Vermont news

• Law enforcement governance council holds first meeting

  21-08-2026 21:24 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Windham County Sheriff’s Office building on Old Ferry Road in Brattleboro. File photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerThis story by Olga Peters was first published in The Commons on Aug. 18, 2026. The newly formed Windham County Law Enforcement Governance Council convened for its inaugural meeting Aug. 7, ready to tackle how the Windham County Sheriff’s Office should provide collective policing for rural towns that lack their own police departments.Selectboards from the ini
  
  Read more

• As heating oil prices remain volatile, Vermonters prepare cautiously for winter

  21-08-2026 21:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  The reflective side of an Energy Co-op of Vermont fuel delivery truck is seen in Colchester on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.For Danny McGibney, a Barre Town resident who heats his home with oil, the price cap plan he uses to lock in his fuel costs is substantially more expensive this year than last. Nonetheless, renewing it this summer in preparation for the chilly months ahead was clea
  
  Read more

• Defund Israel’s decimation of southern Lebanon

  21-08-2026 21:05 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Oscar Vulte, a rising sophomore at Brattleboro Union High School and a fellow with Action Corps.Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced a resolution on June 24 requesting a report on Israel’s human rights practices in Lebanon since Feb. 28, 2026, under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows Congress to request a human rights report on any country receiving U.S. military aid. This is a fantastic piece of legislation, and Welch was right to introduce it
  
  Read more

• ‘USPS isn’t delivering for Vermont’: Congressional delegation complains to postmaster general about mail issues

  21-08-2026 19:56 via vtdigger.org
  
  Drive-by mailboxes bearing the logo of the United States Postal Service on Elmwood Avenue in Burlington. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s congressional delegation has received more than 2,000 complaints from constituents about mail service so far this year, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner on Friday. “As you know, the Postal Service’s Delivering for America ten-year plan was launched in 2021, supposedly to modernize and supp
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Neema starts at Saint Michael’s College to pursue a career in social work

  21-08-2026 16:10 via vtdigger.org
  
  Neema Isidore will be the first person in her family to attend college. She’s the middle of five siblings, a 2026 graduate of Winooski High School, and she starts at Saint Michael’s College this week.Neema has known she wanted to go to college since she started high school. The path was challenging; Neema was born in Burundi. She came to Vermont when she was in the 7th grade, speaking Swahili and Kirundi. As she got used to a new community and a new school, she was also learning a n
  
  Read more

• After a nearly six year saga, Burlington’s new high school opens its doors

  21-08-2026 13:28 via vtdigger.org
  
  The atrium the new Burlington High School building is seen on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerBatula Kassim sat in front of a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in her school’s new library, the sunlight a welcome contrast to the refurbished Macy’s department store where she spent her freshman year. Kassim, an incoming sophomore at Burlington High School, is one of a cohort of students who spent part or all of their high school years attending classes at
  
  Read more

• St. Albans dairy plant is temporarily spared from dismantling as a union fight plays out

  21-08-2026 00:45 via vtdigger.org
  
  A Dairy Farmers of America milk truck drives past members of the Teamsters local 597 union picketing outside the plant in St. Albans in September 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday cleared the way for St. Albans Creamery to proceed with plans to largely shut down its milk processing plant, lifting a temporary restraining order that had blocked the closure.U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III issued the five-day restraining order Monda
  
  Read more

• Milton man accuses the town of violating his free speech rights

  21-08-2026 00:05 via vtdigger.org
  
  Henry Bonges with Pearl, one of his Boston terriers, at home in Milton in July 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA longtime volunteer for the town of Milton filed a federal lawsuit against the town this week alleging officials there violated his right to free speech and retaliated against him when they didn’t reappoint him to his long-held roles on local committees. The lawsuit turns a spat over volunteer appointments into a dispute over political speech. It calls into questi
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Federal prosecutors take over charges in Rutland murder case, won’t seek death penalty

  21-08-2026 00:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Rutland City Poilice Department in Dec. 2021. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerFederal prosecutors filed a new indictment charging two Massachusetts men with a capital crime in the fatal shooting of a Rutland man in 2024 in a case of mistaken identity. The prosecutors also submitted a notice that they do not intend to seek the death penalty as a possible punishment.The new indictment was filed Wednesday in federal court in Vermont. The indictment naming Dylin Wainscott, 30, of
  
  Read more

• Don’t punish Vermonters who split their time here

  20-08-2026 23:06 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,I read the recent opinion piece by Donna Brown about second-home owners, and I totally agree with her. We bought our house in 2004, and as I was a teacher, we spent the summer and my vacation in Vermont. During the pandemic, we were here for a year and a half. We spend as much time here as we can, sometimes up to six months at a time. Does that mean that our other house is also a second home? We pay our taxes but are on a fixed income, so increases are a concern. What about sho
  
  Read more

• Thirty years on, feds look at rolling back funds for internet access at Vermont schools

