Decker Towers Residents Plead for Help From the Burlington City Council; University of Vermont rebrands with new logo; NEK towns to vote on school closure
VT Headlines: Nikki Haley to campaign in Vermont
Stormwater regs will put county fairs out of business, Senate told
Stormwater permit compliance will cost up to $1 million per county fair. “You just can’t make that kind of money up at the fairground,” Folsom said.
Roper: So, it’s okay to poison the children now?
Or was the PCB scare just a scam that got out of control?
Letters: Democracy threatened, confusion, and a constant game of whack-a-mole
Our constitution is written to protect the rights of an individual. Building togetherness and mutual commitment is about respect for every individual, “thin skinned” or not.
LaMarche: In Burlington’s mayoral race, money talks loudest
In a few days, one will win. But in three years time, will you tolerate another fabricated pair?
Proposed NH legislation seeks to allow law enforcement to combat border crossings
Most migrants attempting to enter through Canada first travel from Mexico, the reason being that Canada does not require visas for entry.
‘Bank your vote,’ Dame urges Town Meeting voters
Moose hearings. Utility scams. Struggle over short-term rentals. Party chair urges GOP to “bank” Town Meeting votes.
Evslin: Three toxic phrases
“Progressive” buzz-phrases prove ever more Regressive.
Another Guthrie plays music in Killington, talks about family legacy
With their legacy in mind, Guthrie is making a name for himself as a performer and, as it says on his website, “(carving) his own initials in the family tree.”
Legislature passes school tax ‘fix’ – now what?
The situation was so dire that, the Campaign for Vermont reports, a Democratic state senator looking at a $3,000 property tax increase herself said the pre-H.850 property tax would “put people out of their homes.”
Retail theft, Act 250 ‘reform’ bills in House committees
A House bill now under committee review would make it much easier to charge a suspect with felony shoplifting – but would reduce the sentence.
Secrecy surrounds next federal judge in Vermont
Vermont’s diversity chief, the president of VPIRG, and a Planned Parenthood lawyer are on the selection team for the next U.S. federal judge.
VT Headlines: People gather for the 79th annual Stowe Derby
AT&T to reimburse customers after massive network outage; Catamount Arts’ plan to return; Vermonters hold candlelight vigil to commemorate 2 years since Russia invaded Ukraine
Stolen Mississippi gun recovered in Irasburg burglary bust
Paintball vandals. Barre man arrested for Bradford traffic disturbance. And border cops and state police collaborate on a bust.
Warner: Mid-Vermont girls team headed to championship despite legal battles
This a year after they made international headlines for taking a principled stand against playing a school boasting a biological male athlete, identifying as “trans”, standing nearly 6’3” tall.
Vermont doctors take to radio to describe risk of high-THC pot
Vermont doctors argue the risk to mental health if THC caps are eliminated. The marijuana industry claims keeping the current cap will be bad for business.
Huff: Local school boards “in a pickle”
Legislators became drunk on Federal Covid dollars and are desperate for the binge to continue leaving the hangover headache for constituents to deal with.
Stack: H.850 passes
Unfortunately, it leaves much uncertainty and looks like a real “Show Trial Killer”.
Harrison: Difficult choices
If seniors on social security are expected to get by with the 3.2% cost of living adjustment this year, our state government should be able to do the same.
Wealth taxes could prompt exodus of highly-mobile Vermonters
Is it even constitutional to tax unrealized capital gains?
Another teen arrested for murder in Vermont
A 15-year-old Maine native now living in Springfield, MA has been charged with felony second-degree murder for a shooting in St. Johnsbury.
Judge rules coyote hunting with dogs in public interest
In a case with ramifications for S.258, a judge has ruled in favor of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife coyote regulations.
I told you so, Scott says when signing ed financing fix bill
You can almost hear the governor saying “I told you so'” to the Legislature.
United Nations cited 18 times in House Environment and Energy Committee docs
A documents search of the Vermont Legislature website shows a strong U.N. advisory presence – especially in one key committee. And just what is a ‘polycrisis?’
On April 8, the sun will go dark
“We expect to see a large volume of visitors to the region in the days before, during and after the event. With this in mind, the Lake Champlain Chamber is encouraging cities, towns, and businesses in the region to plan accordingly.”
