Federal boost advances West Brattleboro Terrace redevelopment
A $1.75 million federal award moves forward a $19 million plan for 30 energy-efficient homes for older residents.
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Vermont summer food aid for families expires this weekend
Time is running out for most families to use grocery benefits that help feed children during the months when schools aren’t in session.
Lt. gov. candidates largely agree on politics, clash personally
Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and challenger Molly Gray met Tuesday for a tense debate hosted by Vermont Public.
Rink on the brink: Barre makes last-minute ice rink repairs, but the arena’s future is uncertain
For one local high school coach, the rink holds three generations of family history.
Proposal 4’s language is flawed
The Legislature’s own constitutional law expert has raised concerns about the amendment’s language.
Vermont colleges chart a path forward against demographic and financial headwinds
“We cannot lose more colleges in Vermont if we're going to try to address Vermont's demographic issue,” said a leader of Middlebury College.
Vermont’s return-to-office order is an insult
The order ignores the dignity, work ethic and worth of the people who do the state's work.
UVM Medical Center unions reach tentative agreement in contract negotiations
Union members now have until Sunday to vote on ratifying the contract. Read the story on VTDigger here: UVM Medical Center unions reach tentative agreement in contract negotiations .
Brattleboro fire chief deploys for 13 months
Chief Jay Symonds serves with the New York Army National Guard. The planning for a handoff to an interim chief began several months ago.
Attorney for man charged in a deadly police chase seeks to quiz potential jurors before seeking change of venue
The lawyer called it an “efficient way to address the enormous amount of publicity this case has generated, and the strong feelings that appear to exist in a large number of people in Rutland County.”
New report finds low reconviction rates for teens in first years of Vermont’s ‘Raise the Age’ law
“My hope is that this will encourage our lawmakers and policymakers and the administration to hold the course with ‘Raise the Age,’” said the chair of Vermont’s Council for Equitable Youth Justice.
Not every job needs to be done in the office
The return-to-office order could drive out workers Vermont can't afford to lose.
Despite some overall progress, Vermont test scores show a widening achievement gap
The state’s initial evaluation of its annual standardized test scores shows a widening gap between marginalized students and others. The Vermont Agency of Education says the state’s school funding model is to blame.
Vermont can help keep Canada close
As tariffs push Canadian businesses toward other markets, Vermont can use its ties to Quebec to its own advantage.
Marilyn Houston
Marilyn was a lively, compelling soul. She challenged everyone she met with an intellectual curiosity that was unmatched.
First to finish
Affordability shaped Carter Smith’s college search. A Curtis Fund scholarship made Norwich University possible, breaking a family pattern in which money had cut education short. Now studying accounting, Carter hopes to build his career in Vermont, close to family and the community he knows.
Vermont needs fewer small towns and some taller buildings
Rural life is holding Vermont back, and the fix is closing the countryside. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont needs fewer small towns and some taller buildings .
Wood banks prep for long winter months
The United Way of Lamoille County is among the organizations helping Vermonters gear up for winter and heating their homes with wood.
After a costly dry spell, a wetter outlook
Dartmouth research found that drought has become less frequent and less intense across the Northeast, which could help inform Vermont’s future disaster preparation.
Timothy Michael Kane
Renowned for his dry wit, Tim's sense of humor delighted those who knew him. An unassuming, good-hearted person, Tim was loved by many.
Vermont officials and advocates tackle voting accessibility concerns ahead of November election
Data shows low voter turnout for disabled in Vermont; efforts afoot to change that.
An Essex County officials’ parking fight puts taxpayers in a tight spot
Essex County’s sheriff and assistant judges are negotiating over justice center construction that could cost taxpayers more — whether work stops or continues.
Jeffrey Mullins sentenced for role in fatal Hartford shooting
Mullins is one of three people involved in the botched robbery that turned fatal in August 2025.
Sally Burrell
Sally was curious and observant, creative, playful, competitive, funny. Read the story on VTDigger here: Sally Burrell .
Amanda Janoo bests Phil Scott in September campaign fundraising blitz
The fundraising numbers are another indicator that this year’s governor’s race could be the closest in a decade.
