Periodically, it seems, concerned citizens of Vermont gather to revive the idea of creating an inspiring Vision for the state’s future. Last month the largely federally-funded Vermont Council on Rural Development released the draft of its “Vermont Proposition
McClaughry: ‘Vermont Proposition’ same old stuff
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Fri, Jun 11
Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
Scott supports, signs bill to study legalized sports betting
Gov. Phil Scott on June 8 signed into law a bill to study legalizing sports betting in Vermont – an industry he supports, he said.
After state takes kids from drug-abusing mom, family reunified
After the state took her kids, a drug-abusing mom got cleaned up – and got her kids back.
VT Guard biathletes train for 2022 Olympics in China
Three Vermont National Guard biathletes are training hard in anticipation of attending the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Apologetic burglar flees
After hearing a loud crash, the homeowner made contact with a male standing outside. The male was described as 5’8″-5’10” feet tall, skinny with blond hair in his late mid to late 20’s. After being confronted, he apologized for breaking the window, and left abruptly.
Most new state appointees live in Burlington-Montpelier I-89 corridor
A map of recent appointees to Scott administration boards and commissions shows more than half live along the I-89 corridor in Washington and Chittenden counties.
Annular eclipse this morning
Weather-permitting, residents of Vermont saw the sun in the midst of an eclipse at sunrise on today.
Prog lawmaker refuses Public Records request, claims ‘legislative privilege’
A Burlington legislator is arguing a novel ‘legislative privilege’ defense to withhold two documents sought by a former city employee using the Public Records Act.
Sexual assault bust in Hartford
Aiden Boettcher, 21, of Gulfport Mississippi was arrested in Hartford on June 9 for sexual assault. He was released on citation and is ordered to appear in court today.
Roper: Answer to CRT is school choice – which black Americans support
School choice will benefit everybody. If you really believe in a social justice – the real thing, not just a bumper sticker slogan — school choice for everyone should be an easy cause to embrace.
Sanders, Leahy, Welch demand Biden lift border shutdown
DERBY LINE – Vermont’s congressional delegation is demanding a plan to reopen the U.S. – Canada border, as well as calling on the Biden administration to immediately lift what most see as an unfair border policy.
Alex Farrell named deputy housing commissioner
Alex Farrell as deputy commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
UVM to require vax once FDA-approved
The University of Vermont will require students to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus once at least one of the vaccines receives full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, school spokesperson Enrique Corredera said today.
Since Brigham: school funding has doubled, staff up 17%; enrollment down 20%
By John McClaughry In 1996 the Vermont Supreme Court issued the Brigham Decision, which required that there be “substantially equal education tax resources in every district.” (Note: It does not guarantee equal spending […]
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Tue, Jun 08
Today’s headlines from Vermont media.
Flemming: Pearson ‘libertarian’? Not so much
meeting. Libertarianism is a philosophy of voluntary action being morally superior to coercive action. When it comes time to vote on just about any issue, Pearson has chosen coercion over liberty just about every time, as you can see from his Roll Call Profile. His insistence on codes being “not voluntary” is just the latest case in a long-standing trend.
Troy school will use ‘restorative justice’ techniques to reduce truancy
A Northeast Kingdom school will use ‘restorative justice’ – style interventions to reduce truancy.
Right to Life demands Planned Parenthood return $2.7 million in ‘paycheck protection’
New Hampshire Right to Life (NHRTL) yesterday filed a complaint asking the US Small Business Administration (SBA) to demand a return of the $2,717,300 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan unlawfully obtained by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England to subsidize its abortion clinics in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
Coester: Elected officials uninformed, cowardly
To the editor: For more than a year now, I have studied, watched and paid close attention every day to what has been happening In Vermont, the USA and around the globe. […]
Condos: mailed ballot law lets voters ‘cure’ mistakes
Today we should be proud as Vermonters. Around the country we are witnessing an assault on voting rights, as state legislatures use conspiracy theories and lies as cover to restrict the Constitutionally guaranteed rights of American voters.
Peterson: 69-year-old Newbie’s first year in the Legislature
Seeing the freshmen class of some 30 or so legislators, many younger than my own children, made me feel like the old dog I am. The question was, could I learn new tricks.
Scott signs mailed ballot, equity-in-schools bills
ov. Phil Scott yesterday signed into law S15, universal mailed ballots, and S115, providing more funding and regulation for equity and inclusion programs in Vermont schools and libraries.
