Essex Westford School District was notified and requested to advise families and students to avoid the area while the scene was processed. The accident scene was blocked off from public view by black screens.
Train collision victim ID’d
VT Headlines: Rutland teachers union votes to ratify new contract with city school district
Wild lake trout populations have rebounded in Lake Champlain. But scientists don’t know why; 120-mile kayak trip across Lake Champlain to benefit athletes with disabilities
CLG: Biden officials hid deadly health risks of COVID vaccines, bombshell Congressional report reveals
U.S. launches doomsday Minuteman III nuclear-capable missile in dramatic show of force; Senate votes unanimously to eliminate federal taxes on tips
Most fentanyl and terrorists enter through northern border, FBI Director Patel says
The majority of illegal border crossers were reported in New York, Washington and Vermont, The Center Square reported. In addition to arresting human traffickers and violent criminals, U.S. authorities have arrested alleged Islamic terrorists, including an Iranian with terrorist ties living in Canada and a Canadian woman who tried to poison President Donald Trump, The Center Square reported.
Soulia: Is 600,000 too small to count?
In a recently released open letter to Governor Phil Scott, health educator and Vermont Stands Up director Amy Hornblass raises a stark question: why has Vermont’s Department of Health not investigated the state’s persistent surge in excess deaths since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions?
Feds DOGE $4 million earmarked for City of Montpelier
The city was notified that $2.5 million for water main replacement and $1.5 million to elevate a 20-unit building on Elm Street damaged by 2023 floodwaters will not be funded.
Chittenden: School funding reform must balance freedom and unity
This bill would drastically shift the balance in our education system away from Freedom (local control) towards Unity (centralized state oversight) in ways I fundamentally do not support.
Report: VT fentanyl deaths drop 22%
While fatal overdoses involving fentanyl decreased by 25% between 2022 and 2024, fentanyl continues to be the number one substance involved in opioid-related deaths, accounting for 93% of opioid fatalities in 2024.
Breaking: Scott vows veto of Burlington gun ban
Phil Scott waves his veto pen over two bills still in the Legislature.
Vermont seniors poorer but healthy
Poverty increased 57% from 6.1% to 9.6% of adults age 65 and older between 2019 and 2023.
Person struck, killed by train in Essex Junction
Details are sketchy, but police report a person died in a Wednesday morning collision with a train in Essex Junction.
Bean: Mad River devastation and the growing geoengineering dilemma
In conversation over the weekend many Vermonters pointed out that it seems to be rainy every single Saturday! While this may seem like a classic complaint during mid-May, this recent flood in the Mad River Valley certainly triggers memories of floods in Vermont in recent years.
VT Headlines: One person hit and killed by train in Essex Junction, police say
Public meeting to discuss VT’s environmental protection rules this Thursday; Susan Stock: Proposed SNAP cuts would hit Vermont hard; Can U.S. residents get vaccines in Canada: Experts say yes, but at a cost
Mills: A new IEA report and the Iberian Blackout end dreams of an ‘energy transition’
Systems that can deliver reliable power at the scales necessary for robust growth remain anchored in precisely the fuels the transitionists want to abandon.
SCOTUS restores Rep. Laurel Libby’s floor privileges, enjoins Maine Dems’ censure of her
Late last month, Rep. Libby filed an emergency petition to the United States Supreme Court, asking for their intervention in her lawsuit against Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) over the fallout from her party-line censure earlier this year that stripped her of her rights to speak on the floor or vote in the legislature.
CLG: Trump says U.S. close to a nuclear deal with Iran
Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bone; Trump accuses Biden’s advisors of treason; Israel may strike Iranian nuclear facilities
McGuinness: S.28 legalizes modern-day equivalent of coat hanger abortions
Vermonters were told passage of Article 22 would keep abortion rare, safe, and legal, yet this new law opens the floodgates to unsupervised chemical abortions, making them common and dangerous, yet still legal.
Legislators preview enviro bills for next year
A House committee recently heard the introduction of seven new bills covering five topics legislators hope to tackle.
