Violent assaults by teenagers are renewing questions about ‘youthful offender’ status that keeps some violent crimes out of the public eye – although not a recent assault of his infant child by an 18-year-old Bennington man.
‘Youthful offender’ status re-examined after teen arrest by assaulting his infant child
Fireovid: Are Vermonters smarter than yeast?
Vermont needs more housing…… for ‘climate immigrants’? Uh, Vermonters first, a Grand Isle County farmer advises Chittenden Sen. Kesha Ram, wife of one of Vermont’s biggest landlords.
Police dog gets bullet and stab-proof vest
One of Lamoille County’s Finest now has more protection on the job.
Former CDC director says gain-of-function research ‘probably caused the greatest pandemic in history’
A virologist and former head of the CDC said gain-of-function research isn’t worth the risk, and thinks it has already caused the world’s greatest pandemic.
Keelan: the S.5 train wreck has been temporarily postponed
We have some issues to overcome before we can convert: will our tradespeople be available; will the supply chain meet our deadline; and most critically, where will we obtain $247,000?
Justice delayed in murder trial / Former WWII POW turns 105 / Sanders wants $60K minimum for all teachers
Five years from alleged murder of truck delivery driver to proposed trial date.
Fewer stocked trout in Lake Champlain
Natural reproduction of Lake Trout has been so strong that authorities are cutting back on restocking.
Bill would ban PFAs in tampons, cosmetics
These products pose increased health risks for women because they are used in close proximity to skin tissue that can more readily absorb chemicals.
DC insider PAC hosts ‘meet and greet’ for Balint
Want to meet Vermont’s new congressperson? Oh, you just missed it! She was the guest of honor at a Washington DC ‘meet and greet’ today at noon.
18-year-old charged with assault on his infant child
A teenager charged with assaulting his one-year-old child will be tried as an adult.
National, state GOP file second non-citizen voting suit against Winooski
When the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in January against the National/Vermont Republican Party non-citizen voting suit, it left a door open. Now the state and national parties are walking through it with a second lawsuit in hand.
Don Turner reappointed to Natural Resources Board, Deen to salmon panel
The names of first-time volunteers like Paul Bean are mingled with those of old hands like Don Turner in the latest list of appointments to state boards and commissions.
Biomass controversy boils over in Climate Council
In Chittenden County, home to lawmakers including Speaker of the House, Jill Krowinski and Senate President Philip Baruth, the McNeil plant is not just a powerful constituent, but also a critical component in supplying electricity to residents and businesses.
Ben & Jerry’s Social Injustice Trifecta
When it comes to global warming, child obesity, and human trafficking, Ben & Jerry’s looks like a predatory perp.
Galfetti: Democrats well-funded and organized, we’re not
Like knots of wood that have somehow escaped the chipper, a few brave souls are breaking step with the Democratic regime.
Beck: Uncommon Sense
If Vermont doesn’t like the services provided by an insurance company with 213 years of experience, we could always bring the program in house, hire state employees, and acquire an IT network.
Bill would re-home bears, de-home people
A Vermont House resolution re-homing bears and de-homing people establishes an ursine right of eminent domain – they were here long before we were.
Scott: storm clouds loom in 2023 Legislature
What’s been overlooked is the real majority: more than half the Legislature serves towns with less than 1,000 people – small, underserved communities who desperately need our help.
Sportsmen to honor longtime advocate Evan Hughes Saturday
A dedicated Second Amendment advocate will be remembered Saturday night in Barre by the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.
Three new mayors elected
Two longtime elected Rutland City officials were shown the door by voters yesterday.
Town meeting review: SoBu voters go on buying spree / Colchester backs $15 mil rec center / ‘Just cause’ eviction wins in Essex, Winooski
Chittenden County communities said yes to just about everything on the Town Meeting ballot (except community police oversight in Burlington).
Police community control board question fails in Burlington
Almost 2/3 of Burlington voters rejected a plan for a community control board over the Burlington Police Department.
125 MPH in Beemer
A Watertown MA man was cited for negligent driving after traveling 125 MPH on I-89 March 7, state police say.
Paid family leave would have paid better than working
Before a change last week, the benefit for the paid family and medical leave bill would have exceeded the worker’s paycheck.
Video: Dem, Progressive minimum wage bills
Would proposed Vermont minimum wage bills price some low-income workers out of the market?
