Just off court supervision for Central Vermont drug case
Former Detroit denies three new federal felony cocaine charges
Timothy Page
Klar, Murray named to Vermont Farm Service Agency
Members of the FSA state committee are appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and, in support of the Trump Administration’s Farmers First commitment, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.
Vermont lawmakers push ‘accountability’ model in H.594 to rein in $2.7M monthly motel costs and homelessness crisis
The most discussed feature of H.594 is the Return Home Program, where the state would fund travel and relocation for unhoused individuals who wish to return to a state where they maintain legal reside
Roy: The Vermont taxpayer squeeze continues
Our current legislature seems to have no problem in “raising revenue” by taxing Vermonters more each year to match spending increases. With a $9B budget, Vermont does not have a revenue problem. We have a COST problem. We have a SPENDING Problem.
Roper: New England’s energy policies Are unaffordable, unreliable, unrealistic – and Vermont is leading the pack
But a new study shows it doesn’t have to be this way!
Vermont teens challenged to create life-saving videos in 2026 PSA contest
Lights, Camera, Safety!
Soulia: VT bill would centralize vaccine authority in Health Commissioner
House Bill H.545, introduced by Rep. Theresa Wood (D–Washington-Chittenden) and Rep. Alyssa Black (D–Chittenden-24), would shift the power to set immunization recommendations from federal agencies to the Vermont Department of Health. It would require all insurers to cover any immunization recommended by the commissioner with no copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles, and grant immunity from most civil and administrative liability to health professionals who administer those vaccines in accordance with state guidance.
VT Headlines: Welch joins Trump for signing of milk bill
School districts finalize budgets with varying property tax increases; Shelters crushed by costs of animal cruelty, advocates tell Vermont lawmakers; Burlington Electric can sell renewable energy credits to Maine
Red Fox Community School student Phoebe Bingham sworn into Vermont’s first-ever Kid Governor Executive Cabinet
Bingham was selected as one of only seven finalists from across the state in an election that saw more than 1,000 Vermont fifth-graders cast their ballots. As a Cabinet member, she will serve alongside Vermont’s first-ever Kid Governor, Roslyn Fortin of Highgate, to address critical issues facing the state’s youth.
FYIVT Golden Dome: Evening roundup
Energy Policy: Nuclear Returns to the Conversation; Telecommunications: Local Control Versus Statewide Infrastructure; Insurance Regulation: Technical Changes With Structural Importance; Transportation: Revenue Signals Raise Long-Term Questions; Human Services: Governance Updates Move Forward
Chittenden County school district under federal investigation for allowing biological boys to play girls’ sports
A Vermont school district is under federal investigation amid allegations that its policies discriminate against girls by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports. “These policies jeopardize both the safety and the equal opportunities of women in educational programs and activities,” OCR said in a statement announcing the investigations.
Police raid nets suspected home invaders
Also, St. J cops arrest wanted man from Connecticut.
Former UVM police chief, entrepreneur named to police advisory board
Governor Phil Scott’s office today announced a range of appointments made in the fourth quarter of 2025 – including former UVM police chief and public safety entrepreneur Gary Margolis of Shelburne to the State Police Advisory Commission.
State floats conservation plan for lemmings, orchids, sturgeon
The adorable Southern bog lemming, delicate small whorled pogonia orchid, mysterious lake sturgeon and humble wood turtle may not seem to have much in common. But, all four are classified as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” (SGCN) in a newly-drafted update to Vermont’s Wildlife Action Plan, which is now available for public comment.
VT Headlines: Vermont, Connecticut National Guard deploying to train Ukrainian soldiers
Confirmation process begins for Vermont Supreme Court nominees; Extended city attorney vacancy leads to overspending in Rutland; Waterbury Dam flood gates repaired as work continues; Vermont DMV launches online commercial permitting system
Blotter: Body found in Connecticut River believed to be missing Grafton man
New Hampshire authorities will conduct a death investigation.
Hundreds of drivers pass stopped Vermont school buses daily — New camera program aims to end the free-for-all
A new initiative in Bennington County signals a major shift in how Vermont enforces school bus passing laws, but the full legal framework won’t be in place until August 2026.
Soulia: Five years in, VT’s Climate Council is still narrowing its focus
At two public meetings held a week apart, Council members and staff from the Climate Action Office walked through Vermont’s updated Climate Action Plan, introduced a list of “Top 10 Priority Actions,” and discussed next steps — even as the state has already missed its first statutory emissions benchmark and faces mounting costs to reach the next.
