their crops to the past week's severe flooding.
Many communities across Vermont are now recovering from recent catastrophic floods — but some of them remain without basic resources. In the Windsor County town of Woodstock, a swollen Ottauquechee River produced significant problems for the local water system.
About 1,500 people gathered for the funeral of Rutland City Police officer Jessica Ebbighausen. She was killed on duty July 7 in a high-speed car crash that injured two other Rutland City officers.
Thru-hikers who are walking from the South are arriving in Vermont right about now, but the flooding last week is complicating the journey.
Some of the houses that were hit by Tropical Storm Irene a dozen years ago saw flooding again this past week. Among them was Ashlee Place's home along Route 2 in Waterbury, near Farr’s Field.
On Monday and Tuesday this week, Johnson saw some of the worst flooding in the state. But people there say community will get them through.
On Monday and Tuesday this week, Johnson saw some of the worst flooding in the state. But people there say community will get them through.
Owner Joie Lehouillier says Foote Brook Farm took every precaution they thought necessary before the flooding, but it wasn’t enough. Lamoille County was among the hardest hit areas in the state after the Lamoille River rose to heights not seen in living memory.
When floodwaters first hit Johnson this week, the town wasn't sure how the wastewater facility was faring. Now they know that it may be weeks before it's operational.
Karen Meisner and her family, who lived in a 200 year old home in Plainfield, experienced this week's flood as fully as any family might. They spent the night upstairs, while the Winooski River tore through the downstairs. Vermont Public's Erica Heilman caught up with Meisner while she was staying temporarily with a friend in East Montpelier.
On an assignment for a summer camp project, student journalists walked around White River Junction and spoke with people about how they’re feeling in the aftermath of the flooding. This is what they said.
Second Street in Barre has one of the lowest elevations in the city’s downtown, and suffered some of the most severe flood damage in central Vermont.
The tiny town of Cavendish saw a lot of damage from the storm this week after the Black River jumped its banks and washed through a section of town.
Some businesses and residents in Vermont's capital city aren't sure when, or if, they’ll be able to recover.
Johnson, Vermont's wastewater treatment plant has been underwater since Monday. That is not good.
Vermont's state climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux explains how this week's intense flooding is tied to a changing climate.
Here’s what you need to know about staying safe if you’re coming home to a flooded house, from electric hazards to mold prevention.
A couple living along the edge of the Richmond Volunteers Green, Amy and Dacyn Chanelle, say the park does flood on a regular basis, but not quite like this. In the end, they had to leave.
East Hardwick homesteader Justin Lander talks about the trials and tribulations of trying to raise all your own food.
Brandon is hosting Davenport Electric Fest on July 8, honoring the town’s historic ties to the birth of the electric motor. Didn’t know about those ties? Read on.
A proposed global settlement would resolve more than 30 pending lawsuits against the state of Vermont, and bar any future litigation related to the EB-5 scandal. A federal court still needs to sign off on the deal.
For the past few months, Canada has been dealing with some of the worst wildfires its ever seen. More than 20 million acres have burned so far — a record for the country. Firefighters from all over the world, including Vermont, have come to help fight these fires.
Before there was Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme, there was Jones' Donuts in Rutland. The local bakery is a fixture for early risers in need of a sweet and this week, the bakery is celebrating its 100th birthday.
A small, unassuming flower called sticky false asphodel is likely carnivorous. It’s in a whole new lineage of carnivorous plants, unrelated to any others previously documented.
The fuzzy insects cling to houses and trees and chew their way through foliage, leaving a mess of damage behind. In 2022, the invasive caterpillars defoliated nearly 43,000 acres in Vermont, This year, they seem to be almost non-existent.
Alison Bechdel’s work has spanned many fields: from academics, to graphic memoir, to musical theater. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the cult favorite comic strip that started her career, Dykes to Watch Out For. And Bechdel is returning to the work with a re-release in audio form, featuring a star-studded cast.
At various times in the past month, Vermonters have woken up to orange smoky skies due to heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada. This smoke not only leaves an eerie atmosphere, it creates unhealthy air quality that affects all sorts of Vermonters — including vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness.
While sea lamprey are considered a nuisance species around Lake Champlain, the fish are an important part of the Connecticut River ecosystem.
Vermont's allotment comes after a months-long effort to challenge the FCC’s National Broadband Map — which state officials say overstated the number of Vermont households with a reliable broadband connection.
Vermont lawmakers will allow roughly 2,000 people to remain sheltered in motel rooms until they find alternative housing, but some people currently in the program say they’re still facing tough choices.
Paul Smith's professor Curt Stager has plotted the Blank land ownership in the Adirondacks during the 1850s Timbuctoo settlement.
An unprecedented Democratic stronghold on the Vermont Legislature has limited Phil Scott's influence on policy trajectory in Vermont.
Sylvia Holden is 93 years old, and has had a life as full as it is long. These days, things are simpler than they once were. But the way she fills her days says a lot about how she’s learned to live.
Former Vermont Mountaineers broadcaster Tim Hagerty is the author of the bestselling book Tales from the Dugout: 1,001 Humorous, Inspirational and Wild Anecdotes from Minor League Baseball.
The state began testing schools for PCBs about a year ago, and as more of the dangerous chemicals are found, questions are growing over what it will cost to clean up the buildings.
Democrats in the House and Senate now say the state isn’t prepared to wind down an motel housing program that’s provided shelter to about 1,800 households over the past three years.
Vermont’s Queen City is home to lots of history. For the last two decades, some of the most historic homes in Burlington have opened their doors to visitors. During the pandemic, the tours stopped. But last weekend, they returned, and they were busier than ever.
A historic marker that commemorates Vermont's first gay bar is hidden from view, and some LGBTQ+ activists want to move the sign.
The Old Stone House Museum celebrates Juneteenth this year by opening the new exhibit, “A Call to Serve: Vermont and Unexpected Voices from the Civil War.” Juneteenth is the anniversary of the day the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Cows release a super potent greenhouse gas when they burp and poop. It’s called methane, and a lot of farms in Vermont and around the country are trapping it to make electricity or natural gas. We partnered with NOVA to find out how it all works.
Gov. Phil Scott allowed a bill that makes significant changes to Vermont's cannabis law to become law without his signature. Lawmakers say the changes are needed to reflect the dynamic growth of this industry over that time.
In 1970, biologist Roger Payne released an LP called "Songs of the Humpback Whale.” It played a key role in igniting the modern environmental movement, and helped bring whales back from the brink of extinction. Payne, who lived in South Woodstock, died over the weekend.
By age 65, one in three Americans has some form of eye disease. Macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy are the most common causes of vision loss, and they can leave people feeling isolated and depressed. But new technology and support services can help.
For the last decade-plus, Burlington spoken word artist Rajnii Eddins has led a poetry group at the Fletcher Free Library. It’s a place for creation, but also community.
"Being a product of the farming community has defined how I view the world, giving me perspective and values that I wouldn't have gained otherwise."
"Maybe I'm not having the best day. But I know that after school I'm gonna get to go hang out with the guys — whether it be at practice or the game — and just do something that's fun, like every day. And that's always just something to look forward to."
"Coming back from not being able to do anything, it felt amazing to step back onto stage... it was really wonderful to be able to say "We're back. We're sharing stories and experiences together — laugh with us."
Two years ago, Major League Baseball cut the Vermont Lake Monsters. But the team has found great success in the all-collegiate Futures League, winning the first championship for a Vermont-based team in a quarter century.
"Living in a small town can feel kind of suffocating sometimes. But at the same time, you can also feel like a big warm hug — like you are really protected by everyone around you. And everyone really cares about the community that they're living in."
"As a senior, just coming back from COVID, the thought of turning around and going out into the world after a very rocky high school experience is a little daunting."
Congress and President Joe Biden may have averted a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt, but elected officials in Vermont are hurtling toward another crucial deadline as they work to resolve outstanding disagreements over the state budget before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
For the past half century, the Marshfield musicians have led several well-known local ensembles and taught hundreds of students. On Saturday, they'll perform their final show in the state.
Seven Days reporter Rachel Hellman delved in to a new algorithm that changed how the U.S. Postal Service calculates pay for its rural mail carriers. The May 6 change affects both rural mail carriers in Vermont as well as people receiving mail.
Around 760 households are set to lose their eligibility in Vermont's motel housing program today. Housing advocates across the state are struggling to identify open shelter beds, affordable rentals, or campsites to meet the urgent need for shelter.
Slow Process — a Burlington-based clothing line — is eschewing fast fashion by giving antique textiles a second life.
More and more researchers are once again interested in the potential of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health conditions,Last year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched clinical trials focused on psychedelics. This year, Vermont lawmakers considered decriminalizing magic mushrooms because of potential therapeutic benefits.The Woodstock Research Center in Windsor County is also studying whether LSD is a safe and effective treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
The Tour de Borderlands is a circuit of mountain biking events that started in Quebec last weekend, and will continue on trails in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine through October.
New statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that nearly 3,000 more fatalities occurred in Vermont between 2020 and 2023 than would have been expected in that time period if not for the pandemic. Fewer than one third of those increased deaths can be attributed to the COVID virus.
As climate change intensifies winter storms, Vermont regulators want utilities to communicate better with customers during power outages.
A group of Democratic and Progressive lawmakers in Montpelier may have gained new leverage in their bid to extend an emergency motel program, but it remains unclear if they’ll use it.
Square dancing may not be as popular in Vermont as the pastime’s early to mid-1900s heyday, but some local clubs, like the Lake Champlain Squares, continue to keep the tradition alive.
