Public aid vs. private generosity
Soulia: The hidden cost of government-run welfare
Timothy Page
CLG: FBI makes arrest in Jan. 6 pipe bomb probe nearly 5 years after devices were discovered
University of Delaware student arrested with car full of guns, plans to carry out mass shooting – and chilling note about ‘martyrdom’; 11 U.S. warships and 15,000 troops now in Caribbean as Venezuela tensions escalate; Stricter guidelines demanded for flu shots by FDA regulator after memo links Covid jabs to deaths of ten kids
Turning Point Club approved at VTSU Castleton after pushback
Student Government Association approves club after initial denial and pressure from a club member’s parent.
VT Headlines: DOJ sues Vermont over voter registration data
Montpelier Council Selects Three Finalists for City Manager; USDA’s threat to withhold SNAP funding won’t directly impact recipients; Vermont Legislature’s top economist slams Trump’s trade war
Roper: Healthcare in Vermont is a government facilitated grift
And EVERYBODY is paying the price.
MA man arrested on assault charges in Newark over the weekend
State Police arrested a Massachusetts man early Sunday after he allegedly threatened troopers with an axe and chainsaw.
Vermont Veterans’ Home receives its Christmas tree for 2025
For the seventeenth year in a row, The Vermont Veterans’ Home received its Christmas Tree from Marine Veteran Don Keelan’s property in Arlington. The tree, a 15-foot balsam, was delivered along with the traditional honorary escort from several Troopers with the Vermont State Police.
Waitsfield butcher featured in Food and Wine Magazine article about best value steaks
Joshua Turka of 5th Quarter Butcher and Provisions offers guidance as beef prices hit record highs
Soulia: What parents need to know about Vermont’s minor-consent laws
Vermont’s consent laws for minors allow adolescents to seek medical care for STIs, mental health, and gender-affirming services without parental consent or notification. Supporters highlight the seeming public health benefits, but others highlight the dangers posed.
Governor Phil Scott defends Afghanistan refugees in Vermont
Governor Phil Scott defended Afghanistan refugees in Vermont on Facebook Tuesday in response to the recent high-profile shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan refugee suspect.
Gov. Scott appoints Michael Hoyt to VT House of Representatives
Also, Governor Scott on the need for “education transformation” this legislative session.
Presumptuous skiers in backcountry concerning for Stowe Mountain Rescue
If you leave the trail, even following another’s tracks, there is a real risk of no way back.
Compass Vermont: Armed with questionable data, GMCB sets its sights on Gifford Hospital
The Green Mountain Care Board seems to continue to prioritize standardized billing data in order to support their policy goals even after receiving the more reliable clinical reality.
South Burlington man sentenced to 10-years for exploitation
In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Vyskocil ordered 10 years of supervised release after McGrath completes his sentence.
Puma back in trouble after 3 Federal felony charges for threatening
A longtime South Burlington man, who received a 20-month federal prison sentence in 2023 for intimidating phone calls to Vermont criminal justice officials, is back in trouble – this time for state charges of stalking and criminal threatening Middlebury College employees.
VT Headlines: Data breach at Dartmouth College exposes personal information of 40,000 people, incl. many Vermonters
Authorities search for missing Whitingham man; Montpelier’s acting city manager resigns in the middle of search for new city manager; Fireworks show on Burlington waterfront Wednesday night; USDA demands SNAP data from states
The Liberty Food Festival returns
December 11-13 at the Bellows Falls Opera House
Frenier: Act 73 is a danger to ALL independent schools
Parents of independent school students: rattle a few cages and get your school’s leaders to step up.
First snow of the season keeps Vermont State troopers busy with 50 crashes
From midnight to 2 p.m., Vermont State Police responded to 50 weather-related crashes: 27 in the northern half of the state and 23 in the south. Seventeen of those wrecks happened on interstate highways, with one injury reported, while 33 occurred on secondary roads, resulting in three injuries.
Keelan: And then there was one…
Governor Phil Scott has been, for some time, the clarion: the State is losing its young people. Flood recovery, increasing school taxes, healthcare costs, illegal drug use, and climate change took center stage. Meanwhile, the workforce kept descending. And institutions of learning have kept closing.
Berlin Police report ‘theft’ at mall
Police are looking into a light-hearted series of theft reports at the Five Below store in the Berlin Mall after officers received a second call on November 29 involving what appears to be the same mischievous suspect.