$1,000 or $30,000? The stark divide over Vermont’s 2024 Building Energy rules and their impact on the housing crisis
Vermont’s 2020 energy standards focused on basic quality and efficiency. In contrast, the 2024 standards are designed to support the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act.
Sanders introduces bill to ban presidents from self-naming federal buildings
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), introduced legislation Tuesday Jan. 13 to prohibit sitting presidents from naming or renaming federal buildings, land, or other assets after themselves.
Keelan: Amnesty for embezzlers and fraudsters
The proposed legislation would, for those involved, remove the risk of prison time if they come forward within a predetermined period and admit and cease their illegal activity.
McEnany: No, Treasurer Pieciak, VT doesn’t need leaders like Tim Walz
The following is an open letter from Barre resident Larry McEnany to Treasurer Michael Pieciak.
Soulia: From $500M to $1.4 BILLION
The Global Warming Solutions Act money pit deepens!
VT Headlines: Lawsuit claims Burlington underrepresents Republicans on voter registration board
BTV airport joins anti-human trafficking program; Judge denies bail in deadly vehicle chase despite report blaming Rutland police; Vermont National Guard members to deploy to Germany for training mission
Lawmaker to challenge controversial Act 250 ‘Road Rule’
Rep. Greg Burtt (R-Cabot) said he is developing a bill to repeal the so-called “Road Rule” included in Act 181, the sweeping Act 250 reform package passed by the Legislature’s 2024 Democratic supermajority. The provision places any development on a private road 800 feet or longer automatically under Act 250 jurisdiction, regardless of project size or environmental impact. It takes effect July 1 – hence Burtt’s effort to introduce a bill to rid Act 250 of what he believes is an onerous provision.
Senator proposes new carbon tax on gas, diesel
New legislation (S.171) sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Rebecca White (D-Windsor), would create a Clean Fuels Program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels.
Out-of-state owners dominate Stowe’s vacation rentals—Now the Town is fighting back
Registry data reveals a significant disconnect between the perception of local hosts supplementing income and the reality of ownership patterns.
UVM’s North Country hospitals bargain amid NYC 15,000+ nurse walkout
A significant source of friction in negotiations stems from wage comparisons with nurses at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington—the network’s flagship facility.
Shorts: Norwich names alum as Commandant of Cadets
Also: Report: last school merger saved some $$ but VT still has #2 per-pupil spending AND $3000 scholarship applications accepted
NGO wants state funding to transport immigrants to health care clinics
A nonprofit that helps immigrants, regardless of legal status, get to health care appointments is asking Vermont lawmakers for $167,000 in state funding after losing support from the University of Vermont Extension Service.
Roper: And what’s the plan for restoring “economic momentum?”
Vermont Futures Project: right diagnosis, (mostly) wrong solutions.
Video game reveals people value feeding their neighbors—even at a cost to themselves
UVM researchers designed a game to test agricultural policy but found something unexpected.
Soulia: VT taxpayers spent $500M on climate policies. The planet didn’t notice.
Two bills sit before the Vermont Senate that would undo the state’s unfolding climate policy disaster. S.110 would repeal the Global Warming Solutions Act’s citizen-suit provision and convert its mandates back to goals. S.68 would repeal the Affordable Heat Act.
As Brattleboro moves to close homeless encampments, opponent claims ‘hobophobia”
After years of coping with rampant drug use, vandalism, littering, unsanitary conditions, crime and panhandling that downtown business owners say drives away customers, the town selectboard on January 6 resolved – almost – to remove encampments – a policy first proposed three years ago.
Breaking: Waterbury man to serve 16 years for killing lover
Killer will remain on state probation after for life after prison
MacDonald: Burlington still trying to ban guns in bars
For years, the City of Burlington has pursued its ‘salesman’s foot in the door’ strategy to begin broader gun bans in the city. Gun-banning Bolsheviks will try anything to get that ball rolling. Get one local, isolated ban, and then work on it until you have made it almost impossible to exercise your right to self-defense.
Beck: GOP Senate leader concerned about ICE due process infractions
Continued action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials has raised important questions about constitutional due process. The Fifth Amendment is clear: “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law”. Senate Republicans believe that any discussion on this issue must begin with a commitment to due process for all individuals, including non-citizens.
Bernie asked by high schoolers: how can we ever buy a home?