Video: Sportsmen oppose Fish & Wildlife Board changes
Opponents of S.258, reconfiguring the Fish & Wildlife Board, speak out in this VDC video of a Tuesday, February 20 State House gathering.
Bigfoot Vocalization in Orleans County?
A Bigfoot heard in Orleans County? You decide. NOT Satire. Because it’s Friday.
Letter: Some of the things I don’t understand, these days …
How Donald Trump could possibly get insurance deals by INFLATING the value of his properties?
Pelham: It’s okay to vote no on school budgets
Vote no on school budgets and deliver the message that the current entangled and costly system is not OK.
Birding to change the world
UVM’s Trish O’Kane on her new book and how birds saved her soul.
VT Headlines: Cannabis insiders look for solutions amid declining medical marijuana license rates
Out-of-bounds skier dies at Stowe; Addison County Bar members call for State’s Attorney Eva Vekos to resign; Burlington voters to weigh in on tax increase
Woman freed after serving four months for dragging, injuring police officer
A woman who dragged and injured a police officer with her car served four months after her sentence last November. Now she’s free.
Vermont committee mulling flood history disclosures for real estate sales
The lead sponsor of the bill says the legislation is important for residents in areas likely to suffer flooding in the future.
Dawson: Remote work in Vermont is here to stay
As the shift in working arrangements continues to reshape workers’ lives and the economy, Vermont looks likely to become a popular primary residence for many.
Bananas: The First Annual Crisis Actors Award Goes To…
Thanks to the real world results of these massive frauds the industry is finally recognizing its talent with the coveted Fony Award.
Jury rejects claims by paralyzed Okemo skier
The five men and five women on the jury cleared Okemo of any negligence.
Johnson: Is America a Christian country?
First of all, let me tell you: Joe Biden is as much as a Catholic as Elizabeth Warren is a Native American.
Woman found in woods died of strangling
The woman’s mother reported her missing. Hours later her body was found in woods in the small town of Washington.
Legislator bagged for DUI outside State House
The Bennington lawmaker won’t be contesting the charge, a spokesperson for House Democrats said.
Senate toughens hunting control bill morning after sportsmen gather at State House
The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee Wednesday has made a bill strongly opposed hunting advocates even more restrictive.
Vermont part of national cellphone outage
“We should know more within 12 hours,” a Verizon boilerplate message says about an inquiry into “potential network disruption” in Barre.
VT Headlines: AT&T customers report massive outage, disrupting phone service
Burlington mayoral candidates debate at UVM; Bill aims to establish cardiac emergency response plans in schools; Alex Smith: A hunter’s thoughts on S.258
Second-biggest baseload power plant faces Act 250 review today
Big power plant’s effort to recover heat loss gets a look by regulators. Cops banned for cellphone pix, voyeurism. Popular speakers join Supreme Court free speech case.
Sanders announces winners of fourteenth annual State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont Students
Sanders will host the finalists at the Vermont State House on Saturday, March 9 for a roundtable discussion about their essays
Dame, MAGA Vermonter discuss the Great Divide
Ley: “We failed when we support a Governor who refused to vote for the best president in recent history.” Dame: “I think the blame goes both ways – right? There’s plenty of Republicans Donald Trump refuses to support.”
Senator interrupts Family Alliance speaker twice – but tactic doesn’t work
A frustrated – or just rude – state senator interrupts the testimony of a Vermont Family Alliance advocate. See brief YouTube clip.
Wilson: Out of control spending proposed as funds dwindle
This all goes around our “Constitutional Law” by legislating in states along with the U.N.’s plans and not a word from “We the People”
DePino: Ghost gun bill is gun registration bill
Our organization and its membership have opposed UBCs specifically because it is a firearm registration scheme.
Vogel: UVM’s remarkable turnaround has improved life for Jewish students
From first in the nation to best in class
Freedom of religion frozen out of proposed constitutional amendment
Religious freedom an excuse to oppress transgender people, state policy analyst says.
VT Headlines: Federal investment in GlobalFoundries will see major upgrades at Essex plant
Ex-captain in Caledonia County Sheriff’s Department banned from police work in Vermont; Artificial intelligence used in Vt. dental practices
Pro-Life lobby day today
Pro-lifers will be coming to the State House to advocate for passage of: An act relating to crimes against an unborn child. (H.779 & S. 276)
Roper: Plastic bag ban backfires on environment
“The road to this plastic misfire was paved with green intentions—untempered by any serious cost-benefit analysis.”
