Vermont news

• Vermont directs flood recovery funds to housing on higher ground 

  11-12-2025 00:04 via vtdigger.org
  Mud covers Second Street in Barre on July 12, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.In the aftermath of three consecutive summers of damaging floods, state officials have awarded nearly $50 million in federal flood recovery grants. The lion’s share of the funding is going toward housing construction on higher ground.“The majority of these funds are
  
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• Vermont Conversation: A former EPA official on how the plastics industry sabotages real recycling

  11-12-2025 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  Judith Enck’s new book,co-authored with Adam Mohoney, is “The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and our Planet Before It’s Too Late.” Photo courtesy of Diana ChipakThe 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.“Plastic is everywhere — wrapped around our
  
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• Windham Central Supervisory Union makes historic $250K settlement to resolve student discrimination lawsuits

  11-12-2025 00:26 via vtdigger.org
  Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School in Townshend. File photo by Mike Faher/VTDiggerThe Windham Central Supervisory Union will pay a historic $250,000 in damages to two Black students who allegedly faced discrimination, under a settlement agreement signed last month.The consolidated lawsuit had alleged that school authorities did “little or nothing” to deal with the complaints reported at the Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School in Townshend. As part of the settl
  
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• Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore key academic record for Rümeysa Öztürk

  10-12-2025 23:48 via vtdigger.org
  Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside U.S. District Court in Burlington on April 14, 2025 to demand the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate student at Tufts University from Turkey. In early May, a Vermont judge ordered her release from an ICE detention facility in Louisiana. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA federal judge in Boston has ordered the Trump administration to restore a record the government previously wiped so that Rümeysa Öztürk, the Turkish student who was
  
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• 40 years later, man convicted in Bennington County murder, Massachusetts kidnapping cases

  10-12-2025 23:35 via vtdigger.org
  The Bennington County Courthouse in Bennington seen on Sept. 8, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe unsolved murder case of Manchester resident Sarah Hunter nearly four decades ago finally came to a close Tuesday.The longtime suspect David A. Morrison pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to first-degree murder in Bennington County Criminal Court and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Earlier that morning, Morrison pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to a kidnappin
  
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• Federal guidance requires Vermont to restore food benefits for some refugees and noncitizens, advocates say

  10-12-2025 23:23 via vtdigger.org
  SNAP sign at Shaw’s supermarket in Montpelier on Oct. 28, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerNew guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that certain groups of noncitizens who were recently denied food assistance in Vermont should regain eligibility, according to advocates. Among those who will regain access to benefits are green card holders who entered the country as refugees and asylees, as well as Afghan Special Immigrant Visa recipients, advocates said.Advoca
  
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• Your donation powers essential health care reporting in Vermont

  10-12-2025 23:11 via vtdigger.org
  Dear Reader,My job is to help Vermonters understand what is happening and why. Your support makes that possible.Reporting on Vermont’s health care system has shown me how the rising cost of healthcare deeply affects people across the state. With some federal tax credits set to expire at the end of this year, many Vermonters are facing difficult choices as they look to buy plans on Vermont Health Connect, without the federal support that made them affordable. These shifts are complex, and
  
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• Mum on details, Vermont Air National Guard to deploy soon, following federal request

  10-12-2025 22:55 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont National Guard soldiers at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho on Sept. 11, 2021. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s Air National Guard will deploy, but officials are mum on the destination. The 158th Fighter Wing received a federal mobilization order, according to Joseph Brooks, a Vermont National Guard spokesperson, but he declined to say when and where. The deployment, which is reportedly expected this month, was first publicized by Seven Days. 
  
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• Vermont Gov. Phil Scott backs calls for embattled Addison County prosecutor Eva Vekos to resign

  10-12-2025 22:42 via vtdigger.org
  Eva Vekos and Phil Scott. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont Gov. Phil Scott said Wednesday that he supported calls for the resignation of Eva Vekos, the embattled state’s attorney in Addison County. Meanwhile, Vekos was adamant Wednesday that she had no intention of stepping down. Calls from Scott and other top political leaders in the state come after VTDigger published a story on Monday in which sexual assault survivors criticized Vekos’ handling of their cases and desc
  
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• The best kept secret in Vermont philanthropy? Mission investing.