Keelan: bill will gut Vermont construction industry
The good news is that the legislation referred to as H.157 did not make it over the finish line last month before the Vermont General Assembly had adjourned. The bill, which passed the House, would have required construction contractors who work on residential projects over $2,500 to register with the State of Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation by April 2022.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Mon, Jun 07
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
School ‘equity and inclusion’ bill awaits guv’s decision
A bill passed by the Vermont Legislature and awaiting the governor’s signature provides more funding and statutory empowerment for equity and diversity in schools and state libraries.
Reporter probes ‘no vaccine deaths’ claim
The Vermont Department of Health’s claim that no Vermonters reported dead by the CDC from receiving the Covid-19 vaccine actually died for that reason is not based on first-hand examination of remains. Instead, it relies on information shared by deceased patients’ physicians shortly after death.
Klar to speak Wednesday in Wardsboro
John Klar, founder of Vermont Liberty and 2020 candidate for governor, will speak 7 pm Wednesday, June 9 at the Wardsboro Town Hall.
Lake Dunmore, 19th century glassmaking center
The state’s first glassworks opened along the shores of Lake Dunmore in 1813. The lakeside workings, variously referred to as either the Vermont Glass Factory or Lake Dunmore Glass Company, consisted of a large factory complex that stood near today’s Sunset Lodge.
Fireovid: Scott veto gives citizens chance to protect voting rights
Think about it. If Democrats can easily force small changes in our Constitution, what’s to stop them from making large changes? It’s extremely important that we-the-people firmly protect the only document that protects our rights.
CRT concern spreads to Rutland
The “Vermonters for Vermont” Initiative will be hosting a Town Hall Informational on the Teaching of Critical Race Theory in our public schools Wednesday, June 16 at 6:30 pm in the Vermont Building at at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland.
Fernandez: Pro-Palestinian propaganda in local newspaper
Israeli benevolence doesn’t get any coverage by the monolithic pro-Palestine media-complex.
Truck stuck in Smugglers Notch (again)
Sunday at 2:30 pm, State Police received a call of a tractor trailer unit stuck at Smuggler’s Notch on route 108 in the town of Cambridge. The operator of vehicle, Kyle Shepherd, ignored and passed several clearly posted signs advising that tractor trailer units are not permitted.
Remembering June 6, 1944
In the next few years, we will have no living witnesses to what has been described by historians as one of the greatest military achievements of all time – the Normandy landing in France, on June 6, 1944.
Biden’s new taxes won’t cover deficit
For over a year, as a candidate and President, Biden has repeatedly said that tax increases needed to pay for what has turned out to be his staggering multi-trillion dollar deficit spending would be only Bernie Sanders-type tax increases, only on the rich and the big corporations. But the New York Times reported ahead of the budget release that it will include a large, direct tax increase on middle class America as well.
Vermont media covers critics of Critical Race Theory
What the Vermont media wrote about last Friday’s gathering of critics of Critical Race Theory tells much about their own views and prejudices.
Jay Peak EB-5 fraudster pleads guilty
William Kelly, 72, of Weston, Florida, pleaded guilty to two felony charges in connection with his involvement in the Jay Peak Biomedical Research Park EB-5 investment project, also called the AnC Vermont project.
McCoy: Home registry bill is government overreach gone TOO FAR
A bill before the Vermont Legislature, S.79, would make Vermont the first state in the nation to have a statewide, government-run, centralized registry of all privately owned homes being rented out.
Alice Flanders: Those who can and those who won’t
I am not a proponent of Critical Race Theory, as I am firmly convinced that this political agenda broadens the societal gap, and honestly, takes us all back to pre-civil rights times, where folk are wrongly judged by race, religion, creed, sex or national origin. I believe it is nonsense to subjectively evaluate people based on the color of their skin, rather than based on character, academic achievement, team playing ability and determination.
Black leaders ‘take charge’ against CRT
We acknowledge that racist people exist in the country, but explicitly reject the notion that the United States of America is a racist country. This is a subtle, but significant difference! We also denounce the idea that the country is guilty of systemic racism, white privilege and abhor the concept of identity politics and the promotion of victimhood in minority communities.
