Situated next to railroad tracks (offering plenty of sunlight) and near the pond (offering plenty of water), the thirsty softwood dwarfs all other Vermont trees with a height of 127 feet.
Tallest tree in Vermont grows in Colchester
Guy Page
Guy Page is the editor and publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
14-year-old drowning victim remembered
The Fairfax youth died July 2 in a drowning accident in Windsor.
Maland bust leads to prison term for fentanyl dealer
Bear Mountain Road in North Troy is known for both human and drug smuggling almost on a daily basis.
Another state trooper crashes his cruiser
Katz’s cruiser hydroplaned during heavy rain at 3:28 AM.
Accused ringleader of $30M senior scam faces extradition to Vermont
The indictment, returned on February 20, charges the defendants with participation in a sophisticated “Grandparent Scam” that spanned more than 40 states, including Vermont, and targeted elderly victims with false claims that a loved one was jailed and in urgent need of bail money.
Trooper shot man he thought was armed. No gun found
Garvey had made threatening statements and had barricaded himself in his apartment.
Man shot by trooper dies
The man was pronounced deceased on scene. The trooper who fired his service weapon was uninjured.
IRS to allow political endorsements in churches/ free concert/ newspaper suspends operation
“The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government.’
VT Headlines: AG, Scott admin disagreements undermined EV lawsuit
Vermont’s climate-crusading attorney general didn’t get the support she wanted from the Scott administration for her lawsuit seeking to recover EV-charger federal $$.
DOJ, FBI: No Epstein client list, he killed himself
This systematic review revealed no incriminating “client list.” There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.
Burlington cops seek repeat grocery store thief
Through threats of having a weapon, a male suspect robbed the Jakes ONE Market at 242 N Winooski Ave. multiple times, obtaining $547 cash.
Hardwick woman strangled to death
Daigle died from asphyxiation due to compression of the neck, the medical examiner said.
Battle of Hubbardton 248 years ago today
The British and Hessian troops met unexpectedly stiff resistance from the Green Mountain Boys.
Chinese consulate responds to VDC commenters following diplomat’s visit
The visit prompted a flurry of questions and concerns from readers of the Chronicle, many focused on transparency, national security, and the political implications of growing U.S.-China ties.
Fayston pedestrian killed, teen driver charged
Drug user wanted to trade bomb for fentanyl. Homeless man charged with lewd behavior outside library. Habitual offender charge for suspected shoplifter.
VT Headlines: fed funding freeze prompts head-to-head of Saunders and Sanders
Roadside sculptor settles with wayward truck driver. Champlain College retools academic offerings due to $$ problems.
No flooding predicted for July 10
This morning in Barre, Welch plans to listen to flood survivors, local officials, and emergency responders share their frustrations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and long delays in receiving critical recovery assistance.
Vandals deface Veterans Memorial with hate messages in Shelburne
The politically driven hate messages were discovered as people arrived for a farmers’ market.
Deputy sheriff helps get the AC working
“I didn’t want to just walk away knowing how uncomfortable—and potentially dangerous—that heat could be,” Keefe said.
Livingston on ‘Trump 3:16’: More results, less ‘performative outrage’
The One Big Beautiful Bill isn’t a war between billionaires and the poor. It’s a reckoning with a state that’s too big headed to succeed and too entrenched to change—until we stop rewarding failure with more funding and start demanding accountability instead of performative outrage.
State bail laws ‘make me want to tear my hair out,’ departing prosecutor says
“You can’t impose bail unless they’re a flight risk or have no community ties. And that’s hard to prove,” Zaleski told the Caledonia County Republican Committee.
VT Headlines: State college dental program scrapped
Hundreds now on the street as hotel voucher program ends.
ER metal detector flags thousands of weapons
The changes were sparked by a close call in April 2024, when an emergency department triage nurse encountered a patient with a four-inch switchblade.
Senior China diplomat visits Vermont, meets state leaders
Notable Vermont companies doing business in China include snowboard maker Burton. China’s winter sports industry has boomed following its hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Breaking: Senate passes Big Beautiful Bill
The OBBB now returns to the House, where the lower chamber will consider Senate changes to the bill it passed on May 22.
Blotter: OnStar stops stolen pickup truck
Suddenly, the engine in the stolen pickup truck turned off.
Green: Grateful for progress seen in Dobbs, removal of Iran nuclear threat
The darkness and chilling long winter of the pro-death culture is retreating.
