A Massachusetts man is charged with stabbing someone with a sharp broomhandle and other violent acts.
Springfield, MA man arrested for vicious Northfield assault
Former lawmaker named Windham County side judge
A former Agriculture committee chair who reportedly urged non-residents to vote in a Windham school election has been named as a county assistant judge.
Leahy farewell: don’t point fingers, point the way forward
“If we don’t start working together more, the world’s greatest deliberative body will sink slowly into irrelevance – and, heaven forbid, become our own version of the House of Lords.”
Watercooler: Biggest health insurer quits all-payer program
Vermont’s health care reform program just lost the participation of Blue Cross -Blue Shield.
Scott worried about big storm on Christmas weekend
Vermont law enforcement will be briefed by the Border Patrol on the uptick of illegal crossings. “Increased collaboration” is a possibility, but not a certainty.
Legislature poised to hear legal gaming pitch
Legal sports betting will get a serious look in the Vermont Legislature next year.
Wire fraud added to murder-for-hire charges
Federal authorities have added wire fraud to the list of charges related to the murder-for-hire of a Danville man in 2018.
Leahy releases $1.7 trillion spending bill
In one of his final acts as a U.S. senator, Patrick Leahy dropped a $1.7 trillion spending bill on the U.S. Congress yesterday.
Watercooler: More FTX campaign contributions to Balint, VT Dems surface
VTDigger and the New York Times unearth even more donations from FTX founder and fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried and his pals to Becca Balint, Peter Welch and the Vermont Democratic Party.
Dame: Balint, Welch and VT Democratic Party took big campaign $$ from Bankman-Fried
The Vermont Democrat Party should return the nearly $10k it received from Bankman-Fried, so that law enforcement can use that money to make defrauded investors whole.
VPACT makes its case to stop Milton school equity policy
“The next step is to wait to see if the school board responds to our request to put this on the next school board agenda for January 5,” petition co-organizer Nichole DeLong said Monday. “We will continue this fight – we are just warming up.”
Evslin: Nuclear fusion is good news – except to renewable-industrial complex
Suppose you’re in the solar energy or nuclear energy or battery business. Should subsidies continue to flow to you or should we have a Manhattan project to commercialize nuclear fusion given evidence that it can be harnessed?
Frank Pavone, pro-life priest with Vermont history, removed from priesthood
A pro-life priest with a national following and a history of speaking out on Vermont abortion initiatives has been irreversibly removed from the priesthood by the Vatican.
Sununu, 24 other governors ask Biden to end federal Public Health Emergency – but not Scott
25 governors are concerned about the rise of socialized medicine under guise of the pandemic declaration of a federal Public Health Emergency. But, apparently, not Phil Scott.
On party lines, lawmakers OK California ICE car, truck ban
The ban on buying gas-powered vehicles was approved November 17 on party lines.
Milton parents submit 1,000 signature petition with opposing equity policy
In 2020 the Milton school board ‘buckled like cheap lawn chairs’ and authorized planning for a school district equity policy. Now more than 1000 Milton residents have signed a petition to stop the policy’s adoption.
U.S. infantry 20 miles from Russian border
What is a U.S. Army infantry company doing in Estonia, 20 miles from the Russian border?
In Vermont schools, the kids are NOT all right
From widespread student-led vandalism at UVM to Vermont teachers demanding mental health training, the signs of mental trauma in Vermont schools abound.
New York’s new law regulates blogs with ‘hate postings’
“Legislators can fight crime and respond to hate without violating the First Amendment or drafting me into the speech police,” a critic of New York’s new ‘hate speech’ law seeking $1000/day fines says.
Roper: Expand, don’t restrict school choice options
What this means for Vermont is that now other high achieving schools, such as Rice Memorial High School (tuition: $12,214) in Burlington and Christ the King (tuition $5,590) in Rutland are available choices for tuitioning students. That’s a good thing.
More than 8,000 customers still without power from weekend blizzard
The weekend blizzard saw almost 25 inches of snowfall in one southern Vermont town, fallen trees and power lines stopping traffic and power, and the Chain Law invoked for trucks on Rte. 9.
His Burlington remarks were banned by YouTube. Here, Dr. Aaron Kheriarty talks freely about ‘technocratic biosecurity surveillance regime’
A key speaker at a Banned-On-YouTube Burlington seminar on October 25 talks with Vermont Independent about the new technocratic biosecurity surveillance regime.