VT CO2 emissions down 20%, but it’s still not enough
State misses emissions goal, despite fossil fuel use and pollution reduction, report says. Lawmakers earlier this month listened to the report.
Roper: Unpaid Leave Bill comes with a cost
Another unnecessary hit to small businesses.
Keelan: A college education — How it has changed
What has happened in the last two or three decades that has put college operations on the front page?
House OKS lifting ban on switchblades
Repealing the switchblade ban has long been the goal of Sen. Pat Brennan (R-Colchester/Grand Isle), who introduced (unsuccessfully) similar legislation as a member of the House of Representatives.
Climate Superfund repeal introduced
Democrat leaders of the energy and environment committees this year have declined to consider other climate change repeal legislation.
VT Headlines: Hazardous materials spill closes Williston roadway for five hours
Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia; Fewer Vermonters are dying from opioid overdoses, mirroring national trends
Letters: Edmunds on surviving a system of advocacy
Pratt on “The Trillionaires Are Coming,” and Jablow on banning hounding.
Livingston: Government corruption is educating future generations
Forget textbooks. The actual civics lesson kids are absorbing is that accountability is for the weak. That truth is optional. That the loudest person wins. This isn’t some abstract worry—it’s cultural conditioning.
Bossange: Speak out before it’s too late
Trump’s MAGA Party took over the entire Republican Party and enforced internal party discipline by using political threats and intimidation to stamp out all dissent
Update: Smugglers Notch stuckage driver ticketed, company fined $2347
Boima claimed he saw a sign telling him he could drive through.
Shorts: cybersleuth honored, new UVM clinic, tree sex mystery
Though the trees can reproduce asexually, scientists still don’t understand why the male satiny willows are so scarce.
VT school sidelines fire-prone electric school buses
The Huntsville, Ontario school bus built by Lion Electric of Quebec was packed with students when the driver began to notice problems. He ordered the kids off the bus.
Education, housing reform bills unresolved
But even among supporters, there is an acknowledgment that much of the proposal includes placeholder language likely to require substantial revision—either in a forthcoming Committee of Conference or in future legislative sessions.
Three-time Bradford felon facing murder charge for missing friend
James D. Nickles Jr., 42, is now facing a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Corey Crooker, 43, of Bradford, according to records in Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea. Judge Daniel Richardson also found probable cause for a felony charge of unauthorized removal and disposal of a body without a state permit and with a misdemeanor count of false information to Vermont State Police.
Burlington gun ban bill now in House
S.131 and the end of Dillon’s Rule? Burlington gun ban tests Vermont’s Constitution and State authority
VT Headlines: Severe storms leave several roads washed out, rivers rising in Vermont & New York Saturday
‘Let’s get back to work’: Greensboro grapples with vote against affordable housing project; Former AHS Secretary Mike Smith shares plans for reviewing UVM Health Network costs; Middlebury women’s lacrosse punches ticket to NCAA semifinal
Kinsley: YIMBY, not NIMBY
We have become better at stopping things from being built than actually building them. Klein contrasted this with China, a country that seems to have an insatiable appetite for building things and the political will to make it happen.
Fireovid: HHS says puberty blockers high-risk, low benefit
This comprehensive review prioritizes evidence-based medicine and questions the treatment of minors with irreversible medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.
Rodgers: Tilting at windmills won’t get the hay in the barn
It’s time we refocus our efforts on the issues that matter most to Vermonters. Let’s prioritize practical solutions over costly legal battles. Humility and hard work, not hubris and fantasy. The farmer’s way. The Vermont way.
The Vermont Podcast: Guv pauses EV mandate/ hidden comms in Chinese solar products/ Ben & Jerry’s & childhood obesity
Ben Cohen dished out obesity-inducing ice cream for decades. Now he’s worried about Medicaid funding.
Barre Legion Auxiliary offers All-Veterans dinner
All veterans dine free!
Roper: From ‘Net Zero’ to just zero
Cause of death in every case: a lethal collision with reality.