One last win for Attorney for the Defense as gavel falls on 40-year career
“I had a strong desire to be a rock star,” Benning said, recalling failed attempts to land a music deal after college.
Judge’s nephew admits helping lawyer’s son in slaying of two drug dealers
Bland faces a possible death penalty if convicted.
Montpelier parade, festivities July 3
The fun begins at 3pm with the July 3rd Food Truck Festival and FamilyFest on the State House Lawn. The Montpelier Mile Road Race begins at 6 PM and kicks-off the Community Parade.
Two men from India charged in VT with medical fraud
Charged Medicare for medical equipment it never provided. Sold misbranded drugs to Americans.
What’s really in the One Big Beautiful Bill?
$45 billion for adult alien detention capacity and family residential centers. $2.5 billion for surface water storage. A 10% transfer tax on silencers. Funding prohibited for “specified gender transition procedures.”
Sanders compares Republicans to ‘Stalinist party’
Sanders pointed to potential repercussions for those who disagree with Trump, noting, “In five minutes, they will be announcing a primary to your election.”
High court dismisses cannabis merger fraud suit/ Welch listens about floods/ Bernie’s Covid $$ recovery
Just weeks after the merger, Lynn discovered at a board meeting that Slang needed to borrow $18 million simply “to survive,” with “onerous” loan terms.
Burlington sex crime arrest, Montpelier sex crime conviction
The AG announced that Grace Gamble (charged as Peter Gamble), 29, of Montpelier was given a suspended sentence in Vermont court after pleading guilty.
Rep. Balint’s statement on floor of Congress prompts discussion, satire on The Vermont Podcast
Political satire song lampoons Vermont congresswoman who says on the floor of the U.S. House that ICE agents are ‘vigilantes’ who ‘kidnap’ their immigrant targets.
Pro-lifers rally to defund Planned Parenthood Saturday morning
The demonstration follows a landmark ruling this week by the U.S. Supreme Court that upholds South Carolina’s decision to exclude abortion providers from its Medicaid program.
Breaking: U.S. Supreme Court rules against ‘universal injunctions’
The landmark decision came in a case involving challenges to President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160, which sought to redefine American citizenship based on parents’ immigration status.
VT Headlines: Lafayette, strawberries make triumphal return
The Marquis de Lafayette toured Vermont 200 years ago.
Migrant Justice leader linked to earlier smuggling case, feds say
The Border Patrol asked about his citizenship and De La Cruz began speaking rapidly and in a low voice that the agent could not understand. De La Cruz was asked to slow his speech, but he didn’t comply and the agent believed he was being evasive.
Drug arrest in Berkshire shooting/ Waterbury embezzlement
Investigators later determined that Ravelin had acquired a loan intended for Fisk’s business and diverted the funds to personal accounts from the end of 2020 through 2024.
Maine-iac drives Volvo onto footbridge, charged with DUI
Shorey drove his Volvo down a walking trail and attempted to cross a narrow wooden footbridge. The structure collapsed under the vehicle’s weight.
Breaking: Ex-Burlington Police Chief Murad finalist for SB Chief post
There is a possibility that South Burlington and Burlington will trade police chiefs.
South African man drowns near Basin Harbor in Vergennes
Emergency crews were called to the scene around 9:25 p.m. on June 24 after Kemp reportedly went underwater while swimming offshore from the Basin Harbor Club and did not resurface.
White supremacist arrested on warrant
Palermo reportedly had ties to the Brother of the White Warrior prison gang and Nazi and neo-Nazi tattoos or symbols on his body.
Highly celebrated tax relief for veterans coupled with benefits for those without a tax ID number
The long-awaited bill comes coupled with provisions that would allow eligible residents to receive public benefits if they lack a tax identification number.
Vermont non-profit tied to Chinese Communist Party-backed groups
The ISC office in China operates under the supervision of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), an entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and designated by both the Trump and Biden administrations as a CCP foreign influence operation.
VT Headlines: Plaintiff in landmark civil unions case dead at 79
The Baker case resulted in a Vermont Supreme Court decision opening the door to first civil unions, then gay marriage.
Gov. Scott to hold signing ceremony for bill easing taxes on families, retirees, veterans
The signing ceremony is scheduled for noon at the State House and will be attended by legislators, advocates, and Vermont military retirees.
