Senate committee holds confirmation hearing for Education Secretary Zoie Saunders
The Senate Education Committee’s five members will make a recommendation on Saunders’ appointment, with a vote set for later this week. Next week, the full Senate is expected to vote on her appointment.
Vermont confirms first measles case since 2018
The Department of Health said that the risk to Vermonters is low, but it urged visitors to a Colchester hotel last week to take precautionary measures.
Bald eagles are back, but great blue herons paid the price
Researchers have concerns about the relation between the bald eagles’ rise and a receding blue heron population in the state.
Amid empty storefronts, Brattleboro asks a statewide question: What’s the future of downtown?
“It does seem like we’re in a bit of a trough,” one developer says, “but I see good signs in terms of coming out of it.”
Owner of Friesian horse facility ordered to pay care costs for seized animals
The state removed 13 horses from Friesians of Majesty, Robert Labrie’s horse breeding and training facility in Townshend, last summer after receiving complaints of animal neglect.
Editors’ Picks
Our best stories, investigations, podcasts and more, as recommended to you by VTDigger editors.
Ahead of this summer’s Olympics, a Vermonter prepares to defy the odds one more time
Often the underdog, Norwich’s Billy Bender has been reflecting on his astronomical rise to the top of U.S rowing.
Senate panel advances Act 250 reform bill, while Phil Scott signals potential veto
Multiple bills aimed at modernizing Vermont’s signature land-use law have circulated around the Statehouse this year, drawing intense debate. Now, those bills have become one.
Torn apart by chaos in Afghanistan, a refugee family is reunited in Bennington
As Musa and Zakia Muslim Yar and their three sons made their way to the Kabul airport to fly to the U.S. in 2021, the couple got separated from their two boys amid the crush of people trying to flee the country.
How a hurricane and a cardinal launched a UVM professor on a new career path
Trish O’Kane, who recently published a memoir, “Birding to Change the World,” leads a popular course that pairs college students with grade school students to learn about birds.
Cross-Vermont canoe organization seeks input on accessibility
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail hopes to improve access points and information for anyone with a mobility challenge.
New ‘incentive calculator’ launches to help Vermonters electrify their homes
Here’s how to use the tool to find which rebates, tax credits and discounts you might qualify for.
Sen. Bobby Starr to retire after 46 years in Vermont Legislature
Pointing to his “hair and wrinkles,” the 81-year-old said he and his wife “have come to the conclusion that maybe it’s time that I retire.”
Joe Biden unlocks FEMA aid for January storm in Vermont
High winds ripped through the state causing thousands of power outages.
Opinion
Columns, commentaries and letters to the editor written by community members and regular contributors.
Helen Riehle: Intentional planning and investment drives South Burlington’s housing strategy
We know the work is not done, but this successful model perhaps can act as a road map for other communities at their scale and with their needs in mind.
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman: Vermont is not for sale
There is a lot of debate about how we can best address this affordable housing shortage. The challenge is whether we can discern the political rhetoric from the facts.
Allie Cohen: Vermont’s youth mental health crisis
Overall, the mental health crisis in the state, particularly concerning pediatric psychiatric care, demands urgent attention and action.
Elizabeth Bridgewater: BIPOC homeownership matters
Our country has a deep history of systemic racial discrimination in the housing industry.
Tree planting divides Charlotte; 3 officials resign from volunteer board
What began as an effort to plant trees along State Park Road has turned into a chaotic debacle over process, contracts and how exactly the funds used to plant trees should be doled out.
There are still children’s books waiting to be sent …
It’s not too late. You can still support two worthy causes with one simple act of generosity.
Obituaries
Death notices and celebrations of life.
From small-town Vermont to Taylor Swift and ‘Barbie,’ two brothers stay busy in creative careers
The Fiorillos’ art-filled upbringings would take them from auditoriums in Randolph to arenas and stages worldwide.