Keelan: The media’s two Vermonts
The Vermont scenes, as depicted in Vermont Magazine and other tourist outlets, are being usurped, and our Legislative leaders need to stop their denial until the scourge is eradicated.
3-year-old on ventilator after ice fishing tragedy on Lake Memphremagog
A patch of thin ice was the scene of a family riding a side-by-side plunging into the icy waters of Lake Memphremagog Saturday.
Ehlers: House committee to vote on raising everyone’s electricity rates
The same influential lobby group that wants to remove local control from energy siting also wants ratepayers to pay more to fund the reconstruction of Vermont’s energy grid.
Legislature control over sheriffs, gender ID rights, “Climate Resilience Officer”and more discussed in Senate committees
Senate committees this week will ponder amending the Constitution to control sheriffs and make gender ID a protected civil right.
Legislature’s War on Age of Consent moves to child vaccination
The Legislature’s War on the Age of Consent is fought on the battlefields of schools, libraries, voting booths, and health clinics
Scott asks Biden for December flood relief $$
Mid-December flooding that produced some PTSD in flood-shocked Vermonters has elicited a request of federal disaster relief from Gov. Phil Scott.
Sibilia: The Consolidated Communications transition and the future of rural landlines in Vermont
Let’s work together to make sure all Vermonters, especially those in rural areas, have their voices heard in this process, ensuring a smooth transition for our communication services.
Klar: More cows needed to reverse climate change, experts say
Scientists are speaking up for beef.
VT Headlines: Road shut down for hours as crews put out Putney house fire
Feds Steer $1.5 Billion to GlobalFoundries’ Plants in Vermont, New York; Federal funding opportunities for Vermont library upgrades; Ranked-choice voting resurrected for mayoral race
Farmers’ Night Concert Series returns for the legislative session
This year’s circuit spotlights the diversity of performances as the Statehouse opens its doors to underrepresented cultures and groups in Vermont.
LaMarche: Lavish spending, lackluster results
Vermont’s K-12 system is broken.
Scott defends top health official over ‘safe injection’ sites
Gov. Phil Scott is disputing a civil liberties group’s claims that the state’s top health official illegally altered a report detailing how the state should spend opioid settlement money.
Bufka: Washington’s 1796 farewell address
There is much more wisdom to be found here. It is a powerful tonic just to follow his words, to drink in the clarity of his thought and vision.
Towns may postpone Town Meeting
A bill expected to pass the Legislature this week will allow towns to postpone Town Meeting in hopes of voting on reduced school spending.
Despathy: House committees ignore billion-dollar cost of Renewable Energy Standard – what is going on?
Two House committees punt on the billion-dollar price-tag of an energy bill rumored to be ‘the Speaker’s bill drafted by a renewable energy lobbying organization.
100% renewable power mandate, Wealth Tax, expanded socialized healthcare sought in House committees this week
Most bills need to be approved in their committee of jurisdiction by March 15 in order to be taken up for a full vote this year. Committees will be pushing hard until then.
Power struggle over trapping, coyote hunting peaks in Senate this week
S.258 would seize rule-making power from the Fish & Wildlife Board, expand the role of non-hunters, and prohibit coyote hunting with bait and dogs.
VT Headlines: Lawmakers ponder the future of medical-use dispensaries
RRMC earns first Blue Distinction Center for maternity care in Vermont; Renowned VT skier dies in avalanche; Milton Police acquire two new drones
CLG: Billionaire and former Epstein supporter has Vermont connection
Trump barred from operating business, ordered to pay over $350 million in NY civil fraud case; Biden appears to confuse NATO with Ukraine in calling for Congress members to pass funding bill
A teenager’s desperate search for a kidney donor
“It’s urgent, she needs a kidney now,” said family friend Jen Soderberg Straub. “They told her there was around four months [to find a kidney] back in October.”
Gorsline: In support of S.258
Contrary to what biologists at Vermont Fish & Wildlife, and some hunters may say, coyotes and other predators don’t explode in population if they’re not aggressively removed.
Armed illegal immigrant gets 10 months for scuffle with U.S. Border Patrol
In addition to a shotgun, law enforcement said they also found methamphetamine, brass knuckles, a knife and ammunition, including a 30-round AR-15 magazine and 103 rounds for the shotgun. Open beer cans also were found in the Jeep.
