Vermont news

• Could nuclear power return to Vernon?

  23-10-2026 00:26 via VTDigger
  
  Spent nuclear fuel casks are stored at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon in July 2019. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story by Susan Smallheer was first published in the Brattleboro Reformer on Oct. 22, 2026. VERNON — There could be another nuclear reactor in Vernon’s future.Vermont Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson told the Vernon Selectboard on Tuesday evening that a new, small modular nuclear reactor might be a good fit at the Vermont Yankee site, whic
  
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• Teen food pantry tackles food insecurity

  25-10-2026 15:39 via VTDigger
  
  Stock photo by Antoni Shkraba via PexelsThis story by Sophia Keshmiri was first published in the Addison Independent on Oct. 22, 2026.VERGENNES — Just under a year since Martha DeGraaf and her Commodore Club participants launched a teen food pantry, what was intended to be a supplement for kids in the after-school program has grown into a resource run by those very students for their peers throughout the community. As the cost of food and other basic needs rises, wages fail to keep up with i
  
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• Second-home taxes aren’t fair

  25-10-2026 14:48 via VTDigger
  
  Dear Editor,In our state, we care deeply about community and equity. There is now a clear battle over state identity when it comes to proposals to create a second-home tax. Is Vermont still Vermont if we remove the incentive for second homes? There seems to be a prevailing notion that most second homes belong to wealthy out-of-staters, driving up housing prices and pushing out Vermonters from Vermont. The emotional truth of this tax is to remove these out-of-staters so we can lower costs. 
  RE
  
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• What’s behind the Vermont Catholic Church’s ever-evolving bankruptcy case — and what’s next

  25-10-2026 14:22 via VTDigger
  
  St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls is one of more than 60 Catholic parishes in Vermont. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerLeaders of the Vermont Roman Catholic Diocese said filing for Chapter 11 financial protection in the fall of 2024 promised the church stability amid a rising number of payouts to resolve priest misconduct lawsuits.So why, two years later, is the state’s largest religious denomination seeking to withdraw its request?The church’s explanation remains the same: escalating c
  
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• ‘Anti-homelessness landscaping’ in Middlebury raises questions over approaches to rural encampments

  25-10-2026 13:33 via VTDigger
  
  Middlebury officials placed a layer of uneven rock beneath a bridge where unhoused residents used to camp. Photo by Theo Wells-Spackman/VTDiggerTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.For Josh Simon, who lived outdoors in Middlebury for a time until finding a new place to stay last fall, a spot under the large concrete supports of the town’s Cross Street Bridge had been a frequent resting place. A combination of relative quiet, shelter from the eleme
  
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• Turning tragedy into baskets: One partnership brings conservation and craft together

  25-10-2026 12:56 via VTDigger
  
  Joanne Garton, community forester with the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, in a stand of black ash trees in Hardwick on Sept. 25, 2026. The trees marked with an orange ribbon have been treated with an insecticide, which will help protect it from an emerald ash borer infestation. Photo by Bear Savage/A slab of bark from a recently-harvested black ash tree covered one of the big picnic tables at Atkins Field in Hardwick in late September, where a basketmaking workshop was unfoldin
  
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• Manchester weighs Flock camera alternatives ahead of Vermont ban on automated license plate readers

  24-10-2026 13:16 via VTDigger
  
  A license plate reader camera on VT Route 7A in Manchester seen in June 2026. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMANCHESTER — At Tuesday night’s selectboard meeting, members heard an update from Chief of Police James Blanchard about the town’s current contract with Flock, maker of the controversial automatic license plate recognition system, set to expire in March and what steps the town should or could reasonably make from a law-enforcement perspective in light of a new state statute. V
  
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• Vermont commits $15.3M to expand heating assistance amid high fuel prices

