Transgender “women” athletes (teenage boys or men) have been raising concerns for female students and parents with regards to girls’ safety from them.
Warner: Hartford HS still pushing trans agenda
Letters: Peyton on geoengineering tax resistance
Smith on Parental Rights and responsibilities; An open letter to Governor Scott regarding homelessness
New questions emerge in Congress about Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue
Concerns have been raised that Democrats might be using the platform to circumvent campaign finance laws, incl. VT Dem candidates.
Lawmakers look to expand unpaid time off
The bill would guarantee employees can take two weeks of unpaid time off from work after the death of a family member.
Soulia: What vaccine risk really means
Beyond the talking points
Murray: Building a stronger Vermont
For years, Montpelier’s answer to any problem has been more spending—paid for by Vermonters already stretched to the breaking point. Gov. Scott rejects that.
Silverstein: Low education outcomes by the numbers
Part 3 of a 3-part commentary.
The metrics of student learning (or lack thereof).
The legend of Boots Berry
The life and afterlife of Stowe’s tap-dancing ghost
Vermonter busted in Virgin Islands for death threats against Grand Isle prosecutor
Hoyte has a long history of making other threats to now retired Judge A. Gregory Rainville, former Attorney General T.J. Donovan and members of the Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, records show.
Vermont swiftwater rescue headed to Kentucky floods
The Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation is going to the Indivisible rally, invited or not.
VT Headlines: VT swiftwater rescue team heads to KY to aid with flood response
CVMC Support Staff Rallies in Barre; Vulnerable adult missing from Shelburne; Feds increasingly relying on Vermont’s prisons for immigration detention
McGuinness: House Health Care hears Outright Vermont youth leaders
Bills to expand health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care and to stockpile gender -affirming care drugs, H.55 and H.56, were introduced and referred to the Committee on Health Care but have not taken up this session.
Creemee Cast: “Fighting Oligarchy” in Vermont, with Alison Despathy
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is out touring the country on his ‘Tour to End Oligarchy,’ harvesting the energy, fury, and rage of unsuspecting supporters and college students, when instead (as Alison and I explain) their energy would be far better used taking action locally and engaging with the political process and system amongst their peers and communities.
Contact Vermont House & Senate members
Names, districts and email addresses of every Vermont legislator.
Vermont Foodbank seeks $5 million amid lost fed $$, reduced donations
Carrie Stahler emphasized the importance of ongoing base support due to reduced donations and federal resources, particularly highlighting previous support through S. 310 for food security in disaster planning.
Parents’ rights rally at State House April 9
Parental awareness is of the utmost importance, yet that is not being supported now. It is time for us to take action.
Top Israeli sources reveal U.S. about to bomb Iranian nuclear sites – report
Toddler, aged 3 or 4, ‘kicked out of nursery for being transphobic’; ‘No elections are being prepared’ – Zelensky ally; Germany to target ‘internal EU enemies’
Vermont history competition Saturday, April 5
Vermont Historical Society announces Vermont History Day, April 5
VT conservatives push for renewal of Trump’s tax cuts amid Left’s opposition
The groups face an uphill battle to convince Democrats, who hold most of the congressional seats in the New England region.
Detained pro-Hamas Turkish student routed through Vermont
Gov. Phil Scott’s “We should be ashamed” statement is at odds with a Homeland Security spokesperson’s claim that the arrest is “common sense security.”
Montpelier considers phone-free school
Montpelier HS Principal Jason Gingold will present a draft of a cell phone-free school day policy to the Montpelier-Roxbury School Board tonight, Wed., April 2.
VT Headlines: Hinesburg resident attacked by coyote
We are in a crisis situation,’ Vermont’s top health care regulator says; Concerns over tariffs have Vermonters worried about natural gas bills
Migrant Justice claims 2-3 ICE arrests per week, longer detention
The detainees are not gang members, as Vermont’s migrant population is not gang-connected, she said. Most of the detainees were arrested for failure to make court dates or otherwise comply with federal law and regulations.
Senate Clean Heat ‘soft repeal’ lacks votes, returned to committee
Senate Republicans showed they now have the swing to back a potential veto by Gov. Phil Scott of too-aggressive carbon reduction legislation.
