Vermont news

Towns move forward on regulating short-term rentals

20-09-2026 17:20 via vtdigger.org

A property with an AirBnB listing on Intervale Avenue in Burlington seen in Sept. 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story by Mark Rondeau was first published in the Bennington Banner on Sept. 16, 2026.Shaftsbury is in the process of developing a short-term rental bylaw, while adjacent North Bennington recently finalized the administrative process for enforcing its short-term rental ordinance.According to Vermont law, short-term rental “means a furnished home house, condominiu

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The state panel handling labor disputes in Vermont is short on members at a critical moment

20-09-2026 15:40 via vtdigger.org

State employees enter the state office complex in Waterbury as the Vermont State Employees Association opposes Gov. Phil Scott’s return to work mandate in October 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Vermont Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by Gov. Phil Scott to resolve disputes between workers and their managers, has been down a third of its members for months — and hasn’t been at full strength in nearly two years.Scott’s office says the gover

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How many crashes will it take to build a roundabout?

20-09-2026 15:23 via vtdigger.org

Dear Editor,I am discouraged by the discussions about possible roundabouts in Chittenden County. The intersection of Route 2 and Clay Point Road in Colchester, just off Exit 17 on the way to Grand Isle, has seen multiple fatal crashes in recent years. A study by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission suggested a roundabout as a solution. The cost was estimated at more than $5 million, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation thinks it would take 10 to 20 years to complete. &nbs

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As financial hardship drives owners to give up pets, Vermont can’t rehome them fast enough

20-09-2026 14:21 via vtdigger.org

Angela Barrows hugs 4-month-old Tina after adopting her at a Wag It Forward pet adoption event in South Burlington on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.Until last year, J.A. and her husband had been able to support themselves, their kids and their two dogs in their Bennington County home without financial strain. She had a “really great job” in the ski industry, and he recently

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This Vermont documentarian has filmed three decades of hard things. So why is she now focusing on hope?

20-09-2026 13:31 via vtdigger.org

Members of Vermont’s Writers for Recovery support group hug in a moment from Bess O’Brien’s new documentary “Every Day: Big and Small.” Photo courtesy Kingdom County ProductionsVermont filmmaker Bess O’Brien had finished her last documentary — the 2024 on-the-ground look at food and housing insecurity, “Just Getting By” — when she hungered for a change.“A lot of my films through the years have tackled big issues,” recalled

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