  23-10-2026 23:58 via VTDigger
  
  A Dead River Company fuel truck on a snowy Main Street in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. Photo by Artaxerxes/Wikimedia CommonsTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.Vermont officials approved a $15.3 million state funding package to expand home heating aid programs on Friday.The state administers lump-sum seasonal fuel assistance benefits for financially qualifying households and also directs funds to a program that provides aid in crises when eligible
  
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• Patricia Foulkes

  23-10-2026 23:29 via VTDigger
  
  Born: 01/30/1944St. Louis, MODied: 09/23/2026Burlington, VTDetails of service:
  Patricia’s friends and family will hold a celebration of her life on November 8th at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier with a reception to follow.Patricia “Pat” Foulkes of Montpelier passed away unexpectedly on September 23, 2026, at the age of 82.Born in St. Louis to Carl and Margaret Leupold, she moved at age eight to Jacksonville, Florida where she grew up alongside her two brothers. She graduated
  
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• Return of the ‘Mountain Brigade’ from training Ukrainian troops

  23-10-2026 22:54 via VTDigger
  
  Vermont National Guard soldiers wait for the start of a deployment ceremony at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho on Friday, May 29, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Vermont National Guard’s 86th Infantry Brigade will soon touch down on Green Mountain soil as its deployment to train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany comes to an end.As the National Guard returns home, active U.S. Army units are taking over the training.“They have done a very valuable mission in their training respon
  
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• At vigil, memories of two who died while unhoused and a call for change

  23-10-2026 22:32 via VTDigger
  
  Community members form a large circle during a candlelight vigil at Trinity United Methodist Church in Montpelier on Oct. 16. Photo by Tracy Brannstrom/The Bridge
  This story by Tracy Brannstrom was first published in The Bridge on Oct. 20, 2026. MONTPELIER — Two people who died this fall while experiencing homelessness were remembered at a candlelight vigil Oct. 16 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Montpelier.The deaths of Faith Deuso and Jeff Santamore have reverberated through Montpeli
  
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• Magical thinking won’t fix Vermont’s problems

  23-10-2026 21:59 via VTDigger
  
  This commentary is by Matt Swenson, the founder of Omnidex Solutions, an independent research and strategic analysis company. He lives in Vermont.Vermont’s future depends on whether ordinary people can build a decent life here. That means work that pays the bills, a healthy workplace and communities where starting a business or raising a family feels possible.Too much of our politics runs on magical thinking. Pass another program, raise another tax, give another reassuring speech and the prob
  
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• Journalism Club to discuss Vermont election coverage on Nov. 5 in Williston

  23-10-2026 18:59 via VTDigger
  
  Shaun Robinson speaks during a VTDigger eventin Manchester on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe second meeting of Vermont’s new Journalism Club will focus on how local and state reporters covered the 2026 elections.Readers and reporters will convene just two days after the midterms at Wild Meadows Books & Café in Williston on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. They’ll discuss Vermont’s highly competitive statewide and legislative races — and how voters get t
  
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• The last Democratic legislator in Rutland County is leaving office. What could that mean for the county’s political future?

  23-10-2026 12:03 via VTDigger
  
  (Left to Right) Former Rep. Mary Howard (D-Rutland) and former Sen. Cheryl Hooker (D-Rutland) by Glenn Russell/VTDigger; Independent Rutland County Senate candidate Dave Wolk, courtesy photo; Incumbent Republican candidates Sens. Brian Collamore, David Weeks and Terry Williams by Glenn Russell; Mortimer Proctor, courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society. Background photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger, photo Illustration by Greta Solsaa/VTDigger.This year, the sole Democrat from Rutland County in t
  
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• Separate ballot asks voters to decide $54.9 million career center bond

  23-10-2026 00:13 via VTDigger
  
  An architect’s drawing shows the proposed site plan for the new facility on the U-32 campus. Image courtesy of CVCCA version of this story by Lisa Scagliotti was published in the Waterbury Roundabout on Oct. 17, 2026.For the second year in a row, voters in 18 Washington County communities are being asked to consider supporting a bond to pay for a new Central Vermont Career Center.But this year’s $54.9 million proposal is dramatically different — and a fraction of the cost — from the $14
  
