By Guy Page

Consolidated Communications, which operates as Fidium, wants to discontinue traditional landline services in parts of Vermont, including St. Johnsbury, the Journal-Opinion reports. 

The company filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission last month seeking approval to terminate the service on or after March 24. It said it has mailed notices to the 1,640 affected customers. 

“In these areas, Fidium has replaced much of its older copper phone network with fiber-optic infrastructure,” states the Vermont Department of Public Service in a news release. “Where fiber service is available, Fidium proposes to transition customers from traditional landline phone service to a Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP, phone service. VoIP phone service uses an internet connection instead of copper phone lines.” 

There are five exchanges included in the petition. Most are in southern Vermont. The map below, provided by Fidium in its FCC petition, shows affected exchanges in light blue.

Traveling without Real-ID – Airline passengers flying out of Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) who do not have REAL-ID compliant identification by Sunday, Feb. 1, will have the option to pay a $45 fee to go through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint using TSA ConfirmID, the agency’s new modernized identity verification system. 

Launching Feb. 1, TSA ConfirmID is an option available to travelers who have lost their ID or do not possess a REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification, such as a passport. For a $45 fee, TSA ConfirmID enables travelers to verify their identity before arriving at the security checkpoint, with the process typically taking 10–15 minutes, though it may require 30 minutes or more in some cases. The verification will cover a 10-day period.

Lifetime hunting & fishing license winner – Dylan Saladino, 26, of Jacksonville, Vermont is the lucky winner of the 2025 Vermont Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License Lottery. 

Saladino will be entitled to hunt and fish in Vermont for free for the rest of his life.   He was drawn as the winner from among 18,523 Lifetime License Lottery tickets purchased in 2025.  The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department holds the drawing annually.

Sales of the $2.00 tickets brought net sales of $37,046 to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to support the department’s mission to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.

A person can enter Vermont’s License of a Lifetime Lottery by adding the $2.00 entry fee when they buy their license on the Fish and Wildlife Department website at vtfishandwildlife.com.  They can also enter by applying at statewide wherever Vermont hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are sold, or with a printable application available on the department website.  There is no limit on the number of times a person may enter during the year.