Klar: Correcting my harsh commentary about Zuckerman
It appears that I was mistaken in my attack of David Zuckerman, for which I owed him a meeting, and an apology.
Watercooler: Elected leaders name top staff
Every ship’s captain needs a good executive officer. Vermont’s elected attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer – all new to the job – have picked Montpelier veterans as their top aides.
Drugged drivers outnumber drunks among Vermont highway fatalities
Police will be patrolling through January 1 watching for drunk drivers.
Don’t limit drug asset forfeiture, study group says
The seizure and forfeiture of drug proceeds is an important component of police efforts to disrupt the interstate drug trade, police say.
Speaker of the House hiring more staff – job pays $47K
Help Wanted at the Vermont Speaker of the House office.
Watercooler: Montpelier names new police chief
A deputy chief has been picked to sit in the Big Chair – and perhaps the hot seat – of the Montpelier Police Department.
Fatal fire, crash victims identified
Three Vermonters in their 70’s died earlier this week in separate fire and car crash incidents.
Wilton to Milton school board: you’re supposed to manage administration, not the other way around
The Milton school board appears to be managed by the administration, rather than the school board managing the administration as duly elected representatives of Milton’s citizens.
Habitual offender stands in river rather than surrender
Which is worse – the river or the trooper, a habitual criminal may have been asking himself early this morning as he shivered in the Barton River.
Good book for Christmas gift? Health Choice Vermont recommends ‘Cause Unknown’
Young people started dying in greater numbers and for no apparent reason beginning in 2021. A new book asks why.
Mazur: Fed/Twitter collusion is election tampering, not a ‘nothing burger’
If Republican candidates were influenced positively by social media censorship and Justice/FBI departments, it would be front page news and scourged for weeks.
Despathy: Keep Vermont Cool is not so cool
Those Drive Electric ads you see with the huckster trying to sell internal combustion to skeptical Vermonters? The real life hucksters were in St. Johnsbury, trying to sell the Clean Heat Standard.
YouTube cancels Burlington panel of pandemic experts
“The cancel culture is real! YouTube has cancelled us!” Restoring Our Faith leaders said today.
Physicist, retired Air Force colonel to speak on election integrity January 14
Frank shows how our elections are manipulated and how citizens and elected officials can defend and improve election integrity, a Vermont Grassroots statement said.
Deep, heavy snowfall expected tonight through Saturday
Beginning tonight, expect up to a foot of heavy snow mixed with rain, to be followed by possible power outages. And watch out for carbon monoxide poisoning!
Bananas: Brian Stelter, former CNN producer from Vermont to lead Disney’s new ‘Pinocchio’ network
A former CNN producer from Ludlow Vermont and former CNN news personality Brian Stelter will anchor a new Disney news initiative.
Anti-cop Burlington city councilor won’t run again, leaves behind undermanned police force
Burlington police needed help from two other police agencies but were still too undermanned to prevent a rear-window escape.
Evslin: Burning the ships when we still need them
It’s a brave gesture to burn your ships behind you. But what if you still need them to survive?
Targeted killing at St. J apartment linked to suspected Springfield, MA fentanyl dealer
A Springfield, Massachusetts suspected fentanyl dealer was arrested in the Hastings Street apartment in September.
Keelan: If a 7-year-old can trust and hope, so can we
The boy asked, “Is there any hope that my mother and father could be together at my house on Christmas morning? Can you make this happen, Santa?”
Watercooler: Murder defendant found incompetent, sent to psychiatric hospital
A Southern Vermont man charged with killing his girlfriend has been sent to a state psychiatric hospital.
EXTRA! EXTRA! Chronicle surpasses ONE MILLION Views for 2022
I never imagined a readership like this when in January, 2017 I started blogging about State House news for a small circle of family and friends.
Senators promise return of Clean Heat Standard
Presenters said Vermont has a shrinking window to take legislative action. They expressed concern about a vocal minority in the state that is doubtful or dismissive of climate change as a problem.
Steidler: Enviro elites ignore needs of postal drivers
Since the USPS announced its plans to replace its vehicles in February 2021, there has been a primal scream from the left for nearly all these vehicles to be electric. But there is seldom any concern about the welfare of postal workers.
Gay marriage, unrestricted abortion bills signed in D.C., Montpelier
In 1994, when he began serving in the Vermont State House, “I could not have dreamt this day would come,” Rep. Bill Lippert said after Joe Biden signed into law a 50-state gay marriage law.