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• National education funding expert takes the helm of the State Board of Education

  22-10-2026 23:18 via VTDigger
  
  Tammy Kolbe, vice chair of the Vermont Board of Education, testifies before the House Education Committee at the Statehouse in Montpelier in February 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe state board tasked with setting education standards for Vermont’s schools elected a new chair: Tammy Kolbe, a researcher and national expert in education funding. Kolbe has served as acting chair of the State Board of Education since former chair Jennifer Samuelson suddenly resigned during a meeting
  
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• Beta Technologies takes electric planes to new territories

  22-10-2026 23:05 via VTDigger
  
  A BETA Technologies Alia vertical take-off and landing all-electric airplane is on display during the opening of BETA’s electric aircraft production facility in South Burlington on Monday, October 2, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont-based aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies has received federal certification to fly potential customers aboard its ALIA eVTOL, an all-electric aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically.The approval marks a new step toward commercial ope
  
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• Bernie Sanders makes rare Vermont campaign appearance, stumping with Amanda Janoo to push universal primary care

  22-10-2026 22:14 via VTDigger
  
  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont speaks during an event with democratic gubernatorial candidate Amanda Janoo in Winooski on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerWINOOSKI — Bernie Sanders is a regular sight on the campaign trail — just not much in his home state. On Thursday, though, Vermont’s independent U.S. senator stood alongside Amanda Janoo and voiced support for the gubernatorial candidate’s proposal to offer primary healthcare to everyone in the state, fr
  
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• Rural Vermont is done being the state’s expendable class

  22-10-2026 21:37 via VTDigger
  
  This commentary is by Megan Durling, a teacher and an organizer for Rural Vermont Rising.The laws coming out of the Statehouse are not written for rural Vermont. They are written to serve Burlington and Montpelier, ignoring how they will affect Brighton and Manchester. That exclusion is breaking us.Rural Vermont Rising formed this spring in response not just to Act 181 but to the broad pattern of regulatory exclusion that it laid bare. Like so many of our laws, it was written without rural folk
  
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• Stick season approaches, but a beautiful weekend ahead across Vermont

  22-10-2026 20:43 via VTDigger
  
  Foliage forecast data courtesy of Explore Fall – https://www.explorefall.com
  This year, VTDigger is teaming up with Henry’s Weather Channel to help answer the annual question of when and where peak foliage will make its appearance across the state.Each week, we’ll bring you an updated look at how foliage is unfolding statewide, paired with a weekend forecast, so you can plan your drive, hike or porch-sitting accordingly. Henry brings meteorological experience and on-the-ground reporting w
  
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• International and out-of-state students are an asset, not a threat

  22-10-2026 20:10 via VTDigger
  
  Dear Editor,I have spent more than 30 years working in information technology at four institutions of higher education, and I’ve consulted for many others. In my experience, the suggestion that admitting an international or out-of-state student takes away an educational opportunity from an in-state student misses many things, of which I will point out three.First, most of the time, international and out-of-state students do not pay the same amount to attend an institution as do in-state stude
  
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• 5 takeaways from Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo’s first debate of the campaign

  22-10-2026 16:10 via VTDigger
  
  Republican Gov. Phil Scott, left, and Democratic nominee for governor Amanda Janoo. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s leading candidates for governor agreed at their first debate of the campaign Wednesday that the state is facing a slew of challenges that make life unaffordable. But Republican Gov. Phil Scott and his Democratic and Progressive challenger, Amanda Janoo, presented at times polar opposite ideas for what to do about it. The debate, hosted by Vermont Public, was friendly
  
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• Gov. Scott put property taxes and school consolidation center stage. Now Amanda Janoo is rallying opposition.