Highway surveillance cameras raise privacy concerns
As Vermont’s law enforcement agencies mark the 12th year of the state’s regulation on Automated License Plate Recognition Systems (ALPRs), members of the VDC team have highlighted the potential double-edged sword of this surveillance technology and the increasing prevalence of electronic surveillance technologies.
Norwich to lay wreaths at university cemetery December 6
Norwich University in Northfield will host its first Wreaths Across America Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m., at the Norwich University Cemetery. Students, alumni, veterans, and members of the Central Vermont community are invited to take part in the laying of remembrance wreaths and the reading aloud of the names of the fallen.
Feds to seek death penalty in NEK double homicide
Second case by Justice Department in as many months
Book Review: The Tech Exit
Is a Smartphone on your child’s Christmas wish list? Not so fast…
Soulia: VT’s Constitutional consistency on trial: Non-citizen voting vs. gun restrictions
If constitutional silence is grounds for exceptions, how does this logic apply to Vermont’s other rights not involving voting—specifically, Article 16, which guarantees the right to bear arms?
MacDonald: Illegal and unconstitutional
No one breaks laws or violates rights like Democrats. Keep that in mind as they work to build their latest anti-Trump “unlawful orders” narrative.
Paula Welden disappears 79 years ago today
December 1, 1946, an 18-year-old college student named Paula Welden vanished while taking a hike on the Long Trail near Glastenbury Mountain. Welden had informed her roommate that she intended to go for a walk, but she never returned. The subsequent search involved hundreds of volunteers, including military personnel, but no concrete evidence was discovered.
Court to Vermont State Employees: go back to the office
Return-to-office stays on track. The conflict now moves to the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB) for adjudication.
Page: December 1st, a fateful date
State workers back in the office, the Property Tax Letter, and the vote on Obamacare.
VT Headlines: Energy assistance funds released to states after government shutdown delay
Small Business Saturday; Rutland man helps fill gap with peer-run sober living community; Multiple crashes in Vermont, New Hampshire during busy holiday travel weekend
Vermont medical debt relief will roll out soon
The Legislature this year unanimously passed a new law that will erase up to $100 million in medical debt—with no new taxes or fees. The Governor signed it into law on May 15.
Moffett: Rep. Maggie Goodlander: Seditious or just shameful?
There are many angles from which to view the “Scandalous Saga of the Seditious Six,” the recent Video-Gate story of six Democrat congresspeople who went public to admonish serving military personnel that they don’t need to follow orders they deem illegal.
Police: Addison County reckless driver found in Burlington
Patrick Cota, 32, sped away from both the Addison County Sheriff’s Department and the Middlebury Police on Friday during separate incidents in Salisbury and Middlebury, officials said.
Breaking: Orleans County man busted for illegal gun buys while facing felonies in two states
Angel Elias Estremera, 26, also possessed five other firearms unlawfully that were unknown to law enforcement when they conducted a court-ordered search at his Derby Line residence late last month, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in federal court papers.
Balsamic: Golden Dome to get a new goddess
The new statue will depict Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak in mid-sentence, one hand holding a bullhorn, and the other cradling in its palm a tiny bronze of Gov. Phil Scott.
VT Headlines: 400 runners and walkers gather in Killington for 14th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot
Manchester kickstarts plan for housing development that protects flood-prone area; A more than 200-year-old blacksmith shop in Cornwall seeks new owner; Craftsbury community weighs the impact of Sterling College’s closure
State police investigate thefts at Sticks & Stuff, Aubuchon Hardware
Helpard did not say what specific items were stolen in the incidents, but he did tell Waterbury Roundabout that the items were valued between $200 and $700.
Alternative to Front Porch Forum platform planned
According to an announcement shared with supporters, the platform will serve as a digital gathering space “with room for members to connect with each other, build networks and help us meet our mission.” VSU said the service will prioritize open conversation among “real, human neighbors.”
Same crime, wildly different punishment
Victoria Thompson, a defendant facing a “death resulting” charge—a legal classification usually associated with the most severe penalties in the opioid crisis—will avoid any long-term incarceration.
Thanksgiving feast more affordable this year
By the time the turkey hits the oven and football flickers across millions of living room screens this Thursday, a small but welcome relief will already be on the table: Thanksgiving dinner costs are finally coming down.