Vermont boasts some of the most desirable trout fishing in New England. But if you didn't grow up in a family that fly fishes, it can be hard to get started.
"Conversations from the Open Road" is structured around one guiding question: how can we better care about ourselves, each other and our home?
Vittles House of Brews hosts a monthly event, called "Out in Bradford," specifically for queer people and friends to just hang out.
In March, Erica Heilman attended a mock Town Meeting Day at Woodbury Elementary School where the students voted between taking a field trip or buying new playground equipment. They chose a field trip and Erica tagged along.
"Small is Beautiful" features 100 of Warhol's smaller scale paintings. The exhibit is open through Nov. 26.
Steve Bronstein has built a life for himself at Blackthorne Forge in Marshfield. We meet him in the final installment of Vermont Public's series of stories around "heat."
Reporting from Trump rallies, evangelical churches, and towns across America large and small, award-winning Vermont journalist Jeff Sharlet warns that America has already taken a dangerous turn toward fascism. He chronicles what he’s seen in the new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.
Spring in Vermont means sugaring. While most operations are in rural parts of the state, a group of urban tree-tappers in Burlington are hoping to share that experience with city residents.
State lawmakers have passed a bill this week that would boost the number of Vermonters with access to a retirement fund and help more workers save for old age.
The Vermont Arts Council was a major advocate for artists and creative institutions during the heart of the pandemic. Now, a new executive director will help figure out what’s next for the nonprofit.
Ashton Bajeun, Wyatt Solls and Macaulay Bernier have been hanging cable in hard-to-get-to places all winter and spring. Mountains and bogs and deep woods.
On Monday night, the Missisquoi Parent Advisory Committee as well as members and leaders of state-recognized tribes told the UVM officials that two presentations held at the school in the past year have promoted the erasure of their communities.
Some Vermont schools are now hosting large groups of refugee children for the first time.
Municipal officials think boosting on-campus housing for the University of Vermont could help alleviate some of the pressure on the local housing market. And UVM has broken ground on a student housing project in neighboring South Burlington. But another proposal to increase student housing in the Queen City has been stalled for months.
A few weeks ago, temperatures in Vermont soared into the 80s. Burlington set a new heat record for April. It’s a trend Vermont is poised to see more of with human-caused climate change, and all that spelled trouble for tulips at one farm in Waitsfield.
House and Senate negotiators will have to land on a compromise by Monday at the latest if Democrats want to pass their signature child care legislation before the planned May 12 adjournment date.
Spring in Vermont is a prime time to see many bird species, but as the climate changes, so are bird migration patterns. And while spotting an unexpected bird species in the Green Mountain State can be exciting, biologists say climate change will also impact some species negatively.
The Vermont Community Broadband Board wants to make sure that towns are protected as they partner with for-profit companies in building out a high-speed fiber network.
The Vermont Department of Health is seeing an increase in tick-related emergency room visits in the last couple weeks. Here's what Vermonters should look out for and how they can protect themselves.
New research from the American Psychological Association on cannabis use shows impairment may last longer than many users realize. Dr. Ari Kirshenbaum contributed to the report and shares the main takeaways.
Claire Georges started Butterfly Bakery of Vermont two decades ago and initially focused on traditional baked goods, like scones and cookies. A few years ago, she expanded her business to include hot sauces — and it’s taken off.
Naturalists think Burlington has become a crow hot spot because of its lower elevation, proximity to the lake, and the comfort that city light provides. Here’s more on crows in the winter and what to expect through the spring.
Advocates are warning of a “potential catastrophe” as the state prepares to wind down a motel housing program that will result in the displacement of more than 2,000 Vermonters living in poverty.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman has been asking people in Vermont. Ashton Allen runs community meals at the American Legion in Hardwick. In this episode he talks about how eating together can blur class lines and strengthen community ties.
Kae Ravichandran finished in 2:38:57 — more than 10 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher in the division.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman has been asking people in Vermont. In this story, former Vermont lawmaker John Rodgers talks about why so few working class people serve in the Legislature these days.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman has been asking people she encounters around Vermont. In the first episode of this second series on class, Erica talks with Kate, age 43, about how she managed to save up enough money to buy property in Vermont.
Gardiner came to Vermont in 1973 and covered a wide range of sports including hockey, football, lacrosse, and gymnastics. He was a frequent guest on Vermont Public's Morning Edition, sharing his expertise on college basketball.
Peter Miller, a photographer and author who documented the lives of ordinary Vermonters, died last week.
A worker at a Brattleboro homeless shelter was killed, and the woman charged with her murder was staying at the shelter. The service agency that runs the shelter shut down all its operations, and volunteers have stepped in to continue services.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman has been asking people in Vermont. In this story, Montpelier attorney Mike Donofrio talks about what it means to be financially comfortable in a world of growing income inequality.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman has been asking people in Vermont. In this story, Kathleen Patrick of Derby talks about how elusive financial stability is.
For decades, Indigenous people have often been the subject of documentaries — but haven't had much say in how they are represented in those films. Abenaki documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, who is based in Quebec, has spent her life's work changing that. Recently, she was recognized for her work with the Edward MacDowell Medal.
The House Committee on Human Services has advanced legislation that would require public schools to provide full-day pre-kindergarten for every 4-year-old in Vermont.
Dozens of cemeteries across New England have started offering green burials. That’s where bodies can decompose underground, without the use of embalming fluids or concrete vaults. And interest is growing, as more people consider the climate and environmental benefits.
Masking is now largely up to the individual at a handful of local hospitals, although some still require people with flu-like symptoms to mask up. Meanwhile, pandemic-era visitor restrictions are also loosening.
Home runs have been on the rise in Major League Baseball, and a new study out of Dartmouth College reveals how climate change has played a role in that increase.
For the past three years, a tiny nonprofit in White River Junction has been determined to address perhaps the most vexing issue facing Vermont: the affordable housing crisis. Doorways Into Good Shelter was especially determined to help local homeless residents by quickly building small mobile homes for them. But the homes built by DIGS exist in a regulatory gray zone; the mobile shelters aren’t considered “public buildings” under state statute and according to public safety officials, that means they’re not subject to housing inspections.
The abortion medication mifepristone remains fully available in Vermont, after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday placed a temporary hold on an appeals court ruling that restricted access to the drug nationwide. But mifepristone’s future is still murky. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas took the unprecedented step of reversing the FDA’s approval of the drug from 23 years ago.
You know an Ed Koren cartoon when you see one. The characters are fuzzy, pointy-nosed, and often caught in a moment of foolishness. Koren, a renowned cartoonist and beloved Brookfield community member, has died.
Only one pharmacy in the state fills prescriptions for the legal, lethal medications that will hasten a patient's death. Its owner, Steve Hochberg, personally delivers most of the medications.
Michael Pfaff was an unmistakable presence in Orleans County. He was a longtime lift operator at Jay Peak ski resort, and worked at Parker Pie Co. in West Glover. The beloved community member died this week.
For the first time, the New Hampshire-based MacDowell program is honoring an artist from the Wabanaki lands where the residency takes place.
If you type in “Vermont” and “volcano” into an online search engine, the internet will tell you that Mount Ascutney is the state’s “most famous volcano.”But geologists say … that’s not quite right.
House lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow ranked choice voting in Vermont elections. It’s based on the principle that democracy is better served when winning candidates have the support of a majority of voters — not just a plurality.
If you're a fan of reading books by Vermont authors, this is an exciting time of year. That’s because the Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Humanities, and Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is announcing the finalists for the Vermont Book Award.
Last week, transgender and LGBTQ+ youth from all over Vermont gathered at the Statehouse steps. They were part of a national youth march for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy on Trans Day of Visibility.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision about private school tuition payments violates the Vermont Constitution. House lawmakers were not able to come up with a solution in a bill that was passed recently.
Researchers have observed declining mammogram rates among women ages 40-49, 50-74 as well as 75 and older. Vermont has seen the second largest drops of any state in the country.
Wendy Mackenzie is an herbalist who makes all-natural deodorant from her farm in Peacham, Vermont, and she recently won some major international awards for her cream-based Meadow Bee variety. Vermont Public's Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Mackenzie about what her award-winning deodorant is made from, and how helping out a friend who was ill led her to come up with her winning formula.
As part of our series exploring "heat," Vermont Public's Joia Putnoi visited Bread & Butter Farm in Shelburne to learn the behind-the-scenes of winter greens production.
A recent study from the University of Southern California shows that fewer than 3% of producers in the music industry are women. And in the last decade, they make up just under 13% of songwriters.
March 31 is International Transgender Day of visibility. It's a celebration of trans and nonbinary people and a way to elevate their voices, pioneered by transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker in 2009. It's also the anniversary of the opening of Shapeshifters, an online shop in Brattleboro that specializes in size-inclusive, gender-affirming clothing, including chest binders.
This Saturday marks the first-ever Annual Youth Chess Day in Vermont. Grade-school students from around the state will participate in learning sessions and – for the experienced – a recreational tournament.
A southern Vermont housing group used more than $2 million in COVID relief money to purchase a motel, but the building now needs extensive renovations.
As part of our series exploring "heat," Vermont Public's Brittany Patterson visited AO Glass in Burlington to learn about the art of glass blowing.
A visit with Vasilios Gletsos, brewmaster for Wunderkammer Beer Manufacture in Albany, Vermont.
We’ve passed a key deadline for Vermont bills to get out of their committees in time for lawmakers to get them to the next chamber this year. What climate bills made it past crossover and which ones didn’t?
