Journalism that moved Vermont

Housing affordability and displacement remained among the most urgent issues facing Vermonters in 2025. Our most-read story of the year examined the hundreds of people forced out of housing when the state’s motel voucher program expired in July. The reporting humanized a complex policy shift and documented its consequences for families across the state, resonating with more than 400,000 readers.

We also covered major changes to Vermont’s land-use landscape as reforms to Act 250 moved forward. A new board took the reins of a years-long mapping process that will shape development statewide for decades. 

At the community level, we reported on why Greensboro voters rejected a proposal to redevelop their town hall into affordable housing, a local decision that reflected broader tensions between preservation affordability and growth.Food insecurity emerged as a critical issue throughout the year. We reported on the impacts of policy changes and the longest government shutdown in recent history, following Statehouse debates over emergency funding and documenting the lived experiences of Vermonters who were impacted.

Vermont’s public education system entered a period of significant transition in 2025. We closely followed the rollout of Act 73, the state’s sweeping education reform law, unpacking how changes were already reshaping schools and answering reader questions about what lies ahead.

As lawmakers advanced a sweeping school consolidation proposal, we examined a largely overlooked driver of rising education costs: a shrinking and increasingly consolidated school transportation market. Our reporting found districts facing contract increases of 25% or more amid severe driver shortages and limited competition. By tracing ownership structures and interviewing school leaders, we documented how market consolidation and gaps in oversight are reshaping student transportation across rural Vermont.

Our coverage also tracked uncertainty sparked by federal funding disruptions and a controversial and later reversed state directive that would have required school districts to certify compliance with a federal ban on certain diversity equity and inclusion programs. 

Education news followed developments in higher education as well, including new leadership at the University of Vermont and changes at a number of colleges across the state.

Political reporting drew some of the most readers to our site in 2025. When Vice President J.D. Vance visited Vermont’s Mad River Valley, more than 1,000 people filled nearby streets to protest and counter-protest his presence. Our on-the-ground reporting captured the spirit of the moment and became one of the most-read stories in VTDigger’s history.

Beyond breaking news, we continued to hold power accountable through enterprise reporting. Our journalists examined fundraising practices by elected officials and documented how a Northeast Kingdom state senator switched all newscasts on radio stations he purchased to Fox News, reshaping the local media landscape.

Our investigative reporting on Americans for Prosperity showed how a national political network is testing their strategies in Vermont. What began with a noticed lobbying fee and a tip about a campaign mailer grew into weeks of reporting public-records requests and national collaboration, laying bare how outside political forces seek to influence local policy debates.

Public safety coverage ranked among the year’s most-read topics. We provided sustained reporting on the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a second person during a traffic stop in the Northeast Kingdom, tracking the investigation and its sprawling cross-country connections.

Our journalists also brought new transparency to long-hidden information including reporting on a secret internal review detailing police actions leading up to the death of a Rutland City police trainee. Additional stories examined the arrest of an elected state’s attorney and exposed widespread problems caused by remote court hearings, relying heavily on the perspectives of incarcerated people and revealing a largely unseen part of the justice system.

VTDigger published a months-long investigation into allegations of misconduct by a county state’s attorney, centered on the experiences of sexual assault survivors who said they were mistreated during the prosecution process. Through court records, internal communications and survivor interviews, our reporting examined claims that the prosecutor dismissed victims’ input and retaliated against advocates. The story brought rare public scrutiny to prosecutorial decision-making and victims’ rights — areas that typically unfold outside public view.

Health care reporting in 2025 focused on how policy shifts translate into real-world consequences. Congress’s decision not to renew the expiring enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025 has brought one of the most profound changes to the affordability of health care for thousands of Vermonters who buy their health  insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Vermont has seen those premiums double and lost nearly $72 million in collective subsidies.

Access to gender affirming care for minors came under pressure from the federal government. VTDigger published a two-part series analyzing how policy changes may impact access to services for youth in the region. 