Evslin: Docs who won’t vax shouldn’t practice
I’m NOT saying that Rauch should be barred from practice because he speaks against vaccination; he has a right to free speech even if that speech is unpopular. He and other medical professionals who refuse vaccination should be barred from practice because their refusal to be vaccinated makes them a danger to their patients.
Scam phone calls from ‘police’
State Police May 28 received several reports of phone calls purporting to be from the St. Albans Barracks and asking for personal information.
Employers liable for vax damages? Gov doesn’t know
Will Vermont employers – including the five colleges requiring vaccination for all returning students in the fall – be held legally liable for adverse reactions to “experimental usage” vaccines? Gov. Scott said yesterday he doesn’t know.
Mary’s Restaurant closes
An Addison County landmark inn and restaurant has closed. The Inn at Baldwin Creek & Mary’s Restaurant in Bristol, featured in a restored circa-1797 farmhouse on Route 116 a few miles north of downtown Bristol, closed after serving locals and tourists since 1983.
Letter: Mohawk descendant likes Rutland Red Raider name
As a person with a proud native American heritage with both my paternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather’s families with direct Indian blood in the Mohawk nation removing the Raider name is a slap in their face.
Brock: Legislature swatted flies while house burned down
That, in a nutshell, is the 2021 legislative session. We washed the dishes, disposed of some crumbs and swatted a few flies. But we didn’t deal with the urgent and immediate issues that demanded our real attention.
Legislature boosts state employee pay, pensions
The Vermont State Employees Association – the union for state employees – recently reported good news about members’ paychecks and pensions as a result of the actions of the 2021 Legislature.
McClaughry: when should juveniles become adults?
In the present instance, the House passed S.107 with a 70% majority, and so there’s a good chance the majority party can override Scott’s veto. A better plan would be to let the veto stand and reach a well thought out agreement in 2022, as the governor proposes.
Scott vetoes non-citizen voting; override vote expected
On June 1, Governor Scott vetoed legislation that would give non-citizen voting rights in municipal elections in Winooski and Montpelier.
New video covers Friday’s CRT ‘town hall’ in Essex
Video production company Rebirth The Media has filmed and produced a 48-minute video of Friday night’s Town Hall Meeting in Essex on Critical Race Theory.
Sentencing for 2015 Westford shooting
Friday May 28 the Federal sentencing hearing for Veronica Lewis, who shot Darryl Montague in Westford on June 29, 2015, was held in the Federal District Court in Burlington. Lewis participated remotely during the ZOOM broadcast. The state sentencing hearing is taking place at this moment.
Max Misch busted
As a result of an investigation, State Police detectives learned that Max Misch, 38, of Bennington, allegedly violated conditions of release by approaching and speaking with a witness in a pending court case in which he is accused of traveling out of state and purchasing a firearms magazine in excess of Vermont capacity limits and bringing it back to Vermont.
Warner: Tyranny of the weak
We’ve entered into a new era in America. It is an era where those who identify in any of a multitude of victim classes have banded together to form a monolithic body politic who have managed to use their weaknesses, and perceived weaknesses, as the justification for enacting political and cultural tyranny on those who they perceive as their oppressors.
TV ads highlight devastation caused by closed U.S. – Canada border
Last week, John Adams started buying television ads in the U.S. calling out the impact the closed border has had on families, businesses, and property owners like himself.
Leave fawns alone
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says deer fawns are being born this time of year and asks that people avoid disturbing or picking them up.
Ingalls: They gave their lives
They gave their lives so that this collection of 50 states could carry on with the novel idea that citizens would govern themselves.
Driver dies after car strikes tree
A 48-year-old Jeffersonville woman died after her car struck a tree on Rte. 109 in Cambridge, state police say.
‘Great Parent Revolution’ in Essex hears opponents of Critical Race Theory
More than 100 concerned citizens – a local expression of what conservative commentator Dan Bongino calls “The Great Parent Revolution” – gathered to hear opponents of Critical Race Theory in the Essex School District speak at the Essex Grange Hall Friday night, May 28.
George Fox of Thetford, heroic WWII chaplain
The oldest of the four chaplains on the USS Dorchester —Methodist minister George L. Fox—was from Thetford. When America had entered World War I, he had enlisted in the Marines at 17. Trained as an ambulance driver, he won a Silver Star on the Western Front for rescuing a wounded soldier from a battlefield full of poisonous gas—despite the fact that he had no gas mask. He stood just five feet seven; after Pearl Harbor, Reverend Fox enlisted in the Army the same day his 18-year-old son Wyatt, who survived the war, joined the Marines.