For people with dementia, social interactions can be vital in slowing the disease’s progression. But as a person’s condition worsens, finding enjoyable things to do together can be difficult.The two longtime friends from Chittenden County hope a new card game they’ve created will help.
Spring weather means Vermont’s black bears are coming out of hibernation — and they’re hungry. That’s been an issue in recent years because biologists say the animals are increasingly associating people with food.
After the pandemic halted jury trials in Vermont for more than a year, hundreds of people have languished in prison without being convicted of a crime. And in some cases, people have served longer sentences than they would have otherwise.
Two long abandoned copper mines in Orange County have finally been slated for cleanup. When those projects are finished, they will mark the end of an industry that ran from the mid 1800s through the 1950s in Vermont.
Mining waste from a set of copper mines in Orange County has been polluting surrounding streams for over a century. Last month, the federal government announced new funding to help with the clean up. But many neighbors have asked why the mines need to be disturbed after all this time.
A new report evaluating the services available for Vermonters struggling with eating disorders found the state is lacking in higher levels of coordinated care.
As part of our series exploring the word "heat," Vermont Public's Anna Van Dine visited a pig farm in Panton.
A ride around in Brooke Howe's snowplow truck during a big storm in March, and a conversation about what goes on out there when everyone else is home.
Vermont lawmakers are poised to move ahead with new restrictions on gun ownership that are all but certain to invite a constitutional challenge due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that upended legal precedent over the right to bear arms.
The study in Burlington is examining if altering parts of the brain changes how a person judges a piece of music.
It's official: The greatest Alpine skier in the history of the sport is Burke Mountain Academy alum Mikaela Shiffrin.Shiffrin set the World Cup record for career victories by winning a slalom race Saturday in Sweden, her 87th World cup win, and one that broke a tie with Ingemar Stenmark on the all-time list for first place finishes for men or women.
Between March 2020 and December 2022, a federally-funded program paid more than $160 million for motel and hotel rooms to shelter thousands of Vermonters. But many of those tenants have flagged abysmal conditions, and advocates are concerned there hasn't been enough state oversight or protections for renters.
Chick’s Market, a historic corner store in Winooski, is up for sale. The looming upheaval has Winooski residents worried about the future of their beloved deli.
After a year of war, Vermont Public checked back in with Roman Kokodyniak, a Cabot resident who has family and friends in Ukraine. He’s a post-WWII immigrant to the U.S., arriving here in 1950 as a young boy.
This past year, two prisons in Vermont — Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington and Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield — launched a living unit model. The idea is to give those in prison more freedom.
Over the next two weeks, key committees in both the House and Senate will have to finalize work on major bills dealing with housing, child care, paid family and medical leave and other policy proposals.
After years of study and comment, the U.S. Forest Service has a proposed plan to manage 70,000 acres of federal forest and private land primarily in Rutland County. That includes timber harvests in about 12,000 acres. The agency says it will improve forest health, but some advocates say it’s a bad idea in the face of climate change.
A South Burlington High School teacher is using her experience from two years spent working with students in Ukraine to educate Vermont students about the war following Russia’s invasion.
The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center recently hosted a unique art exhibit of sixteen colorful and creatively decorated ice shanties. Organizers hoped to set them up on the ice, but warm winter put those plans on hold.
The Vermont Pollinator Working Group is hoping to build on the state's efforts to protect bees and other pollinators.
A mock town meeting at Woodbury Elementary School yields controversy and big field trip results.
It's Town Meeting Day in Vermont, and while the COVID pandemic affected in-person meetings the last two years, 2023 is shaping up to be more traditional.
Towns all over Vermont will discuss zoning, landlord-tenant rights and housing infrastructure as voters weigh in on development and managed growth.
For years, environmentalists have worried about the amount of plastic and glass bottles ending up in landfills across the state. They’re calling to increase recycling rates for these products – which is why lawmakers at the Statehouse are revisiting Vermont's bottle deposit law.
Every local bus in Vermont has been free to ride for nearly three years. But if lawmakers don’t step in, that could soon change, at least for Green Mountain Transit, the state’s largest bus system.
On Town Meeting Day, Burlington will vote on a provision to allow all legal resident voting. If the provision passes, green card holders, participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program, and people with eligible work permits would be able to vote in municipal elections.
A new exhibit at the Dartmouth library documents Russia’s war in Ukraine in a series of posters. It opened last week, on the one-year anniversary of the invasion.
Independent Filmmaker Nora Jacobson had never heard of Vermont poet laureate Ruth Stone until she was asked to interview her prior to the poet’s death in 2011. Once she did she was enthralled, and decided to make a documentary about the poet’s life and legacy. That film – Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind – makes its premiere as part of the Made Here series, and Vermont Public’s Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Jacobson about the documentary.
It’s estimated that 26,000 Vermonters are caring for someone with dementia, a condition which makes it hard to think clearly and remember.According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont, these volunteer caregivers save the the state and federal government hundreds of millions of dollars in nursing home costs. Yet support services remain patchy, and caregivers often feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped.
The number of Vermonters 65 and older who have Alzheimer's disease is expected to increase more than 30% by 2025. It’s a fatal condition that slowly destroys memory and thinking, and one Colchester couple explains how it's reshaped their life.
CAR T-cell therapy uses a patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer cells — and is now available in Vermont for the first time.
For decades, a congregation in North Thetford had been dwindling. So they decided to donate their building to a group that could make more use of it. That’s how the church ended up in the hands of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust.
A Senate committee has advanced a wide-ranging housing bill that sets the stage for yet another debate in Montpelier over the future of the state’s 50-year-old land-use development law, called Act 250.
Gaps in mental health services contributed to the fatal police shooting of a man in Montpelier in 2019, according to a recent report issued by the Mental Health Crisis Response Commission.
Vermont’s largest city is preparing to host a celebration of the thriving and diverse Black communities across the state. The second annual Black Experience kicks off this weekend on the Flynn Main Stage. As Vermont Public’s Marlon Hyde reports, this event will feature activist and author Angela Davis and a slew of local artists ready to share what Black culture means to them.
When Mount Ascutney ski resort went bankrupt over a decade ago, it threw nearby West Windsor into turmoil. So the town took a risk and bought the ski area in 2015. Residents formed a non-profit called Ascutney Outdoors to run it, and the move paid off.
The killing of the 24-year-old school teacher shocked the state, and became one of the most high-profile cold cases in Vermont’s recent history.
In more than half of U.S. states, wildlife have tested positive for COVID-19, according to data from the USDA. Millions of dollars in federal money have gone toward testing animals like mink, ferrets and deer – species that can pass the virus to humans. Vermont is running its own study.
In the summer of 2020, the Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont set an ambitious goal: to decolonize its collection and address the legacies of imperialism that stain museum culture. Since then, the almost hundred-year-old museum’s staff has faced lots of turnover. New Executive Director Sonja Lunde spoke with Vermont Public's Marlon Hyde.
With a goal to cut carbon pollution, a group of Senate lawmakers held a key vote on a bill that would transform the way Vermonters heat their homes and businesses. It’s one of the major recommendations in Vermont’s Climate Action Plan, and it’s an especially complex piece of legislation.
There are two bills in the Legislature that would end Vermont's school choice program. Lawmakers say a U.S. Supreme Court decision that says states with school choice have to fund religious schools would contribute to discrimination.
Before Ed Nowak of Shelburne started sharpening figure skates, Vermont's skilled figure skaters would have to send their skates to Montreal or Boston to get sharpened.
In 2020, Vermont became the first state in the country to legally require residents to compost food scraps. This is the first published research into that law, and another that bans single-use plastics for restaurant takeout.
Lloyd Devereux Richards and Marguerite Richards spoke with Vermont Edition about the TikTok posts that won over millions of fans — and put a 12-year-old debut novel on the bestseller list.
Lawmakers this session are taking a serious look at a bill that would legalize sports betting in Vermont. Why are they doing this, and what would the system look like?
Doug Cox has been making world-class violins and violas for 50 years and has built a reputation as one of the premier luthiers in the United States.
Beverly Little Thunder has served on the nine-person Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs since 2019. In her email letter, Little Thunder said she was stepping down because of “deceit and dysfunction.”
Article 9 of the state's founding document spells out when it's OK for elected officials to raise taxes, but lawmakers often differ on how to interpret the constitutional provision.
John Killacky has worn many creative hats during his time in Vermont, as executive director of the Flynn, a disability rights activist, and most recently as a member of Vermont’s House of Representatives. Now he’s exhibiting three new intermedia videos at Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction, and we learn what inspired the new pieces.
A University of Vermont official apologized for causing harm to state-recognized tribes through an event hosted by the school last spring.The event, held last April, featured Abenaki representatives from Odanak First Nation in Quebec. They reiterated their stance that Vermont’s state-recognized tribes have not provided genealogical or historical support showing they are Abenaki.
Since Vermont is facing a critical shortage of workers, should the state be incentivizing companies to create new jobs? That’s the question at the heart of a bill before the Legislature this session.
Some of the neediest Vermont counties have fewer projects in line for ARPA funds, partly because they lack staff to navigate the application process.
Colby Tuller, a freshman at Montpelier’s U32 High School, recently discovered a trove of artifacts that belonged to a Civil War officer with Vermont ties.
At the Upper Valley Food Coop in White River Junction, you’ll often find Denver Ferguson drawing. He creates bizarre, colorful creatures on the back of scrap paper. Next month, much of his work will be for sale at the Outsider Art Fair in New York City.
People formerly in Vermont foster care do not have access to their own state records. A new report asks lawmakers to change that.
