Vermont news

• Officials, lawyers scramble after FirstNet document release

  10-12-2017 19:50 via vtdigger.org
  John Quinn is secretary of the Agency of Digital Services. File photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger
  The public safety communications project known as FirstNet has been criticized — even by some of the officials closely involved with it — as being shrouded in too much secrecy.
  Now the leak of two consultants’ reviews of plans for the public safety broadband buildout has state officials and corporate lawyers scrambling to find the leaker and demand that the recipient of the leak ret
  
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• Final Reading: Those sketchy, too-good-to-be-true ticket sites? They are — and some lawmakers want them gone.

  10-01-2026 00:57 via vtdigger.org
  The Flynn Theater in Burlington during a March 2019 speaking event featuring then-presidential candidate John Hickenlooper. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerPicture this. You love the Indigo Girls. Imagine your excitement, then, when you discover they’re playing at your favorite local venue, The Flynn, in Burlington. You click the first link and go to purchase tickets, only to discover an exorbitant $250 price tag. You love the Indigo Girls, but you also need to pay your mortgage, so you pa
  
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• State issues probation to Bennington program caring for people with intellectual disabilities

  10-01-2026 00:02 via vtdigger.org
  United Counseling Service’s headquarters on Ledgehill Drive in Bennington. Photo courtesy of United Counseling ServiceState officials gave a warning to United Counseling Service this December: Fix your longstanding problems, or risk losing your current ability to operate.The state’s problem with the nonprofit provider’s service lines for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities include safety concerns that “put clients and staff at risk of harm” &mda
  
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• Vermont’s pagans find comfort and creativity in new surge of interest in witchcraft

  09-01-2026 22:13 via vtdigger.org
  Jillian Kirby at home in Burlington on Friday, January 2, 2026. Kirby sometimes describes herself as a “placebo witch”. Kirby has become an ordained atheopagan cleric, part of a community of atheists who incorporate pagan beliefs. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMaggie Byers first felt drawn to paganism during a rough patch in her life. Her marriage fell apart during the Covid-19 pandemic, and she began to reevaluate many aspects of herself that she’d taken for granted: he
  
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• Signaling or substance? Vermont lawmakers propose restrictions on ICE, but their enforcement is questionable. 

  09-01-2026 12:52 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Statehouse in Montpelier on April 16, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerCan Vermont lawmakers restrict how federal immigration authorities operate in the state?Democrats are poised to try this session, mulling legislation that would limit where civil immigration arrests can occur and would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks in most cases. Vermonters should be able to visit sensitive locations
  
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• Signaling or substance? Vermont lawmakers propose restrictions on ICE, but enforcement is questionable. 

  09-01-2026 12:52 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Statehouse in Montpelier on April 16, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerCan Vermont lawmakers restrict how federal immigration authorities operate in the state?Democrats are poised to try this session, mulling legislation that would limit where civil immigration arrests can occur and would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks in most cases. Vermonters should be able to visit sensitive locations
  
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• Stevie Paquette: When ethics are questioned, Vermonters deserve answers — not sponsored narratives

  09-01-2026 01:12 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Stevie Paquette, a Colchester resident pursuing a master’s degree in social work, with an interest in ethics, human rights and Palestinian self-determination. I am writing this as a Vermonter, a constituent and someone who is openly anti-Zionist and believes in the legitimacy and self-determination of the Palestinian people. I also believe deeply in ethical, transparent government and public accountability. When a number of local lawmakers traveled to Israe
  
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• Final Reading: House tax chair weighs potential revenue losses due to Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

  09-01-2026 00:50 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, listens to testimony during a committee meeting at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, Jan. 8. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThat’s what Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, wants the Vermont tax system to be, she said Thursday morning. But following the passage of federal tax law changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, she said, that lofty goal may have become harder to ensure. And she worries
  
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• Rep. Casey Toof, Vermont House’s No. 2 Republican, to resign

  08-01-2026 23:16 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Casey Toof, R-St. Albans Town, speaks during a press conference held by Republican representatives to discuss an education reform bill at the Statehouse in Montpelier on April 8, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe No. 2 Republican in the Vermont House, Rep. Casey Toof of St. Albans Town, will resign his seat next week. Toof has served as assistant minority leader since 2023 and has represented his Franklin County town in the chamber since 2019.The 40-year-old said he’s leaving
  
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• Citing damning report of police actions, attorney calls for release of suspect in crash that killed Rutland officer

  08-01-2026 23:09 via vtdigger.org
  Tate Rheaume waves to his family as he is held on bail in Rutland County Superior criminal court on April 9, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe attorney for a Rutland County man facing a murder charge in a fatal crash that killed an officer is asking a judge to reconsider an order holding his client without bail, citing an internal affairs report that strongly criticizes the actions of police leading to the deadly chase.David Sleigh, a lawyer for 22-year-old Tate Rheaume, in recent c
  
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• School districts would face spending caps under bill by Vermont Senate’s leader

  08-01-2026 22:19 via vtdigger.org
  Senate President Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, right, confers with Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont school districts could see their spending capped beginning in 2028 if the Legislature passes a bill introduced Thursday by Senate Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central.The bill, S.220, is meant to contain the growing cost of public education in Vermont while lawmakers get back to
  
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• Final Reading: Has Burlington’s special accountability court worked?