Bradford man says he killed friend
Detective Sgt. Lyle Decker spoke to a confidential informant (CI) that said he learned “Nickles shot Crooker with 2 shots to the head and a shotgun blast to the chest. The CI said they burned the body and decapitated Crooker’s head,” Merriam wrote.
Communication devices hidden in Chinese solar inverters could trigger blackouts
Experts, including the former Director of the National Security Agency, warn that these devices could be used to bypass cybersecurity protections, remotely manipulate grid-connected equipment, and potentially trigger blackouts across parts of the country.
Soulia: Why won’t DCF disclose who’s using the system?
Department refuses to release even anonymized data about where recipients came from — or if they’re from Vermont at all.
Ben Cohen exercises Heckler’s Veto, removed from Congressional hearing
This disruption by Ben Cohen and others at the hearing is yet another example of what some are calling a ‘Heckler’s Veto’ – also exercised bytrans activists at a State House seminar in March.
Medical debt relief bill sends wrong signals, Scott says – but still signs it
Medical debt payment by taxpayers sets risky precedent and disincentives repayment, guv warns.
VT Headlines: Family related to Winooski Superintendent self-deports following notice from ICE
US Department of Justice ends 3-year racial discrimination settlement early at Twin Valley Middle-High School; Federal judge in Vermont hears conditions for formerly detained Tufts students’ release
How tariffs could hurt or help Vermont agriculture
The state’s agriculture industries are paying close attention to prices on products they use.
Lake Champlain shipwreck program to expand access to non-divers
Yellow buoys mark the wrecks’ locations, and divers can follow their lines down to submerged signage identifying each.
CLG: Secret Service probing ex-FBI chief James Comey for allegedly threatening Trump
U.S., China strike deal after extensive talks in Switzerland as Trump official touts ‘resolving’ ongoing trade war; Trump to sign executive order to reduce cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals up to 80%
Cubans plead guilty to illegal entry
U.S. Border Patrol received an image of two individuals walking south from the Canadian border near Mud Creek on May 8.
VT Headlines: NTSB releases report on Mount Equinox plane crash
Vermont City Marathoner prepares for last leg of her training; Vermont Supreme Court holds Vorsteveld farm in contempt, clouding farm’s expansion bid
Feds confirm Youngblut shot, killed Maland
Maland was fatally shot and a federal investigation is underway after a vehicle stop on Interstate 91 escalated into a deadly exchange of gunfire near the U.S.-Canada border on Monday, January 20.
Video: Gov. Phil Scott explains why he’s vetoed fewer bills this year
Somewhat paradoxically, having an effective veto means he has less reason to veto. “They have to come to the table,” he said.
Klar: Native Americans take on Wokism
The public battle over the name “Massapequa Chiefs”
Deal: Vermont National Security Consortium needed
Maybe it takes a flatlander like me to say: you may not always feel it, but Vermont is one of the best examples of such values and bipartisanship in the nation.
Accused killers from MA face federal drug charges
Fabrice “Savage” Rumama, 21, and Samuel “Smitty” Niyonsenga, 19, are charged with knowingly and intentionally conspiring with others to distribute crack cocaine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl between September and October 2024 in Vermont and elsewhere.
Thayer: Trump ’47 makes progress on education, energy, tax/tariff
Trump is doing everything that he and his Vice President JD Vance campaigned on to win back the White House from the disastrous former President, Joe Biden. He is knocking down Biden’s policies and getting rid of the deep state and lack of due diligence from the five prior Presidents.
North Country Hospital nurses celebrate and receive awards
This year’s awardees are Katrina Bennett, RN for Commitment to Quality, Jennnifer Lavelle, RN for Commitment to Professional Growth, Lucy Carpenter, LPN for Commitment to Customer Service, and Bruce Muir, RN for Commitment to Community.
Livingston: Trump’s tariff chess
A game-theory breakdown for the NDD (Narrative Dependency Disorder–Points to reliance on media narratives as a substitute for analysis) afflicted
Klar: Catholic funding by government in the political crosshairs
If funding Catholic charities that harbor illegal immigrants is acceptable, funding Catholic schools that prepare citizens for success should be a no-brainer.