Out-of-state drug dealer suspect charged with murder-for-hire/ Online child sex victim
A Hartford, CT man is charged with offering a confidential informant $10K to kill someone who had disrespected and stolen from him.
Government’s job to pick tax winners and losers, legislator says
Barre Rep. Wazazek: “The market picks winners and losers. And it’s the job of the Government to right size that. So yes we are picking winners and losers, because the market is already starting that dynamic for us, and it’s our job to make sure the right people are winning.”
New Yorkers, citizens of India charged in illegal entry into Vermont
Surveillance cameras later captured several individuals running toward the stopped vehicle in a gas station parking lot.
Shorts: Scott to speak to Norwich grads/Slow down for salamanders
Watch out for road-crossing salamanders.
KVS: Undercover informant brings down alleged fentanyl dealer
…All as a synthetic super-drug dominates police reports
VT Headlines: A third UVM administrator could be headed to Arizona
Some lifts reopen at Killington after weekend weather caused resort wide power outage; Vermont’s Spay Neuter Incentive Program faces financial struggles
Consuelo Northrop Bailey, first woman lieutenant governor in U.S.
Despite the fact that women would not win the right to vote until she was 19, Bailey pursued and succeeded in a career in law and politics.
Clean Heat Standard repeal on Senate floor this AM
The Senate also is expected to focus heavily on finalizing its stance on the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Adjustment Act (BAA), a contentious issue following Governor Phil Scott’s veto of an earlier version last week.
Roper: Special interests versus the Children
“Reform” is propping up a failing system, not fixing it.
CLG: French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen sentenced to jail for embezzlement
Trump threatens Zelensky with ‘big problems’; ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to Expand Ukraine War; Judge blocks Trump from firing Voice of America propagandists
Breaking: House to vote this morning on new homeless housing program
A new program to replace the state’s current emergency housing programs is up for a vote in the House this morning.
Silverstein: The cost and educational outcomes of public-school education in South Burlington
Another real-world example of how “equity” in Vermont is a word, not a societal reality.
Vermont pro-lifers join nationwide call to defund Planned Parenthood
Peaceful protests to de-fund Planned Parenthood are planned for Wednesday, April 2.
Bananas: Vermont declares April 1 National Tesla Vandals Day
National Tesla Vandals Day won out over other popular suggestions like National Tesla Vandals Visibility Day and National Nazi Logo-A-Tesla Day.
Soulia: When good intentions backfire
The revisited hidden costs of Vermont’s Plastic Bag Ban, and how this hurts Vermont’s environment.
If Congress cuts funding, 10 Vermont legislators take the wheel
If federal cuts exceed 1% of the current budget, the Joint Fiscal Committee will execute a spending reduction and transfer plan.
SHORTS: Price Chopper truck carrying 20,000 pounds of food crashes in Irasburg
Supermarket truck crashes. Indivisible plans big April 5 rallies.
CBP cites security concerns, defends Haskell access changes
Restricting access to the Haskell Free Library has sparked concern in communities on both sides of the international boundary.
Changes in federal funding for healthcare to impact vaccine funding, other health services
Vermont faces $7M in federal healthcare cuts as HHS reprioritizes funding under new administration
VT Headlines: Teenager seriously injured in hit-and-run crash in St. Albans
Spring ice storm strikes Vermont leaving thousands without power; Electric co-op turning to AI to weatherize grid against future storms
Farmer-led project gets grant to recycle agricultural plastics
Guy Crosby collects plastic waste from farms and brings them to a landfill in New Hampshire, where they are compacted into a bale.
Pickup truck strikes school bus with passengers
The 31-year-old driver of the pickup truck was traveling north when he experienced a suspected medical event.
Harrison: Guv checkmates Legislature
House passes stormwater revision, ’26 budget, yield bill, and housing and data privacy bills.
Silverstein: School data shows more spending, worse results
Part 1 of a 3-part commentary
POW escapee Nahum Baker’s odyssey
1,600 miles as a prisoner of war and escapee across a collapsing Confederacy
Friday at Four: Scott breaks homeless hotel logjam (or tries to)
Sometimes the Breaking News is the best.
Failure to continue Trump tax cuts would cost average VT family $2000+, AFP says
‘My warning to everybody who is thinking about letting these tax cuts fade into history: if you hit households who are already struggling to make ends meet with an unexpected loss of household income, you are going to be in for a whirlwind of a surprise when 2026 comes around,” Roper said.