Babylon Bee: Trump to execute all turkeys pardoned by Biden’s autopen
Though the annual pardoning of turkeys by the sitting president has been a frequent tradition for generations, the pardons granted to turkeys during the Biden administration were determined to have been illegitimate due to being signed via autopen without the president’s knowledge. In turn, President Trump gave an immediate order to execute the birds.
HOTP today: will either school redistricting plan reduce our taxes?
by Guy Page Today on Hot Off The Press, we’re taking up a story that goes right to the heart of Vermont’s education system and the property-tax crisis that’s hitting homeowners and […]
VT Headlines: Pride Center of Vermont could reopen thanks to a major donation
MRG offered change to purchase 1,100 surrounding acres, fundraising underway; Two fugitives arrested after standoff in Windsor County; Traffic restrictions continue at Quechee Gorge Bridge as project faces further setbacks
Klar: Days of reckoning for $125 billion Obamacare
In an NPR interview on Oct. 30, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, regarded as one of the “architects” of the ACA, conceded that Obamacare has not delivered. He described the “incredibly complicated” labyrinth of the US healthcare system, admitting, “[F]rankly, the affordable care added to that complication by putting in the exchanges.”
Trump ends Vermont “Housing First” policy
Inside the multi-state fight against Federal funding caps
City admits sidewalk repairs will slow to near halt after 2028
The city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) has released a detailed memo to the Public Works Commission explaining how the city manages its 130 miles of sidewalks and what work is planned through 2030, responding to years of complaints from Burlington residents, particularly those with disabilities.
Walch: Shadowy outside groups hijack Vermont town meetings
There is a shadowy international group behind Dan DeWalt’s proposed ballot items.
Inside Vermont Public’s annual financial report
How an $80 million nonprofit cut 15 jobs while many executives kept six-figure salaries
VT Headlines: State officials to review finances of Vermont’s small municipal electric companies
Lawmakers question legality of Border Patrol license plate reader program; In Charlotte, ‘No hunting’ signs cause kerfuffle; Vermont towns impacted by latest July flooding hope to see disaster aid after appeal; Rutland prepares to kick off holiday season with downtown tree lighting
Benedict: The School Redistricting Task Force – A stunning failure
In all, a stunning failure and lack of respect for the will of Vermonters who have said that the status quo of our schools – educationally and financially is no longer working and needs dramatic change, very soon.
Shorts: With Property Tax letter due Dec. 1, state revenues fell slightly in October
Also, Vermont dead last in % of religious population, and archery, muzzleloader season continues into December
Man behind “murder for hire” in the NEK gets two life sentences
Serhat D. Gumrukcu, 43, of Los Angeles received concurrent life sentences for his role in orchestrating the execution of Gregory Davis, 49, in the Northeast Kingdom on Jan. 6, 2018.
‘Split the Ticket’ fund back to help Vermonters this winter
The program matches financial contributions with donations of heating oil, kerosene, and propane from local energy providers. The delivery ticket or invoice is split 50/50; every $1 donated buys $2 worth of heating fuel. The same split works with local heating contractors who donate labor and equipment.
Vermont looks to encourage legal immigration pathways
Vermont passed a bipartisan bill in May calling for the creation of the New Americans Study Committee in order to make recommendations on a forthcoming Office of New Americans. The committee is required to develop a summary of economic data regarding immigrants in Vermont and provide recommendations for how to improve immigrant services.
Derby student wins national scary story contest
His story won out over the more than 1,200 submissions in the 2025 competition.
Syrinx brings love for music and community to South Burlington
Choral group preps for upcoming show: Syrinx will present a free concert from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 30 at All Saints Episcopal Church.
Woolf: How affordable are houses today?
More than you think by Art Woolf, on Davis Dewey is Rich Ben Kinsley at Campaign for Vermont responded to my post about the benefits of economic progress with a “yes, but…” […]
Fired South Burlington Police officer had 3 internal investigations
Now Vermont News First have learned that an internal review board had found Wilson guilty of violating department policies covering excessive force and “operation of vehicles,” for a Sept. 25th incident, according to his dismissal letter.
Two big changes at VDC
Sustaining Subscribers who lock in for 2026 before January 1 will pay the current rate of $108 and may write comments through all 12 months of 2026.