Juniper Creative's most recent community-based mural is going up inside of the Greater Burlington YMCA. It will feature a kid on a dragon flying through a portal to safety.Vermont Public’s Marlon Hyde recently stopped by and spoke with the Black and Dominican family art collective about their murals and their impacts on Vermont culture.
Lawmakers want to ease the child care crunch in Vermont by sending most of the state’s 4-year-olds into the public school system.
There’s been a spate of controversies and alleged misconduct among Vermont county sheriffs in the past year. Lawmakers are considering measures to add oversight to the state's 14 independently-elected law enforcement officials.
“Two Bessies on Two Wheels" is a free, online package of African American history curriculum designed for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade. Using lesson plans and other resources, they're invited to learn about two Black women who were pioneers in motorcycle and airplane travel.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders was named the new chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. It’s a position tied closely to many of the issues that Sanders has spent his career working on. Vermont Public’s senior political correspondent Bob Kinzel had a chance to talk with the senator about his priorities for the new session.
Warm temperatures through December into early January have taken their toll on Vermont's logging industry. And the warming climate is just one of the challenges the industry is facing.
Multiple Vermont organic dairy farmers, some through tears, asked lawmakers on Thursday for a one-time $9.2 million appropriation to keep them in business. The industry is currently experiencing high costs of production and a stagnant pay price.
School nutrition officials across Vermont are urging lawmakers to permanently fund a universal free meals program that’s set to expire at the end of the school year. But Gov. Phil Scott says he doesn’t want to use limited taxpayer resources to buy free breakfast and lunch for kids whose families can pay.
To help kids address behaviors that can lead to criminal actions, the state wants to create several smaller facilities to fill the void left when Woodside closed in 2020. One proposed location is in Newbury, but this has met stiff opposition in the Orange County town, where residents argue they should be able to reject the proposal.
A Woman's Life Is a Human Life: My Mother, Our Neighbor, and the Journey from Reproductive Rights to Reproductive Justice was published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Despite the efforts of Vermont scholastic officials to prevent it, allegations of racist behavior connected to high school sports continue to emerge. Vermont Public's Mitch Wertlieb spoke with the head of the Vermont Principal’s Association Jay Nichols about what steps have been taken, and what more needs to be done.
During the pandemic, something sort of miraculous happened with the largest food assistance program in the country: It worked. For a lot of people, for the first time, the government provided meaningful funds to purchase food. By April though, emergency funding for SNAP benefits will end.
The 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail that crosses northern Vermont is expected to be fully open by the beginning of February. Organizers hope the trail will boost tourism and create new opportunities for nearby communities while maintaining their character.
Yoga With Jillian is stopping for two nights in Burlington before an off-Broadway run in New York.
Brian Boland, eccentric ballooning legend of the Northeast, was a mentor to most of the Vermont-based pilots today. He died in a ballooning accident in July of 2021. More than a year later, the ballooning community is still feeling the loss.
This week, lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate unveiled proposals that try to make the state's zoning ordinances more conducive to new development. That's as Vermont's housing shortage continues.
This week, lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate unveiled proposals that try to make the state's zoning ordinances more conducive to new development. That's as Vermont's housing shortage continues.
Editor's note: This piece contains some difficult and graphic scenes that may not be for everyone.A thoughtful and visceral introduction to where lamb chops come from, with sheep shearer and butcherer Mary Lake.
The new report from the RAND Corporation says Vermont lawmakers will have to come up with between $179 million and $279 million annually if they want to make child care affordable for every family that needs it — and fairly compensate workers.
Last February, Vermont Public’s Anna Van Dine spoke with a farmer who’d suffered a catastrophic barn fire. Almost a year later, she followed up with him to see how things have gone since.
A new president and CEO takes over the helm of Vermont’s largest health network at a time of rising costs and operating deficits.
Vermont's Agency of Education says there’s a growing inequity between districts that can get their projects passed by voters, and those that can't.And the agency also says there’s now a backlog of projects that’s potentially causing health and safety issues at the schools with the highest needs.
When the weather is frigid and the skies are gray, heading outdoors can still boost your mood. This weekend, Burlington's BIPOC community and allies can join in a winter recreation event at Leddy Park. All the gear and games are free to try.
Burke Mountain Academy's Mikaela Shiffrin has tied Lindsey Vonn’s record for most alpine World Cup Wins. The 27-year-old took home the title Sunday during the giant slalom event in Slovenia. It was her 82nd career World Cup win. Shiffrin attempted to break that record in Austria this week, but fell short.
The world’s largest multi-sport winter college athletic event takes place this week at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, and a student at Middlebury College will be among the competitors in figure skating.
Officials at the Federal Reserve have signaled in recent days that they may raise interest rates again, continuing a trend of rate hikes intended to cool the economy and curb inflation. That typically means higher mortgage rates, and a corresponding drop in home prices — several factors among many impacting the housing market.
In the final installment of her series "Seeing…the Unseen and In-Between within Vermont's Landscape," Shanta Lee introduces us to visual artists and brothers Jude Desmont and Julio Desmont of Burlington, and drag artists Justin Marsh and Taylor Small. Both creative pairs explain how they've learned to work together.
Across Vermont, lunch is served at dozens of senior centers and church basements nearly every day. People show up to get a free meal and warm up or just to socialize.In St. Johnsbury, several of these community lunches stopped during the pandemic. Some have only just started up again.
Over the past year, a pair of cousins bought two vacant industrial properties in Vermont. And they believe they have the right business to bring new life to the spaces: Processing industrial hemp. But to be successful, the cousins will need more farmers to grow the crop.
Vermont’s pandemic death toll is larger than previously reported. The Health Department announced on Friday it found an additional 86 COVID-19 fatalities, some of which date back to April 2020.
Vermont is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise, but research shows some people don’t always feel safe alone in nature. In Vermont, two organizations are working to create spaces and programs that empower women.
Vermont is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into building more housing. And for the most part, projects are getting underway in larger towns and cities.But there’s a group of small towns in southern Vermont that say the need is just as strong in their communities, so they're tackling the problem one home at a time.
From housing and child care to climate action and mental health, lawmakers will face tough spending decisions as federal coronavirus relief aid begins to dry up.
For the first time in more than 30 years, Vermont is updating its regulations on pesticide use in the state. But a coalition of environmental advocates say the proposed new regulations don't go far enough in the face of climate change.
After serving 48 years in the U.S. Senate, Patrick Leahy will officially be stepping down today. Leahy will be succeeded by Senator–elect Peter Welch.Leahy started his first term in 1975, and was the first Democrat ever to serve in the U.S. Senate from Vermont.
Vermont’s wreath industry goes way back. It’s a way for farmers and other people who work close to the land to make extra income when most crops are done growing. But wreath makers in Vermont are noticing some changes in the climate, and some think a little more science could help them adapt.
This year, inflation hit record-highs. From eggs and beef, to gas and heating oil, many people are feeling the pinch of high prices this holiday season. Vermont Public heard from some of you about changes you're making because of those costs.
The COP15 summit ended its two-week run in Montreal this week with rousing applause and descriptors including "historic." Representatives from more than 190 countries agreed to a plan aimed at putting the brakes on the spiral of decline for the planet’s wildlife and ecosystems.
Kim Carson is Burlington's new director of racial equity, inclusion and belonging. Carson worked in the Iowa Judicial system prior to beginning this role in Vermont's largest city.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing billions of dollars into climate-smart agriculture. Some farmers in Vermont are already using these practices, and are hopeful the windfall might benefit them.
A proposed residential care facility in Castleton has stirred up controversy, anger and accusations of bias.That’s despite the acute need for this type of housing in Vermont.
The University Mall in South Burlington was purchased this spring after six years in foreclosure. Now that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, we went to the U Mall to see how it’s doing.
Incoming Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth and House Speaker Jill Krowinski say ideological diversity among Democratic lawmakers will require the House and Senate to legislate by consensus.
After eight terms in Congress, Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, 82, is preparing to leave this institution.Vermont Public’s Elodie Reed has this postcard from one of his final days on the Hill.
In January, Becca Balint will be sworn in as Vermont’s new member of the U.S. House. It marks the first time that a woman has ever been elected to Congress from Vermont.
While many of us reach for butter for our holiday baking and cooking, labor shortages and high demand have pushed the price up of this creamy condiment, and butter inventories are down. That could be good news for farmers, who can use the extra cash to grow, driving milk production up, and butter prices back down.
Armand Patoine introduces us to the tradition of cutting winterberry boughs for Christmas, with or without permission.
A literal fall from grace on an icy mountain. A chance encounter that follows, leading to a dangerous romance. And a confluence of events that entwines a Hollywood movie production with secretive government tests in the era of Ronald Reagan.These are the threads tied together in the debut novel Way Out West by Vermont poet Wyn Cooper.
Gov. Phil Scott will begin his fourth term in office in January with a host of key issues on his agenda, and he has a strong mandate after a convincing victory in November’s election.
"What happened to all the restaurant workers?" That's the question Vermont Public’s Josh Crane recently answered for Brave Little State.
Depending on the day, walking into the Tiny Community Kitchen in Burlington’s Old North End feels like walking into a different part of the country or a whole new country altogether. From soul food to food from the Middle East, local chefs are using the space to introduce new flavors to the neighborhood.
When people with disabilities travel, they often have to do extra planning to make sure the places they're visiting are accessible.
State regulators want illegal cannabis growers to apply for a license as the new recreational market opens up.
People come to Ernie's auctions to buy the contents of whole houses, but they also come for good food and company. Soon this long-loved pastime will come to an end.