Defendant who tried to hire actors for her trial pleads to have her $1.6 million fraud case tossed
Shelkrot indicated the recruited actors had been falsely told they were part of a movie and had been provided scripts for their “testimony.”
$14 mil in fed dollars tabbed for Bennington, Bolton, Rutland and Rochester – and beyond
Among other recipients, Bolton Valley Water and Community Development Co. will also receive $3 million to modernize wastewater facilities and construct new roadways to support housing and economic growth in Chittenden County.
Rare bear pair and baby bunny pix shared by Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Leave the bunnies be – and the bears too, of course.
Driver hits pedestrian, says she was fleeing armed man
A Burlington woman said she struck with her car a man pursuing her with a gun. He’s in critical condition.
Care home manager arraigned for abusing person with dementia
The alleged abuse took place in April while Agasi was employed as the house manager at Our House Too, a residential care home in Rutland.
Sanders, Welch, Balint say U.S. bombing Iran ‘unconstitutional’
Only Congress has the right to take the U.S. to war, said Sanders, Welch and Balint.
Shooting, two dead bodies, assault on elderly man over weekend
Tina Daigle of Hardwick was discovered deceased Thursday, June 19, at a roadside pull-off along Route 14.
Health insurance hike ‘down’ to 13.7%
Insurer says it’s not going bankrupt, but says recovery will take time.
VT Headlines: Cooling centers open as heat wave hits
Porta-potty urine recycled. VT art finds permanent, public home. Local hospital closes birthing center.
Woman found dead on roadside/ Intruder at Vermont Yankee
The suspected intruder, a heavy-set man with scruffy facial hair and medium-length hair, was seen inside a grey side-by-side with orange and black markings.
Education reform roadmap has landmarks, offramps
As various studies and reports come back in, there will also likely be adjustments, potential detours and even offramps along the way.
VT Headlines: 5 years after plastic bag ban, use down 91%
Migrant Justice to protest in St. Albans today. Homeless woman (partly) blames criminal boyfriend. Pot farmers concerned about long-term future.
VT share of Big Pharma deal $22 mil
Vermont tax revenue down, summer school meals up.
Illegal Chinese jammers used in Vermont bank robberies, DHS says
Despite the ban, Chinese firms continue to smuggle these devices into the country. Ironically, China also prohibits civilian use of signal jammers under its own domestic law.
Study: NH, VT among states least likely to have psychopaths
In fact, if (that’s a big “if”) we’re reading this study’s charts correctly, Vermont has — by far — the lowest mean level of the “Dark Factor of Personality.”
Vermont Right to Life picnic on State House lawn
Celebrating third anniversary of the Supreme Court Dobbs decision.
VT Headlines: Juneteenth explained
45,000 Vermonters could lose health insurance under tax bill in Congress, state officials estimate.
LaFleur: my one hour of trauma at a No Kings rally
Having two schools of thought is a good thing. This is when we’re supposed to meet at the table and actually talk. But that’s no longer happening. It’s gotten violent. We’re watching it play out across the country.
Breaking: States can ban transgender transition treatments on minors
The matter, according to the Court, is one for individual states and their residents to decide.
Man killed in ATV crash
Police say Belisle had been traveling northbound on a Kawasaki Prairie ATV in rainy conditions when he went off the left side of the wet roadway and struck a tree head-on.
Photo from St. J ‘No Kings’ rally stirs outrage
Her mother said the sign was the seven-year-old girl’s own idea.
$1.8M budget blooper leaves Burlington cutting two new cops
The last-minute budget adjustments cut two of the 10 planned new hires for the short-staffed Burlington Police Department, but would maintain the planned increase in the city’s racial equity office.
Sheriff’s deputy cited for domestic assault, placed on leave
Windsor County Sheriff’s Department placed Adams on administrative leave and requested the Bennington County Sheriff’s Department conduct an Internal Affairs administrative investigation.
Two Massachusetts men busted in SoBu drug raid
Two Springfield, MA men arrested on drug charges.
Bunker Hill veteran opened tavern in Newbury
June 17 is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!
Sanders says no war with Iran
The bill follows Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets on Friday, June 13.
384 households will be living on the street after July 1, advocates warn
Failure to extend the program will leave Vermonters living in cars, parks, sidewalks and riverbanks, they said.