  08-01-2026 00:52 via vtdigger.org
  Jaye Pershing Johnson on Jan. 3, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerCourt backlog. The phrase has defined a malaise that’s permeated the Vermont Legislature’s work on public safety initiatives in recent years. When Covid-19 slowed down the judicial system, criminal cases piled up, leading defendants and victims to wait years for resolution.Enter the Chittenden County accountability docket. Proposed by Gov. Phil Scott last fall, the pilot project dedicated court time and
  
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• Vermont Health officials reaffirm existing childhood vaccine schedule in light of federal changes

  07-01-2026 23:51 via vtdigger.org
  Dr. Rick Hildebrant, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, speaks before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scaled back federal guidelines for childhood vaccines Monday, moving six immunizations out of the “recommended” category. Following the federal action, Vermont officials and health experts are reaffirming the state’s
  
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• Lawmakers try to keep education reform on track as Gov. Phil Scott calls the issue Vermont’s ‘most critical challenge’

  07-01-2026 23:39 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, left, and Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, right, chairs of the Senate and House education committees respectively on March 13, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER—Vermont lawmakers in the early days of the 2026 legislative session are trying to keep the education reforms started last session on track.But the efforts appear on shaky ground after the state’s school redistricting task force refused to deliver a map of proposed consolidated s
  
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• Vermont Conversation: ‘An act of war’ — Sen. Peter Welch on Trump’s Venezuela and Capitol insurrection

  07-01-2026 22:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont on July 7, 2025. 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 below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.President Donald Trump marked the new year by launching a military assault on Venezuela and abducting President Nicolás Maduro. Some 75 people in Venezuela were killed i
  
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• ‘We just need to do it’: In address to lawmakers, Gov. Phil Scott stays bullish on education reform plans

  07-01-2026 20:45 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott enters the House of Representatives chamber to deliver his State of the State address at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — In his annual address to Vermont legislators Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Phil Scott urged the House and Senate to move forward with the sweeping education reform project lawmakers started last year at his administration’s urging.But as the 2026 legislative session got underway th
  
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• Resolutions become reality as goals turn into achievements

  07-01-2026 16:39 via vtdigger.org
  The new year offers an opportunity to reflect upon aspirations—and commit to the work needed to achieve them. Students of all ages are putting in the effort to bring their goals to fruition. Education continues to shape pathways for learners at every stage, and 2026 brings new possibilities for learning of all kinds. The stories revisited below highlight seven student experiences.Full-time firefighting is in Bailey’s futureBailey Shepard’s goal grew from the sense of belonging
  
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• Jewish group files ethics complaints against Vermont legislators who took paid trip to Israel

  07-01-2026 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Wafic Faour speaks during a press conference during which activists called for the resignation of five state representatives who recently went on an Israeli-sponsored trip to the Middle-Eastern country at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — A Jewish group that opposes Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has lodged ethics complaints against the five members of the Vermont House who traveled to Israel last September on a trip tha
  
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• Benjamin Brickner: Vermont’s cost crises are connected. Our solutions should be, too.

  07-01-2026 00:46 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Benjamin Brickner, of Pomfret. He is a practicing attorney and chair of the Pomfret Selectboard.As towns and school districts across Vermont finalize their budgets, local officials are staring down a familiar question: with healthcare, housing, personnel and other non-discretionary costs out of control, what gets cut?For Pomfret and its 916 residents, hard choices are inevitable. Road maintenance may be scaled back. Overworked staff may go without needed support. Taxes sti
  
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• Final Reading: First day of the Vermont Legislature brings back-to-school feel. Just ask the kids.

