Vermont news

• Decrease in dairy farms impacts need for hay crop

  27-08-2018 17:52 via vtdigger.org
  Gary Eastman teds second cut hay on his farm in Weathersfield Bow last week. Eastman’s family has owned the farm for 112 years. Photo by Jennifer Hauck/Valley News
  This story by John Lippman was published by the Valley News on Aug. 25, 2018.
  HARTFORD — Think Vermont agriculture, and the first thing that comes to mind is dairy and maple syrup.
  But hay and haylage — those giant white plastic-wrapped marshmallows stuffed with 1,200 pounds of moisture-laden grasses — yielded
  
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• Vermont House advances data protections for people who use genetic testing sites

  25-02-2026 00:30 via vtdigger.org
  Jeff Robb, a Seattle resident wintering in Tucson, signs a banner supporting Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday, Feb. 13. Photo by Ty ONeil/APInvestigators desperate for leads in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie from her Arizona home are turning to a new tool in their search, according to reports this week: databases of genetic data compiled by companies that offer ancestry tracing direct to consumers online.That news, in addition to concerns over a 2023 breach of data from the DNA testing
  
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• Neil Ryan: Save small farms from Act 181 

  25-02-2026 00:17 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Neil Ryan, a third-generation Vermont farmer and consultant helping brands and nonprofits in Corinth. Rural Vermont is more than a “forest block,” as defined by planners via geographic information system maps and rulemaking. Rural Vermont is a human institution created by generations of men and women who loved the land and their way of life.I am a third-generation Vermont farmer who has called three different farms in three Vermont towns home. Each of thos
  
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• Marc Cote: Who pays for prescription discount cards?

  25-02-2026 00:01 via vtdigger.org
  Dear Editor,I appreciated VTDigger’s recent article on Vermont’s consideration of joining the ArrayRx prescription discount card program. Efforts to make medications more affordable are important, and pharmacists share that goal. However, it is essential to understand how these programs function and who ultimately bears their financial impact.Community pharmacies do not set drug prices. We must purchase medications at market rates, maintain facilities, employ licensed professionals
  
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• Vermonters head to Massachusetts to help with aftermath of winter storm 

  24-02-2026 23:35 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont Agency of Transportation vehicles assemble before driving to Massachusetts to assist with snow removal on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Photo courtesy of Vermont Agency of TransportationWhen Vermont’s snow plows roll before breakfast, it’s usually for a mess on our roads. On Tuesday, it was for Massachusetts. As Massachusetts and other parts of New England grapple with the aftermath of an intense snowstorm, VTrans stepped in to help. The agency sent over 30 pieces of equipment and
  
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• Vermont lawmakers stop short of an immediate fix for Section 8 shortfall

  24-02-2026 22:58 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Robin Scheu speaks with fellow lawmakers on the first day of the 2026 Vermont legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 6. Photo by Brian Stevenson/Vermont PublicThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.State lawmakers have decided not to give immediate cash aid to prop up a rental assistance program facing federal cuts, opting to consider funding later this year.Federal Section 8 housing vouchers help thou
  
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• Turning dreams into reality: how Lee Blanco is overcoming obstacles to become a psychiatric nurse

  24-02-2026 22:36 via vtdigger.org
  “When I say Miss Danielle is my mom, everyone says how much they love her,” shared Lee Blanco. His mom is a teacher at Albany Community School, and Lee draws inspiration from the connection she builds with her students. “She does this thing as a teacher where she makes a point of calling all of her kids’ parents the first week of classes. That’s so inspiring to me because you need that connection. It makes me think about what it means for people and what I could do
  
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• Vermont plugs into the data center conversation

  24-02-2026 21:38 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont has so far escaped the arrival of giant data centers, but developers have begun “kicking tires or sniffing around,” according to top Vermont utility lawyer who spoke to lawmakers in February. Lawmakers are trying to get in front of the possible arrival of data centers, which have begun querying the state as the Trump administration pushes for the development of data centers, fueled by the rise of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. The Legislature is consid
  
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• Ryan Csizmesia: Compassion without consequences is failing our schools

  24-02-2026 00:35 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Ryan Csizmesia, the principal of Canaan Memorial Schools.In response to VTDigger’s recent article on Vermont’s declining proficiency rates, I write not as a partisan voice, but as a principal who is in school every day. We are told by state leaders that transformation is essential and consolidation is overdue, and by union officials that data is being politicized. Perhaps all of that is true. But while leaders debate educational structure, something far mo
  
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• To spotlight Trump cuts to health insurance, Welch brings Vermont lawmaker to the State of the Union 

  24-02-2026 00:25 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Alyssa Black, left, and U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger.
  Alyssa Black may find herself singing Talking Heads this week. On Tuesday, the Democratic state representative from Essex Town plans to travel to Washington D.C. to attend the State of the Union address as the guest of U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Since receiving the invitation last week, she said she keeps repeating the line from the song “Once in a Lifetime,” that goes “Well
  
