New federal charges filed for October shoot-out in Vermont; Vaccine access for underserved communities in Vermont at risk after CDC funding cuts
VT Headlines: Vermont Foodbank loses 20% of food stock due to Federal cuts
Timothy Page
Warner: Hartford HS still pushing trans agenda
Transgender “women” athletes (teenage boys or men) have been raising concerns for female students and parents with regards to girls’ safety from them.
Letters: Peyton on geoengineering tax resistance
Smith on Parental Rights and responsibilities; An open letter to Governor Scott regarding homelessness
New questions emerge in Congress about Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue
Concerns have been raised that Democrats might be using the platform to circumvent campaign finance laws, incl. VT Dem candidates.
Lawmakers look to expand unpaid time off
The bill would guarantee employees can take two weeks of unpaid time off from work after the death of a family member.
Soulia: What vaccine risk really means
Beyond the talking points
Murray: Building a stronger Vermont
For years, Montpelier’s answer to any problem has been more spending—paid for by Vermonters already stretched to the breaking point. Gov. Scott rejects that.
Silverstein: Low education outcomes by the numbers
Part 3 of a 3-part commentary.
The metrics of student learning (or lack thereof).
The legend of Boots Berry
The life and afterlife of Stowe’s tap-dancing ghost
VT Headlines: VT swiftwater rescue team heads to KY to aid with flood response
CVMC Support Staff Rallies in Barre; Vulnerable adult missing from Shelburne; Feds increasingly relying on Vermont’s prisons for immigration detention
McGuinness: House Health Care hears Outright Vermont youth leaders
Bills to expand health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care and to stockpile gender -affirming care drugs, H.55 and H.56, were introduced and referred to the Committee on Health Care but have not taken up this session.
Parents’ rights rally at State House April 9
Parental awareness is of the utmost importance, yet that is not being supported now. It is time for us to take action.
Top Israeli sources reveal U.S. about to bomb Iranian nuclear sites – report
Toddler, aged 3 or 4, ‘kicked out of nursery for being transphobic’; ‘No elections are being prepared’ – Zelensky ally; Germany to target ‘internal EU enemies’
Vermont history competition Saturday, April 5
Vermont Historical Society announces Vermont History Day, April 5
VT conservatives push for renewal of Trump’s tax cuts amid Left’s opposition
The groups face an uphill battle to convince Democrats, who hold most of the congressional seats in the New England region.
Montpelier considers phone-free school
Montpelier HS Principal Jason Gingold will present a draft of a cell phone-free school day policy to the Montpelier-Roxbury School Board tonight, Wed., April 2.
VT Headlines: Hinesburg resident attacked by coyote
We are in a crisis situation,’ Vermont’s top health care regulator says; Concerns over tariffs have Vermonters worried about natural gas bills
Shorts: Scott to speak to Norwich grads/Slow down for salamanders
Watch out for road-crossing salamanders.
KVS: Undercover informant brings down alleged fentanyl dealer
…All as a synthetic super-drug dominates police reports
VT Headlines: A third UVM administrator could be headed to Arizona
Some lifts reopen at Killington after weekend weather caused resort wide power outage; Vermont’s Spay Neuter Incentive Program faces financial struggles
Consuelo Northrop Bailey, first woman lieutenant governor in U.S.
Despite the fact that women would not win the right to vote until she was 19, Bailey pursued and succeeded in a career in law and politics.
Roper: Special interests versus the Children
“Reform” is propping up a failing system, not fixing it.
CLG: French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen sentenced to jail for embezzlement
Trump threatens Zelensky with ‘big problems’; ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to Expand Ukraine War; Judge blocks Trump from firing Voice of America propagandists
Silverstein: The cost and educational outcomes of public-school education in South Burlington
Another real-world example of how “equity” in Vermont is a word, not a societal reality.
Vermont pro-lifers join nationwide call to defund Planned Parenthood
Peaceful protests to de-fund Planned Parenthood are planned for Wednesday, April 2.
Bananas: Vermont declares April 1 National Tesla Vandals Day
National Tesla Vandals Day won out over other popular suggestions like National Tesla Vandals Visibility Day and National Nazi Logo-A-Tesla Day.
Soulia: When good intentions backfire
The revisited hidden costs of Vermont’s Plastic Bag Ban, and how this hurts Vermont’s environment.