Breaking: Dangerous dude busted by SWAT team in Montpelier
Montpelier Police tried unsuccessfully to get Sicely to surrender during the day. Later the State Police Crisis Negotiators also made a try, but he still refused to budge. State Police eventually deployed a form of tear gas and Sicely surrendered.
“I will not go gentle into that good night”
Lately I am realizing that the “you” in “we need you more than ever” is a plural that refers to our whole team – me, my indispensable copy editor Tim Page, reporter Mike Bielawski, and social media director Paul Bean – as well as the score of other regular contributors.
Mandatory local option tax proposed
A new House bill takes the option out of the local option tax.
Bradley: Salisbury fish hatchery cannot be closed
Closing the Salisbury fish hatchery is a budget cut that will have disastrous effects for fishing in Vermont.
Avian Flu crosses species, kills Vermont bobcat
A Vermont mammal has died of the highly pathogenic avian flu.
Checkback on Clean Heat Standard slams 2025 deadline
The Public Utilities Commission ‘checkback’ report resisted by climate hawk supporters of the Clean Heat Standard has been issued – and it’s not good news for them.
Government-supported Front Porch Forum accused of more censorship
A woman who says she was banned from the local social media website Front Porch Forum is voicing her concerns over alleged censorship and political bias.
Solutions to public safety dispatch, unemployment computer woes years away
Public safety dispatch upgrade planning: two years. Unemployment insurance computer: four years away.
Balsamic: A menace unburied
A subterranean community of homeless addicts is causing sinkholes in Burlington
VT Headlines: Jenna’s Promise remembers and honors the inspiration behind their organization
Summit focuses on outside solutions to Burlington crime; North Hero Great Ice Fest kicks off’ What you need to know about the 2024 presidential primaries in VT
Warner: I’m running for Selectboard
Among the many issues connected to the board are complaints from former members of bigotry and racism while townsfolk have complained of incompetence and social justice activism from members violating the stated charter function.
Feds plan to reduce nicotine in cigarettes
With smoking still the largest preventable cause of death in the U.S., the feds want to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. UVM researchers are enlisting Vermonters to help study low-nic smoking.
Roper: Pay no attention to that billion dollar price tag!
House Ways & Means Chair admonishes committee not to consider massive cost of Renewable Energy bill to ratepayers.
UVMMC ransomware hacker pleads guilty
The Ukrainian mastermind behind the devastating 2020 ransomware attack on Vermont’s largest hospital has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court.
BeanTV: What’s dating like in Burlington?
Paul Bean goes to Dating Ground Zero – the University of Vermont.
Scott recommends tougher crime laws
“We should learn from the failed experiments in places like San Francisco and Oregon, where even they are thinking of repealing many of the measures they’ve put in place,” Scott said.
Senator typing during Scott budget address stirs discussion about decorum
A breach of decorum during Gov. Phil Scott’s January 23 budget address had the State House buzzing afterwards, and is believed to have spurred Senate leadership to give membership a refresher course on decorum when visiting the House chamber.
Bill states Vermonters should make every effort to abandon “personal vehicle ownership”
On Wednesday lawmakers in the House Transportation Committee discussed a bill that is meant to further nudge Vermonters into electric vehicles…or give up on driving altogether.
Bill aims to simplify workers’ comp process for prison, psych employees with PTSD
H.297 expands presumption of work-related PTSD.
Kenyon: Creating a crisis
The MO of Democrats’ governing
Dawson: Meeting VT EV mandates in a high-end market
Sales tips for selling luxury EVs to Vermonters.
VT Headlines: Local school leaders see ‘immense challenges’ in proposed state funding changes
Police say tip from brother averted CVPH mass shooting; Proposal for reining in Vermont’s motel housing costs creates uncertainty, anxiety; Addison County prosecutor takes medical leave while facing DUI charge
Galfetti: Legislation moves at warp speed
Voices of reason are being ignored as individual agendas are being pushed forward. The money from the Fed has dried up and we are facing huge shortfalls.
Wall Street Journal says geoengineering is really happening
“Scientists are resorting to once unthinkable techniques to cool the planet because global efforts to check greenhouse gas emissions are failing,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Windsor County embezzler convicted
A towing company was taken for a ride by its former bookkeeper. She’s escaped prison because the owner just wants his money back.
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