Hackers demand ransom from Slate Valley school district after compromising teachers’ personal data
Teachers’ personal information was compromised after hackers infiltrated the district’s online systems last month. Hackers are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars from the district, which has sought help from the FBI.
Disabled workers deserve an equal shot at jobs
As technology erases jobs that disabled people once held, employers must make work accessible.
Stepping inside Vermont’s creative spaces during Open Studio Weekend
The twice-yearly event allows visitors to learn about the art process at the source.
Anti-ICE activists plan week of community engagement, learning and protest
The events aim to focus attention on the role that facilities in Vermont play in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations nationwide.
2 UVM Medical Center unions vote to authorize strike
The support staff and technical staff unions, which represent 3,300 members, announced the vote result Friday. But that doesn’t mean a strike will necessarily occur.
Federal court says U.S. agents can search phones at Vermont’s border with Canada without suspicion
The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit could prompt more agents to look through devices than already do, a critic of the decision said.
Stowe Mountain Resort hopes to cut new trails on Spruce Peak
The resort plans to make some of its terrain more accessible and approachable for guests.
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital promotes its financial consultant to post of interim CEO
David Sanville’s appointment comes a year after the southeastern Vermont healthcare hub reported a multimillion-dollar deficit and the subsequent departures of two top executives.
Peak foliage arrives in Vermont, and next week could bring year’s first flakes
The brightest colors of the year have arrived in the mountains and the Northeast Kingdom. Expect it to get cold early next week.
One vote I’m proud of
Proposal 3 passed the Legislature by rare bipartisan margins. Now it's up to voters.
Can Vermont afford Proposal 3?
Proposal 3 would bar Vermont lawmakers from adopting a right-to-work law, a tool other states use to compete for jobs.
Jack Sawyer, accused of foiled school shooting plot 8 years ago, is back in court on unrelated charges
The new charges include allegedly stealing more than $20,000 in items from Sterling College, where he was once a student.
In a surprise move, Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese seeks to dismiss its 2-year-old bankruptcy case
The state’s largest religious denomination filed its request after spending $2 million in legal fees — and before facing a related creditors’ lawsuit seeking access to an estimated $500 million in local parish assets.
1 in 5 Vermonters say they have struggled to keep up with rent and mortgage payments
Vermont’s cost of living was top of mind for poll respondents, and 20% said they had been late or come up short on housing payments in the past year.
Texas company presents ideas for future Vermont Yankee property use
PowerTransitions seeks community reactions and ideas about potential battery storage at the longtime nuclear reactor site. The company says it decided not to pursue solar or data center projects there, based on earlier feedback.
Court orders Dairy Farmers of America to keep paying its share of union employees’ health insurance after shuttering the St. Albans Creamery
The Monday decision requires payments to continue as a dispute between the union and the co-op over the reasons for the plant's closure plays out.
Putney affordable housing project opens after clearing court battles
The price tag for the apartment complex ballooned by nearly 50% over the course of its development, including two years of legal disputes involving neighbors.
Vermont Medicaid braces for new rules coming for nearly 50,000 Vermonters
It’s likely that most Vermonters on Medicaid will remain eligible for coverage once the rules start kicking in Oct. 1, but they will need to jump through more hoops to prove it.
Vermont Conversation: ‘Gradually, then suddenly.’ Bestselling author Richard North Patterson on how American democracy was undermined.
“If you look at authoritarians throughout time, they've always found an enemy. And for Trump, they were racial minorities,” said Patterson, who predicts that “2026 and 2028 are really democracy's last good shot at getting itself turned around.”
UVM awarded record $38M to create ‘AI twin’ of sick patients
Researchers received the federal award to hone an artificial intelligence model designed to shorten patient stays in intensive care. The AI is designed to mimic patients and recommend treatments.
More cops can’t help downtown
Burlington doesn't have the officers to spare, and state and federal law already limit what police can do about drugs and disorder downtown.
Burlington only has itself to blame for its decline
Cutting the police department was a mistake and threw the baby out with the bath water.