Japanese knotweed, which crowds out native species, can be found near most large rivers in Vermont. Several local organizations are collaborating to get something positive out of the nuisance plant.
Reproductive education and access to contraception have taken on a greater importance since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In Vermont, sex ed is more progressive than many places in the country — though some say it’s still not enough.
A growing number of fatal opioid overdoses in Vermont involve an animal tranquilizer that blunts the effectiveness of overdose-reversing medications. It’s a trend that’s concerning health officials as the state experiences a high number of overdose deaths.
The shortage of home health aids has become a nationwide crisis. These are the people you might call if your older relative needs help bathing or caring for a wound. They’re mostly women and they’re underpaid, undervalued and overworked. We want you to meet two of them.
Organic dairy farmers are in crisis. Costs are way up for fuel, feed and fertilizer. And without matching increases in the pay price for milk, advocates, officials and farmers themselves are worried they might leave the industry altogether.A lot of those same people are trying to crack this problem, including one organization that wants to use consumer power to get more local organic dairy on supermarket shelves.
Hospital administrators in Vermont and across the country say having to care for long term patients who should be in nursing homes is causing bottlenecks in their emergency rooms and millions of dollars in financial losses.
Many Vermont Republicans say Gov. Phil Scott could play a key role in reuniting a party divided by former President Donald Trump.
For almost 40 years, Burlington-based DJ Melo Grant has been one of Vermont’s foremost purveyors of hip-hop. Generations of local rap fans — and rappers such as North Ave Jax and Rivan C. — have been raised on her weekly radio show “Cultural Bunker” on WRUV, the University of Vermont’s radio station.
"Call and Response," a new exhibit at the Fleming Museum of Art, features work from 16 artists from the Howard Center Arts Collective. They used the Fleming's online collections database to identify artwork that interested them and crafted something new.
This year, bird flu and rising inflation have made it harder for some Vermont turkey growers to put the birds on people's tables.
Sweetwaters American Bistro was known for giving out thousands of turkey dinners over the last several decades. The restaurant closed this year, but the building's new occupant is carrying on the tradition in a different format.
Two in five Vermonters are facing food insecurity, according to recent data from the Vermont Foodbank. This comes amid rising costs of food, gas and heating oil. Yet local food donations are down 20%.
"Riddleville," a new art exhibit at The Flynn in downtown Burlington showcases an imaginative world of sculpture art.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman recently asked people she encountered in the Northeast Kingdom. In the final installment of a five-part series, we hear Ethan Perry of Orleans talk about working at Family Dollar, and the challenges of dreaming about a future when there's not always enough to eat now.
Last week, the Vermont Public Utility Commission approved a historic contract. It commits Vermont’s only natural gas supplier to purchasing methane from a landfill in New York for at least the next 14.5 years.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman recently asked people she encountered in the Northeast Kingdom. In the fourth of a five-part series, we hear 73-year-old Brownington logger and builder Jane Greenwood describe what it's like to straddle two classes: the "working class" and the "NPR class."
The statement lists a community's core values in hopes that all people will feel welcome there. The Vermonters behind the movement are aiming for every municipality to adopt the declaration.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman recently asked people she encountered in the Northeast Kingdom. In the third story of a five-part series, we hear how Karen Shaw of Hardwick lives on a farm and describes herself as "agricultural class." She's angry all the time, and she doesn't see much hope for cultural and class reunification. She figures we should just split the country in two.
GlobalFoundries is implementing a hiring freeze and plans to cut its workforce, company leaders told employees in a memo last week. It’s not yet clear whether job cuts will impact the company’s plant in Essex Junction.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman recently asked people she encountered in the Northeast Kingdom. In the second of a five-part series, we hear from Irasburg photographer John Miller about black skid marks in the road, and the importance of approaching neighbors with curiosity and humility.
"What class are you?" It's a question that Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman recently asked people she encountered in the Northeast Kingdom. In the first of a five-part series, we hear Kytreana Patrick of Newport describe how growing up "working class" leads inevitably to a working class adulthood. And she speculates about why rich people don't like talking about class.
The late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead used to name his guitars, and one was known as "The Wolf." He switched to another after 1978, and The Wolf didn’t appear on any recorded album since. But now it’s back, as Vermont’s Zach Nugent of the Nectar’s house band Dead Set plays the old instrument on his debut album.
Vermont Wagyu recently held its annual auction, where cattle ranchers from across the country purchased animals raised on the Vermont farm.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott handily won re-election to a fourth term yesterday, grabbing more than 71% of the vote to defeat Democratic activist Brenda Siegel's 24%. But the governor was not celebrating with the state’s Republican party.
David Zuckerman will be the second person in state history to serve non-consecutive terms as lieutenant governor. He defeated his Republican opponent, Joe Benning, by a margin of 54% to 43%.
For the first time in the state’s 231-year history, Vermont voters have elected a woman to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrat Becca Balint served in Vermont’s Legislature as the state Senate president, and before that was a middle school teacher. When she's inaugurated in January, she’ll also be Vermont’s first openly gay person to serve in Congress. Balint easily beat Republican nominee Liam Madden, a Marine veteran and a self-described independent looking to disrupt the two-party system.
Democrats will again have strong majorities in the House and Senate, and leaders are expected to consider major new expenditures on child care, paid family leave, and nutrition assistance.
There are 150 seats in the Vermont House of Representatives up for grabs on Tuesday, but one race in the Northeast Kingdom could be especially consequential.As a result of legislative reapportionment, two incumbent lawmakers — one a Democrat, and one a Republican — are vying to represent Albany, Craftsbury, Glover and Greensboro in the Vermont Statehouse. And the race is raising some important questions about the future of rural Vermont.
A record number of mail-in ballots for a non-presidential election have already been received by town clerks across Vermont. It's estimated that as many as 50% of all votes cast for the midterm election will be done by mail this year. But what happens to these ballots when they're sent back to the clerk's office?
Historically, standardized tests have not been considered equitable to all students. In Vermont, education officials are now partnering with a new vendor for statewide testing.
Rob Bahny creates training programs for Vermonters who are looking to earn a license and begin careers in health care and other sectors with a worker shortage. He says significant funding is available to pay for training, but certain barriers keep potential students from ever signing up for class.
The small town of Pownal is known for its horse racing track — even though it's been almost 50 years since the last thoroughbred crossed the finish line there. And even after years of watching it fall into ruin, some locals believe the property still has potential.
There are about 20,000 fewer people working or seeking work in Vermont compared to the months before the pandemic, and the state's aging population could further strain the workforce in the coming years. So how might the two major party candidates running for governor tackle this issue? And how much power does a governor really have to grow the workforce?
Earlier this month nearly 50 volunteers armed with rakes and large pruning tools gathered for the annual spiny softshell turtle beach clean up day. The conservation effort, organized by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, helps ready the beach for hatching baby turtles.
Legal experts, lawmakers and advocates say that Gov. Phil Scott, who’s often lauded as being a moderate Republican, takes a more traditionally conservative view on criminal justice issues.
According to a recent study, more than half of Vermont’s farmworker housing units are in need of repairs, including for health and safety issues.But even though on-farm housing is technically state-regulated in Vermont, farmworkers do not rely on state agencies for help. Instead, farmworkers use a program they built themselves.
Nightmare Vermont is one of the largest haunted houses in the state. Since opening in Essex Junction in 2004, this all-volunteer Halloween event has provided classic jump scares and an immersive theater experience. And Vermont Public’s Marlon Hyde got a behind-the-scenes walkthrough.
A number of pollinating bees are either endangered or threatened in Vermont, and a group of steelpan drummers wants to bring awareness to the dwindling pollinator populations. As Vermont Public’s Marlon Hyde reports this group is using music that originates from the Caribbean to make a difference.
This November, Vermonters will vote on whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution. The overturning of Roe v. Wade helped spur some voters to advocate for the measure, including a group of friends who hosted a bike ride to fundraise for the campaign.
In essence, University of Vermont scientist Brian Beckage and his team created a model that says as the climate changes, so will human behavior — for the better.
Richmond native Ben Feinson didn’t just hike the Long Trail from the Vermont-Massachusetts border up to Canada — he ran it. And he did it in record time. Learn about his incredible journey and the documentary that recorded his history-making run.
Can these parasitoid wasps give Vermont's young ash trees a fighting chance against the invasive emerald ash borer? Scientists sure hope so.
Vermont Edition host Connor Cyrus moderated a debate between Republican Joe Benning and Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman on Thursday, Oct. 20. Here are the highlights.
Five years after Aita Gurung allegedly killed his wife and attacked his mother-in-law, a jury will decide whether he was insane at the time, or whether he should be sent to prison. All the mental health experts who examined Gurung, including one hired by prosecutors, determined he was legally insane, which led Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George to dismiss the case in 2019. The attorney general's office refiled the case after a request from Gov. Phil Scott.
A number of political observers think the race for lieutenant governor this year might turn out to be the most competitive of Vermont’s eight statewide contests.
Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak moderated a debate between Republican Phil Scott and Democrat Brenda Siegel on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Here are the highlights.
A release from the Vermont Department of Health last month showed 98% of Vermont schools and child care facilities have completed testing and remediation for lead in their drinking water. And the results showed that one in five taps had lead levels at or above recommended state levels.
GlobalFoundries will use the money to manufacture a new type of semiconductor at its facility in Essex Junction. If the company gets its way, there could soon be much more government money infused into the 65-year-old computer chip plant.
Brenda Siegel says she'll make government work better for the low- and middle-income Vermonters who are struggling to get by.