  20-08-2026 22:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Aubrey Fadden of Enosburg Falls works with third-graders at the Richford Elementary School in Jan. 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Federal Communications Commission is reevaluating a program that has long made broadband internet connections affordable to schools and libraries, leaving Vermont’s state leaders scrambling to identify cuts to other services if the program is changed.    The FCC’s proposed rule weighs possible restrictions to the Schools and
  
  Read more

• Vermont’s housing shortage is the real obstacle to growth

  20-08-2026 20:59 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,I mostly agree with a recent letter to VTDigger about second-home owners, but for one statement. The author says Vermont should encourage industry, but I can tell you that industry cannot survive without workers, and workers cannot survive without a place to live, and there are no places to live. I have lived and worked here for all my 55 years. I currently own and manage five rental properties and work as a robotics specialist at a local factory. My perspective cuts across a f
  
  Read more

• Sanders rallies at St. Albans dairy processing plant, calling its closure ‘devastating’

  20-08-2026 01:29 via vtdigger.org
  
  The St. Albans Creamery & Supply store on Federal Street in St. Albans on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Photo by Bear Savage/VTDiggerST. ALBANS — In light of the recent idling of a dairy processing plant in St. Albans, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., visited the site Wednesday to rally support for unionized workers, who have described the shutdown as an illegal act of retaliation.Against the backdrop of the facility and speaking to the media, Sanders described Dairy Farmers of America&
  
  Read more

• Gov. Phil Scott’s administration touts refunds from 2025 tax break package

  20-08-2026 00:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  Vermont Tax Commissioner Bill Shouldice speaks during Gov. Phil Scott’s weekly press conference at the Statehouse in Montpelier in May 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — Gov. Phil Scott’s administration says a 2025 law it backed that created new tax breaks for military retirees and a range of other tax exemptions resulted in about $10 million in refunds for people around the state so far this year.The Republican governor said at a press conference Wednesday
  
  Read more

• Turning a blind eye to lawbreaking hurts the people we’re trying to help

  19-08-2026 22:59 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,I’m the president and CEO of the Lake Champlain Chamber. It was founded 115 years ago and, to the best of my knowledge, has always been headquartered in Burlington. I have worked downtown for almost 30 years. The Chamber’s office lease expired last fall, and with it, I had to make a decision. Should we stay downtown? As the person responsible for my staff’s work well-being, I take their safety seriously. This spring, I signed a new five-year lease in downtown
  
  Read more

• Vermont Conversation: Grace Potter on how she achieved musical stardom by trespassing 

  19-08-2026 22:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  The 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.Vermont-born Grace Potter will release her latest album, “Tresspasser,” in August of 2026. Photo by James MountfordVermont-born rock star Grace Potter releases her seventh studio album on Aug. 21. “Trespasser” is the latest offeri
  
  Read more

• Vermont education officials face sophisticated phishing scheme this summer

  19-08-2026 22:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  Signs on a bank of computers tell visitors that the machines are not working due to a cyber attack. File photo by Tony Gutierrez/AP PhotoA number of Vermont school districts were hit with an insidious phishing scheme this summer, following a pattern of cybercriminals attacking crucial institutions in rural communities. “This is a really common hacking methodology, unfortunately,” said Denise Reilly-Hughes, secretary of the Agency of Digital Services. “Even the most skille
  
  Read more

• Vermont’s opiate policy is killing us

  19-08-2026 21:20 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Matt Wormser, the chair of the Shelburne Selectboard.I traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, earlier this year for work. Having not been to the state in decades, I didn’t know what to expect, but anticipated an environment similar to many Southern cities I’d been to in recent years: long on MAGA and sprawl and short on local color. Instead, I found a colorful small city that reminded me of Burlington. It’s home to the vibrant University of Arkansas campus.
  
  Read more

• Alleging illegal retaliation, union wins temporary halt to closure of St. Albans dairy plant

  19-08-2026 01:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  Members of the Teamsters local 597 union picket outside the Dairy Farmers of America plant in St. Albans in September 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerWorkers at the Dairy Farmers of America processing plant in St. Albans can hold onto their jobs this week after a federal judge issued a restraining order to temporarily halt a planned closure.In a complaint filed Friday, the Teamsters Local No. 597 requested the order, claiming that multiple supervisors told some employees that the deci
  
  Read more

• Scott administration installs bird noise devices at downtown Montpelier building

  19-08-2026 00:15 via vtdigger.org
  
  State officials installed bird noise devices at the Pavilion Building in Montpelier this summer. David Littlefield/Vermont PublicCarly Berlin covers housing and infrastructure for Vermont Public, in partnership with VTDigger. The issue of unsheltered homelessness has landed on the doorstep of Gov. Phil Scott.The Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services has tallied numerous incidents of individuals sleeping on the porches of the Pavilion Building in downtown Montpelier, the whit
  
  Read more

• Green Mountain Care Board set modest rate increases for 2027 Vermont health insurance marketplace plans

