The universal mailed ballot shifts responsibility away from the voter, and also sends ballots to the wrong address, a sponsor of H23 says.
Bill to ban universal mailed ballot introduced
VT Headlines: Bus fare coming back
Another relic of the pandemic – free bus fares – is on its way out, WCAX reports.
Opinion: Biden glorifies Jan. 6 / Rich to blame for climate change
Two former candidates from opposite ends of the Vermont political spectrum address Jan. 6 and climate change.
Johnson: Congress a rigged, uniparty dictatorship
The people of the United States elected 432 people to represent them in Congress, yet even before they start their first day at work they are completely controlled, unable to vote their conscience.
Koch: Congress a clown show
The tail continues to wag the dog, and the ten percent continues to deny Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California the votes he needs to get on with the people’s business.
Brooklyn man sentenced for cocaine dealing
14 months in federal for cocaine distribution.
Vermont sector leads northern border with illicit crossings
441 apprehensions, 135 gotaways in December alone.
Inmate in critical condition after brutal assault
A jailhouse assault sent a homeless man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Scott cites long lines for slow EV charging, economic divide in inaugural speech
‘Officer Clemmons’ added flair and a climactic final note of the National Anthem to the inauguration of Gov. Phil Scott yesterday.
Krowinski boots Donahue from vice-chair seat, names committee chairs and members
Krowinski “adamantly denied it was because of my Article 22 advocacy, but her assorted rationales, as I told her, ‘didn’t meet the straight face test,” Donahue said.
Universal mailed ballots, dropboxes among departing Secretary of State’s top achievements
I am especially proud of how my team here at the Secretary of State’s Office responded during the global pandemic,” departing Secretary of State Jim Condos said.
Iri Sunij, South Burlington – immigrant, nurse, youth soccer coach
Second interview in a VDC interview series: a Bosnian immigrant and nurse who teaches soccer and life skills to Winooski children, including many children of immigrants.
Covid-19 vax foe, cardiologist McCullough weighs in on NFL cardiac arrest
The CDC has analyzed VAERS data on two prominent Covid-19 vaccines and flagged hundreds of ‘safety signals.’
Parent group sues Shelburne school over ‘BIPOC only’ affinity group
The school’s planned BIPOC Affinity Group is not open to all students and therefore violates the 1964 federal civil rights act, the lawsuit claims.
Armed break-in to ‘save’ patients at Valley Vista
A Lowell man with a 16-inch knife tried to force his way into a drug/alcohol rehab recover center.
VT Headlines: Trooper Rolex incident just ‘innocent coincidence,’ lawyer says
There’s no proof the Rolex a state trooper brought to a jeweler and the Rolex stolen from a state police barracks evidence locker are the same watch, says the lawyer for the suspended trooper.
Burlington Police Dept. down to 22 active patrol officers, crime rising
The Burlington Police Department has just 22 active patrol officers to provide 24/7/365 coverage in the state’s largest city, and crime is rising.
Dog stolen in Tunbridge
Tundra the Siberian husky was stolen from his Tunbridge home on Tuesday.
Saying hello to new lawmakers
Saying hello via video to four new lawmakers, including three who have served previously.
Bills dismissing misdemeanors, legalizing switchblades introduced
Toss out misdemeanor cases, legalize switchblades, and designate golf courses as protected areas – these ideas and others are among newly introduced legislation in the Vermont House.
Auditor uncovers $7 million in ineligible payments and law enforcement training problems, lists state efforts to help homeless
Last year, how well did the state’s well-funded programs work? Auditor Terry Hoffer offers a 2022 year in review.
Krowinski re-elected House Speaker, but not without pushback
A Republican lawmaker had her say before the Vermont House of Representatives – over her objection – re-elected Jill Krowinski as Speaker.
Mazur: Dems not proud to be Americans
It’s a serious national security problem when a majority of the people dislike this country.
Deer season yields 3.5 million servings of locally sourced, organic food
The bows and rifles of Vermont hunters yielded a bountiful harvest of organic meat for Vermonters facing rising grocery prices.
3-4 inches of black ice safe to walk, fish on
Warnings for warm winter ice-fishing.
