After City Meeting elections next week, the Onion City will have Vermont’s first-ever all LGBTQ+ city council.
Winooski set for all-LGBTQ+ City Council
Power outage releases half-million gallons from St. Albans wastewater plant
A split power line led to the release of partially-treated wastewater.
Vacant equity job to remain unfilled in Vermont’s most diverse city
Winooski officials say they need more antiracism and diversity training before putting someone new in the position.
Last Page: Prosecutor, side judge retires after four decades
Lamoille County side judge Joel Page hung up his robe February 1,marking 41 years of working day in and day out at the county courthouse in Hyde Park village.
Rural towns optimistic but cautious about Phil Scott’s $3M plan
It’s an audacious idea – give very small towns with limited staff and no Town Planner the money they need to go after the big federal bucks themselves. But will they get it, and will it work?
Despite school tax transparency concerns, Scott signs Town Meeting bill into law
The traditional Vermont Town Meeting may be falling victim to legislative Long Covid.
ACLU suit highlights another case of government exclusion of citizens
State and local government have excluded citizen participation in public spaces based on race, ideology and other reasons.
State-funded IDEAL makes equity inroads with municipalities
56% of Vermont residents live in towns and cities (listed) that have signed a Declaration of Inclusion.
J.T. Dodge stands his ground
As a candidate and citizen who has irritated a powerful school and a municipal government, I wanted to tread carefully and deliberately.
Richmond criticized for not opening Town Forest to recreation
“What they [Richmond selectboard] seem to be for is an absolute position of making a ton of forest a protected wilderness designation and not allow townspeople recreational opportunities,” a resident says.
Land owners push back against lot size restrictions
To preserve forests, proposed town zoning regs would increase minimum building lot size from three to five acres.
Montpelier police chief moving on to Manhattan (KS)
After two-plus years, Montpelier’s police chief is taking a job in Kansas, to be closer to his midwestern roots.
NEK town equity committee get $10K grant
Vermont’s largest not-for-profit donor has given a $10,000 grant to a town equity committee in the Northeast Kingdom.
New life for juvenile detention facility in Newbury
A state court sides with the State of Vermont in its effort to locate a secure juvenile detention facility in a rural Orange County town.
Top Emergency Management Director learned first aid as Cub Scout
Being a rescue worker is in Sandy Korda’s blood.
Diversity chair chastises Barre City Council, pro-life member – but doesn’t mute him
“We know that the council refuses to help us or put any resources at our disposal to reconcile the obvious rift in our community,” Barre Diversity & Equity Committee chair Joelen Mulvaney said.
City council urges Barre Diversity & Equity Committee to get along
“I am concerned about the otherization that is going on,” Toborg said. “There are forces here that want to divide us. There are forces that want us to express hatred against each other.”
Diversity & Equity controversy comes to Barre City Council tomorrow night
Barre – a city built by Roman Catholic immigrants – has become a focal point of possible public service exclusion of a town official for his Roman Catholic views on abortion.
Barre Diversity and Equity committee members reject pro-lifer, video & transcript show
“It is unequitable, it is not fair for women to not be allowed to control their own bodies,” Joelen Mulvaney told William Toborg.
“I still love plowing snow”
Over a half-century of caring for Shelburne roads recently earned Paul Goodrich a party from grateful neighbors – but it wasn’t a retirement party.
Welcome to Springfield, Chief Burnham – your local library to show film about cops killing blacks
The Springfield Library will air “The Hate You Give,” a PG-13 movie in which police are portrayed as racist killers of a young black man.
Mystery photo – what’s happening here?
The what, when, where and why of this photo are left to the imagination.
Chair will mute pro-lifer on Barre ‘Diversity’ Committee
A pro-life member of Barre’s “Diversity & Equity” committee will be muted if he attempts to speak at future meetings due to what the chair calls his “misogynistic perspective.”
Vergennes police chief Merkel retires, amid “continuing and unwarranted disrespect”
An outspoken Vermont chief of police has announced his retirement. George Merkel isn’t happy with how he and the Vergennes Police Department have been treated.
Montpelier prostitution repeal gets 2nd reading Wednesday, public opinion welcome
The Montpelier City Council may vote Wednesday night on the proposed repeal of its anti-prostitution ordinance.
Shelburne offers 10K bonus for new cops
With help from federal recovery funds, small towns like Shelburne are offering big bucks for the dwindling supply of police officers.
‘Rocket’ calls for recall of Hartford Town Manager for police hire delay, comments about middle-aged white men
A Hartford selectboard member named Rocket wants to recall the Town Manager.
Montpelier Council advances prostitution repeal, despite residents’ unanimous opposition
After a lengthy string of Montpelier residents spoke against repealing the city’s anti-prostitution ordinance, the City Council voted to advance the repeal anyway.
Prostitution repeal on Montpelier City Council agenda tonight
Legalizing prostitution leaves trafficked people little recourse than to continue working the streets or running classified ads, a critic of Montpelier’s proposed repeal of its prostitution ordinance says.
Houston has Hartford hopeful about housing homeless
Similarly encumbered by cost of living and housing availability, coupled with the mentally ill and addiction addled finding succor among the good people of the Upper Valley, the Twin Pines housing group sees the Houston model as hopeful.
Housing homeless in Hartford: hard task
Like many Vermont communities, Hartford – AKA White River Junction – has a growing and highly visible problem with homelessness.
Black member booted off St. Albans Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Keith Longmore is – or rather, was – a black member of the St. Albans advisory committee formed to help citizens “understand the experience of historically marginalized groups.”
Sarah George a rising star in Soros-backed group backing progressive prosecutors
Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George has strong ties to a George Soros-funded organization promoting progressive prosecutors nationwide.
Montpelier city to discuss legalizing prostitution
The City of Montpelier in June is tentatively scheduled to revisit a conversation begun last year about legalizing prostitution.
No more Pledge of Allegiance for Planning Commission
No more honoring Old Glory for the Springfield Planning Commission – with one member dissenting.
‘Racist, anti-immigrant?’ Former Montpelier chaplain’s wife born in Mexico
A volunteer police chaplain with extensive experience in dealing with mental illness and substance abuse crises was let go by Montpelier PD after three days. There’s no official reason why – but public comments take aim at his fulltime job as a Baptist pastor.
Grand Isle courthouse open full-time
A lack of police manpower kept the Grand Isle County Courthouse closed at least one day a week during the pandemic. It’s full-staffed now thanks to help from private contractors and sheriffs from nearby counties.
Burlington sex trade set to “explode” if prostitution decriminalized, opponents say
In Germany, Las Vegas, and other legal prostitution locales, the sex trade explodes, vulnerable people are lured into the business, and the number of men buying sex increases.
Big infrastructure spending, social issues go to Town Meeting voters tomorrow
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns provides overview of Town Meeting ballots all across Vermont.
41 communities set to vote on retail pot at Town Meeting
Do you live in one of the 41 communities voting on retail pot at Town meeting? The State of Vermont will hoover up almost all of the tax revenue from retail marijuana stores – except in communities that already have a ‘local option’ tax.