VT still ‘parental consent’ state for Covid-19 vax
Nine states and two cities do not require parental consent for Covid-19 vaccination, but Vermont does – for now.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Fri, May 28
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
No vaccine-caused deaths in VT, Health Dept. claims
Today, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said that with the help of the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner (CME), “we confirmed that the fact that these individuals were vaccinated was not a factor in their deaths.” However, Levine declined to offer further details about the CME investigation.
Critical Race Theory topic at Essex Town Hall meeting tonight
The influence of Critical Race Theory (CRT) will be the topic of a Town Hall meeting to be held 6:30 tonight at the Grange building on Rte. 15 in Essex Town.
Feds to give parents $250-$300/child every month, beginning July 1
With Vermont’s unemployment rate below three percent and employers struggling to find workers, new and existing combined state and federal cash benefits total about $52,000/year.
Paying Vermonters $1300/year to stay sober
Alcohol addiction is part of the dark underbelly of Vermont’s largely rural lifestyle. According to several studies, Vermonters are more likely to drink alcohol and binge drink than residents of most other U.S. states.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Thu, May 27
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
Senate votes 20-10 to register construction contractors
H157, registering construction contractors, passed the Vermont Senate 20-10 on May 21.
Fed transportation bill delivers $1.4 bil to VT
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, which today passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee, will include nearly $1.4 billion for Vermont’s roads, bridges, and transit systems, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced.
Trending in Vermont schools: choice lawsuits, vaccination, Critical Race Theory, school cops, expulsions, etc.
Today, Bill Sayre and I will discuss news about Vermont education on Common Sense Radio at 11 am on WDEV. You are encouraged to call in (244-1777, 244-1776) and ask questions/express opinions. Here are a few hot trends we’ll discuss.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Wed, May 26
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
Fatal fire in Corinth
A 21-year-old man died in a residential fire in Corinth Tuesday, May 25.
Supreme Court stops gun seizure in homes
The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously for a Rhode Island man after police responding to a domestic disturbance took guns from his home without a warrant — a violation of the man’s Fourth Amendment rights, the justices ruled.
Levine unaware of CDC report of 8 vaccine-related Vermont deaths
Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Tuesday he was unaware the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website shows eight Vermonters have died as a Covid-19 vaccinations.
Two die in Sharon I-89 crash
Gail Parent, 60, and Victor Parent, 94 of Northfield died May 25 of injuries sustained in a two-car crash on I-89 in Sharon.
Keelan: media covers defunding police, but not their ultimate sacrifice
n May 10, closer to home in Pittsford, a memorial ceremony was held at the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Academy. The annual event remembered and rendered respect to the 40 Vermont law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in the past 213 years.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Tue, May 25
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
No fetal tissue experiments at UVMMC, spox says
Last Thursday Vermont Right to Life Executive Director Mary Beerworth asked the trustees of the University of Vermont Medical Center to disclose whether it conducts research on aborted fetuses or fetal tissue. Yesterday, a spokesman for the state’s largest hospital and employer denied any such research.
No Critical Race Theory curriculum here, Essex superintendent claims
Just two weeks after the Essex diversity director called Critical Race Theory (CRT) an “important aspect” of its equity and inclusion program, the school superintendent denied it the district has a CRT curriculum. However, an analysis of the school budget suggests otherwise.
Windham, NH vote tabulator company also serves Vermont
LHS, the vote tabulator provider now under scrutiny for apparent irregularities in Windham, New Hampshire, also provides tabulators for Vermont elections.
Economic development, broadband, UI relief pass Legislature; Cloud tax, Act 250 reform fail
The Legislature adjourned Friday after approving spending for tourism marketing, foreign trade, technology-based economic development, workforce development, and BIPOC business support.
71 citations issued yesterday at NY state line
The purpose of this detail was to promote safe and sober operation between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which is often referred to as the 100 deadliest days of summer, police said.
Evslin: we may need compulsory vaccination
Right now the unvaccinated are taking a risk with their own lives. Unfairly the final vaccine holdouts will be parasites on the partial herd immunity achieved by the rest of us getting vaccinated and will be danger to those who can’t get vaccinated or have weak immune systems and provide a breeding ground for new variants which could be vaccine resistant. We may still need to make vaccination compulsory.