As for solutions ….. Sanders called for a more progressive tax system and a significant increase in the construction of affordable housing. In other words, Sanders said Vermont should solve the problem by increasing taxes on the income (and likely other assets) of the upper middle class and wealthy, allowing for the reduction or at least stabilization of property taxes , and building more affordable housing.
VT Headlines: Power outages possible in Vermont late Friday due to weather
Barre Vigil Honors Minneapolis Woman Killed by Federal Agent Jan. 6; Rep. Casey Toof to resign from Vermont House of Representatives; Montpelier mayor not running for re-election, Marc Gwinn running for seat
Notorious repeat offender Breer denied release by Parole Board
Harley Breer Jr., 56, who public safety officials consider “one of the most dangerous criminals in the state,” was denied release from prison by the Vermont Parole Board on Thursday. His adult criminal record, which began when he was 18, includes 25 felony arrests with 14 convictions, parole board records show. Breer also has 47 misdemeanor arrests with 11 convictions, they noted.
Semi-auto firearm ban among 50 new bills introduced into Senate
The Vermont Senate opened the 2026 legislative session with a significant influx of new legislation on January 6. Lawmakers introduced a wide array of proposals ranging from sweeping public safety reforms and climate initiatives to critical updates in health care governance and technology regulation.
‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ millions for rural health must go to new programs
Vermont has been awarded more than $195 million in federal funding to support rural health system innovation, though state officials cautioned lawmakers the money cannot be used to replace or stabilize existing programs.
Hospital paid too little attention to deaf patients, feds find
The U.S. Attorney for Vermont said Brattleboro Memorial Hospital failed to effectively communicate with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A settlement has been reached.
Beta’s $7.5B IPO could pump millions back into State coffers and startups
As Beta Technology’s wealth converts to cash over the coming year, money will flow back to the state through multiple distinct channels—including three Vermont-based investment funds with substantial local ownership and hundreds of millions in potential capital gains taxes.
Free prescription drug discount card proposed as health coverage subsidies expire
State Treasurer and legislative leaders push program that could save hundreds of dollars monthly—but critical details about insurance deductibles and pharmacy participation remain unclear
White House: Walz is wrong – immigration policies are saving lives
Editor’s note: the White House released this commentary January 8.
Soulia: VT’s new land-use map rewrites Rutland County, town by town
When Pittsford pushed back on the Rutland Regional Planning Commission’s draft Future Land Use (FLU) map, it sounded like a local fight: one town objecting to being painted dark-green “Rural Conservation” on a new set of regional maps.
Letters: Smith & Smith on immigration
It is inappropriate for a non-partisan school board to express solidarity on a purely political stance established by another district.
VT Headlines: Burlington mayor, legislators renew pressure for ban on guns in bars
Vermont Health officials reaffirm existing childhood vaccine schedule in light of federal changes; U.S. House approves funding for Trudeau Institute, Lake Champlain patrol boat; Burlington Telecom announces new president; Waitsfield will move ahead with flood plain reconnection study
Election Integrity Network-Vermont calls for voter ID law
Vermont now mails over half a million absentee ballots to every person on the voter checklist (unless formally challenged) for general elections without request, creating a large pool of unclaimed, unwanted, and misdirected “live” absentee ballots that can be abused to impact the outcome of local elections.
Banzhaf: Three major legal issues in the Minneapolis killing
Reasonable but mistaken, individualization, and lack of reflection
Lawmaker who visited Israel fears for her safety
Anti-Israel coalition asks for resignations, ethics probe
Treasurer’s rule change set to bring thousands of Vermont micro-businesses under mandatory retirement program
Employers must register through the Vermont Saves portal, provide employee census information, and facilitate payroll deductions at their own cost.
Rising housing, healthcare, education costs front and center at State House
As Vermont works toward a goal of 40,000 new housing units by 2030, lawmakers this year face a central question: will recently enacted tax reforms and infrastructure tools finally translate into shovels in the ground?
VT Headlines: Bus rolls over in Newbury, Vermont with students on board; 1 adult passenger injured
Security to heighten at Vermont’s statehouse after spike in threats to lawmakers; 5,200 enrolled in Vermont Saves, says treasurer; Rutland City Police Department responds to multiple snow-related crashes
18 states impose SNAP bans on soda and candy as Vermont boosts healthy food incentives
While a large portion of the country is moving toward restricting choices, Vermont has chosen a distinct path.
Roper: Freeze taxes? Cap spending? How ‘bout both!
This is the kind of bipartisanship we’re talking about!