VT Headlines: One injured, 15 displaced after early morning structure fire in Burlington
Vermont driver arrested after crashing into two buildings in Waitsfield; Truck takes out power line in Dummerston, police seek driver; Burlington city officials say they are still working on ways to transition from biomass
Statewide property reappraisal, and what it means for you
A comprehensive guide to the statewide reappraisal mandate, market disruption, and what Vermont homeowners should understand.
Kinsley: Act 73 Task Force didn’t fail. They listened.
After hearing from more than 5,000 Vermonters who overwhelmingly said, “keep our local schools and local boards,” the Task Force chose to protect the community connections that make Vermont schools more than just buildings. Just as importantly, they recognized that the research shows no cost savings from consolidation and instead put forward a plan that actually achieves those goals.
Stannard: The mudsills will always be with you
“Mudsill theory is the proposition that there must be, and always has been, a lower class or underclass for the upper classes and the rest of society to rest upon. The term derives from a mudsill, the lowest threshold that supports the foundation for a building.”
Soulia: Towns push back against murky ‘Enhanced Energy Plan’
The debate in Pittsford wasn’t about personalities or local politics. It reflected a broader question confronting nearly every town in Vermont: Where does state law end and agency preference begin?
Shorts: Whole milk is back on school menus
Also, Tents for the homeless, and a Federal grant to study rural drug abuse.
Just over 1 Week left to get 2,718 Vermont Wreaths Sponsored
Participating Vermont cemeteries still need over 2,700 wreaths sponsored for our departed veterans
Orange County woman facing embezzlement charge
A Braintree woman is facing an embezzlement charge after Vermont State Police say an investigation showed she appears to have diverted at least $6,200 from an Orange County business.
Trappers and educators protect Vermont against invasive beetle
Asian longhorned beetle, found in Massachusetts, not spotted here yet.
Governor Phil Scott submits appeal of disaster declaration denial
The appeal was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will review it and then send a recommendation to President Trump, who will approve or deny the request.
VT Headlines: VT AG Charity Clark said Scott executive order on housing could be unlawful
VSEA files lawsuit against Vermont government over return to office mandate; South Burlington smoke shop employee cited for selling to minors; Vermont’s Progressive Party elects a new chair, says it’s entering ‘a new era’
Gray to seek return to Lieutenant Governor’s office
Former Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray will again run for the state’s second-highest office next year, according to reporting from Seven Days and the Journal-Opinion.
Nine new-to-Vermont bee species discovered
New bees bring Vermont’s total to 352 species—more bees than any other northern New England state
Roper: Vermont’s public schools are now worse than Mississippi’s
It’s time to hold the Unions accountable.
Tiemann: Court says schools can’t force students to use ‘preferred pronouns’
According to the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, public school students cannot be forced to use “preferred pronouns” when referring to others who claim to be “transgender.” The Court ruled that doing so is compelled speech and a violation of students’ First Amendment rights.
Letters: Klar on supporting police
Also, Bowater on hunting policy.
VT Headlines: Vermont leaders warn of gov. shutdown impacts to Medicare
Saint Michael’s College accepting food donations for Hunger Awareness Week; Health officials urge Vermonters to get vaccinated as peak flu season nears; Lyndon Institute students fix barrier at historic covered bridge
Former Stowe Mountain Resort owner faces second exec sex scandal this year
American International Group, the longtime owner of Stowe Mountain Resort until 2017, is facing a sudden leadership reversal after its incoming president, John Neal, withdrew from the position earlier this week. The decision came shortly after The New York Times questioned A.I.G. about a previously undisclosed romantic relationship involving Neal at a former job.
The battle over the future shape of affordable health care about to begin
The talking points for all sides are taking shape for next month’s likely congressional struggle over the future of subsidized health insurance – a/k/a Obamacare.
Van shop owner and Reggae Festival operator ripped off customers, owes $477,502
Matthew Strong, who owned and operated East Coast Van Builds in Bradford between 2021 and the end of 2024, also has agreed to forfeit at least $477,502 from his fraud, court records show.
Vermont considering tolls? Maybe not….
Vermonters are driving more fuel efficient cars. More of us are working from home or just plain driving less. That’s a good thing for air quality and other ways but it’s bad news for the bean counters in the Legislature who depend on these receipts to pay for the state’s share of the transportation fund.