Northern border residents say they’re overwhelmed and on edge about illegal migration surge
The northern border’s Swanton Sector saw an 845% surge in migrant apprehensions and a 900% increase in illegal migrants evading arrest in January alone.
Letters: Heat pumps almost tripled power bill / Biden an aspiring global dictator / VT GOP nat’l committeeman criticized
Heat pump reality – cold and expensive – set in for a Richford couple….Zelensky kicking back 10% to the big guy?…More pro-life consistency sought from VT rep to GOP national committee.
Selle: S.37 should concern all Christians and citizens of integrity
Okay, you S.37 proponents, just come out and say it! Tell us what motivates you.
Wilson: Good intentions, but…..
Reluctant tour guide Rep. Charles Wilson points out the landmarks on the the Vermont Legislature’s well-intentioned Road to Taxpayer Hell.
GOP reps slam lack of equity in condom ‘stealthing’ ban
The Party of Equity decided it’s not an issue when it comes to deceptive contraceptive practices, Republicans charged Friday.
Vermont’s mail-in ballot system is not secure
To be clear: there are now ZERO security measures in place that would allow an election official to independently verify that a vote-by-mail ballot was filled out by the person to whom the votes are being attributed.
Police oversight, community centers, ski resort growth on Town Meeting agendas today
Vermonters will go to Town Meeting today (some went last night) to decide – by ballot or from the floor – on important municipal issues.
David takes down Goliath – again
The clock rolled down to five minutes left in the game…when it happened…
Bray: “In 2025 we will have answers to the many questions” about S.5
“We crafted a complete hard stop for the plan being developed under the affordable heat act,” Sen. Chris Bray tells a constituent.
Alabama man fleeing Border Patrol steals Lexus at McDonald’s
Stole a Lexus. Stole a pickup truck. Led cops on eight mile chase, police say. An Alabama man was lodged with $200 bail and will face a judge Wednesday.
Someone is helping the Rohingya
Is anyone helping the Rohingya, surely the least fortunate people group on earth?
Video: 90% Regenerative Economy bill has socialist vibe
A bill co-sponsored by a powerful House chair would completely retool the Vermont economy – as advised by People’s Assemblies.
Renewed THC potency bill stirs the pot in Senate
The chair of the Cannabis ‘Control’ Board is taking the marijuana industry’s side on raising the THC potency cap. A medical advocate said, “We know that we are speaking against an industry, and this is a billion-dollar industry, and similar to big tobacco they’re huge and it’s very difficult for lawmakers to vote against them. It’s very difficult for people to not want that revenue.”
Child care pricetag unclear
Child care funding was supposed to be a top priority for the 2023 Legislature. Now a key Senate committee is in the dark about what it all will cost.
Irasburg man named to Fish & Wildlife Board
A career IBMer and outdoor enthusiast has been named to the Fish & Wildlife Board.
Finnie: Legislators, I don’t buy what you’re selling
To lawmakers supporting S.5, people of limited resources are collateral damage.
House heavyweight backs VT “regenerative economy” overhaul by 2046
The bill would create People’s Assemblies to write a Regenerative Economy Roadmap that would make Vermont a 90% Regenerative Economy by 2046.
Roper: VT media lost control of the narrative on S.5
Vermont’s news media are rattled and upset. They lost control of the narrative on S.5, the Affordable Heating Act.
Ehlers: When the coin in the coffer rings, the corporate carbon credit springs
In the medieval era, the establishment forgave the rich their sins – for a fee. Now it sells them carbon credits.
Arrest made after transformer explosion
A Russian-born software and electrical engineer has been arrested for causing an explosion at a power grid transformer site.
Convicted sex offender who mailed death threats to media, authorities released to live in Winooski
A convicted sex offender, who has spent 30 years in mental institutions because he mailed death threats to Vermont news reporters and a state prosecutor, has been quietly released from federal custody to live in Winooski, court records show
Woodstock Inn denies systemic discrimination lawsuit
A landmark Vermont inn, famed as a conference center and four-season travel destination, is fighting back against a lawsuit charging discrimination against LGBTQ and women employees.
Vermont celebrates 232nd birthday
On March 9, 1791, Vermont was admitted as the 14th State of the Union – the first after the original 13 colonies.
Houston driver jackknifes tractor-trailer in Jay
Off-an-on heavy snows since Wednesday last week, and at least one erratic driver, led to several reported accidents.
Heat pump headaches
“Your tax dollars fund this group. You tell me if we got our money’s worth.”