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• Vermont struggling to take full advantage of heat pumps

  23-02-2026 23:55 via vtdigger.org
  Cody Stephenson, a contractor with Vermont Energy, installs a heat pump in October 2017. Photo courtesy of Efficiency VermontZachary Moss is a reporter with the Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.Heat pumps could help Vermont reach its climate goals, but several factors are making it hard to take full advantage of their potential, according to the 2026 Annual Energy Report by the Vermont Department of Public Se
  
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• Vermont officials optimistic after US Supreme Court ruling against Trump tariffs, but trade uncertainty persists

  23-02-2026 23:45 via vtdigger.org
  U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, speaks during a press conference at Leahy Burlington International Airport in South Burlington on Monday, Feb. 23. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.SOUTH BURLINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that many of the Trump administration’s international tariffs from the past year were levied illegally. Despite ongoing uncertainty over a new set of tariffs the Whi
  
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• For Vermont’s favorite Olympians, there’s no rest — nor revelry — for the weary

  23-02-2026 17:14 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont skier Mac Forehand celebrates his score during the men’s freestyle big air finals Feb. 17 at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Photo by Abbie Parr/Associated Press. For Vermonters returning to everyday routines after the escape of the 2026 Winter Olympics, take heart: Medal winners with ties to the Green Mountain State also have to go back to the grind.“So soon, like so soon,” Mikaela Shiffrin, a graduate of Burke Mountain Academy, told NBC of most skiers’ plans
  
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• Opening doors to care: how Open Access and CCBHC are changing mental health in Rutland County

  23-02-2026 15:56 via vtdigger.org
  Community Care Network-Rutland Mental Health Services serves more than 3,500 people each year throughout Rutland County across the areas of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance use treatment and recovery services.For many people, the decision to seek help for a mental health or substance use concern doesn’t come easily. It often arrives in a brief window of courage – one phone call, one step through a door. When that moment is met with long wait times or complicate
  
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• Vermont recommends continued, but reduced, NEK moose hunting

  23-02-2026 14:07 via vtdigger.org
  Joey Davis spends much of his time in the woods of the Northeast Kingdom. He guides moose hunts, and in the spring he combs the woods for antlers that moose have naturally shed. But he often finds something he’s not hoping for: dead moose calves, killed by winter ticks. Winter ticks are native to northeastern New England and have become a serious problem for moose in some places. Tens of thousands of them can live on just one animal, according to research published in the Canadi
  
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• Benjamin Brickner: The rising stakes of Town Meeting Day

  23-02-2026 12:00 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Benjamin Brickner, an attorney and chair of the Pomfret Selectboard. The views expressed are solely those of the author.Vermonters will soon gather in town halls, at polling places and around well-worn tables to shape their future. Some will raise hands from folding chairs, as Elmore has done for generations. Others will mark ballots on a long Tuesday, as Killington now does. Waterbury will do both on the same day. The formats differ, but the purpose is the same: citizens
  
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• Six years in, long Covid is still with many Vermonters — and they say the system is failing them 

  22-02-2026 13:00 via vtdigger.org
  Mary Kate Shanahan has long covid.Seen in South Burlington on Friday, February 13, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerAli knew something was wrong with her body. She’d always been an active Vermonter and a full-time nurse. But in 2024, she began experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain or sheer exhaustion after the slightest exertion. So she went to the emergency room — twice. Both times, the doctors performed a battery of tests: a chest CT scan, an echocardiogram, b
  
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• More cash-strapped Vermont communities seek local taxes on rooms, meals, alcohol and sales

  22-02-2026 12:00 via vtdigger.org
  Signs posted in many Vermont communities call for property tax changes. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerAs Vermont municipalities aim to pinch pennies this March Town Meeting season, a rising number are seeking to pull in more spare change by piggybacking on state taxes and proposing their own 1% local charges on rooms, meals, alcohol and sales.Voters in almost 20 cities and towns will be asked to join the nearly 40 now accessing some combination of such fees, according to a VTDigger surv
  
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• Erica Fuller: AmeriCorps opens doors

  22-02-2026 12:00 via vtdigger.org
  After reading VTDigger’s recent article highlighting an impressive new, young Vermonter, Matthew Carey, I want to commend him for the determination and resilience he’s shown in defying the odds. What stands out to me is the notable impact that AmeriCorps and other federally and state-funded programs have had on his life. Matthew describes the doors opened by his AmeriCorps service, such as the educational award that helps make college more affordable, and the career pathway tow
  
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• Young Writers Project: ‘Dear New York City’

  22-02-2026 11:00 via vtdigger.org
  “I Know a Spot,” by Bradee Traverse, 17, of West Rutland.Young Writers Project is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. Each week, VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth, ages 13-19. To find out more, please go to youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sr
  