Students, staff and community are reeling after the community of nearly 5,000 received national attention. That's after a local media outlet reported on a 14-year-old Randolph Union High School trans student and her use of the girls locker room.
Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak moderated a debate between Republican Gerald Malloy and Democrat Peter Welch on Thursday, Oct. 13. Here are the highlights.
The college is drilling test wells to expand access to geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings on campus. The systems collect thermal energy from below the earth’s surface, then run it through heat pumps for air conditioning.
Liam Madden, a first-time political candidate who wants to succeed Rep. Peter Welch, says nothing less than a wholesale reordering of the U.S. political system will save the country from the "catastrophes" at its doorstep.
Vermont has long been a kind of hunter’s paradise. But beyond taking a bear, moose or wild turkey during their designated hunting seasons, a first-time children’s book author has spun a tale about a kind of hunting — or more specifically, foraging — that can be done almost any time in Vermont’s spring, summer or fall seasons.
Parkinson’s disease affects the nervous system. It muddles how the brain sends signals that coordinate movement. In Vermont, it's estimated that one out of a thousand people over age 55 have it.There’s no cure. But research shows vigorous exercise — and even a punch or two — can help those with Parkinson's slow the disease.
The state is encouraging towns to make small changes to their zoning codes to encourage more housing.
If we think about women in aeronautics, we tend to remember the ones who came to tragic ends: Amelia Earhart, Christa McAuliffe. One Vermont composer researched women in STEM fields and found uplifting stories, too, and put them to music.
Vermont is in the process of adopting new regulations that will push auto manufacturers to dramatically ramp up the number of electric vehicles they supply to dealerships in the state.These new regulations will apply to cars and big trucks. And by 2035, every new car sold in Vermont will have to be powered by electricity or by hydrogen.
Joe Wiah directs the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s Multicultural Community Center in Brattleboro. His work involves helping refugees settle in their new Vermont communities and connect with resources tied to employment, housing, education and medical care.
A new documentary follows a Vermonter who paddled 120 miles along Lake Champlain to explore its beauty, and the challenges impacting the state’s largest watershed. Vermont Public’s Mitch Wertlieb spoke with the paddler and cinematographer behind the documentary, No Other Lake.
According to recent data, only 24% of Black households in Vermont own their homes, compared to 72% of white households. A new program from the nonprofit Champlain Housing Trust seeks to close the gap by providing up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to help Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, or BIPOC Vermonters, buy a home.
Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, Burlington kids learned how to blow a shofar.
A tech company announced last August it would hire 250 people to staff an office in Waterbury. But in recent months, it quietly canceled those plans.The development comes even though the company, MTX Group, was in line to receive the largest-ever award from a controversial state economic incentive program.
Since 1975, staff at Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, has been tracking when the leaves peak, when they fade and when the season’s first snowfall arrives. It’s a tradition that customers have come to rely on when planning their fall foliage watching.
The state used COVID relief money to invest in slaughterhouses, but officials say much more is needed to bring the existing infrastructure up to capacity.
Vermont’s new retail cannabis marketplace is set to open soon. It’s not going to happen with a lot of fanfare, but instead will be a gradual opening of retail stores across the state over the next few months.
Seder is a Jewish ceremonial dinner that begins the springtime festival of Passover. A prominent Passover theme — liberation — sparked a different kind of Seder in the mid-90s: a Pride Seder. The event marks key milestones in the struggle for LGBTQ rights. And this marks the first year that a Pride Seder is being held in Vermont.
Recently, fish biologists from Vermont Fish and Wildlife added 5,000 muskellunge fingerlings to the Missisquoi River in Swanton. Since 2013, the department has undertaken a restoration effort to restock this native species, in collaboration with a muskellunge hatchery in New York state. Reporter Erica Heilman went along to watch these fish get introduced to their new home.
For more than two decades, Stephen Leslie has worked to restore 60 acres of farmland in Hartland, Vermont. In the final installment of our Summer School series, Vermont Public’s Elodie Reed took a walk with him to learn how.
Catamount Run will bring roughly 500 more beds to South Burlington City Center, within a mile-and-a-half radius of UVM’s Burlington campus. The development will come online in phases, with plans to have 170 beds ready by summer 2024, and the rest finished within the following two years.
Vermont is in line to receive about $8 million from the vaping company Juul Labs — that's after Vermont and 33 other states reached a settlement with Juul over its aggressive marketing toward young people.
Daisy Rockwell comes from a family of artists — some of whose work may be displayed on your kitchen calendar, or the surfaces of your chinaware, or hanging on the walls at your local doctors office. Rockwell has won the prestigious International Booker Prize for her translation of the novel Tomb of Sand, by Geetanjali Shree, from Hindi to English.
Some artists use oil paints or watercolors. Others create with bronze, clay or stained glass. Cooper Johnson, 18, prefers cardboard.
It’s early in the growing season, but the weather has already challenged Vermont farmers. They’ve faced extreme temperature swings — something increasingly common with climate change.
When the pandemic struck, Vermont courts suspended all non-emergency proceedings. Statewide, it is estimated that just over 1,000 felony cases and nearly 2,200 misdemeanors have been pending for more than two years.While courtrooms have slowly reopened, the backlog – which existed before the pandemic – has intensified. That’s prompting some to reconsider what cases should even end up in court.
Lawmakers this session considered major changes to Act 250, Vermont’s biggest land use and development law. They tussled with Gov. Scott over how Act 250 is governed and new environmental protections, ultimately scoring a veto. But they also made some headway when it comes to making Act 250 friendlier to affordable housing projects in village centers. So what made it to the finish line?
Since its inception in 2017, The Ladybroad Ledger has invited femme cartoonists in Vermont to submit their works for this print-only, poster-sized publication.
Vermont Green Football Club is a newly formed soccer league in Vermont that's committed to environmental sustainability and outreach to Vermont's newest arrivals.
Owner Craig McDermott was moved by recent mass shootings and a recent threat to Montpelier High School, which led to police seizing two rifles and ammunition from a student.
The St. Croix River, also known as the Schoodic River, flows through the homeland of the Passamaquoddy people between Maine and the province of New Brunswick. It once teemed with millions of migratory fish. Then came a series of dams that blocked the fish from their spawning grounds, and years of conflict over river management.
A group in Vermont pre-purchased 2,000 miles of fiber optic cable, which is starting to arrive in the state. But workforce shortages and equipment delays still threaten to slow down deployment.
Teachers across the nation and in Vermont have been grappling with how to talk with students after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead.While undeniably tragic, data show mass shootings account for less than 1% of the roughly 40,000 people killed by guns each year in this country.One Lamoille Union High School teacher says he focuses on that data when speaking with students and helping them process.
A delicacy grown north of the border around the turn of the 20th century, the Montreal melon has since largely disappeared from gardens and farms.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID in Vermont is holding fairly steady — and well below the peak this winter. But numbers aren’t the full story.
Each day at 6:45 a.m. Mitch Wertlieb usually gives his sports report on Morning Edition. But today, in light of yesterday's horrific school shooting in Texas, a sports report didn't seem appropriate. Instead, Mitch shares some reflections on the tragedy, and the bravery that students, teachers and school staff show on a daily basis.
Following the mass shooting that left 10 Black people dead in Buffalo this month, political ads echoing the false theme of "replacement theory" by New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik are drawing closer scrutiny.
Last week, Gov. Phil Scott said he would sign legislation extending a universal meals program in Vermont — but he’s concerned how the state will fund it moving forward.State lawmakers extended the program as a one-year pilot project funded by a $29 million surplus in the education fund. The bill also authorizes a study to consider long-term funding sources.
Leaders at the NAACP say Vermonters need to "interrupt" the white supremacist ideologies that could otherwise lead to incidents such as the racist mass shooting in Buffalo earlier this month.
Every year at St. Johnsbury Academy, all graduating seniors present Capstone projects to their classmates, their faculty and families and the community at large. Students choose topics of personal interest and develop research presentations on these subjects. Independent producer Erica Heilman stopped in to see some of their work.
Vermont has seen surging COVID-19 numbers in recent weeks, driven in part by the “stealth" omicron subvariant BA.2. To get a feel for how schools are weathering the uptick in cases, we spoke with Jay Nichols, executive director of the Vermont Principals' Association.
Vermont filmmaker Jay Craven hopes his latest project, Lost Nation, will help people reimagine Vermont's early years.
While most birds are facing rapid population declines across the continent, a long-lived scavenger is gaining ground in Vermont. The first pair of black vultures known to nest in Vermont had a chick in a falling down barn in Burlington in the spring of 2020.
Each year the Vermont Agency of Education releases what they call its Annual Snapshot — a glimpse into how Vermont schools are faring, using quantitative data. It's designed to show progress and change over time. But this year, because of ongoing COVID impacts, the Snapshot reveals mostly uncertainty.
For the first time in half a century, states will likely decide whether abortion is legal within their borders. Some Vermonters remain opposed to abortion and would like to see stronger restrictions in place.
Amid a nationwide shortage, Vermonters on tight budgets are struggling to find enough formula to feed their children.
Amid a nationwide shortage, Vermonters on tight budgets are struggling to find enough formula to feed their children.
More than three decades ago, Judith Adams, 84, went back to preschool. And in all those years, she’s learned a thing or two about teaching.
The Vermont Legislature is adjourned and lawmakers are leaving Montpelier without a clean heat standard on the books, following a failed effort to override Gov. Phil Scott's veto of the bill. What does this mean for Vermont's ability to meet its statutory commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Danville’s historic train station is getting a makeover. The iconic building is the oldest train station on the Lake Champlain to Saint Johnsbury line. Now the town is hoping to turn the station, which sits beside the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, into an outdoor activity wellness hub.