40 cows die in Grand Isle barn fire
A propane torch being used to thaw manure led to a smoldering fire that destroyed a Grand Isle barn.
Progressive urges Democrat Balint to resign over FTX contribution
“They’ll probably just impeach Becca Balint anyway, so why wait? Tell Becca Balint to resign now!,” Ericson wrote.
McClaughry: Heating Oil Price Crunch
The cost of heating oil rose from $3.30/gallon last October to $5.46 this October. Inventories are at their lowest level since 2008.
Person of interest in Eden murder released by judge, skips court appearances
Released by a judge, a person of interest in a December 1 shooting death has failed to appear in court twice since.
Smuggler paid $2,000 to pick up illegal aliens in Derby, feds say
A Mexican national already in immigration removal proceedings now faces five years in prison after his arrest for trying to transport illegal aliens in Derby.
Watercooler: Global Foundries announces job cuts
WCAX reports that “inflation, continued high energy costs, and rapid interest rate increases” contributed to the decision to cut jobs at Essex Junction’s Global Foundries plant – the recipient of $50 million in federal funding in the last three years.
Winter swimming underway at Lake Willoughby
Lake Willoughby is cold and clear, with an emphasis on ‘cold.’ 40 degrees.
Thayer: Zuckerman has questions to answer
The media is not doing their job. They helped create this mess, a former candidate for lieutenant governor says.
Elderly couple die in Bethel house fire
The bodies of a man and a woman in their 70’s were discovered as firefighters sought to battle a fire at a home in Bethel.
Reproductive autonomy, anti-slavery amendments enrolled in Constitution
Speakers at today’s ceremony highlighted the national implications of Vermont’s constitutional amendments.
Klar: when populism and socialism marry
Increasingly, American mainstream media clamor against “Christian Nationalism.”
Banzhaf: Fusion power achieved – now, can it nudge Earth into a new orbit?
Fusion could ultimately provide limitless clean energy with almost zero pollution and no radiation or radioactive waste.
Obituary: Sister Mary Ella Provencher
Sister Mary Ella Provencher, a Barton native, died peacefully December 8 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Former state police mental health worker gets 10 years for child sex assault
A former Northeast Kingdom social worker and Vermont State Police mental health worker will serve 10 years in Texas for assaulting a 13-year-old friend of his children.
Woman dies in Walden crash
An as-yet unidentified woman died yesterday after her car struck a guardrail and an oncoming vehicle.
McClaughry: Supreme Court has already ruled against local gun control ordinances
Sen. Phil Baruth, the new leader of the Vermont Senate, has publicly announced repeal of the Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights will be considered this session.
Watercooler: Burlington police oversight board to go to voters
Does Burlington need a Police Oversight Board? Will a Newport convent be converted into secular apartments & condos?
Illegal border crossings into VT up 676% in October, Border Patrol says
Swanton Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert Garcia said agents apprehended 334 people from 19 countries in October, and the “upward trend continues.”
Bernie blames news media woes on (who else?) Big Corporations
Bernie Sanders says corporate-owned media aren’t doing enough to cover poverty or the climate crisis.
CLG: Twitter Files #4 shows how platform permanently banned Trump
Twitter changed its policies with the goal of permanently banning Donald Trump.
Rutland man held for robbery, heroin possession dies in prison
A man being held in prison after arrest in October on assault, robbery and drug possession charges died in a Rutland hospital Sunday afternoon.
Conflict between trans woman, students in parking garage sparks outcry
Social media video captures an argument between a trans woman and some Bradford area high school students in a Burlington parking garage. But what really happened?
Watercooler: Hiker dies after fall from Crawford Notch cliff
A photographer hiking with his wife plunged to his death in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
‘Trumpy white boys’ – School board member goes ballistic on Facebook
Vermont school districts are seeing one-sided implementation of the Bill of Rights.
Warner: ‘Died Suddenly’ examines early deaths in the age of Covid
Instances of myocarditis and pericarditis in young men were occurring among the vaccinated at staggering levels.
Evslin: Less rising seas, more sinking land
Huge populations supposedly threatened by rising seas are actually facing flooding due to sinking land.
Happy wags or stress signals? People learn pooch lingo
That happy-looking pooch may be trying to tell you he’s stressed out.
Finnie: Thanks for ‘Day of Infamy’ memoir
Former State House security guard urges Capitol flags be flown at half mast on Pearl Harbor Day.