Hospital’s solution to worker shortage: build them housing
Company-operated worker housing was a ‘thing’ back in the heyday of Burlington/Winooski area mills. Now it’s returning as large employers like UVMMC are struggling to find workers due to the housing shortage.
VT Headlines: pandemic contributed to closing, deconsecration of church
A church built in the 1890’s was already seeing declining membership. Then the pandemic hit.
Homeless man with drug arrest background won’t tell cops why he was shot
A man with a Massachusetts drug crime record was treated for gunshot wounds at a Newport hospital Tuesday morning. He’s not saying how he acquired them.
NH teenager fatally shot by cops
One police officer tased 17-year-old Mischa Fay as he threatened others with a knife, but another shot him in the chest.
School board, administrators bicker in Barre / St. Albans school board ponders citizen petition
A Vermont education newsletter says the tension is growing between elected school board members and their senior administrative appointees.
Legislature convenes tomorrow; Development, police bills introduced
With the opening of the 2023-24 Legislature still a day away, new bills already are rolling in.
Kauffman: With Article 22 passed, Baruth and others back minors’ transgender rights
Lawsuits are challenging laws that kick parents out of the village regarding their child’s reproductive experiences and choices.
Keelan: Self-reliant Vermont a relic of the past
Many citizens depend on the government and nonprofit organizations for food, housing, medical/dental, and addiction recovery services.
McClaughry: The Affordable Heating Fraud
With a veto-proof and disciplined 104-38 majority in the House, the Democrats are eager to pass a renamed “Clean Heat Standard” whether Gov. Phil Scott likes it or not.
Evslin: Two lessons half-learned in 2022
We have come a long way from the socks (or was it gloves?) that President Obama sent after Russia’s invasion of Crimea.
Ehlers: $773,000 homes mean Montpelier really doesn’t want affordable housing
$730,000 homes aren’t the solution to Vermont’s affordable housing crisis. But what is?
Hartford CT man, Waterbury woman busted for felony cocaine possession / Vergennes break-in
Two people, including a Hartford CT man, were arrested for felony possession of cocaine in Montpelier.
VT Headlines: Sap runs in January / Livestock vet shortage
Sugar houses across Vermont were making the first maple syrup of 2023 during the cool nights and warm days of the new year.
With crowdsourcing, we publish and pay it forward
The dictionary defines crowdsourcing as “the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.”
Video: Last Word to Our Readers for 2022
I have just published my last post for 2022. Wow, what a year it has been!
Vermont a target-rich environment for news reporter: a last look at 2022
Free speech, public safety, and answering the question ‘what is a woman?’ all proved problematic for local, state and federal officials in 2022.
WebCams invite virtual visits to small towns, ski slopes and the Queen City of Vermont
Many Vermonters, even those born and raised here, have never visited either Island Pond or Stratton Mountain. As their live webcams show, there’s a lot to see and do there.
U.S. Attorney collects over $2 mil in restitution, forfeiture in 2022
Criminal and civil action collections and asset forfeiture swept more than $2 million into federal coffers and then disbursed to victims, victims’ organizations, and law enforcement.
A teenager’s New Year’s Eve to remember
The only sober person in the room was a teenager without a driver’s license.
Affidavit: Suspended trooper investigated for stolen Rolex
A men’s gold Rolex watch was among the items reported missing from the temporary storage room at the state police barracks.
Dental services funded by federal earmark stalled due to hygienist shortage
Despite federal funding, a South Royalton dental clinic can’t offer services because it lacks dental hygienists.
Doctor suspended for prescribing Covid-19 treatment to speak in MA next week
Is it possible to have a reasonable conversation with your doctor about COVID-19 vaccines?
Utilities seek double-digit electricity rate hikes due to natural gas shortage
The regional natural gas shortage has led two Vermont utilities to request double-digit rate hikes for electricity.
VT Headlines: Cannabis growers want home delivery
Just a couple of months into legal cannabis sales, Vermont growers now want to cut out the retail ‘middle man’ and sell directly to customers. Farm stands, maybe?
Inflation, Ukraine partly to blame for dozens of dairy farms closing this year
Dozens of Vermont dairy farms have closed in 2022.
Barre, Brandon, Newport get federal Block Grant $$
$3.9 million in federal funding will help communities across Vermont strengthen community facilities and housing.