Vermont lawmakers on Thursday closed the books on a session that resulted in historic new investments in housing, climate initiatives and human services.
Vermont is one of two states, plus the District of Columbia, that allows incarcerated people to vote. But data from a recent study show just a fraction of those who are incarcerated use that right. Advocates and experts say while the state allows access to voters inside prisons, more could be done to make voting more accessible.
Known for their red eyes and haunting calls, the birds were a rare sight in Vermont several decades ago — but they’ve rebounded.
The Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro is one of many places around the country screening the film Utica: The Last Refuge this week. It's an award-winning documentary that highlights the success Utica, New York has had welcoming refugees into the community.
While the sentencing of the central figures in the EB-5 scandal marks the end of a chapter, the men leave behind a legacy of EB-5 projects – both finished and unfinished – in the Northeast Kingdom. Residents of the region have mixed feelings about the men, and the projects they left behind.
Waking Windows in Winooski, like so many live music festivals, is making its post-COVID return after a two-year break.The fest, running May 13 to 15, can trace back its roots over a decade ago, to a pub in downtown Winooski.
This story is about a tree and what happens when it no longer exists. But also, so much more.
Vermont has a reputation for strong environmental regulations. But it’s one of the last states in New England to have an environmental justice policy on the books. Lawmakers are weighing a bill this week that would create one.
Last week, Abenaki representatives from the Odanak First Nation addressed an uncomfortable, long-simmering dispute. Odanak citizens and officials said Vermont's state-recognized tribes are misrepresenting themselves as Abenaki – and profiting from it – when they are not Indigenous.
Lauren MacAfee reviews the legal status of abortion in Vermont, and how it may change moving forward.
One of the big issues facing lawmakers in the final weeks of the session is how to craft legislation that would cut taxes. Gov. Phil Scott outlined his proposal back in January. The House passed its plan last month. And just last week, the Senate adopted their own approach. A key element of the whole debate is if Vermont should tax Social Security benefits, and if so, to what degree.
Children under 5 still can't get vaccinated, but Vermont is opening up and relaxing mask guidelines.
Foraging for wild edibles has occurred for millennia. But before you head out and gather some deliciousness from the landscape, you should know that some look-alike plants are extremely toxic.
On a recent April evening, half a dozen farmers gathered inside a Burlington greenhouse. There they attended a gardening class put on by the Association of Africans Living in Vermont. The class is meant to help farmers adapt crops from warmer parts of the world – to Vermont’s rather short growing season.VPR’s Elodie Reed brought back this postcard.
El primero de mayo, trabajadores de granja y sus defensores, se van a juntar para pedirle a Hannaford Supermarkets que se una a su programa de Leche con Dignidad por tercer año consecutivo.Leche con Dignidad, en inglés Milk with Dignity, es un programa creado por Migrant Justice — una organización que defiende los derechos humanos, fundada y liderada por agricultores inmigrantes en Vermont. Esta brinda recursos y busca que los líderes de compañías mejoren las condiciones laborales y de alojamiento en su granjas.
Last week, there was a storm of wet heavy snow in areas throughout Vermont, with power outages all around the state. Independent producer Erica Heilman stopped by the Washington Electric Co-op to find out what it sounds like from the inside.
On May 1, farmworkers and their advocates will join together to call on Hannaford Supermarkets to join the Milk with Dignity program — for the third year in a row.Milk with Dignity is a program created by Migrant Justice, a human rights organization founded and led by immigrant farmworkers in Vermont. It enlists the resources and market power of companies to improve labor and housing conditions on dairy farms.
Vermont Cannabis growers are eagerly awaiting the approval of licenses from the state Cannabis Control Board, the governing body that decides who can sell products in the state’s forthcoming recreational marketplace. One small grower hoping to get one is Eduardo Jaime, owner of Fine Bud Farms in Randolph.
A forest in Roxbury is being transformed into Vermont’s first dedicated forest cemetery. The owners hope green burials will revive the local ecosystem and be an environmentally-friendly option for Vermonters pondering the end.
Rutland-based Casella Waste Systems has recovered from financial struggles during the Great Recession to become a dominant player in the waste industry in the northeastern U.S. But as it competes with national rivals in the region, some advocates and industry members are concerned the company is nearing a monopoly in its home state.
As the federal relief that propped up nutrition-assistance organizations during the pandemic begins to disappear, food security advocates say Vermont will need to increase public support for food shelves and other programs in order to avoid a surge in malnutrition.
The killing of a transgender woman in Morristown last week has spurred calls to charge the alleged murderer with a hate crime. But law enforcement officials say for now, they don’t have evidence to support that charge.
At a warehouse in New Jersey, a pallet of supplies collected in Vermont is soon bound for Ukraine. For the past month, people have dropped them off at Vermont Flannel Company stores across the state.
Gov. Phil Scott is threatening to veto two landmark spending bills if lawmakers don't make changes to the legislation.
A recent report from the International Panel on Climate Change finds the world still has time to avoid the worst of climate change, but only if nations come together to cut greenhouse gas emissions much faster than they have.But it also says it’s very possible to fix the problem, and local and state governments have a critical role to play. So, how do Vermont’s efforts here stack up?
A year after protests erupted on UVM's campus over how the university handled sexual assault allegations, UVM has made some changes. But is it enough?
Gov. Phil Scott recently signed Vermont’s new reapportionment bill into law. The legislation redraws some House and Senate district boundaries to reflect changes in population in Vermont over the past 10 years.
Lawmakers are debating a bill that would establish a 28-member youth council to work with the Legislature and the governor.
Fern Feather, 29, had eyes that sparkled, and a big, true smile. Friends say Feather loved plants and animals, and always worked to create spaces that were alive, and beautiful, and safe — in Vermont, and in time spent out west.
Bill Stenger, one of the architects of the Northeast Kingdom EB-5 investment scandal, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Thursday following a day-long sentencing hearing. He also faces three years of supervised release and must pay $250,000 in restitution.
The Green Mountain Care Board has finalized its budgetary targets for 2023, and some hospitals say inflation will make it hard to meet those benchmarks.
The list of 2021 finalists has been revealed for the Vermont Book Award — a literary prize awarded annually by Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, for works of outstanding literary merit by Vermont authors.
Vermont’s largest city might not be a place you’d expect to find historic barns. But they’re everywhere – some are hidden in backyards, others are hiding in plain sight. And in a changing city in the midst of a housing crisis, the role these barns play may be shifting.
A team of economists, including a Dartmouth professor, is calling for the testing of fractional doses of COVID-19 vaccines to help stretch the supply and accelerate vaccination rates around the globe.Clinical evidence suggests that these smaller doses could also be highly effective against hospitalizations and severe disease resulting from COVID-19.
After mud season ends, crews will be grabbing their shovels to build a new stretch of bike trail in Green Mountain National Forest. It’s part of the Velomont Trail, a goal to connect 485 miles of trail networks from Vermont’s southern border up to Canada.
In Vermont and elsewhere in northern New England, shorter winters with less snow are a problem for moose. It means they face a bigger threat from native winter ticks. Wildlife managers in Vermont and Maine hope hunting more moose might help.
Middlebury College has received a $25 million programming grant, the largest such grant in the school's history, to train students and community members in conflict transformation.
The debut novel of Vermont author Amy Klinger takes us back to the office environment of the 1990s. Learn more about the sardonic heroine who anchors In Light of Recent Events.
VPR’s Shanta Lee Gander sat down with leaders from three Vermont museums to discuss how, as institutions, they navigate their legacies. What is their responsibility to their communities, and potential viewers?
The Southeast State Correctional Facility in Windsor has been closed for four and a half years. The state is trying to figure out what should be done with the property.
The Public Utility Commission has extended solar development permits by one year because developers can not get the equipment they need to complete projects.
"Ice-out" dates mark when researchers can begin sampling water systems across Vermont — and they provide clues about the state’s changing climate.
Reporter Bob Kinzel answers a listener question about amendments to the Vermont Constitution.
Fifty years after his father's plane crashed on Mount Tabor, David Zlowe thanks those in Rutland who saved his life.
The dairy industry relies on truckers to get milk from the farm to the processing plant. People in the industry say while the pandemic exacerbated transportation issues, not having enough milk haulers is a longstanding problem.
Police officers accused of using excessive force in Vermont rarely face criminal charges. That’s left civil lawsuits as one of the only avenues for victims of alleged police misconduct to get justice. But those cases are hard to win, in part because of a legal doctrine called "qualified immunity" that shields officers from many claims of wrongdoing.
Last week, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced that a bankruptcy settlement with opioid maker Purdue Pharma cleared another hurdle. Vermont could receive up to nearly $38 million under the agreement.
A bill that would make it easier to change gender markers on birth certificates passed in the Vermont House of Representatives last month. Advocates say the bill would make it easier for Vermonters who identify as trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming to match their identity to vital documents.
Chef and owner Maria Lara-Bregatta reflects on serving Dominican fusion flavors in the brightly painted restaurant in a cooperatively owned building on Oak Street, and how history is already repeating itself with her daughter growing up in the family-run restaurant.
It’s been over nine months since a majority of staff members at the University of Vermont voted to unionize. But so far, the union and UVM administration have not been able to reach a deal. And according to leaders of the union’s bargaining unit, a negotiating session this week didn't bring the sides any closer.
Ruth Brueckner started running at the age of 4 when she tagged along with her mom and siblings to track practice at the elementary school in Swanton. That’s where Ruth’s mom was recruited to coach. And Ruth has been running ever since.