Nettie Morse focuses on a future in pediatric occupational therapy
A founding member of VSAC GEAR UP Leads and a QuestBridge Junior College Prep Scholar, Nettie has been recognized for building opportunity for her peers. Now she's preparing her own college applications, with the goal of working with children.
Woodstock police chief resigns after demotion overturned
Woodstock police chief Joseph Swanson announces retirement after a judge overturned efforts to demote him from his role.
A rising cohort of vets is giving Vermonters new ways to say goodbye to beloved pets
At-home pet euthanasia and hospice services allow owners to give their animals greater comfort at the end of life.
Vermont is losing the people who keep us alive
The state can regulate healthcare prices, but it can't stop people from leaving.
‘If you can’t do it, I’ll do it’: Judge seeks to settle disputes in case of fatal shooting of border agent
The hearing Monday was the first court proceeding in more than a year as Teresa Youngblut faces the possibility of the death penalty, if convicted.
A bear broke into my kitchen. Then I watched him die.
As bear encounters rise across Vermont, how do we share the woods and the yard without harm to either side?
Second home tax appeals to majority of Vermont poll respondents
In a recent Vermont Public poll, 57% of respondents said they thought that the state should impose a new yearly tax on second homes.
Mental health urgent care center coming to Brattleboro
Health Care & Rehabilitation Services will receive $3.6 million from the Vermont Department of Mental Health to develop the center.
One-year contracts won’t help Vermont’s schools
Forcing school boards to hire superintendents on one-year contracts won't build the stability Vermont's education overhaul needs.
Shelter isn’t charity. It’s public safety.
Six years ago, a Vermont nonprofit was asked to open a shelter for the first time. That decision protected the whole of Vermont.
New poll shows Gov. Phil Scott leading Amanda Janoo by 10 points
The poll comes after last week’s UNH data showed Scott and Janoo in a “statistical tie.”
Vermont man dies in custody
A 44-year-old man was pronounced deceased at the Springfield correctional facility on Sunday.
New book traces Twin States’ cultural split to the soil itself
“Twin States, Different Paths: The Politics of New Hampshire and Vermont,” by Brian Porto argues that the two states are “fraternal, not identical” twins.
Vermont farmers feel impacts of staffing cuts at USDA
Reduced staffing means there are fewer people on the ground to help farmers submit applications, explain the reason behind funding priorities and ensure that the federal government works for farmers, said an agricultural policy analyst.
Grant funded initiative seeks sustainability for regional birthing services
“This grant gives us an important opportunity to take a regional approach to a challenge that no single organization can solve on its own,” said Brattleboro Memorial Hospital co-CEOs Dr. Elizabeth McLarney and Dr. Tony Blofson.
Regulators wanted more transparency on Vermont’s medical education. Now they’re getting it.
Budget conditions imposed on the University of Vermont Medical Center require it to collaborate on a new plan for how it funds medical education by the end of this year.
Vermont’s nuclear watchdog has gone quiet
The panel overseeing Vermont Yankee's decommissioning has little to say as a lease deal opens the door to a data center on the contaminated site.
UVM and Middlebury College announce tuition discounts
The University of Vermont is offering discounts to New England students next fall in an effort to boost enrollment. Meanwhile Middlebury College is expanding its free tuition offers.
3 decades after sparking a debate about censorship, ‘Daddy’s Roommate’ returns to Rutland
The Rutland Free Library is launching a Freedom to Read Book Club with a pick that spurred local conflict and national coverage in the 1990s — and holds newfound relevance amid fights over the First Amendment today.
‘Mend it and keep it alive’: Inside Vermont’s growing repair culture
New state program aims to increase opportunities to reuse and repair. Read the story on VTDigger here: ‘Mend it and keep it alive’: Inside Vermont’s growing repair culture .
Roxbury looks to give its former school a new life
The town took ownership of the building earlier this year and seeks to make it self-sufficient.
Latest poll shows Gov. Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo in tightest race in a decade
Scott and Janoo in “statistical tie” in the state’s gubernatorial race. Read the story on VTDigger here: Latest poll shows Gov. Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo in tightest race in a decade .