H.454 – how your legislators voted on the big school bill, and why
An unusually high number of senators chose to explain their votes.
Youth sets fishing derby record
Grayson Carey reeled in a new LCI Derby record sheepshead the morning of Sunday, June 15. It weighed in at 28.51 pounds, beating the previous record of 24.97.
Border Patrol agents train on drone tech, Migrant Justice leaders detained
“Using unmanned aerial systems provides our agents with better situational awareness in difficult terrain, which can be critical in saving lives or preventing illegal activity,” a Border Patrol spokesperson said.
VT Podcast: Did VT GOP chair really compare LA riots to 9/11?
The new hire at the Vermont Democratic Party throws a wild haymaker at GOP Chair Paul Dame. Did it land?
School transformation vote delayed, but election bills pass
With governor out of state, action Delayed on big school transformation bill – for now.
VT Dem House Speaker, GOP Chair condemn murder of Minnesota House Speaker
The Democrat Speaker of the House (Krowinski) and the former Essex Junction Republican member of the House and the current chairman of the Vermont Republican Party chairman, rarely see eye to eye on anything touching the world of politics.
But not this weekend. This weekend they stand together against political violence.
Motorcyclist dies in head-on collision, pickup truck driver arrested
Police say Willson was driving a Chevrolet Silverado southbound when she crossed the center line and struck two oncoming motorcycles head-on.
School transformation deal reached
The Vermont House and Senate agreed Friday on a school funding transformation compromise that gives the House the higher per-pupil spending it sought.
Scott signs eight bills, vetoes homeless housing legislation
Supporters of H.91 say it provides a framework of permanent, comprehensive continuity of care for homeless Vermonters.
Corrected post: two summer events both celebrate life
Corrected version of post published earlier this month: Vermonters in June will rally on behalf of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion, and in August in remembrance of a beloved infant who passed away in 2019 due to a non-accidental overdose of an over-the-counter medication while in daycare.
VT Headlines: ICE mum on whereabouts of Newport detainees
Big money raised for fur babies in need of home. Training for tourism workforce. Across the river, parental rights and school choice. Fireworks and tariffs.
Tourism down, political tension blamed
Henry looked at me over his muffin. “It would take a lot more than death to get my woodchuck family to leave Vermont, Ellie.”
MacDonald: Gender health care IS conversion therapy
Girls are being offered double mastectomies before their first kiss. How is that conversion therapy?
Pro-Trumpers to attend No Kings rally
Supporters of Trump say they plan to attend, and will wave signs depicting the iconic ‘Fight Fight Fight’ photo of Trump moments after he was shot in Butler, PA.
Vermont sues Trump for allowing ‘machine gun’ conversion kit
In July 2024, the Northern District of Texas applied Cargill v. Garland to a device called a “forced-reset trigger” (FRT) and concluded that FRTs also cannot be classified as a “machinegun.”
Celebrate Flag Day, Army & Trump birthdays on State House lawn
The American Flag is 248 years old, adopted on June 14, 1777. President Trump’s birthday is June 14, 1946, he will be 79 years young. The United States Army was born 250 years ago on June 14, 1775. “That is a lot to celebrate,” Thayer said.
Collective bargaining bill vetoed
“I’m concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify,” Scott said.
Bernie Sanders partners with ‘No Kings’ protests
Earlier this year, Sanders joined Vermont officials Becca Balint and Peter Welch on a virtual call urging renewed activism.
VT Headlines: Watching the Strawberry Moon
The union in one of Vermont’s largest school districts wants a new superintendent.
Middle school suicide survivors raise awareness
I walk today for my own struggles,” Audrey said. “I have tried to take my own life until I realized how bad it hurts to lose someone to suicide.” Her younger cousin, Noah Stone, took his own life after being bullied.
Massachusetts woman arrested for attempted murder after Waterbury stabbing
At 11:24 AM on June 9, state troopers responded to a report of a stabbing at the Best Western on Blush Hill Road.
If you value independent journalism…
Independent journalism must have independent-minded, committed readers.
‘Foundation’ trouble for both high, low spending school districts
In order for districts to adopt the new foundation formula, some will need to make dramatic cuts (over $10,000 per student) and others will see massive tax increases (up to $6,000 per student).
Soros-backed group plans 30 VT ‘No Kings’ protests
The 30 ‘No Kings’ demonstrations in low-population Vermont are the most per-capita in the nation.