A lot of the stories you hear on VPR start with observations. Sometimes, reporters hang onto things they’ve noticed, waiting for the right opportunity to pursue them. And sometimes, they wait too long.
Late last month, almost 2,000 Vermonters got letters in the mail saying the University of Vermont Health Network will soon no longer accept their insurance. They’ll have to go elsewhere for medical care starting April 1.
Author David Holmes had often heard stories about his family’s farm as a child visiting his grandparents in Vermont. It wasn’t until he started digging into family and state records that he learned how his ancestors’ raised horses and managed one of the Northeast’s leading apple orchards during the 19th century.
A primary care shortage across Vermont has raised some existential questions about the future of the state's health care system
A Middlebury College junior was studying abroad in Russia as the Ukraine invasion unfolded. Now home in the U.S., he shares observations from his final days in Moscow.
Using a technology developed in Vermont, people with virtual reality headsets can now smell in the metaverse.
For two years, teachers and school staff have managed rapidly changing COVID protocols. In a series airing all week, independent producer Erica Heilman talks with teachers, administrators and staff in the Northeast Kingdom. In this story, Erica speaks with Elaine Collins, principal at Newport City Elementary School, about the pervasive stress of teaching kids through a pandemic, and the changing role that schools are playing in children's lives.
For two years, teachers and school staff have managed rapidly changing COVID protocols. In a series airing all week, independent producer Erica Heilman talks with teachers, administrators and staff in the Northeast Kingdom. In this story, Erica speaks with fifth-grade teacher Patty Ovitt from Newport City Elementary School.
The UVM men's basketball team is hoping to capture the America East Conference championship following a sixth consecutive regular season title. Sports correspondent Andy Gardiner considers the unprecedented depth of this year's squad.
For two years, teachers and school staff have managed rapidly changing COVID protocols. In a series airing all week, independent producer Erica Heilman talks with teachers, administrators and staff in the Northeast Kingdom. In this story, Erica talks with staff and faculty at Newport City Elementary School about behavioral changes they’re noticing in kids since the onset of the pandemic.
Untreated hearing loss isolates millions of Americans. President Joe Biden’s efforts to expand Medicare to include hearing aids has stalled in Washington. But in Montpelier, lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would require some private insurance plans in Vermont to cover them.
Legislation scheduled for a key committee vote this week would prohibit government officials from accepting gifts, trading favors and using private information for personal gain.
For two years, teachers and school staff have managed rapidly changing COVID protocols. In a series airing all week, independent producer Erica Heilman talks with teachers, administrators and staff in the Northeast Kingdom. In this story, Erica talks with Judy Castonguay. She was the guidance counselor at Brighton Elementary in Island Pond for 24 years.
Former School for International Training teachers are volunteering time to lead ESL classes for Afghan refugees, who have also been living on campus.
In a series airing all week, independent producer Erica Heilman talks with teachers, administrators and staff in the Northeast Kingdom about their struggles after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Erica talks with teachers and staff at Newport City Elementary School about gaps they’re noticing in development and learning among their students.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is offering a free live virtual program to Vermont and New England residents about opportunities to preserve their family's Holocaust history.
A forest caterpillar that does millions of dollars worth of damage in the eastern U.S. every year also did damage with its common name, which contained a racial slur. Now that name has been changed.
Victoria Holt is director of the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College and a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for international security who worked in the Obama administration. She spoke with VPR's Mitch Wertlieb about the global response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, many across the world are watching the conflict closely. That includes Cabot resident Roman Kokodyniak, who immigrated to the United States after World War II.
Gov. Phil Scott and members of his cabinet provided updates Tuesday, Feb. 8, on the state of the coronavirus pandemic in Vermont.
Being a rural state, it's not suprising that people in Vermont drive longer. But there comes a point when all of us who do drive have to stop. Then what?
Vermont is experiencing an unusual budget year. Because of the impact of the huge influx of federal stimulus and COVID relief funds, the state has large surpluses in both the general fund and the education fund. But questions remain on how to spend that money through tax cuts.
On a cold afternoon, VPR's Josh Crane met Olympian John Morton to talk biathlon — that odd mashup of cross-country skiing and riflery — and the U.S. team's chase for that elusive Olympic medal.
In mid-January, the United States Postal Service told the people of Elmore that the contract postal unit in their general store would be closed. This did not sit well with the residents of Elmore, who have rallied to keep the P.O. boxes right where they are.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb talks with Leif Nordgren ahead of the 2022 Winter Olymipcs in Beijing.
Lawmakers are weighing a policy that would bring major changes to the way Vermonters heat their homes and businesses. The idea is to create a clean heat standard that would slowly change the existing fossil fuels-based market to reduce emissions — without crushing small businesses along the way.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb talks with Kekla Magoon about her latest book, Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People.
Gov. Phil Scott and members of his cabinet provided updates Tuesday, Feb. 1, on the state of the coronavirus pandemic in Vermont.
For decades, GlobalFoundries’ factory in Essex Junction has pumped out computer chips. With over 2,000 employees, the company is Vermont’s largest private, for-profit employer. Now, there’s a worldwide chip shortage leading to more business for the plant, which has seen its workforce shrink significantly from its heyday. But the company is investing more heavily in a facility over the New York border, leading some local leaders to question the company’s long-term commitment to Vermont.
Last week, a South Burlington artist made national news for his work on a children’s book released last March. Jason Chin won the Caldecott Medal, an award given to "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.”
For decades, GlobalFoundries’ factory in Essex Junction has pumped out computer chips. With over 2,000 employees, the company is Vermont’s largest private, for-profit employer. Now, there’s a worldwide chip shortage leading to more business for the plant, which has seen its workforce shrink significantly from its heyday. But the company is investing more heavily in a facility over the New York border, leading some local leaders to question the company’s long-term commitment to Vermont.
COVID-19 case totals and hospitalizations are ticking down in Vermont after a handful of record-setting days this month. But an educator at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction says her district is still dealing with widespread student and staff absences caused by the virus.
Mount Abraham Union High School sophomores Eliza and Emma Doucet have together organized a community event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.
Gov. Phil Scott and members of his cabinet provided updates Tuesday, Jan. 25, on the state of Vermont’s hospitals at this stage of the pandemic, recent changes to school coronavirus guidance, and at-home test availability.That's as key indicators show the omicron surge may be calming down in Vermont.
All over the country, schools are struggling with the omicron surge, and struggling to keep up with rapidly changing COVID protocols. It has been a chaotic time. Last week, independent producer Erica Heilman spent a day at Brighton Elementary, a pre-K through eighth grade school of 107 students up in Island Pond. It was a particularly challenging day.
School meal programs are an important source of nutrition for many Vermont children, but the pandemic has changed how students can access them. A University of Vermont researcher discusses how school districts are responding to food scarcity in the state.
With the end of pandemic restrictions, places like doctor’s offices, salons and dental practices say they are seeing a surge in demand – both from residents who delayed appointments during the pandemic, and from people who recently moved to the state. The surge comes as many businesses are dealing with staffing shortages. With the end of Vermont’s COVID-19 restrictions, many appointment based services are seeing a spike in scheduling requests. A lot of these businesses are already understaffed and now overwhelmed with their workload. More from VPR: 'We Need This!': Arbor Farm Market Offers South Hero One-Stop-Shop Access To Local Produce Ellie Trono is the owner of Di Moda Salon in downtown Burlington. The high-end hair salon near the waterfront remained open throughout much of the pandemic. “We were open in June of last year, and we stayed open the whole time, and I always felt – we – always felt safe; everything felt great. We definitely stayed steady, but now there is just an
For the past year, Courtney "Coco" Casper has focused on creating therapeutic support spaces that are free to participants and are safer and easier to access for Black, Indigenous and other people of color in Vermont. Casper's Winooski-based practice, Bad Indian Wife , aims to help Vermonters of color move away from unjust social conditioning and move towards becoming their best selves.
El Viaje Más Caro , or The Most Costly Journey , is an initiative from the Open Door Clinic in Middlebury, along with several other partners, that shares the stories and experiences of migrant farmworkers in Vermont. The stories are told using illustrations drawn by New England cartoonists.
Bordering Canada and Lake Champlain, Franklin County has a rich economic, cultural and military history. This hour, we talk with historian Jason Barney about his new book Hidden History of Franklin County, Vermont , which explores many of these themes and reveals an intriguing piece of Vermont's past.
In our weekly health update, we get an update on Vermont's COVID-19 vaccination rates and look at some of the issues that still concern state health officials.
The clock is ticking on federal and state orders that stopped evictions for more than a year. The federal moratorium is set to expire at the end of June. Vermont’s eviction ban will expire on July 15.
Vermont is about to embark on a new effort to address racial and other disparities in the health care system.
It's no secret that this past pandemic year, students, teachers and school staff have experienced an extraordinary amount of change: the national reckoning on race, the presidential election, added to the normal challenges of navigating teenage life. And at Winooski Middle High School, some 60 students made a podcast about it.
A Manchester woman who played soccer at Burr & Burton Academy and at Williams College has turned a campus work-study job into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: being part of a national broadcasting team at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan.
Summer begins on Sunday, making this the perfect time to go over some best practices to keep and maintain a healthy garden. This hour, garden expert Charlie Nardozzi joins us to talk about tips and tricks for best results, and to answer your gardening questions.
Even though Vermont has reached its 80% vaccination goal, state officials plan to continue to push to vaccinate as many people as possible. In our weekly health update, we talk to Vermont health officials about their efforts, as well as the outlook for the COVID-19 virus in the late summer and fall.