VT Headlines: Is Vermont’s electrical grid safe from hackers?
Rutland teachers’ union, school board reach deal, preventing strike; Several farmworkers detained in Vermont to have bond hearing this week; Vermont welcomes 20 new American citizens
BC/BS premiums proposed to rise 23% for individuals, 14% for groups
Proposed double-digit health care premium increases could be even larger if a current federal tax credit expires, according to a statement released by the Green Mountain Care Board, the State of Vermont’s health insurance regulator.
Gassett: Vermont’s law violations and overspending have consequences
As AG Clark and her Vermont lawyer followers publicly rallied to protest, they showed their opposition to Vermont’s responsibility to adhere to our US Constitution. This action by a US State Attorney General and more than 300 licensed lawyers defies logic, and common sense.
Vermont Granite Museum asks local taxpayers for support
Voters will decide whether to provide $15,000
How local towns are handling the emerald ash borer
The bugs have been spotted in 96 out of Vermont’s 247 municipal areas, the state says
Senate sends prison parenting bill to governor
Under the bill, fathers in prison would be able to take parenting classes, visit with their children in a child-friendly space and talk to them via free video calls.
Soulia: H.91: The homelessness overhaul no one is sure about
In theory, it’s about moving decision-making closer to the ground. In practice, it’s raising serious questions — from whether local agencies are ready, to whether the state is gambling with programs that are already working.
Bill with safe injection site $$, Muzzle bill become law
The Muzzle Bill is now law.
BREAKING: Scott shifts EV mandate into neutral
Democrats leaders in the State House grudgingly accepted a pit stop in the race to zero emissions, but only for trucks.
University of Vermont plans to pay “handful” of student athletes
UVM can’t confirm the names of the students, the amounts they will be paid, how many students will be paid, nor the sports they will play.
Senate accepts $22 mil cut, OKs General Fund budget
A significant part of the $21.6 million total spending reduction comes from a $19 million shift in Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) funds.
House approves pro-union bill over GOP objections
$1.5 million in added funding for this session of the Legislature is for 1) two added weeks, probably running through May, 2) a veto session in June, if needed, and 3) a late summer/fall session to address catastrophic federal spending cuts, if needed.
Fireovid: Exposing Vermont educators
Incl. is a clip from a Zoom meeting where Vermont educators are encouraged to hire based on race and gender, rather than merit.
Legislature OKs $112 mil capital spending on state office buildings, prisons, historic sites and more
Senate and House have agreed to capital investments for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, authorizing a total of $111,965,288.
VT Headlines: Clergy-abuse survivors share stories as Burlington Diocese declares bankruptcy
Vermont fire crews rescue motorist who drove into pond; Addison County state’s attorney DUI case in court as trial date considered; Helicopter makes controlled landing in Williston
Roper: Bernie and the privileged political class
A teachable moment (for others, not Bernie, who will never learn).
Klar: Public school gaslights community after disciplining student for conservative tee shirt
A Vermont superintendent and an attorney for a public school that prohibited a young student from wearing a shirt that states “There are only 2 genders” now claim the school did not discipline her, and that it has consistently “[done its] very best to protect free speech in schools.” These officials are using local media to gaslight the Vermont public and the school community. The school’s own emails reveal what actually occurred.
McGuinness: School reform bill supports government-run schools, not education
Our legislature and governor are acting on behalf of organizations that are involved in the education industry complex.
Racanelli: Protect voting, reject the SAVE Act
There’s a bill in Congress to make voting harder for EVERYONE
Senate committee cuts class size minimums from school reform
Changes to House bill praised by NEK school leader
Bernie says he’ll help Trump reduce prescription drug prices
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday (5/12) implementing a “Most Favored Nation” policy that aims to align U.S. prescription drug prices. Sen. Bernie Sanders immediately promised he would work with Trump to turn the EO into a law and challenged the president to get onboard when he introduces legislation.
