Vermont news

• Super Senior: Agnes Novak

  02-06-2017 01:24
  
  Agnes Novak is a pioneer. When the men went off to war it was woman like Agnes who entered the factories. This week she was honored for her work back then and what's she's doing today.
  
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• Rink on the brink: Barre makes last-minute ice rink repairs, but the arena’s future is uncertain

  06-10-2026 23:32 via vtdigger.org
  
  The B.O.R. Barre Outdoor Recreation arena on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. Photo by Erin Petenko/VTDiggerBARRE — As a boy visiting his grandfather in Barre, Brian Wilkin could see the arches of the city’s new ice arena as he walked down the hill. His grandfather lived next to the arena, and Wilkin understood what the new building meant: He would be able to play hockey in his own hometown.And he did. So did his father. Eventually, his daughter did, too.Now Wilkin, the Spaulding High School
  
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• UVM Medical Center unions reach tentative agreement in contract negotiations

  06-10-2026 23:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  Union doctors and staff workers at the University of Vermont Medical Center, along with their supporters, during a rally in Burlington in June 2026. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerBoth the support staff and technical professional unions at the University of Vermont Medical Center have reached tentative, two-year contract agreements with their employer, both the hospital and union representatives confirmed Tuesday. The agreement comes just days after both unions voted to give their bar
  
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• Proposal 4’s language is flawed

  06-10-2026 23:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,Judy Olinick’s recent letter to VTDigger in response to Renee McGuinness’ commentary on Proposal 4, the so-called equality of rights amendment, contains misleading information.First, the Vermont Constitution, Chapter II, Section 72, dictates that legislators must put a proposed amendment before voters once both chambers approve it in two successive sessions; their vote is not necessarily an indication of their support of the proposal itself. This is a critical proce
  
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• Vermont colleges chart a path forward against demographic and financial headwinds

  06-10-2026 22:19 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Champlain College campus in Burlington on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerHigher education institutions in Vermont are devising ways to stay afloat — from tuition discounts designed to boost enrollment to cutting employee benefits — as they face shifting demographics and financial constraints, college administrators say.   The Northeast region faces some of the sharpest impacts of the demographic cliff due to plummeting birthrates in the a
  
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• Vermont’s return-to-office order is an insult

  06-10-2026 20:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Kate Lucier, who was a state employee for nearly 14 years. She lives in Underhill.We rarely see the perspective of public-sector employees spotlighted — or even considered — in media reports about the state workforce and the decisions impacting it, but the voices and experiences of Vermont’s state employees should have received much more attention in the past year as lives were upended and employee morale decimated. As a former Vermont state employee, I a
  
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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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