CLG: Trump threatens occupation of Venezuela
Maduro attorney once represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; CIA ‘carries out drone strike’ on Venezuelan drug port in first U.S. land attack inside the country; FBI disrupts alleged ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting NC grocery store, fast food restaurant; House GOP bill could trigger self-deportation for Somali refugees amid Minnesota fraud probe
Spear and Sullivan: A unified path toward affordability and economic resilience
Vermont can no longer admire the problem. It must act, guided by data, employers, and long-term planning.
McGuinness: Transgender persons would be state trust fund recipients, choose prison cell placement under H.576 and H.550
Two bills sponsored by Vermont Democrat and Progressive legislators continue to push the Transgender Ideology Agenda at the potential expense of Vermont taxpayers and female prison inmates. H.576 intends to establish an “Affirming Health Care Trust Fund,” while H.550 intends to allow transgender incarcerated persons to choose their prison and their cellmate based upon their gender identity.
Soulia: Should Montpelier control your land?
Act 181 does not change who owns the land. It does change who draws the lines that matter — and who has the final say when those lines do not match what towns and landowners thought their future would look like.
VT Headlines: New leadership at UVM Health
State’s attorney says all 2022 Burlington gunfire cases resolved – except one; New report shows a 25% nationwide drop in deaths of on-duty law enforcement officers in 2025
Blakeman: Punishing landlords won’t solve housing crisis
As Vermont enters another legislative session, lawmakers are once again proposing housing legislation they believe will protect tenants from eviction and homelessness. While the intent may be laudable, the reality on the ground is far messier — and the consequences are increasingly harmful not only to landlords, but also to responsible tenants and to Vermont’s already strained housing supply.
GoldenDomeVT expands searchable, AI-linked SmartTranscripts for 2026 Vermont legislative committees
Free service gives journalists instant, searchable access to committee hearings—with video verification and shareable SmartClips
Study ranks Vermont second-safest state for truck drivers in the U.S.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Texas-based Barber Law Firm, examined data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine where truck drivers face the lowest risks on the road.
Michael Drescher, Christina Nolan named to Vt. Supreme Court
Former U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan, 46, of Burlington and current First Assistant Michael P. Drescher, 60, of Hinesburg will need to be confirmed by the Vermont Senate.
Illegal Venezuelan immigrant who led 4 others over border into NEK is jailed
An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who federal officials claim led four other undocumented aliens over the international border into Vermont during Christmas week, will remain in custody while his federal criminal case is resolved in court in Burlington.
VT Headlines: Molly Gray announces run for Vermont lieutenant governor
Structure fire put out in Chester Sunday; Authorities seeking info on reported Grand Isle theft; Corinth studio offers a window into an artist’s life; UVM men’s hockey snaps home game losing streak
Drug-related fatal crashes double alcohol-related crashes, VT police say
Vermont police say that the likelihood of DUI crashes is twice as likely when the driver is under the influence of drugs, compared to alcohol.
Galfetti: It’s cold outside
Governor Scott proposed a sweeping education reform bill, and many of us went out on a limb to give it a shot. What has happened thus far is that the special committee comprised of a mix of legislators and non-legislators that was tasked with drawing new districts over the summer refused to do their assigned task, with Democrat members that are in the majority refusing to do it.
Ellis: It’s about the oil
We voted for this. And until the Democrats or someone else can articulate a better vision for the country, this is what we have.
Repeat deportee with lengthy rap sheet claims death threat at Haskell Library
An illegal immigrant, who has been deported twice previously due to rejected claims that his life was in jeopardy from a Canadian street gang, has been busted again in Derby Line, federal court records show.
Priestley: Artificial intelligence doesn’t wait. States can’t either.
On the White House executive order targeting state AI laws.
Repeat border crosser arrested near Williston restaurant
An illegal immigrant from Mexico, found unlawfully in the United States for a third time in just over a year, has been arrested in Vermont by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an unrelated criminal investigation, records show.
Tiemann: Progress in protecting parents’ rights
But back in Vermont, state policy allows schools to keep two separate records on your child, one of which parents cannot see!
VT Headlines: YouTube carpenter brings joy to millions from Vermont workshop
Road reopens in Montpelier after water freezes over during main break; Burlington opens cold weather shelter in preparation for negative temps; Only Cannoli partners with King Street Laundry to offer free lunch
The Daily Signal’s 23 books to read in 2026
As you set your 2026 goals, reading lists, and New Year’s resolutions, The Daily Signal is proud to offer you some of our favorite reads from 2025.