SHORTS: Price Chopper truck carrying 20,000 pounds of food crashes in Irasburg
Supermarket truck crashes. Indivisible plans big April 5 rallies.
CBP cites security concerns, defends Haskell access changes
Restricting access to the Haskell Free Library has sparked concern in communities on both sides of the international boundary.
Changes in federal funding for healthcare to impact vaccine funding, other health services
Vermont faces $7M in federal healthcare cuts as HHS reprioritizes funding under new administration
VT Headlines: Teenager seriously injured in hit-and-run crash in St. Albans
Spring ice storm strikes Vermont leaving thousands without power; Electric co-op turning to AI to weatherize grid against future storms
Farmer-led project gets grant to recycle agricultural plastics
Guy Crosby collects plastic waste from farms and brings them to a landfill in New Hampshire, where they are compacted into a bale.
Silverstein: School data shows more spending, worse results
Part 1 of a 3-part commentary
POW escapee Nahum Baker’s odyssey
1,600 miles as a prisoner of war and escapee across a collapsing Confederacy
Kauffman: From State House Room 11 to the usurpation of parental rights
March 13th wasn’t just about free speech. It was a demonstration of the current State control of winners and losers. The protected and unprotected under Article 22 .
Education Secretary says teacher pay discrepancy a problem and larger districts would help
“In that modeling you will see there’s potential for pay raises from $5,000 up to $20,000 for teachers across the state,” she said.
Alerts to crime victims in Vermont are full of flaws
For one woman, an “unbelievable gap” led to life-altering danger.
VT Headlines: Protest outside VA hospital on Veterans’ behalf
Fires at School for International Training in Brattleboro displace dozens, officials say; Bill Calfee: Amazon’s expansion threatens Vermont’s small businesses
North Troy man accused of drug/firearms violations destroyed seven police cars in 2012
A decade plus earlier, Pion was in the news for running over multiple police cruisers with a tractor and then driving away without a chase.
Contractors provide much of services approved at Town Meeting
On the lower end of the scale, Andover’s budget is a relatively small $1.24 million, while South Burlington’s comes in at a much larger $55.8 million.
“Bills Lumber,” the movie, at Dutton Gym
“Bills Lumber,” is a 45-minute documentary about the last days of the Bills family’s beloved 86-year-old sawmill in Wardsboro, Vermont.
VT Headlines: British consul visits Burlington
VT Coyotes announce Jose Ortiz as first player in franchise history; Arlington Arts Day returns; Partial solar eclipse Saturday morning
Roper: Treasurer’s report: “Cap & Invest” Program on Fossil Fuels requires 80¢/gal gas tax to meet GWSA mandates
Low-income, rural Vermonters hit hardest; no safety net program possible.
KVS: State trooper honored with Carnegie Medal for saving girl from icy pond
According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, the medal recognizes people who risk serious injury or death in extraordinary acts to save others.
CLG: U.S. appears to be significantly increasing its military presence in the Middle East
4 American soldiers killed after they went missing on training mission in Lithuania; EU tells the public to hold 72 hours of emergency supplies
Geoengineering ban discussed in House Environment Committee
The bill specifically includes language on cloud seeding because as Representative Gregg Burt (R-Cabot) stated, Vermont doesn’t need more rain.
Soulia: Why don’t we move the state capitol to Burlington?
Until balance is restored, the Capitol may still be in Montpelier — but increasingly, Vermont’s future is being written somewhere else.
Lawmaker and former Teacher of the Year says special needs students make large class sizes difficult
Rep. Beth Quimby, R-Lyndon, suggested that where there are many special needs students in a classroom, there can sometimes be help.
Church declares itself an immigration sanctuary
Church officials claim immigration enforcement equates to hate and “othering.”
VT Headlines: VT Senate bill would prevent cities and towns from banning face masks
Developers strained by high interest rates, tariffs, and construction costs; Champlain Valley Athletic Conference reveals all-stars for high school basketball
Letters: Pratt on demonic energy, Fireovid on housing
Mazur: Is it fair to force current residents to subsidize new residents?: Pratt: Government in businesses’ pockets
Keelan: Will we be losing our high school?
