Vermont House stops short of unmasking ICE, dividing House Democrats
The House passed a bill that creates a statewide policy on masking and identification for local and state police officers. Lawmakers stripped it of its effect on federal agents.
Vermont legislators look to fast-track a plan to lower what insurers pay hospitals
Also in Final Reading: ‘Hateful, threatening rhetoric’; and the Clean Heat Standard.
Vermont Conversation: Journalist Jasper Craven on the toxic mix of militarism and masculinity
Craven’s new book, “God Forgives, Brothers Don’t: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood,” investigates how the U.S. military has shaped American masculinity from the days of the American Revolution to the forever wars of today.
Pharmacy closure leaves Woodstock without place to fill prescriptions
With the closure, Woodstock joins the growing list of Upper Valley towns without a pharmacy.
A new body will recommend how state government and Vermont businesses could adopt AI
Also in Final Reading: Sister state bill vetoed; and a senator’s controversial comments.
Editors’ Picks
Our best stories, investigations, podcasts and more, as recommended to you by VTDigger editors.
Declining enrollment is driving a $12 million budget deficit at the University of Vermont
The university expects to see a 15% decline in freshman undergraduate students this coming fall compared to last year, and a 7% decrease across all undergraduate grade levels.
Overdose deaths in Vermont drop by 25% in 2025
“Our treatment, our intervention, our harm reduction, our recovery services, those are working,” said Vermont Department of Health Interim Deputy Commissioner Shayla Livingston.
Vermont Conversation: Going fast and breaking barriers
The documentary “Best Day Ever” features the world’s first adaptive mountain bike trail network and the athletes who are changing lives.
Barre’s proposed school district budget fails — again
Voters also re-elected Mayor Thom Lauzon and city councilor Sonya Spaulding in the city’s annual election.
Burlington City Council rejects art donation from state-recognized Abenaki group
The council’s near-unanimous vote came after the proposal faced significant public opposition, including from two Abenaki nations based in Quebec and their supporters.
Judge concerned as Vermont Catholic diocese’s bankruptcy case hits $2M in legal bills
“It’s beyond time for some forward movement,” said Judge Heather Cooper, who’s waiting for the state’s largest religious denomination to submit a fiscal reorganization plan originally due more than a year ago.
Opinion
Commentaries and letters to the editor written by community members and regular contributors.
Vermont’s Act 181 reset is a chance to get it right
Removing controversial provisions alone won’t solve the state’s rural housing challenges.
Credit card fees are a cost of doing business
Surcharges for credit cards, kitchen staff and tips are obscuring the true cost of a restaurant meal.
Vermont’s primary care crisis demands real transformation
Payment reform and a reimagined physician role could fix Vermont’s primary care system, if the state stops rewarding expensive medicine over accessible care.
Vermont is driving the next generation away
Vermont’s beauty can’t offset the high costs, lack of opportunity and missing infrastructure forcing young people to leave the state.
What 2,200 Vermonters told us about local news
The Dirt Road News project gathered responses from younger and rural Vermonters, revealing that local news is often hard to find and unevenly distributed, even as many respondents expressed strong trust in VTDigger and a clear appetite for more local coverage.
After a long, cold winter, energy costs are soaring. Some Vermonters are reevaluating their options.
“I’m on quite a restricted budget,” said one Vermonter who planned to switch away from oil heating. “I’m really, really worried about where things are right now.”
South Burlington mail delivery woes are caused by short staffing, says Postal Service
Residents have complained of limited deliveries and mail taking weeks longer than expected.
Amid federal funding squeeze, Safe Haven in Randolph to close
With the Clara Martin Center closing its residential facility, Capstone Community Action is searching for new locations to host a shelter for people who need a bed.
Obituaries
Death notices and celebrations of life.
Vermont rejected the federal government’s vaccine rollbacks. But doctors are still seeing their impact.
The latest wave of vaccine skepticism puts an added load on an already-strained primary care workforce, clinicians say.