Tarrant: current state constitution a ‘shim-sham show,’ historically speaking
Lincoln’s ‘better angels of our nature’ were absent when the Vermont State Constitution was amended in 1870, 1913, and 2022.
Arrested for stabbing in bar, Burlington man pleads innocent
The man arrested for stabbing Abubakar Sharrif to death in a Burlington bar Sunday morning has pleaded innocent.
House, Senate leaders disagree on paid family leave, while GOP leaders cite $29 million tax bill
At the moment, the Democratic leaders of the Vermont House and Senate don’t agree on the priority of mandatory paid family leave.
Brook: Ferguson study justifies any flu season as ‘pandemic’
A study by a ‘father’ of lockdown policy suggests the pandemic potential of a flu virus should be largely based upon the very high number of people who have either no symptoms or negligible symptoms. Huh?
Scott, Condos to formally enroll ‘reproductive liberty’ and anti-slavery amendments into Vermont Constitution
Unrestricted abortion will be included in the actual parchment of the Vermont Constitution next Tuesday.
As attacks on substations spread across nation, none reported in Vermont
Unlike four other states, Vermont has no known reports of recent, targeted attacks on power transmission substations.
50-bird flock in Lamoille County dead after avian flu outbreak
A small non-commercial flock of domesticated birds suffered an avian flu outbreak this past weekend.
Gay marriage law passes Congress, goes to Biden for signature
With just a fig leaf of religious protection language, a law enshrining gay marriage across the U.S. has been passed by Congress.
Watercooler: UVM protected basketball star from rape charge, lawsuit claims
Massachusetts, the No Killing Coyotes State, is now hiring the feds to kill the growing population of nuisance coyotes.
Burlington to keep state troopers downtown
State troopers will continue to support the understaffed Burlington Police Department.
Cannabis industry budding in White River Valley
A regulated legal market is a step in the right direction for a Chelsea marijuana producer who says “I’ve been a black-market grower almost all my life.”
Retired, fixed-income reader: “Give what you can, this website is priceless”
Sometimes the comments are as good as the articles…..
Balint elected to Progressive caucus leadership
She hasn’t even been sworn in as a U.S. House member, and already Vermont’s congressperson is in caucus leadership.
Welch opposes bill exposing iCOP covert surveillance of pro-life, pro-gun rights Americans
Some House members want to know if a covert surveillance program called iCOP is monitoring pro-life and pro-gun rights Americans.
Have you seen this shooter?
State police are looking for this armed man.
Bananas: North Pole predicts delays as Naughty List reaches record length
“We haven’t seen anything like this, well, since the days of Noah quite frankly,” said long-time elf and gift wrapper Ribbons N. Bowes. “That was a rough year.”
Williams: Vermont, the Biomedical Security State?
Since the pandemic, Vermont is looking more and more like what Dr. Aaron Kheriaty calls ‘the Biomedical Security State.’
New state guidelines provide ‘confidential’ gender ID, transition counseling to students
“Access to professional counseling on gender identity and gender transition shall be made available in a confidential manner to students in each school,” a proposed State Board of Education regulation says.
“No significant abnormalities or discrepancies” found in Secretary of State audit of November election
The audit consisted of running ballots from seven towns through tabulators different from the Election Day machines.
Unsafe lead levels plague Vermont school water faucets
One in every five taps tested at Vermont schools and childcare facilities was at or above the level requiring that it be removed, because it has a higher chance of harming children.
Springfield MA man, others busted in Springfield VT drug raid
A recent multi-agency drug raid in Springfield Vermont has yielded arrests of a Springfield MA man and several others.
Hartford, CT man gets 27 months for selling fentanyl
Caught with 1500 bags of fentanyl, some cocaine, and a loaded 9 MM, Torres will serve up to 27 months.
Agency of Education creates ‘Family Engagement Council’
“There is not a strong state-level mechanism for parent involvement in the development of Vermont education policy,” Secretary of Education Dan French said.
Burlington McNeil plant expansion runs afoul of Vermont Climate Council biomass group
The City of Burlington’s plans to expand the McNeil power plant could hit a brick wall in the form of a negative recommendation to the Vermont Climate Council.
Pandemic lockdown, alcohol blamed for unprecedented destruction in UVM residence halls
“Students’ access to some social development opportunities in high school were truncated by pandemic realities,” Caloiero said.
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