Video: words by Moses’ sister, music by Kathi Tarrant
A Waterbury musician has put the stirring words of Miriam, the sister of Moses, to music.
On the road with the Mitzvah Fund
Four-legged patients get loving, expert healthcare inside Baby Huey, the rolling veterinary clinic operated by the Mitzvah Fund.
Woman dies outside home during storm
A daycare operator died while trying to enter her Castleton home Friday.
VT Headlines: cost of heating rises, popular lightbulbs banned
Sure, it’ll be more expensive to stay warm in 2023. But at least we won’t be able to buy some types of fluorescent light bulbs!
Avian flu circulates throughout Vermont
Wild birds across Vermont have contracted avian flu.
Tell Steve Kirsch your Blood Clot Story (but only if you really have one)
Just the latest Internet Fear Fest? Or is there something to all of the online stories about rubbery blood clots being pulled from bodies alive and dead? Steve Kirsch is curious.
Rep. Wilson: parental rights, affordability my legislative priorities
Our children must be fully supported and our schools must prioritize parental rights and create a space in which all of our differences in belief systems and values are respected.
Trooper suspended for possible evidence theft
A state trooper has been suspended for alleged misconduct related to possible theft from an evidence storage locker in the VSP barracks.
Storm stats: 67,000 miles plowed, 80,000 gallons of de-icer, 0 highway deaths
Vigilance, good equipment and plenty of chloride-based de-icing.
VT Headlines: Philly woman arrested for Esox gunfire
A Philadelphia woman who posted a social media video of herself socializing at a Burlington bar on Christmas Day was arrested yesterday for firing a gun there early Tuesday morning.
1,679 utility customers still without power
As of 11:38 Tuesday AM, more than 1300 rural customers of Washington Electric Co-op in Washington and Orange counties remain without power.
In puberty blocker decision, Baruth favors ‘medical professionals’ over parental consent
Commenting on a bill blocking parental rights to stop a child from being prescribed puberty blockers, Sen. Phil Baruth says “I tend to be the sort of person to side with medical experts.”
Police seeking woman who fired gun in Burlington bar
The bullet hit a pipe in the basement.
Woman stabbed, police seek SoBu man
The victim was treated for stab wounds to the head, neck and arms and has been released from the hospital.
VT Headlines: Dog caught in illegal trap
A dog died in an untagged, illegal trap in East Corinth, the dog’s owner says.
VT Headlines: Census data says we’re earning more, but experts not so sure
VT Digger reports census data showing wealthy Vermonters got wealthier. Jury’s still out on improvement at the lower end of the income scale.
Storm outages peaked at 73K Friday, now below 5000
Pockets of rural Washington, Orange, Addison and Franklin counties remain without power following the ice/wind/snow/rain storm of December 22-24.
$1.7 trillion in federal spending includes Leahy, Sanders earmarks worth $254 million
Vermont’s two senators brought home a whopping $254 million of earmarked spending in last week’s $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
Fixed-income Baltimore reader sends Christmas Eve gift
Publisher Guy Page and his wife were heading off to the hospital to visit a sick friend on Christmas Eve when we received a wonderful Christmas present in the form of a reader testimonial and contribution. Thank you, Steve Waldo!
Twitter censorship probe heats up
Jim Jordan, the hard-charging incoming chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wants the FBI to hand over all communications with Twitter.
60,444 outages as of 2:30 pm; warming shelter locations announced
Vermont emergency officials have announced hours and locations of storm shelters and warming shelters statewide.
61,476 without power as of 12:38 pm
Franklin and Addison Counties show the highest percentage of utility customers without power as of 12:38 PM today.
Walch: Legislature should “make a plan” that makes us less reliant on electricity
Facing power outages, Vermonters are told to ‘make a plan’ to deal with living in the cold and the dark. So, why doesn’t the Legislature approve more energy diversity, rather than less?
Donahue: Reflections on Article 22 vote
Colonialism and the massacre of indigenous people was not recognized as wrong, because conquerors had the right to claim new lands and new property rights and to kill for that purpose.
Second-degree attempted murder in Berlin
Police say a domestic incident at a Berlin motel resulted in the arrest of a 41-year-old man on charges of attempted second degree murder.
