Vermont news

• Sunderland man killed in crash

  16-06-2017 16:08
  
  A Vermont man was killed in a crash in Danby Thursday night. 
  
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• Brattleboro fire chief deploys for 13 months

  06-10-2026 00:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  First responders and town officials gathered at Centra Fire Station in Brattleboro to say goodbye to Fire Chief Jay Symonds before he leaves for approximately 13 months of military service with the New York Army National Guard on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro ReformerThis story by Kristopher Radder was first published in the Brattleboro Reformer Oct. 4, 2026.BRATTLEBORO — The meeting room at Central Fire Station was filled with firefighters, first responders
  
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• Attorney for man charged in a deadly police chase seeks to quiz potential jurors before seeking change of venue

  06-10-2026 00:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Tate Rheaume appears in Rutland County Superior criminal court in April 2024. Rheaume is charged in the crash that killed Rutland City police officer Jessica Ebbighausen in 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe attorney for the man accused of driving into and killing a Rutland officer during a chase wants to question prospective jurors about what they may know and feel about the case before moving forward with a request to move the case to another county.David Sleigh, the lawyer for Tat
  
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• New report finds low reconviction rates for teens in first years of Vermont’s ‘Raise the Age’ law

  06-10-2026 00:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  The McCaffrey Courthouse in Rutland on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The building houses Vermont Superior Court. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerTheo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.As Vermont considers the future of its “Raise the Age” law, a new report has found relatively low rates of reconviction among the teenagers whose cases have been affected by the reform — though the data come with important caveats.The landmark law, which
  
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• Not every job needs to be done in the office

  05-10-2026 23:19 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Latimer Hoke, a paramedic and ski patroller in northern Vermont.I work as a paramedic. It would be pretty difficult to do my job remotely, what with carrying patients, starting intravenous lines and administering medications. Similar story for plow truck drivers, police and corrections officers, teachers, cooks, delivery drivers, mechanics and many other jobs that require a physical presence. But some jobs can and should be performed remotely.The recent pandemic illustrate
  
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• Despite some overall progress, Vermont test scores show a widening achievement gap

  05-10-2026 22:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  A classroom. Photo via Adobe StockDespite some improvements in standardized test scores, state data reveals a widening achievement gap in Vermont’s schools. The state’s initial evaluation of its annual standardized test scores for the 2025-26 school year, released last month, shows “marginalized students,” including those with disabilities, living in poverty or belonging to a racial minority, are falling behind their peers.The gap in subject matter proficiency betwe
  
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• Vermont can help keep Canada close

  05-10-2026 22:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Al Vigier, the chief executive officer of Caseway, an artificial intelligence company that co-creates products with large enterprises and shares the revenue with them.At the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, the border between Vermont and Quebec runs through the reading room. For more than a century, Canadians could walk along a short sidewalk to the front door in Derby Line. Since October 2025, that sidewalk has been closed to most users, except people with reduced mo
  
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• Marilyn Houston

  05-10-2026 22:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born: 05/22/1927Indianapolis, IndianaDied: 10/02/2026Manchester, VermontDetails of service:The family plans a memorial celebration in the spring.Marilyn Houston, 99, of Manchester, Vt. (formerly of Arlington, Vt.) died October 2, 2026. She was predeceased in 2014 by her husband, Neal J. Houston.Marilyn was born May 22, 1927 in Indianapolis, Ind. the daughter of Elden and Florence Mills.  She spent her formative years in Forest Hills and Brooklyn, N.Y.; Westport, Mass.; and West Hartford, C
  
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• The first to finish: Carter Smith’s Curtis Fund story

  05-10-2026 14:28 via vtdigger.org
  
  Carter Smith worked as much as he could last summer and saved every extra dollar. He has a scholarship, but he still keeps a backup fund. When money has been tight your whole life, you do not stop worrying just because the numbers look better on paper. “I’ve always been very financially focused,” he says. “Maybe even to a fault.” That did not come from nowhere. Carter is the oldest child. His parents were young when he was born, and money was tight throughout
  
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• First to finish: Carter Smith’s Curtis Fund story

  05-10-2026 14:28 via vtdigger.org
  
  Carter Smith worked as much as he could last summer and saved every extra dollar. He has a scholarship, but he still keeps a backup fund. When money has been tight your whole life, you do not stop worrying just because the numbers look better on paper. “I’ve always been very financially focused,” he says. “Maybe even to a fault.” That did not come from nowhere. Carter is the oldest child. His parents were young when he was born, and money was tight throughout
  