VTDigger wrote about the UVM Health Network hospital’s budget and the Green Mountain Care Board’s attempts to reign in their high executive compensation and payouts to New York hospitals. Our detailed coverage of the care board meetings coincided with the departure of UVM Health Network’s president and CEO. We are continuing to cover the hospital network’s efforts to respond to the Care Board’s attempts to reign in its budget. 

Through a months-long investigation, we uncovered patterns of care problems at nursing homes under new ownership, tracing the issues in part to a temporary state approval process that lacked transparency. Our coverage of Vermont’s ongoing opioid crisis highlighted both the scale of the challenge and community-level efforts working toward solutions.

Environmental reporting resonated strongly, particularly coverage on states challenging Vermont’s Climate Superfund Law, reporting on rising brook trout populations and examination of  Vermonters’ reactions to the Trump administration’s push for expanded logging in national forests. 

VTDigger’s environmental reporting helped readers understand how climate impacts and policy decisions intersect across Vermont. We covered ongoing recovery from the historic floods of 2023 and 2024 as communities continued to navigate nearly $1 billion in estimated damage and complex rebuilding processes.

Our journalists also explained major climate policy turning points. When Vermont’s Clean Heat Standard collapsed in legislative committee, we reported on why the state’s signature emissions plan failed and what options remain under the Global Warming Solutions Act.

Environmental accountability reporting examined Vermont’s compliance with federal law, including findings that the state has failed to issue required permits for large-scale farm runoff. We unpacked proposed regulatory fixes and long-standing tensions between state agencies, helping readers understand what is at stake for Vermont’s waterways and public health.

From immigration to health care, the economy to social services and education to climate, VTDigger reporters closely followed President Trump’s time back in office and the defining ways it has affected the Green Mountain State.

VTDigger covered how the federal administration has clawed back or cut funding Vermont has long relied on for key programs.

We covered changes to cross-border policy affecting the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line and documented how new U.S. policies reshaped Canadian travel and commerce in northern counties.

Our journalists also examined Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Vermont including ICE’s nationwide digital surveillance center in Williston. We covered the detention of two migrant activists that raised broader questions about racial profiling and border enforcement, as well as several other cases of people being detained, including a second-grade student.

VTDigger’s commitment to serving Vermont goes beyond daily news and investigative reporting. In 2025, we continued to deepen our role as a civic institution by publishing opinion pieces and obituaries, hosting public events and conducting surveys and community listening sessions to continually make VTDigger more useful to our readers.  

Our Opinion section brings together diverse voices from across the state. Scholars, activists, community leaders, students, policymakers, and everyday Vermonters contribute perspectives that broaden understanding and spark thoughtful dialogue. At a time when polarization is rising nationwide, VTDigger provides a platform for civil, fact-based debate about the issues shaping Vermont’s future. Our team fact-checks every single piece we publish, so you can ensure that what you read on VTDigger is factually correct — even if you don’t share the letter writer’s opinion.

We also publish obituaries, honoring the lives of Vermonters and preserving essential pieces of our state’s history. Obituaries connect communities through shared remembrance, ensuring that stories of local lives are recorded with care and respect. We don’t charge families for publication, this is a quiet but important public service VTDigger provides, especially as traditional local newspapers shrink or disappear.

In 2025, Taylor Haynes and Libbie Sparadeo spearheaded an initiative to seek the input from younger and rural readers. Dirt Road News was a Lenfest Institute–funded community listening and outreach initiative designed to deepen VTDigger’s connection with audiences historically underrepresented in our feedback and engagement. From May through September 2025, the project piloted new, low-barrier ways to meet people where they are, including local trivia nights, a community ambassador program and a statewide survey offered in both digital and print formats. Rooted in trust, accessibility and genuine curiosity, Dirt Road News helped us gather actionable insights about how younger Vermonters get their news, what issues matter most in their communities and where local journalism can better serve them. The learnings from this project are informing our audience strategy, product development and editorial priorities as we continue working to make VTDigger more relevant and inclusive across Vermont.