Mask mandate foe letter, three years of related media, published by Vermont Independent
A Vermont video news website has published a single link with three years of reporting on vaccine and mask freedom.
Casella required to develop system to reduce amount of PFAS at Coventry landfill
The discharge permit requires Casella Waste to develop a pilot system to reduce the amount of PFAS in the leachate.
Former St. A. cop sentenced to 3-6 months for striking handcuffed woman
A St. Albans cop fired after striking a handcuffed woman in a jail cell was sentenced yesterday to serve 3-6 months in prison.
Advertise in the Vermont Daily Chronicle
Advertisers seeking to reach our many and loyal readers in 2023 are encouraged to examine our one-page advertising rate card.
Vermonters Making A Difference #1: David Allaire, Mayor of Rutland
Rutland is a great place to raise a family, even as city leaders work on housing, police recruitment, and opioid epidemic challenges, Mayor David Allaire says.
50-60 MPH winds, rain, and flash freeze loom in coming weekend storm
Old Man Winter plans to thump Vermont this weekend. Be ready!
Have you seen this masked man?
Berlin police are seeking this masked man for making fraudulent withdrawals at credit unions.
Watercooler: New housing for Williston
One of the few fast-growing Vermont communities appears poised to add 93 more housing units.
VT transgender/transhumanist created android copy of wife
An early investor in Beta Technologies and legal advocate for transgender legislation, Martine Rothblatt also has created a socially-interactive android copy of a loved one.
School teacher busted for child sex assault to spend Christmas in Nazareth
A school teacher and Vermont resident accused of repeated sexual assault of a child will spend his Christmas holiday in Nazareth.
Leahy’s $1.7 trillion spending bill renames Lake Champlain Basin Program after himself
A Lake Champlain protection program long favored by Sen. Patrick Leahy will bear his name if his $1.7 trillion spending bill passes.
Superintendent of NEK school with mask requirement shuts down opponent
In the elementary school serving the Caledonia County town of Newark (pop. 589), masks aren’t a thing of the past. The local superintendent wants a mask mandate opponent to butt out.
‘Can you hear me now?’ In much of rural VT, answer still no
The red lines on the map show where drivers found no cell service at all. Very few of them are in populous Chittenden County.
Gates, WHO, Johns Hopkins wargame another pandemic
Observers are hoping THIS ‘tabletop exercise’ about the next pandemic isn’t as prophetic as the last one.
Bananas: World Cup rocked by #MeToo scandal
Many of the players’ overprotective and enabling mothers have come out in defense of their grown baby boys asking such pertinent questions as “Why are you letting this happen to my baby?” “Who is responsible for hurting my baby?” and “Why isn’t the grass softer?”
Springfield, MA man arrested for vicious Northfield assault
A Massachusetts man is charged with stabbing someone with a sharp broomhandle and other violent acts.
Former lawmaker named Windham County side judge
A former Agriculture committee chair who reportedly urged non-residents to vote in a Windham school election has been named as a county assistant judge.
Leahy farewell: don’t point fingers, point the way forward
“If we don’t start working together more, the world’s greatest deliberative body will sink slowly into irrelevance – and, heaven forbid, become our own version of the House of Lords.”
Watercooler: Biggest health insurer quits all-payer program
Vermont’s health care reform program just lost the participation of Blue Cross -Blue Shield.
Scott worried about big storm on Christmas weekend
Vermont law enforcement will be briefed by the Border Patrol on the uptick of illegal crossings. “Increased collaboration” is a possibility, but not a certainty.
Legislature poised to hear legal gaming pitch
Legal sports betting will get a serious look in the Vermont Legislature next year.
Wire fraud added to murder-for-hire charges
Federal authorities have added wire fraud to the list of charges related to the murder-for-hire of a Danville man in 2018.
Leahy releases $1.7 trillion spending bill
In one of his final acts as a U.S. senator, Patrick Leahy dropped a $1.7 trillion spending bill on the U.S. Congress yesterday.
Watercooler: More FTX campaign contributions to Balint, VT Dems surface
VTDigger and the New York Times unearth even more donations from FTX founder and fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried and his pals to Becca Balint, Peter Welch and the Vermont Democratic Party.
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