Police seek more video of State House assault
Montpelier police are asking anyone with cellphone video of the May 15 assault on Vermont Liberty supporters Karen Skau or Shona Reiter to contact them.
Use your parking brake, or else….
The vehicle had a manual transmission and the operator had not set the parking brake. He was unable to reach the brakes in time to stop the car from rolling into the river.
Legislature passes $7.35 bil budget, adjourns
The Vermont legislature completed the 2021 session on Friday, May 21. It passed a $7.35 billion budget and Governor Phil Scott offered the traditional closing message.
Toddler dies when struck by car
A two-year-old died Sunday evening after being accidentally struck by a car in Enosburg.
Septic truck thief found in church
At about 6:37 pm Friday, May 21, the Vermont State Police received a report of a stolen Silloway Septic Truck from a location on East Randolph Road in Chelsea, Orange County. Police say an investigation located the vehicle in East Randolph and developed probable cause to arrest Kevin Bent, 32, on suspicion of using the vehicle without consent of the owner.
No K-12 mandatory vax, Scott says
It’s unlikely Vermont public schools will require Covid-19 vaccination of students this fall, Gov. Phil Scott said at his press conference yesterday Friday May 21.
HR1 would give feds control over state elections
Voters don’t need a larger federal government lusting for power by subverting our Constitution and undermining state election oversight. Local election officials take pride in the current process and work closely with state legislatures protecting election security and voter rights. Democrats thrive on power grabbing; don’t let them.
Media cancels history of East Jerusalem
The incendiary conflict between Arab and Jew inside the resurrected walls of The Eternal City cannot be understood without acknowledging East Jerusalem’s modern historic origin
Vermont Liberty supporter beaten, pepper-sprayed after State House rally
A Poultney woman says she was struck in the face with an open hand twice, struck again in the face with a stolen folded political sign, and then pepper sprayed after the Vermont Liberty rally at the Vermont State House Saturday.
House cherry-picks Covid racial data
Yes, black Vermonters are more likely to contract Covid, but nearly half as likely as whites to die from Covid if they do.
Bear causes car wreck, injury
A Derby woman was involved in a single-vehicle crash caused by a bear on Monday.
Baseball & Reconciliation
There was a lump in my throat as I sat in the stands at the Recreation Field when I saw this elderly, slightly overweight man, stroll, with a slight shuffle, to the mound with a borrowed glove on his left hand and toss the ball from the pitcher’s mound to the Mountaineer’s catcher. It was apparent that he no longer had a blazing, big-league fastball, but his pitch, slightly wobbly and off center, did reach the catcher mitt on the fly and was softly embraced. And I instantly thought back to memorable and poignant times of decades ago, when I sat transfixed, watching this ace take on my beloved Dodgers.
Bucknam: If Republicans are ‘nervous,’ why is left frantically stifling dissent?
On May 9, Kevin Ellis wrote an open letter to Republicans in VTDigger. His commentary echoes Leftists’ blinkered view of Republicans, and more disturbingly, their dystopian view of our Republic.
Scott vetoes bill raising age of ‘youthful offender’
On May 20, Governor Phil Scott vetoed a bill that raises from age 19 to 20 the age of public accountability for crimes.
Ingalls: Opioid abuse, not racism, is Vermont’s public health emergency
And as for some of the findings in this Joint Resolution, the fact that 241 of the 251 deaths due to COVID19, for which race and ethnicity are known, 96% are white, non-Hispanic people. According to the US Government Census, Vermont is 94.2% White. So it does not appear that any population disportionately has seen deaths because of systematic Racism.
Vaccine passport ban introduced
A bill to ban vaccine passports has been introduced into the Vermont House of Representatives.
Scientists avoid ‘awkward’ Wuihan question
Investigative reporter Nicholas Wade claims the virology community and the mainstream media failed to raise awkward questions about the official stories of COVID’s origins.
Spiny Softshell Turtles recovering
Many anglers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts along the shore of Lake Champlain in Addison County, Vermont, and elsewhere, may not be familiar with the Spiny Softshell turtle with its melodious Latin scientific name Apalone spinifera.













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