Education spending is at a breaking point for many Vermont real estate taxpayers. And the Legislature just passes the buck yet again.
Border patrol officials say they still need help controlling the northern border
As southern border crossings plummet, northern border patrol direct hiring for help
DPS Commissioner: Public safety in Vermont requires rebalancing priorities
One common concern unites Vermont’s challenges: the need to ensure the safety of our communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, and personal property.
Roper: Who is using the Motel Voucher Program?
Are progressive policies creating homeless, or attracting them?
Trio of online privacy bills see mixed success in Legislature
The bills focus on age-appropriate design, more guards on consumer data and stricter regulations for data brokers.
VT Headlines: Libraries’, forestry projects’ futures uncertain due to Federal funding freeze
Burlington interim police Chief Shawn Burke begins new role; Adolescent psychiatric unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center gets green light
Dame: Four Democrats choose activism over responsibility
One Democrat might be an outlier, two could be a coincidence, but four elected Democrats shirking their duties demonstrates an alarming pattern.
Vermont Church at Prison leader authors memoir, “Don’t Burn My House Down”
Fiske’s book/teaching tool “Don’t Burn My House Down,” details Pastor Pete’s life work in prison ministry, his calling to do God’s work.
Sen. Welch, Heritage Foundation, others respond to the disbanding of US Department of Education
Since the Department’s adoption in 1979, overall spending per student when accounting for inflation has more than doubled, without positive results.
Authorities raid home, charge Concord couple with Child and Animal Cruelty
“It was an awful, ugly, nasty situation,” said Sharon Eaton, director of Riverside Animal Rescue.
Hafner: Microdwellings may provide relief to homelessness pandemic
Settings that already provide homeless housing might easily welcome 1-5 micro dwelling units in nearby empty parking lots.
Despathy: Senate Health Care Muzzle Bill censors everyone’s speech, not just pregnancy resource centers
A 2023 law just muzzled pregnancy resource centers. This year’s ‘improved’ version muzzles everyone.
Pownal mother headed to criminal court after school gun case
Crystal Mahar, 34, whose child brought a handgun to the town elementary school last week, is charged with negligent storage of a firearm.
VT Headlines: Williston bioscience business bristles as research grants threatened
Middlebury women’s ice hockey secures second straight trip to NCAA semifinals; Sugarhouses opened doors for annual Maple Open House Weekend
Teachers gather to learn new approaches to Holocaust education
About 50 teachers recently convened to participate in the Sixth Annual Vermont Holocaust Memorial (VTHM) Educators Workshop in Montpelier.
Police say woman threatened to kill Lamoille deputy sheriff
Masson-Monteith reportedly threatened to shoot and kill Sgt. Jason Perry, 42, of the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, State Police said.
CLG: RFK Jr. exposes how ‘leaky vaccine’ would risk a new pandemic
Kiev blew up metering station for EU-bound gas-Russia; Israel resumes airstrikes in Gaza; AG Pam Bondi accuses 3 Tesla vandals of ‘domestic terrorism’
Soulia: Full reimbursements for Planned Parenthood, service cuts for hospitals
While hospitals cut services to stay afloat, Planned Parenthood benefits from a 90-10 Medicaid match, private donations, and millions in political spending.
Roper: Dems’ Clean Heat face-saving attempt blowing up in face
Bill obliterated in four hours of critical testimony; passes committees anyway.
Non-citizen voting already done deal in VT
Also, VT Senate on March 19 adopted a S.R.10, a resolution opposing Gov. Phil Scott’s proposed reorganization of the Department of Public Safety into an Agency.
VT Headlines: UVM protestors rally for the release of Mahmoud Khalil following arrest
Public makes voices heard at Essex board meeting about proposed Amazon facility; Police investigate ‘untimely death’ in Burlington
VIDEO: The Zizians: A deep dive into the dark internet cult
Using mind-control tactics that mirror the BITE model of cult manipulation, Ziz transformed online followers into real-world extremists,
Letters: Gervais on the need for more data
Koch on First Amendment rights being cancelled by mob rule; Green on a lack of moral will and courage on the part of Vermont’s legislators
Birds of Vermont Museum thinks global, counts local
Vermont has the most birders per capita in the U.S. according to data from a popular birding app.