  18-08-2026 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  Insurance plans available on the state marketplace through Vermont Health Connect are displayed on a monitor on Monday, August 17, 2026. Photo by Noel Clark/VTDiggerIndividuals and small businesses that buy health insurance on the state marketplace will see their premiums rise between 1% to 6% next year.The Green Mountain Care Board, Vermont’s independent health care regulator, set rate increases late Monday night for coverage sold on Vermont Health Connect, the state’s Affordable C
  
  Read more

• Walter Edward “Ted” Tedford

  18-08-2026 23:33 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born: 08/13/1927Manchester, ConnecticutDied: 07/14/2026Underhill Center, VermontDetails of service:A Celebration of Life Memorial Service is planned for Ted on Saturday, August 29, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the St. Thomas Church Parish Hall on Green Street in Underhill Center. All welcome.A Celebration of Life Memorial Service is planned for Ted on Saturday, August 29, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the St. Thomas Church Parish Hall on Green Street in Underhill Center.Please come to reme
  
  Read more

• Suspect surrenders and faces second-degree murder charge in downtown Burlington stabbing

  18-08-2026 23:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Burlington Police Department on North Avenue in Burlington on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA suspect has turned himself in and faces a charge of second-degree murder in a fatal stabbing over the weekend in downtown Burlington.Hassan O. Haji, 24, of Winooski, surrendered at the Burlington police headquarters Tuesday morning. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to the murder charge in Chittenden Superior criminal court in Burlington, according to Burlington po
  
  Read more

• Psychiatric hospital beds save lives

  18-08-2026 21:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,The closure of beds for patients suffering from severe mental illness is the worst news possible for those in the midst of a psychotic episode. In 1960, I spent five months at Forest Hospital in Des Plaines, Illinois, living through a horror that, in the end, turned out to be a gift to all my relationships: with my husband, three tiny daughters, parents, brothers and a host of extended family going through their own agony. If there had not been a hospital for me, I don’t
  
  Read more

• Parker’s career took several turns before he settled into a job that works for him and his family

  18-08-2026 19:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  Parker has a strong sense of purpose, and he’s remained flexible throughout his working life—a skill that has enabled him to pivot when necessary and explore opportunities when they’ve come knocking. After he graduated from Harwood Union Middle and High School, he attended Castleton State College (now Vermont State Castleton) to pursue a business degree. He realized that wasn’t his path and left after two semesters. He spent the next few years working at Green Mount
  
  Read more

• Time limits on teacher licensing tests measure the wrong thing

  18-08-2026 19:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Ben Mitchell, a reading interventionist at Riverside Middle School in Springfield and the publisher of Divergents Magazine.In January I found myself at my computer, watching a digital clock aggressively count down the seconds. As a reading teacher in a Vermont public middle school, I love my job; this work challenges me to be my very best. Nevertheless, because I am on a provisional license, my entire career hinges on a number. Vermont requires a score of 164 on the Middle
  
  Read more

• Michael Burditt Cadwell

  18-08-2026 18:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born: 08/28/1952Pittsford, VermontDied: 08/09/2026Columbus, OhioDetails of service:Michael Burditt Cadwell, son of John and Mary Cadwell, died peacefully on August 9, 2026 after along illness. Michael enjoyed an idyllic childhood on the family farm in Pittsford and attended Otter Valley Union High School ’70, Williams College ’74, and the Yale School of Architecture ’81. He then worked for the firms of Turner Brooks, Cesar Pelli, and Wiemann and Lamphere.There followed scholar
  
  Read more

• New funds for Alburgh rail bridge could boost future Amtrak link to Montreal

  18-08-2026 00:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  Construction work continues on the railroad trestle bridge across Lake Champlain between Swanton and Alburgh on Monday, August 17, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerLong-stalled plans to restart the Amtrak connection between Vermont and Montreal are getting a boost from the federal government.The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday announced a $4 million grant to plan out repairing, or possibly replacing, an ailing bridge that carries the cross-border rail route over Lake Champlain.
  
  Read more

• 1 dead in spate of violent incidents in Burlington

  17-08-2026 23:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  A Burlington police cruiser is seen outside City Hall in May 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerAn unidentified man was stabbed to death in Burlington early Saturday morning, nearly a year to the day after a fatal beating a few blocks away set off a still-unresolved fight over public safety downtown even as city figures show violent crime declining.Burlington police discovered a man suffering from stab wounds at around 4 a.m. Saturday morning behind 175-199 Main St., WCAX reported. The m
  
  Read more

• Who gets to see themselves on a Vermont ballot?

  17-08-2026 22:49 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Pelin Kohn, a student advising coordinator at the Community College of Vermont and second-term Montpelier city councilor. On July 29, I was at a community screening of “Man With a Plan,” John O’Brien’s film about Fred Tuttle. It’s a low-budget mockumentary about a retired Vermont farmer who runs for Congress. In a strange case of life imitating art, Tuttle actually won the 1998 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, though he declined to cam
  
  Read more

Follow @NewsVermont_ on Twitter!