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• ‘Craftivism’ makes a comeback as local knitters spin yarns about ICE resistance

  22-02-2026 11:00 via vtdigger.org
  South Burlington resident Kathy Wilder works on a new “Melt the ICE” red hat. Photo by Sophia Balunek/Sheburne NewsKathy Wilder and Anne Morgan were peacefully seated in the Marabella KidSpace at the South Burlington Public Library last Thursday, a knitting needle in each hand, yarn twined through their fingers.Wilder had already gotten to work on a project — a red triangular hat with a braided tassel — by the time the clock struck 2 p.m., when others were due to join th
  
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• As Vermont lawmakers work to consolidate schools, how will they handle school district debt?

  21-02-2026 00:30 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, speaks as the committee is briefed on the proposed 2026 state budget at the Statehouse in Montpelier in February 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont school districts are more than $480 million in debt from the costs of renovating school buildings, according to data from the State Aid for School Construction Advisory Board. That might sound pretty steep, but experts say it’s not necessarily a bad t
  
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• After 16 days in ICE custody, Steven Tendo is heading back to Vermont

  21-02-2026 00:18 via vtdigger.org
  Steven Tendo, a refugee from Uganda seeking political asylum in the U.S., speaks with supporters after receiving a letter announcing a year-long stay of his deportation in St. Albans on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerUgandan minister, health care worker and asylum-seeker Steven Tendo is expected to return home to Vermont on Friday after being detained for 16 days, his lawyer said.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Tendo, 41, into custody on Feb. 4 outside
  
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• Vermont settles lawsuits over foster case licenses denied due to anti-LGBTQ beliefs 

  20-02-2026 23:11 via vtdigger.org
  Officials with the Department for Children and Families at a legislative meeting. Photo by Peter D’Auria/VTDiggerThe state of Vermont has settled two lawsuits brought over the Department for Children and Families’ policies surrounding care for LGBTQ foster children.The state has now revised its policies prohibiting those with anti-LGBTQ beliefs from receiving a foster license, according to court documents filed Friday.The settlements come less than a week before plaintiffs in the tw
  
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• Gov. Scott appoints Jack Brigham to the Vermont House

  20-02-2026 18:51 via vtdigger.org
  The House of Representatives chamber at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerGov. Phil Scott appointed Jack Brigham to a vacant House seat Friday.Brigham will represent part of St. Albans City and St. Albans Town, replacing Casey Toof, a Republican who was serving as assistant minority leader when he resigned last month. “Jack has been active in his community and understands the issues of his constituents well,” Scott said in a s
  
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• Vermont Senate President Phil Baruth says he won’t run for reelection

  20-02-2026 18:25 via vtdigger.org
  Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, pictured on February 3, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerUpdated 12:31 p.m.Phil Baruth, the president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate, will not run for reelection this year.Baruth, a Democrat/Progressive from the Chittenden Central district, announced his decision to retire at the end of this year’s legislative session on the Senate floor Friday.
  The pro tem lives in Burlington. He has served in the Senate since 2011.
  
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• Vermont seeks to join 5 states in drug-purchasing consortium

  20-02-2026 14:30 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak pictured on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe pathway a prescription drug takes from a manufacturer to a pharmacy to a patient’s hands — and how its cost is determined along the way — is often an opaque and confusing one.Vermont’s state treasurer, backed by some health care-focused lawmakers, wants to make that process more transparent and make the drugs more affordable by introducing a bulk buying prescriptio
  
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• Vermont students are ‘well below’ proficiency goals in math and English, according to state report

  20-02-2026 12:30 via vtdigger.org
  Champlain Valley School District school busses in Hinesburg on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA majority of Vermont’s students are “well below” math and English language arts proficiency goals, while the state’s public education system “is not yet consistently delivering strong and sustained outcomes for all students.”That’s according to the Vermont State Report Card, the Vermont Agency of Education’s annual assessment of stu
  
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• Michael M. Cohen: Build bridges, not walls

  20-02-2026 12:00 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Rabbi Michael M. Cohen, rabbi emeritus of the Israel Congregation and Director for Community Relations for the Friends of the Arava Institute. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the organizations with which he is affiliated.A Jewish sage and leader of ancient Israel who lived and worked in Jerusalem during the decades before 100 B.C., Yehoshua ben Perachyah, said, “Judge every person favorably.” We should not preju
  
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• Why people incompetent to stand trial could receive treatment in Vermont’s prisons

  20-02-2026 00:30 via vtdigger.org
  Part of the security fence at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield seen on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerEveryone is innocent until proven guilty, right? If someone charged with a violent crime is deemed a threat to public safety, they might be held without bail. And if that person is also incompetent to stand trial, they could remain in prison for years until they pass a competency evaluation. But the state currently lacks a process to resto
  
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