  22-10-2026 11:53 via VTDigger
  
  A sign questioning the property tax rate seen in Jericho on Friday, October 16, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerJERICHO — Henry Listenik Jr. says he’s paying double what he did last year in property taxes. The 69-year-old voted for Gov. Phil Scott in 2024, but Listenik said he doesn’t think Scott has followed through on his promises. Now Listenik doesn’t know who to vote for.The Jericho resident said that his kids, who are parents themselves, are considering moving out of state be
  
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• Emergency medicine responders meet with Becca Balint to talk rural health bottlenecks

  22-10-2026 01:42 via VTDigger
  
  U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., speaks during a discussion the challenges faced by first responders at Milton Rescue in Milton on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMILTON — U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., wanted to see how heavy a stretcher is. She got some help lifting it out of the back of one of Milton’s retired ambulances as part of her Wednesday visit with the Chittenden County town’s emergency medicine providers.The ambulance was old and without the now-stand
  
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• Another approval, another appeal in long-running fight over private airstrip in Lincoln

  22-10-2026 00:29 via VTDigger
  
  A 900-foot airstrip at the home of BETA founder Kyle Clark in Lincoln seen on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerLINCOLN — A controversial private airstrip got the stamp of approval from the Vermont Transportation Board this month in what could have been one of the final steps in a years-long process.But two Lincoln residents are pushing back — as they have for years. Residents Marilyn Ganahl and Sarah Laird filed an appeal Monday to the Vermont Supreme Court, asking
  
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• Budget cuts are hurting patients

  22-10-2026 00:02 via VTDigger
  
  Dear Editor, We are practicing clinicians, trainees and recently retired doctors who serve on the Vermont Medical Society’s board and are deeply concerned about healthcare affordability and access in the state. Despite sharing these goals with state regulators and lawmakers, we believe many current strategies unwittingly threaten the very access they seek to improve. As hospitals are required to quickly and dramatically reduce costs without increasing income, they have limited tools to bala
  
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• Essex failed to warn voters about a tax vote. Now the November result might not count.

  21-10-2026 23:21 via VTDigger
  
  Poll workers await the next voters at the Essex Town polls on Town Meeting Day in March 2023. File photo by Auditi Guha/VTDiggerEssex residents will vote on whether to add new local taxes this November — but the matter is far from settled. A yes vote in a few days would need another sign-off by voters in March, due to a missed deadline for alerting the town. A no vote, on the other hand, means the measure fails.“In this case, ignorance is not bliss,” Bruce Post, a former Essex selectboa
  
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• Children who witness domestic violence are victims too

  21-10-2026 23:19 via VTDigger
  
  This commentary is by Meghan Masterson, executive director of KidSafe Collaborative, and Lauren Porell, director of program services for Steps to End Domestic Violence, who are writing on behalf of the Chittenden County Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Committee.Domestic and intimate partner violence doesn’t just affect the adults directly involved, as became tragically evident recently when a Burlington man was accused of killing his wife with a flashlight in front of three children. Na
  
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• State panel sanctions ex-Rutland officer for violations of anti-bias policing and other policies

  21-10-2026 22:52 via VTDigger
  
  The Rutland City Police Department seen on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Vermont Criminal Justice Council disciplined a second officer who worked for the Rutland  Police Department for violating the Vermont Fair and Impartial Policing Policy.The council, which oversees police officer conduct in the state, voted Tuesday to issue a written warning to Nicholas Fontana for improperly seeking identification of people in a vehicle at a traffic stop and turning
  
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• Vermont Conversation: ‘We can’t solve our problems with the same thinking that created them.’ Amanda Janoo would ‘lead a different way.’

  21-10-2026 22:30 via VTDigger
  
  
  Candidate for governor Amanda Janoo speaks during a Democratic Party unity rally in Burlington on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues. Listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.Who is Amanda Janoo? And how is this political novice polling closely with Vermont Gov. Phil Scot
  
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