Where do elections fit in the AI apocalypse?
An AI agent doesn't need to want anything to threaten an election — it just needs a goal, some autonomy and the will to keep trying until it succeeds.
Vermont AG charges anti-ICE protesters after Chittenden County prosecutor declines
The move reverses months of Chittenden County State's Attorney declining to prosecute numerous cases.
Vermont Supreme Court allows Gov. Scott to enforce in-person work for state employees
The order, a reversal of the state labor board’s decision, comes after a monthslong legal battle between Gov. Phil Scott’s administration and the Vermont State Employees’ Association.
Betting the farm on 8 sunny days: Inside Vermont’s pick-your-own orchards
“We became marketers and entertainers,” a state apple expert said. “Pumpkin patch runners and corn maze makers.”
Its selectboard mired in controversy, Weston to hold special election
Weston selectboard resignations and complaints from residents may point to a broader trend in Vermont.
Restoring the river’s memory: Bringing back the banks of the Batten Kill
Recent efforts have established natural structures, stabilized eroding banks, reestablished more natural floodplains, and created narrowed channels that cool the water.
UVM receives $19M grant to build a national neuroscience observatory
The National Science Foundation grant will support Larner College of Medicine neurology professor Davi Bock’s three-dimensional brain maps.
Cold September nights have Vermont’s foliage heating up
A nor’easter will miss Vermont to the south, but expect some rain this weekend. Read the story on VTDigger here: Cold September nights have Vermont’s foliage heating up .
D.K. Johnston
D.K. was fun-loving, but deep when he needed to be. He strove for excellence within our imperfect world.
Don’t let scare tactics sink Proposal 4
Warnings that an equal protection amendment will raise taxes and invite lawsuits don't hold up to scrutiny.
Vermont does not need proposed constitutional amendments
Two ballot measures — one on equal protection, one on collective bargaining — are already covered by existing constitutional guarantees.
Vermont Yankee decommissioning is nearly complete
Almost all of the $602 million decommissioning trust fund has been spent on demolishing the reactor and its affiliated structures and shipping the debris thousands of miles away.
Lock up your guns. It could prevent a suicide.
Nearly two-thirds of Vermont suicide deaths involve a firearm. Secure storage and Extreme Risk Protection Orders can buy a person in crisis the time they need.
For laid off St Albans Creamery workers, health insurance benefits run out next week. The union representing them is asking the courts to intervene
The union says many members have serious medical issues and it would be “stunningly cruel” for Dairy Farmers of America, the co-op that owns the creamery, to stop contributing to workers’ health care plan.
Vermont should watch for three scenarios as Trump targets the midterms
Whether elections proceed fairly, get delayed or go forward despite interference, the stakes for American democracy are high this November.
Vermont Conversation: ‘There was some justice.’ Hisham Awartani on enduring and speaking out for Palestinian lives.
Awartani was gravely wounded in 2023 when he and two friends were shot by Jason Eaton. A Vermont jury delivered a measure of justice this week when it convicted Eaton of three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
As pharmacies across Vermont close, North Star Health opens 3 new ones
The pharmacies take advantage of the health center’s federal designation that allows them to pay less for drugs, charge patients lower costs and still meet their bottom line.
1,240 members raise $100,000 for VTDigger
Reader support will power statewide election coverage, daily news and investigative reporting across Vermont.
Celebrating National GEAR UP Week: five Vermont students who are lighting the way
This week we spotlight Vermont students who are working with VSAC’s GEAR UP to grow, lead, and prepare for what's next. From leadership workshops to college fairs to career goals, these five students are just a few of the thousands turning opportunities into achievements.
Rural Vermont Rising demands to be heard — now and in the future
From fury over a regional land use plan to a new slate of legislative policy positions, the ascendant forum Rural Vermont Rising has been anything but dormant this summer.
Vermont man faces federal charge of threatening to kill the president
Keegan Lagasse, who has been accused in the past of making threats against schools and businesses, appeared in court Tuesday where a judge ordered him held in custody while the case against him proceeds.
Your map is not my deed
How can staff classify farmland from a digital portal without ever walking the ground?