Kauffman: From State House Room 11 to the usurpation of parental rights
March 13th wasn’t just about free speech. It was a demonstration of the current State control of winners and losers. The protected and unprotected under Article 22 .
Children Health Defense prez, National Guard general coming to State House
The president of a medical freedom advocacy group is coming to the State House next month. So is the leader of the Vermont National Guard.
Education Secretary says teacher pay discrepancy a problem and larger districts would help
“In that modeling you will see there’s potential for pay raises from $5,000 up to $20,000 for teachers across the state,” she said.
Alerts to crime victims in Vermont are full of flaws
For one woman, an “unbelievable gap” led to life-altering danger.
VT Headlines: Protest outside VA hospital on Veterans’ behalf
Fires at School for International Training in Brattleboro displace dozens, officials say; Bill Calfee: Amazon’s expansion threatens Vermont’s small businesses
North Troy man accused of drug/firearms violations destroyed seven police cars in 2012
A decade plus earlier, Pion was in the news for running over multiple police cruisers with a tractor and then driving away without a chase.
Contractors provide much of services approved at Town Meeting
On the lower end of the scale, Andover’s budget is a relatively small $1.24 million, while South Burlington’s comes in at a much larger $55.8 million.
“Bills Lumber,” the movie, at Dutton Gym
“Bills Lumber,” is a 45-minute documentary about the last days of the Bills family’s beloved 86-year-old sawmill in Wardsboro, Vermont.
No adjournment without school reform, Scott tells House
The Burlington charter change banning guns in bars, S.131, got an initial run-through in Senate Government Operations today
Secretary of State condemns Trump order for voter ID
“I think it’s something that Vermont could consider,” Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) said. “Certainly other states are.”
With Sen. Vyhovsky in Europe, vote on Clean Heat repeal delayed
Tanya is a left-wing State Senator in Vermont, a strong advocate for Ukraine, for democracy and for workers’ struggles,” wrote The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign on X in announcing Vyhovsky’s visit.
VT Headlines: British consul visits Burlington
VT Coyotes announce Jose Ortiz as first player in franchise history; Arlington Arts Day returns; Partial solar eclipse Saturday morning
Roper: Treasurer’s report: “Cap & Invest” Program on Fossil Fuels requires 80¢/gal gas tax to meet GWSA mandates
Low-income, rural Vermonters hit hardest; no safety net program possible.
KVS: State trooper honored with Carnegie Medal for saving girl from icy pond
According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, the medal recognizes people who risk serious injury or death in extraordinary acts to save others.
CLG: U.S. appears to be significantly increasing its military presence in the Middle East
4 American soldiers killed after they went missing on training mission in Lithuania; EU tells the public to hold 72 hours of emergency supplies
Geoengineering ban discussed in House Environment Committee
The bill specifically includes language on cloud seeding because as Representative Gregg Burt (R-Cabot) stated, Vermont doesn’t need more rain.
Soulia: Why don’t we move the state capitol to Burlington?
Until balance is restored, the Capitol may still be in Montpelier — but increasingly, Vermont’s future is being written somewhere else.
Lawmaker and former Teacher of the Year says special needs students make large class sizes difficult
Rep. Beth Quimby, R-Lyndon, suggested that where there are many special needs students in a classroom, there can sometimes be help.
Marcotte: When Vermont accepted “not one red cent!” of federal disaster $$
I know some will say times are different, the challenges are greater. But is it just that we are different?
Vermont Gas pipeline, completed in 2017, applies for permit
A public hearing will be held Thursday for a Certificate of Public Good permit for a natural gas pipeline completed in 2017.
Homeless have died at higher rate in hotel/motel program, Scott official says
“If we saw this many deaths in any other program, there would be a desire for change,” Samuelson said.
Senate, amid fire scare, passes Medicaid for midwives, Office of New Americans
The Senate approved Medicaid coverage for doula (midwives) and provided a refund for the fee to take a driver’s test, under certain conditions. These bills and others now go to the House.
Church declares itself an immigration sanctuary
Church officials claim immigration enforcement equates to hate and “othering.”