Community Drivers needed
The Community Driver program, coordinated through Go! Vermont and local transit providers, relies on volunteers using their own vehicles to transport neighbors to critical destinations. According to the program, most trips involve medical care — including dialysis, radiation therapy, physical therapy, counseling, and preventive treatment — though drivers may also bring riders to senior centers, food-access sites, and other services.
Unpaid U.S. Attorney’s Office delivered justice during shutdown
Like federal employees across the country, during the lapse in funding that began on October 1, and ended during the evening of November 12, the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont were not paid for the work they performed.
Soulia: Becca and the policy cliff
The situation Vermonters are being warned about is not just a story of one spending bill or one vote. It is the product of a deeper policy design choice: treating a major subsidy as a temporary “emergency” measure, extending it in short increments, and allowing that structure to create a recurring policy cliff that repeatedly hangs over consumers and taxpayers.
Klar: Harvard revamps grading integrity, students howl
Gen Z wants straight A’s.
Hyde Park’s 20% electric rate hike: how many Vermont towns are next?
Vermont has 14 municipal electric departments, most with fewer than 3,000 customers. Several have recently filed significant rate increases or faced operational challenges.
BLOTTER: Child left out in the cold
Also, speeding in Milton leads to arrest, as well as a transient arrested for allegedly stealing alcohol, crashing a vehicle, fleeing officers.
Vermont Secretary of State announces Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor-elect
The winner of the election is Roslyn Fortin, a fifth-grade student at Highgate Elementary in Highgate Center. Teacher Courtney Kiser brought the Kid Governor program to Highgate.
VT Headlines: Trump official Kelly Loeffler visits Vermont small business
Burlington city councilors are concerned as mayor cuts mental health response team; Vermont’s largest food shelf sees increased need this year; Newport mental health urgent care center expands its services to offer overnight stay; Hyde Park Electric customers will see 20% rate increase to cover utility’s financial crisis
Balint opposes state transgender sports bans before Supreme Court
They cite several incidents in which cisgender girls were subjected to investigations or public accusations after being perceived as not looking “feminine enough.”
CLG: House votes overwhelmingly to force DOJ to release Jeffrey Epstein files
Israel fires on UN troops in southern Lebanon; NATO nation’s top general tells population to prepare for attack; Zelensky’s ratings have tanked after corruption scandal; Mexican president issues ferocious warning to Donald Trump after he threatened to launch strikes in fight against drugs
Keelan: Trouble in Vermont’s rural communities?
From a physical landscape perspective, Vermont offers interesting views: mountains, lakes, rivers, and miles of working farmland. In contrast, semi-congested urban areas begin on VT RT 7, entering Shelburne and extending northward to Burlington and its surrounds.
Wheels for Warmth initiative raises over $100,000 to help Vermonters heat their homes
Governor Phil Scott, Community Action Agencies, Wheels for Warmth volunteers and partners announced the record-breaking year for the annual Wheels for Warmth initiative, which began in 2005.
UVM researchers find nitrogen feeds algae blooms
Nitrogen is a bit of a conundrum. In its gaseous form it’s the most abundant element in the atmosphere, but few organisms can readily use it. And while all living organisms contain nitrogen, a new University of Vermont study finds that even tiny amounts of nitrogen can fuel cyanobacterial blooms and disrupt lake ecosystems.
VT Headlines: Comedy artist Weird Al to play at Champlain Valley Expo
Burlington moves to form permanent racial equity department; Burlington to cut mental health clinicians from police department; Federal aid still available to farmers impacted by 2023, 2024 floods
Keep it, kill it, change it: Act 73 report elicits strong reaction, disagreement
Neither the lengthy time frame nor the details were what either most legislators or Gov. Phil Scott had in mind when they passed the law this spring.
Roper: So, Act 73 imploded
And Republicans have a second chance to avoid disaster.
Fentanyl lurks in 62% of Vermont overdoses
Understanding Vermont’s overdose crisis: what the 2025 social autopsy reveals
The wild turkey’s contribution to Thanksgiving
More than 140,000 servings of Vermont wild turkeys are harvested each year – that’s 140,000 servings of free-ranging, wild and sustainably harvested protein.
Letters: Peyton on climate collapse from cell towers
Mazur on national leadership