The Paradox: How Vermont cut overdose deaths while drug trafficking thrives
While fewer Vermonters are dying from overdoses, supply of illicit drugs remains robust, high prices incentivize trafficking, and the infrastructure supplying Vermont’s drug market has hardened.
MacDonald: Be the media in 2026, New England, starting with “daycare” centers
Childcare Center US claims there are 687 childcare centers in New Hampshire, over 2100 in Massachusetts, and over 1300 childcare centers in Vermont. We should check them all, but who, besides me, thinks the Vermont number looks a little high?
First negotiated Medicare drug prices went into effect Jan. 1
Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced its first set of Medicare-negotiated “maximum fair prices” for 10 selected drugs, with negotiated prices ranging from 38% to 79% below their list prices. A drug’s list price is the manufacturer’s sticker price, though it is rarely what insurers or patients actually pay and is mainly used as a starting point for negotiations.
VT expands access to substance use treatment with new residential beds in Vergennes
Valley Vista has opened 27 new residential treatment beds at its Vergennes facility.
A “dairy town” no more
It may be home to Ben & Jerry’s Factory Store, but Waterbury’s last three dairy farms were driven out of business. Their former owners struggle to let go.
CBP apprehends 7 in Derby Line, North Troy over Christmas holiday
U.S. Border Patrol apprehended seven people who unlawfully crossed the Canadian border in North Troy and Derby Line between December 23 and December 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced.
Despathy: Time to talk towers and radiation
A family in Pownal have spent a year dealing with the tortuous telecom siting process called Section 248a, trying to relocate a proposed cell tower away from their children and home in the woods of Vermont.
Governor Scott praises Trump administration for rural health funding
Vermont will receive over $195 million in Rural Health Transformation Funds in 2026, which is among the highest award per capita in the nation. But not all Vermont political figures are so complementary.
VT Headlines: 3 rescued from burning building in Burlington’s Old North End
Two brought to hospital following crash into Colchester brook; VT parent makes Youtube alternative; Local 15-year-old to represent the U.S. internationally on the youth luge national team
Feds freeze all childcare aide to MN after fraud allegations
Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill announced the action Monday, saying the freeze is part of a broader effort to halt what he described as widespread abuse of federal childcare funding.
UVM study shows prolific Canadian wildfire smoke worsened pediatric asthma in U.S. Northeast
First study of wildfire smoke’s effects on children with asthma in the Northeast reveals growing health risks for the region as climate change fuels more smoke-filled summers.
Despite a low count of broad-winged hawks, experts don’t raise concern for the overall population
Vermont hawkwatch counting sites saw fewer numbers for the broad-winged hawk population this year.
Soulia: When “inclusion” stops at ideology
Behind Vermont’s DEI debate
2024 Champ sighting off Port Henry? You decide…
As reported by CHNI and other news outlets, a drone video capturing a large, dark shape moving beneath a boat on Lake Champlain has landed filmmakers Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor on an episode of William Shatner’s The UnXplained.
Roper: Will 2026 be the year Vermonters realize Democratic Socialist policies don’t work?
And are, in fact, disastrous.
Keelan: Time to get it right
We are running out of time.
Soulia: What are Pharmacy Benefit Managers and why should you care?
PBMs were created to control drug costs, but their profit-driven practices have turned them into key drivers of price inflation.
147 weather-related crashes reported across VT, between Sun. and Mon. evenings
State police said 55 of those crashes occurred between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday alone. Thirty-two were reported on interstate highways and 23 on secondary roads. Most of the afternoon crashes, 31, happened in southern Vermont. Five injuries were reported during that time period.
State Parks offering free guided hikes across Vermont on New Year’s Day
The First Day Hikes program includes 18 hikes ranging from easy family walks to challenging mountain ascents, led by volunteers from organizations including the Green Mountain Club, Otter Creek Audubon Society, and South Hero Land Trust, along with state parks staff.
VT Headlines: Barre City Police report six arrested, one life saved
More bailouts for nursing homes? Why Vermont has given millions to keep care centers afloat; Electric crew working scene of downed power line in Burlington
Anti-Israel group demands lawmakers visiting Israel resign
An anti-Israel umbrella organization comprised of socialist and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups wants five Vermont legislators to resign following their September junket to Israel.
Klar: Michigan legislators push Orwellian vaccination laws
Restricting parental choice in the name of empowerment.
Young Vermont men turn against sports betting
The rapid rise in negative sentiment among young men—a group historically open to risk and digital gaming—suggests an experiential problem rather than a moral one.