VT Headlines: VT Senate bill would prevent cities and towns from banning face masks
Developers strained by high interest rates, tariffs, and construction costs; Champlain Valley Athletic Conference reveals all-stars for high school basketball
Real-life ‘Homeward Bound’ trio looking for one, new home
Reed the cat was unhappy until reunited with his two traveling companions.
Four Massachusetts ‘youthful offenders’ arrested after police raid in Montpelier
Two of the youthful offenders were 15 years of age, one was 17 years of age, and one was 18 years of age.
Letters: Pratt on demonic energy, Fireovid on housing
Mazur: Is it fair to force current residents to subsidize new residents?: Pratt: Government in businesses’ pockets
Big bail set for NEK, out-of-state drug dealer suspects
The arrests stem from a six-month-long investigation led by Officer Daniel Renaudette into drug trafficking activity along the VT Route 122 corridor.
ACLU defends First Amendment rights of Hamas activist – lively discussion ensues
“People that are gonna be watching this and hearing about this, could be taken as supporting a terrorist organization,” Rep. Zachary Harvey warned.
Serial offender Reynolds won’t stand trial
Court documents indicate that his attorney is currently working on securing him a placement at the Brattleboro Retreat, a short-term mental health facility.
Keelan: Will we be losing our high school?
Education spending is at a breaking point for many Vermont real estate taxpayers. And the Legislature just passes the buck yet again.
Border patrol officials say they still need help controlling the northern border
As southern border crossings plummet, northern border patrol direct hiring for help
DPS Commissioner: Public safety in Vermont requires rebalancing priorities
One common concern unites Vermont’s challenges: the need to ensure the safety of our communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, and personal property.
Roper: Who is using the Motel Voucher Program?
Are progressive policies creating homeless, or attracting them?
Trio of online privacy bills see mixed success in Legislature
The bills focus on age-appropriate design, more guards on consumer data and stricter regulations for data brokers.
VT Headlines: Libraries’, forestry projects’ futures uncertain due to Federal funding freeze
Burlington interim police Chief Shawn Burke begins new role; Adolescent psychiatric unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center gets green light
Dame: Four Democrats choose activism over responsibility
One Democrat might be an outlier, two could be a coincidence, but four elected Democrats shirking their duties demonstrates an alarming pattern.
Vermont Church at Prison leader authors memoir, “Don’t Burn My House Down”
Fiske’s book/teaching tool “Don’t Burn My House Down,” details Pastor Pete’s life work in prison ministry, his calling to do God’s work.
Sen. Welch, Heritage Foundation, others respond to the disbanding of US Department of Education
Since the Department’s adoption in 1979, overall spending per student when accounting for inflation has more than doubled, without positive results.
Bill muzzling medical ‘truth’ passes Senate, now in House
What’s medically true would be decided by the Vermont Attorney General.
In Committee: School reform, budgets, geoengineering, masks in schools
Quick, brief overview of bills and topics under review this week by Vermont Legislature committees.
Bernie Sanders tries to leave ABC interview after question about AOC running for Schumer seat
SANDERS: No, you want to do nonsense. Do nonsense.
Authorities raid home, charge Concord couple with Child and Animal Cruelty
“It was an awful, ugly, nasty situation,” said Sharon Eaton, director of Riverside Animal Rescue.
Hafner: Microdwellings may provide relief to homelessness pandemic
Settings that already provide homeless housing might easily welcome 1-5 micro dwelling units in nearby empty parking lots.
Despathy: Senate Health Care Muzzle Bill censors everyone’s speech, not just pregnancy resource centers
A 2023 law just muzzled pregnancy resource centers. This year’s ‘improved’ version muzzles everyone.
Pownal mother headed to criminal court after school gun case
Crystal Mahar, 34, whose child brought a handgun to the town elementary school last week, is charged with negligent storage of a firearm.
VT Headlines: Williston bioscience business bristles as research grants threatened
Middlebury women’s ice hockey secures second straight trip to NCAA semifinals; Sugarhouses opened doors for annual Maple Open House Weekend
Teachers gather to learn new approaches to Holocaust education
About 50 teachers recently convened to participate in the Sixth Annual Vermont Holocaust Memorial (VTHM) Educators Workshop in Montpelier.
Police say woman threatened to kill Lamoille deputy sheriff
Masson-Monteith reportedly threatened to shoot and kill Sgt. Jason Perry, 42, of the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, State Police said.
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