Flannery: Trump’s China pause
President Trump’s well-oiled marketing operation was running full blast this morning with the announcement of a “historic” agreement between the U.S. and China to lower tariffs. In fact, the action only reverses some of the worst of the tariffs that President Trump himself imposed on business between the two countries earlier this year, and the reprieve is only for 90 days.
Letters: Brook on Dems’ Trump fixation/ Rowell on Califailure
Also, Jeb Smith on Saving Democracy: To be a minority attempting to overthrow the majority (such as protesting Trump, trying to work against him, or obstructing his will) is to oppose the majority, to oppose democracy and its rightfully elected candidate, President Trump.
Town road foreman charged with embezzlement
Authorities say Ashline used the card—intended solely for work-related expenses—to purchase gas for his personal vehicle, along with numerous other unauthorized items.
Ban cell phones in school? Legislature ponders, documentary says yes
The documentary highlights disturbing trends, including links between social media use and increased risk of fentanyl exposure, exploitation, and youth suicide.
Jericho church opens ‘second coming’ in East St. J
The Catalyst Church on Raceway in Jericho – a suburban town in Chittenden County – will open a sister church in the former Third Congregational Church at 1095 East US Route 2 in East St. Johnsbury, and will be known as the Catalyst Church on Route 2.
Study: most of U.S. sheltered homeless are asylum seekers
Three-quarters of that rise in sheltered homelessness occurred in four “sanctuary” areas representing just five percent of the population—New York City, Chicago, Denver, and Massachusetts (primarily suburban Boston).
Hartford hit with reappraisal sticker shocker
Hartford recently announced major construction is needed for the high school building after learning PCB levels are considered dangerous and in need of remediation, with no help coming from the state. A lawsuit against Monsanto may be the only thing available outside of increasing taxes.
VT Headlines: Rutland parents, students weigh in as teachers move to a possible strike
Essex Westford School District warns families of ongoing PowerSchool data threats; Northern New York Rep. Elise Stefanik discusses possible gubernatorial run in Ticonderoga
Colchester man denies stabbing murder of woman
The Howard Center allowed Compagna to be alone for up to 30 hours at a time and is considered “independent,” police said.
House, Senate shake on three biggest ‘money’ bills
The conference committee feuded over spending $700K to launch the Climate Superfund law, then grudgingly agreed to split the difference.
Father of three daughters slain, roommate charged
They said Mitchal Shedrick, 52, was a suspect in the slaying and by 10:30 p.m. Vermont State Police said they had arrested him on the second-degree murder charge.
Baker: How to get the right people elected
One of the readers and commenters of this great news outlet asked how do we “get someone out of office?” There are many things a single individual can do. It all counts. Do not let the devil convince you that your vote or opinion doesn’t matter. Do not hide behind that weak rhetoric.
Samets and Kanarick: Jewish identity is not a political tool
Using antisemitism as a political tool does not make Jews safer. It cheapens our suffering and casts doubt on our legitimate concerns. Worst of all, it gives antisemites a powerful talking point.
CLG: VT judge orders bail for Ozturk
U.S. District Judge William Sessions said at the end of the hearing that Ozturk raised “very substantial” and “very significant” claims of First Amendment and due process rights violations in her case.
Mahdawi praises Vermont support, says Trump administration ‘kidnapped’ him
Palestian anti-Israel activist claims he was ‘kidnapped’ by the Trump administration.
VT Headlines: Weekend flooding looms
High school, college teachers take action. Catholics weigh in on American pope. Big vote next week in Barre.
Woman murdered with ‘sharp edge,’ man arrested
Upon arrival a minute later, officers found a woman deceased inside the home. Authorities say she had been attacked with an object with a sharp edge.
Burlington, Montpelier, others get downtown dough
Installation of streetscape amenities along Main Street in Burlington include benches, bike racks, a bus shelter, and granite elevation indicators.
Peyton: Sad to see Vermont legislators take on the ‘White Christian Nationalists’
The initiative fell into the same trap we’ve seen repeated again and again: othering – casting Christian conservatives as the threat, and “tolerant liberals” as the solution.
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