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• First to finish

  05-10-2026 14:28 via vtdigger.org
  
  Carter Smith worked as much as he could last summer and saved every extra dollar. He has a scholarship, but he still keeps a backup fund. When money has been tight your whole life, you do not stop worrying just because the numbers look better on paper. “I’ve always been very financially focused,” he says. “Maybe even to a fault.” That did not come from nowhere. Carter is the oldest child. His parents were young when he was born, and money was tight throughout
  
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• Vermont needs fewer small towns and some taller buildings

  04-10-2026 16:18 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,As VTDigger’s recent reporting clearly indicates, over its last several sessions, the Vermont Legislature has danced around the predominant and defining cause of Vermont’s historic dilemma. Our lawmakers lack the courage to tackle this reality with the bold, decisive steps that a forthright statement of the problem requires. Absent the necessary clarity of definition, half-measures and inadequate solutions dominate their discussions, and the long-suffering people of Verm
  
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• Wood banks prep for long winter months

  04-10-2026 15:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  Students help load wood onto a truck to be delivered to families in need in the area. Photo by Gordon Miller/News & CitizenThis story by Liberty Darr and Patrick Bilow was first published in the News & Citizen on Sept. 17, 2026. One in three Vermonters will heat their homes with wood this winter, but as the cost and difficulty of sourcing wood increases for some, a handful of local organizations are providing free cords to those in need.Recently volunteers donned safety gloves and
  
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• After a costly dry spell, a wetter outlook

  04-10-2026 14:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  People walk along the beach at St. Albans Bay in September 2025. The 2025 drought brought water levels on Lake Champlain to near record lows. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerDroughts like the one that cost Vermont farmers nearly $16 million last year might be becoming less common, a new Dartmouth College study suggests, as increased rainfall makes dry spells less frequent and less intense across the Northeast.But farmers shouldn’t pack up their irrigation equipment just yet.“Wha
  
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• Timothy Michael Kane

  04-10-2026 14:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born: 04/28/1956New York City, New YorkDied: 06/23/2026Details of service:A private service will be held at a later date.On Tuesday evening June 23, 2026, Timothy Michael Kane peacefully died.
  Born to Thomas and Judith Kane in New York City on April 28,1956, Tim spent his childhood in the surrounding New York suburbs before moving to East Hardwick, Vermont as a teen. He became a master craftsman in the traditional sense of the word.
  Wherever he lived, Tim established his ‘shop’ begi
  
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• Vermont officials and advocates tackle voting accessibility concerns ahead of November election

  04-10-2026 13:57 via vtdigger.org
  
  A voter carries ballots past a booth in Shelburne on Primary Day, Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVoter rights advocates are pushing on several fronts to ensure voting access for Vermonters ahead of the general election in November.The Secretary of State’s office launched a voter accessibility task force in coalition with advocacy groups last year that focused on expanding resources for people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domes
  
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• An Essex County officials’ parking fight puts taxpayers in a tight spot

  04-10-2026 12:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Essex County Courthouse in Guildhall, center, sits between the Meeting House (left) and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerEssex County’s sheriff and assistant judges have taken a simmering parking fight to court, leaving taxpayers caught between the cost of stopping construction and the risk of paying to redo it.“Would it cost more to delay the project and design it correctly,” said Brice Simon, the
  
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• Jeffrey Mullins sentenced for role in fatal Hartford shooting

  03-10-2026 13:11 via vtdigger.org
  
  Jessica Lemay (left on Webex screen) gives her victim impact statement during the sentencing of Jeffrey Mullins (center) for his involvement in a fatal shooting last August. Photo by Alex Ebrahimi/Valley NewsThis story by Alex Ebrahimi was first published in the Valley News on Oct. 1, 2026. WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — One of three individuals involved in a botched robbery turned fatal shooting in Hartford has been sentenced to six to 10 years, suspended to six months in prison with 10 yea
  
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• Sally Burrell

  03-10-2026 02:49 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born: 02/01/1958Brockton, MassachusettsDied: 09/17/2026Bristol, VermontDetails of service:A celebration of life was held in August while Sally could enjoy it in person. A Green burial was held privately by her family following her death. Her final resting place is the the Monkton Friends’ Methodist Cemetery, off Cemetery Rd in Monkton.BRISTOL — Sally Burrell died Sept. 17, 2026, after a brief illness with ovarian cancer. She accepted her path with grace and openness enjoyi
  
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• Stepping inside Vermont’s creative spaces during Open Studio Weekend

  03-10-2026 00:32 via vtdigger.org
  
  Frank Saliani handles freshly thrown plates in his Montpelier studio, Green House Pottery. Photo by Emma RosenthalThis story by Emma Rosenthal was first published Oct. 1, 2026.Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, for the Bridge. Twice a year, the doors to Vermont’s creative spaces swing open, giving visitors a peek into pottery studios, galleries and artists’ workspaces across the state. Organized by the Vermont Crafts Council, Vermont
  