  10-12-2025 16:56 via vtdigger.org
  Mission Investing Report Promo ImageMaking a grant says, “I see the need.”
  Making an investment says, “I see your potential.”As we enter the holiday season, many of us reflect on what it means to care for our neighbors and strengthen the places we call home. Giving is one way we lift up Vermont communities. Investing is another.Every dollar you invest helps shape the world in ways you might not immediately see. At the Vermont Community Foundation, a portion of every inves
  
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• Steven Gaarder: Moving Vermont school taxes into the modern era

  10-12-2025 13:02 via vtdigger.org
  Dear Editor,The latest Education Finance Update from the Joint Fiscal Office projects a school property tax hike of nearly 12% that is, for many, unwelcome, but unsurprising given that costs are going up for everything. So it’s been proposed that we move money from the general fund into the education fund, which we did last year and have done in some previous years as well. I say: good plan.The use of property taxes to pay for education made good sense when most of people’s income c
  
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• Parents and providers fear Rutland Regional Medical Center’s planned pediatric closure would jeopardize patient health and drive up costs

  10-12-2025 00:00 via vtdigger.org
  Rutland Regional Medical Center. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerFor Ned Coletta, the potential closure of pediatric beds at Rutland Regional Medical Center is not a question of regulatory power and hospital autonomy. It’s a question of whether his 4-year-old will have an appropriate place to stay while doctors manage and monitor his airway condition. It’s a question of how he and his wife could balance the two-hour drive back and forth to another hospital with caring for their
  
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• As Vermont’s referees step down, their spots remain largely vacant

  09-12-2025 23:27 via vtdigger.org
  South Burlington High School Girls Basketball practice on Nov. 18, 2025. Photo by Annalisa Madonia/CNSBusy Anderson is a reporter with the Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.Vermont is in the midst of an alarming referee shortage — a problem unfolding nationwide, but one that has hit hard in a state with a small and aging workforce.Between 2018 and 2023, the National Federation of State High School Association
  
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• Stowe EMS raises its rates to offset the hassles of insurance

  09-12-2025 22:51 via vtdigger.org
  Stowe Emergency Medical Services is raising its rates to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of aiding people in the area. Photo by Gordon Miller/Stowe ReporterThis story by Patrick Bilow was first published in the Stowe Reporter on Dec. 4, 2025.Stowe Emergency Medical Services is raising its rates to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of aiding people in the area.According to Assistant EMS Chief Scott Brinkman, the gap between billed revenue and the cost of providing services ha
  
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• Fire triggers sprinkler flooding, displacing dozens of Rutland residents in frigid weather

  09-12-2025 21:57 via vtdigger.org
  Sheldon Towers on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Photo by Greta Solsaa/VTDiggerRUTLAND CITY — On a freezing Monday morning, around six dozen people were forced out of their Sheldon Towers apartments after an isolated stove top fire set off the sprinkler system, causing significant water damage throughout the building.The Rutland City Fire Department responded to the scene Monday morning around 11 am, and found the sprinkler system extinguished the fire on the sixth floor, said Fire Department Chi
  
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• Vermont Democratic Party head calls for resignation of Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos

  09-12-2025 00:28 via vtdigger.org
  Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos is arraigned on a DUI charge in Addison County Superior criminal court in Middlebury on Feb. 12, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Credit: Glenn RussellThe head of the Vermont Democratic Party is calling on Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos to resign after VTDigger published a story Monday in which sexual assault survivors criticized her handling of their cases and described ethics complaints filed against her.“Eva Vek
  
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• Winooski School District inundated with racist and violent messages after raising Somali flag, superintendent says

  09-12-2025 00:09 via vtdigger.org
  A Somali flag was raised next to a U.S. flag at the Winooski school campus on Friday, Dec. 5. Photo courtesy of Winooski School DistrictThe Winooski School District took down its website and disconnected many of its office phones Monday after receiving what its superintendent described as a flood of racist and violent messages in response to the district’s decision to raise a Somali flag.Many of the messages appear to be part of a coordinated effort to target the district, where about 9%
  
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• Superior Court judge dismisses former Brattleboro principal’s wrongful termination lawsuit

  08-12-2025 23:58 via vtdigger.org
  A tent for pandemic-era outdoor learning stands in front of Brattleboro Union High School. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerA Vermont Superior Court Judge dismissed a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former Brattleboro Union High School principal against his former school district.Principal Steve Perrin was fired in November 2022 after the Windham Southeast School District accused him of mishandling an investigation into a sexual assault. A former student also accused him of harassi
  
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• Different roads, same roots: Twins from Pownal forge independent futures

  08-12-2025 22:10 via vtdigger.org
  Amara and Nick with their mom at Amara’s wedding.Amara Chester and Nick Armstrong are twins. They say that many assume they share the exact same interests—but when it came to their education and career, each followed their own path. They grew up in Pownal in the furthest southwest corner of the state. From a young age (thanks to a steady message from their mom), Amara and Nick knew that education could open doors for them. “Mom was clear she didn’t want us to stay i
  
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• Rutland County Rep. Jim Harrison resigns

  08-12-2025 21:47 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Chittenden, listens as the House Appropriations takes testimony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on March 30, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerRep. Jim Harrison, R-Chittenden, plans to step down as representative of the Rutland-11 district —  comprising Killington, Chittenden, Mendon and Pittsfield — according to an announcement last week. Harrison was appointed to the seat by Phil Scott in 2017, after his predecessor, former Rep. Job Tate, resigned
  
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• VTDigger announces new partnership to keep Vermonters warm and informed