Superintendents call Governor’s education proposals “disorganized and politicized”
Education leaders criticize Scott’s plans for district consolidation and per-student funding
Thurston: Embracing adaptation for a resilient and prosperous future
We have ALWAYS adapted to our ever-changing climate throughout history and must continue to do so.
Emergency shelter providers and organizations say the situation is dire
From September through December, our homeless fellow Vermonters suffered multiple catastrophic outcomes, including many preventable deaths.
VT Headlines: People asked to leave during public hearing for Woodstock police chief
Former childcare provider appears in front of VT Supreme Court; With so much available cash, why did UVM Health Network “need” to cut critical services?
Donahue: Legislative leaders support silencing opposing views
Hopefully, no one despised the individuals speaking at the statehouse last week, but many certainly despised their message.
Vermont falls six spots to 44th worst highways and bridges
Crumbling highways, decaying bridges, and gridlocked traffic plague the Northeast as Vermont is among the nation’s worst for infrastructure maintenance.
Embezzler gets 4 months in prison
Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, was sentenced Monday, March 17 in US District Court in Rutland to four months of imprisonment following her guilty plea.
Island Pond native named Vermont Democratic Party executive director
Hanlon, who grew up in the Northeast Kingdom community, returns to Vermont after working on campaigns in Pennsylvania and at the Democratic National Committee.
Soulia: Vermont bill seeks to prohibit mask mandates in schools
The bill stems from a growing frustration among parents and educators who have witnessed firsthand the impact of prolonged mask-wearing on students.
Bossange: Solutions for the housing shortage
If we wish to have more employees for a healthier business community and want to encourage younger families to move here, we need to offer housing solutions.
VT’s Medal of Honor recipients to be remembered March 25 at State House
The list of Vermont’s Medal of Honor winners is long and distinguished.
VT Headlines: Executive order puts Vermont libraries, history projects in jeopardy
How Medicaid cuts might impact Vermont; Jarrod Weiss: We don’t need the Walmart-ization of education; Can employees be fired for social media posts?
Westman: Transportation fund in even worse shape than expected
Vermonters are driving more, but EVs and fuel efficient cars mean a depleted Transportation Fund.
Klar: AI agriculture boosts soil, crops, and human health
Potato study shows drone surveillance can boost natural results.
VSP Trooper finalist for award after saving life of shooter who tried to kill him
Berlandy became involved in a pursuit and gun battle in Burke with a wanted fugitive from Rhode Island, and then provided life-saving medical care to the man who just attempted to kill him and two other troopers.
KVS: Poultney man faces new charges for sexual assault and domestic violence
Vermont State Police have filed additional charges against Jason Seiple, 38, of Poultney, after identifying another victim in an ongoing investigation.
Roper: Is VT Pre-K program driving up property taxes and harming kids?
The numbers don’t look good.
Bomb Squad and FBI called in as pipe bomb found during traffic stop in Royalton
The accused, Zamir Paley, 30, of Wilder, already had two warrants for his arrest. They were for “DUI-drug, cocaine possession and retail theft.”
Green Mountain Care Board: Struggling insurance company passing high-interest loan costs onto customers
As Vermont’s hospitals struggle financially, a bill by the House Healthcare Committee would have the state oversee financial records.
VT Headlines: Valley Vista will consolidate locations, close Vergennes facility
Trial begins for former VSP trooper accused of stealing from evidence lockup; Green Mountain Transit to hold press conference Tuesday, end free fares
Dame: Lawmakers should resign or be disciplined for ‘rebellious,’ ‘takeover’ of State House
These two legislators worked in an unusual way to incite and organize a “takeover” to prevent themselves and anyone else from hearing a particular point of view.
A ‘concerning time’ in Vermont schools as Trump’s immigration policies ramp up
Said a South Burlington teacher: “There has to be a balance, right?”
Soulia: Welch says No to tougher Fentanyl laws
The state is actively fighting fentanyl deaths, yet Welch voted against a bill designed to stop the source of the problem—traffickers distributing the fentanyl.
Despathy: Tucking CHS ‘repeal’ into costly carbon mandate bill is a political maneuver
Vermonters deserve to know if politicians are using manipulation and rhetoric to push unpopular, expensive agendas.
Beware the waking bears
Bear incidents have been on the rise over the past several years.