Agency of Education won’t support public schools’ move against private school tuition
“We do not support S.66. It would significantly alter the independent school landscape in Vermont,” Agency of Education Secretary Dan French said.
Mermel: Victory for opponents of AHA may be poisoned chalice
There is cause for concern about the study period. It establishes the first part of the expanding bureaucracy necessary to implement and supervise the program.
Reduce power from Hydro-Quebec, new bill proposes
A strong supporter of Vermont’s renewable power industry has introduced a bill to require utilities to buy less and less power from Hydro-Quebec every year.
Bananas: Why are so many plants and animals committing suicide?
“I had no idea the General was so upset. He seemed like such a happy guy on the outside,” commented long time friend and former cereal killer Count Chocula.
Evslin: Don’t believe everything an AI tells you
ChatGPT makes up a lot of stuff.
Winooski set for all-LGBTQ+ City Council
After City Meeting elections next week, the Onion City will have Vermont’s first-ever all LGBTQ+ city council.
Murder-suicide in Colchester, child at home
The sounds of fighting were followed by a loud ‘bang’ in a Malletts Bay apartment. Police found a dead man and a dead woman.
‘Hate-free forum’ March 13 in St. Albans
Masks requested but not required at Hate Free Forum in St. Albans.
Vermonter witnesses border justice in Arizona
You hear a gunshot. Outside your house you see a half dozen men in camo and toting guns. Within 24 hours are are charged with murder.
Frustrated county prosecutor dismisses court no-shows
Judges are letting scofflaws treat court appointments like dinner reservations or hair appointments, says the Grand Isle County prosecutor.
Ellis: Annedore Henrich taught me how to wash dishes
Back then, the Birkenhaus was my second home, and Ann and Emo my second parents. In one of the more insane decisions ever, my first parents drove from New Jersey to Stratton almost every weekend in winter.
Thurston: tax credits for planting trees, not erecting solar panels
What’s cheaper: paying for someone else’s solar power subsidies, or planting trees? Either way the carbon footprint shrinks.
The Vanishing Vermont Single-Family Home
Faced with a housing shortage and skyrocketing housing costs, the Vermont Legislature wants more urban duplexes and quadplexes. And fewer garages.
Bennington teacher takes knee for Pledge, wins racial discrimination suit, $97K
A Vermont education newsletter reports on a bi-racial Bennington County teacher who sued and won for wrongful termination.
Mermel: AHA offers no savings – ever
If enacted as introduced, AHA will be the largest and most expensive social program ever paid for by Vermonters.
It doesn’t happen often but….applause for Democrats and the liberal media
Sometimes, they get it right.
Two dead in Colchester shooting / schools okay with Native American mascot names
The Vermont media has discovered the story of David Mid-Vermont Christian School protesting against playing a basketball team with a 6’4″ transgender player. And in two communities, Indian-sounding team names are okay, after all.
Burlington schools strive to be national model for LGBTQ+ advocacy
Our purpose is to understand what happens when a community organizes itself around these ideas. It will either grow into the utopia that all dream it will, or it will become a dystopian warning.
Moore: without planning, Affordable Heating Act “will end in disaster”
Unlike some who are leading the charge on the so-called “Clean Heat Standard.” ANR Secretary Julie Moore has nothing personal to gain from it passing, or not passing, Gov. Phil Scott said.
Bech: Substantiation is a mess and Vermonters deserve better
Every time the state’s Child Protection Registry allegations are challenged, the state is found to be lacking the necessary evidence.
Clueless then, clueless now
NEWS ITEM: Vermont House introduces repeal of state prostitution law.
Roper: Just Kill the Unaffordable Heating Act
Why the retreat, dare we call it a rout? (Think Custer at Little Big Horn.)
Affordable Swing Act
Original VDC Political Cartoon by F.W. Geer
Affordable Heating Act gets two-year checkback
This year’s big Climate Bill now has a required two-year study.
Condoms-only contraception stealth bill passes committee
Rodent’s posteriors came into play in a lively committee discussion about a condom stealth bill.
Woke Chicago mayor Lightfoot voted out
The Chicago mayor who presided over a shocking increase in murders and homelessness has been voted out of office in a Democratic primary.
Homeless housing deal tightens eligibility after May 31
Homeless hotels will still be open after May 31, but rules for who stays there will be tightened. Also, a senator wants to make GPS firms accountable for those annoying stuckages in Smugglers Notch.