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• Amanda Janoo bests Phil Scott in September campaign fundraising blitz

  03-10-2026 00:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Democratic nominee for governor Amanda Janoo, left, and Republican Gov. Phil Scott. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s Democratic candidate for governor, Amanda Janoo, raised more money than Republican Gov. Phil Scott in September, according to newly filed campaign finance reports, putting her nearly level with the governor in cash on hand heading into the final month of the campaign.The fundraising numbers are another data point indicating this year’s race for governor is th
  
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• Hackers demand ransom from Slate Valley school district after compromising teachers’ personal data

  03-10-2026 00:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  Fair Haven Grade School. Photo Courtesy of Slate Valley Unified Union School District Communications Coordinator Lisa CacciatoreHackers are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in ransom from the Slate Valley Unified School District after hacking a district server last month and compromising teachers’ personal information, according to Superintendent Brooke Olsen-Farrell. The incident continues to wreak havoc on the district after hackers breached the district’s internet
  
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• Anti-ICE activists plan week of community engagement, learning and protest

  02-10-2026 23:33 via vtdigger.org
  
  Musicians from across the state play at a protest against ICE and CBP in St. Albans in May 2026. File photo by Emma Green/VTDiggerIn the eyes of Julie Macuga, the time is ripe for “mass civil disobedience.”She’s one of the main organizers for Shut Down ICE VT, which is hosting a week of community action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Vermont. This is a small state, Macuga said, and activists need more “people power” to have a sustain
  
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• Disabled workers deserve an equal shot at jobs

  02-10-2026 22:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Natalie Sinkew, who lives in St. Albans.As a disabled citizen, I would like to address the struggles we face finding a place in the workforce. We are not asking for a job just because we have a disability. We are asking for the same opportunity as everyone else to apply for a job and show what we can do.The world is changing quickly. Technology, automation and artificial intelligence are becoming a bigger part of everyday life and the workplace. These changes can make life
  
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• 2 UVM Medical Center unions vote to authorize strike

  02-10-2026 16:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Nicole DiVita, right, and Jacob Berkowitz, president of UVMMC Support Staff United, pictured on Oct. 2. Photo by Olivia Gieger/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — Two UVM Medical Center unions said Friday they have voted to authorize a strike. The vote gives the union leadership the authority to call for a strike and begin the legal notification process before staff officially take to the picket line. Union representatives said that 82
  
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• Federal court says U.S. agents can search phones at Vermont’s border with Canada without suspicion

  02-10-2026 00:19 via vtdigger.org
  
  The United States Border Inspection Station in Derby Line in March 2025. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerU.S. border agents can search people’s phones and other electronic devices without a warrant or any suspicion they’ve committed a crime, the federal appeals court covering Vermont ruled last month.The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which also covers New York and Connecticut, stemmed from a bank fraud and money laundering case against a man in New Y
  
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• Stowe Mountain Resort hopes to cut new trails on Spruce Peak

  02-10-2026 00:17 via vtdigger.org
  
  The project is generally described as the clearing of .36 acres through the existing canopy for two new trails on Spruce Peak. Photo from Airbus, CNES / Airbus, Maxar TechnologiesThis story by Patrick Bilow was first published in the Stowe Reporter on Oct. 1, 2026.Stowe Mountain Resort is on a mission to make some of its terrain more approachable for guests ahead of the upcoming season.As the leaves change and crews test-fire snow cannons, the resort in August submitted an application to Vermon
  
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• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital promotes its financial consultant to post of interim CEO

  01-10-2026 23:13 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital campus on Belmont Avenue. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerBrattleboro Memorial Hospital has named the former chief financial officer of Windsor’s Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center as its new interim CEO.David Sanville, who recently has helped the Brattleboro hospital deal with a multimillion-dollar deficit, stepped into his new role at Thursday’s start of the 2027 fiscal year, the facility’s board of directors announced.“David
  
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• Peak foliage arrives in Vermont, and next week could bring year’s first flakes

  01-10-2026 22:31 via vtdigger.org
  Fall foliage in Warren, Vermont on September 29, 2026. Photo by Henry’s Weather Channel
  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
  
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• Jack Sawyer, accused of foiled school shooting plot 8 years ago, is back in court on unrelated charges

  01-10-2026 22:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Vermont Superior Court building and the Orleans County Court House in Newport in March 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA Vermont man who spurred gun reform legislation eight years ago, after he was accused of plotting to shoot up a high school, was back in court — this time after allegedly breaking into the now-closed Sterling College.Jack Sawyer, 27, of Craftsbury, pleaded not guilty Tuesday during his arraignment in Orleans Superior criminal court in Newport to counts of g
  
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