  07-01-2026 00:06 via vtdigger.org
  Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington,, addresses her colleagues on the first day of the second year of the legislative biennium at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Jan. 6.Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerHappy first day back to school session! How was your summer? The floors are a little cleaner and the eyes are a little brighter as the both the Senate and the House of Representatives begin their second year of the biennium. The House gaveled back into session Tuesday mo
  
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• Ethics complaints against senators with private school ties dismissed by Senate panel

  06-01-2026 23:08 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, left, and Sen. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, right, listen as Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, speaks as House and Senate members of the education reform bill conference committee meet at the Statehouse in Montpelier on May 28, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Vermont Senate Ethics Panel dismissed two complaints against Sens. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, and Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, and found their conduct was not unethical under the state’s Sena
  
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• Clear theme emerges on opening day of Vermont’s Legislature: Tough choices ahead

  06-01-2026 22:59 via vtdigger.org
  Representatives chat in the House chamber before the start of business on the first day of the second year of the legislative biennium at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Jan. 6. From left to right are Rep. Chris Taylor, R-Milton; Rep. Lisa Hango, R-Berkshire; and Rep. Leland Morgan, R-Milton. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — House Speaker Jill Krowiniski had some less-than-cheery opening remarks to her colleagues to kick off the 2026 Vermont legislative session.“
  
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• Your starter kit for the 2026 Vermont legislative session

  06-01-2026 22:55 via vtdigger.org
  Read the story on VTDigger here:Your starter kit for the 2026 Vermont legislative session.
  
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• Martha Boyce Colyer

  06-01-2026 15:53 via vtdigger.org
  Born March 26, 1953Albany, N.Y.Died Dec. 31, 2025Colchester, VermontDetails of servicesIn lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lund Family Center in Burlington or a charity of your choice, especially those that help children and families.Martha Boyce Colyer of Colchester, wife of Lawrence (Larry) Keyes died on Dec. 31, 2025 at home in the presence of her family.Martha was born in Albany N.Y. She attended the Albany Academy for Girls.She received a BA in Art from Elmira Colleg
  
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• Final Reading: Here’s your indispensable tool for surviving the 2026 legislative session

  06-01-2026 00:45 via vtdigger.org
  The Speaker’s gavel and podium in the House of Representatives chamber at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s legislative session this year will be one for the ages. Can lawmakers pull off the generational transformation of the public education system they started last year, or will they take an easier way out? What state programs will be on the chopping block during an agonizing budget cycle? How will electeds try to counteract the
  
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• VTDigger’s staff photographer looks back on his 15 favorite images of 2025

  06-01-2026 00:34 via vtdigger.org
  As the new year gets underway, we’re taking a moment to look back at the images that helped tell Vermont’s story in 2025. From civic engagement and legislative whispers; surprise federal visits and overlooked municipal drama; to the end of a critical housing program and the expansion of an immigration crackdown — VTDigger was on the ground to capture the scene.
  Our veteran staff photographer Glenn Russell selected and reflected on his favorite images of the year.U.S. Departmen
  
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• Gov. Phil Scott taps Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher for state’s highest court

  05-01-2026 20:31 via vtdigger.org
  Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher. Photos courtesy of the Office of Gov. Phil ScottGov. Phil Scott made two appointments to the Vermont Supreme Court, naming one former top federal prosecutor and another currently serving in that role for Vermont to fill the open spots on the state’s high court.  Scott, a Republican, announced in a press release Monday the appointments of Christina Nolan, who served as U.S. Attorney for Vermont from 2017 to 2021 during the first President Don
  
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• Suzanne Chant

  05-01-2026 17:11 via vtdigger.org
  Born Sept. 29, 1951Darby, PennsylvaniaDied Dec. 25, 2025Colchester, VermontDetails of servicesA memorial service is planned for spring.Suzanne Chant, 74, of South Burlington, died on Dec. 25, 2025, alongside family and friends, after a long illness.Suzanne is survived by her children Gerry Canavan and wife Jaimee Hills, Patrick Canavan, and Ariel Chant and partner Will Willoughby. She was “Susu” to grandchildren Hannah, Zoey, Dalton, and Connor, and step-granddaughters Jal
  
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• Anne Pratt Slatin

  05-01-2026 16:50 via vtdigger.org
  Born Oct. 31, 1944Buffalo, N.Y.Died Oct. 17, 2025Stamford, N.Y.Anne Pratt Slatin passed away on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at The Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, N.Y., at the age of 80 from pneumonia.
  She was born on Oct. 31, 1944, in Buffalo, New York, to Mary McNeil and Wilson Holly Pratt. Her early summers were spent at Camp Otsego in Cooperstown, where she began as a camper and later taught sailing — friendships from those years stayed with her for life.In 19
  
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• Bruce Cole

  05-01-2026 16:19 via vtdigger.org
  Born April 19, 1933Medford, MassachusettsDied Dec. 24, 2025Marlboro, VermontDetails of servicesHe has been laid to rest in King Cemetery in Marlboro. A celebration of life for Bruce will be held mid-April 2026. Letters of condolence can be sent to the family at P.O. Box 133, Marlboro, Vermont 05344.Bruce Cole, 92, of Marlboro, passed away peacefully on Dec. 24, 2025, surrounded by his family. Born on April 19, 1933, in Medford, Massachusetts, Bruce was the son of Barbara Sawyer Cole a
  
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