Fish & Wildlife moose, deer management hearings March 20, 21, 23
The State of Vermont will hold public hearings on big game management later this month.
Power outage releases half-million gallons from St. Albans wastewater plant
A split power line led to the release of partially-treated wastewater.
Metz: CPCs preserve choice for all
It is mean-spirited and unnecessary to try to silence PRCs and open them up to investigations by abortion ideologues.
Transgender shield bill goes to Senate vote this week
Despite the radical reassessment of ‘transitioning’ taking place in Europe, a Vermont law would shield service providers from legal consequences and require Vermonters to pay for ‘gender-affirming services’ via Medicaid and other health insurers.
Watch Senate Appropriations discuss S.5 at 1:30 pm today
Lively online discussion between pro-S.5 senators and Vermonters who oppose the ‘Affordable Heating Act.’
Gun control bill, citing suicide concerns, goes to House Judiciary
A bill requiring gun lockup is unconstitutional and education on the firearms/suicide nexus is more effective than regulation, Second Amendment rights advocates told a House committee last week – to no avail.
16-17 marriage ban, universal meals, license suspension for non-payment go to House floor
Love and marriage won’t go together like a horse and carriage for Vermont teenagers. But at the school meals will be free (for them) and DMV won’t suspend anyone’s driver’s license for not paying a speeding ticket.
Vacant equity job to remain unfilled in Vermont’s most diverse city
Winooski officials say they need more antiracism and diversity training before putting someone new in the position.
WCAX: Mom, bystanders free 2-year-old from kidnapper on bus
A woman later evaluated for mental problems grabbed a two-year-old from a mom on a GMT bus, police say. Bystanders helped the mother recover the child.
Keelan: Bernie, let’s bring an end to polarization
Today in Vermont, polarization, lack of civility, and disagreement are as present as maple trees.
McClaughry: FAQ on misnamed ‘Affordable Heating Act’
The more you learn about the misnamed Affordable Heating Act, the less you like it.
BREAKING: Amtrak train, tractor-trailer collide
Authorities are on the scene of an 11:45 AM collision between an Amtrak train and a tractor trailer on Quarry Road near Vermont Route 14 in Sharon.
Two state troopers placed on paid leave
Two state troopers are on paid leave – with no official reason given. Their suspension follows reports of off-duty state troopers engaging in inappropriate speech while playing a video game.
Senators – none from Vermont – demand Senate vote on global pandemic treaty
Neither Sen. Bernie Sanders nor then-Sen. Patrick Leahy supported a Senate bill requiring a vote on a WHO pandemic treaty critics say threatens U.S. national sovereignty.
Roper: Vermont’s public schools are a hot mess
It’s official: the public school system is broken – costs are rising, scores are falling, violence is on the rise, and “teachers are literally scared and administrators are at a loss.”
Woman falls into open manhole in St. Albans
A manhole covered knocked askew by a snowplow resulted in a 15 foot plunge at midnight by a St. Albans woman.
Covered bridge struck again / attempted murder-kidnapping / four-day barricade in home / more human smuggling
Crime update – everything from a damaged covered bridge to a harrowing kidnapping and attempted murder in the Northeast Kingdom to (another) human smuggling bust at the Canadian border.
Vermont girls’ hoop team stand against transgender sports goes viral on Twitter
Culture commentator Jordan Peterson saw the news about a Quechee girls team forfeiting against a team with a 6’4″ trans center, and tweeted “it’s about time” to his 3.7 million followers.
Higley: Why I introduced H.74, repealing the GWSA
I’m realistic enough to know H.74 will not be considered in today’s political majority in Montpelier. However, I will not stop in advocating for a balance in what Vermonters can achieve and afford in efforts to reduce our green house gas emissions.
Despathy: S.5 isn’t sticking it to Big Oil
Most of the time when I speak with a legislator in favor of S.5, I hear buzzwords. Enough buzzwords to fall drunk to the floor.
Bird flu human spillover could signal next big pandemic, vet says
Bird flu spillover to people has already happened. The only question is: will an avian pandemic become a human one?
Randy Brock – Vietnam vet, Vermont auditor, first black candidate for governor
He served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain and earned the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for his service in Vietnam.
Wilson: Legislative agenda unaffordable, creates fear
An aggressive Legislature is pushing fear and unaffordable climate, housing and school meals policies.
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