  08-12-2025 21:27 via vtdigger.org
  Dear Readers,The reality is that cold weather doesn’t affect all Vermonters equally. For families already struggling to afford heat, a single cold snap can become life threatening.This winter, VTDigger is launching a two-week campaign to keep Vermonters warm and informed through a partnership with the Warmth Support Program of Vermont’s Community Action Agencies. Donate to VTDigger by Dec. 25 and your gift will help heat a home for a day and keep our journalism free for everyon
  
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• Vermonter killed while serving as medic in war-torn Ukraine

  08-12-2025 17:53 via vtdigger.org
  A sign in support of Ukraine stands in Brattleboro, home to a medic killed while serving in the war-torn country. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerA 33-year-old Vermonter was killed this month while serving as a medic in Ukraine, according to his parents.Andrew David Mario, of Brattleboro, died Dec. 3 while assisting an international brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard in the Donetsk region’s Pokrovsky district, said his mother and father, Heidi and Michael Mario.Andrew Mario is
  
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• Finding freedom: Trail Finder expands access to the outdoors

  08-12-2025 17:01 via vtdigger.org
  Enock Glidden, an accessibility consultant, visits trails in Vermont and writes about his experiences on Trail Finder’s Trail Talk page.At Oakledge Park in Burlington, accessibility consultant Enock Glidden rolls onto the trail with measuring tools in hand. He checks the grade of the paved path, looks for tight turns near the shoreline, notes surface changes, and photographs rest areas under the cottonwoods.Soon after, those observations appear on Trail Finder, a free-to-use website used
  
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• Caitlin Macleod-Bluver: On redistricting, recognizing the nuances of an issue is a success, not a failure

  08-12-2025 13:02 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Caitlin Macleod-Bluver, of Moretown. She is an English and history teacher at Winooski High School, and 2025 Vermont state teacher of the year.In my classroom, we do a lot of challenging learning. When given a hard task, we spend time reading multiple sources, asking questions, interviewing stakeholders, listening to diverse perspectives and synthesizing multiple perspectives. A good learner revises their thinking when given new information; we will often use sentence
  
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• These Vermont sexual assault survivors sought justice. Instead, one victim said the prosecutor’s approach was “like a ‘screw you’”

  08-12-2025 12:52 via vtdigger.org
  A Bristol small business owner said she hoped she and her 15-year-old daughter would be treated respectfully when they pursued a criminal complaint against the teenager who sexually assaulted her daughter. Instead, the business owner says she was sworn at by Eva Vekos, the embattled state’s attorney in Addison County. State’s attorneys are elected in every county in Vermont to lead the office that works with police and sheriffs departments to prosecute cases in court. &ldq
  
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• Barbara Benton: Do not judge an entire group of people based on the actions of one individual

  07-12-2025 13:03 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Barbara Benton. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Burlington, as well as a volunteer for the Vermont Afghan Alliance and other local organizations. In light of the recent violence in Washington, D.C. and the heightened anti-immigrant sentiment being promoted at the highest levels of this country, I want to reflect to Vermonters some of my experiences with the Afghans I have come to know.My association with Afghanistan started about 16 years ago whe
  
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• Vermont’s ‘crack climbing mecca’ deep in the Northeast Kingdom gains popularity

  07-12-2025 12:56 via vtdigger.org
  Deep in the Northeast Kingdom lie the Kingdom Heritage Lands, 132,000 acres of former and current timberland conserved for public access since 1998. The remote and undeveloped area is mainly the domain of wildlife, logging trucks, hunters and snowmobilers.Recently, however, increasing numbers of rock climbers have frequented a stunning band of chiseled granite towers set in the middle of the Kingdom Heritage Lands, at a cliff 30 minutes south of the Canadian border and on the northern edge of t
  
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• South Burlington couple donate tree for Church Street holiday season

  07-12-2025 12:52 via vtdigger.org
  Elsie and Raymond Whitney next to what remains of the “magnificent specimen” of a blue spruce they donated to Church Street in Burlington for the holiday season. Photo by Liberty Darr/Other PaperThis story by Liberty Darr was fist published in the Other Paper on Dec. 4, 2025.Raymond and Elsie Whitney take good care of the lawn outside of their South Burlington home. In the summer months, it is alive with a blossoming display of zinnias and in the winter months, steadily manicured unt
  
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• Young Writers Project: ‘Alive’

  07-12-2025 12:50 via vtdigger.org
  “Starglow,” by Taylor Crafton
  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 [email protected]
  
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• Danville residents vote overwhelmingly against shuttering high school grades at town school

  07-12-2025 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Danville residents cast their votes on whether to shutter high school grades at a local school during a referendum on Dec. 6, 2025. Photo by Corey McDonald/VTDigger.Danville residents voted overwhelmingly on Saturday against shuttering high school grades at the Danville School.Well over 500 residents cast paper ballot votes during a townwide referendum at Danville School, with 480 votes against a measure to close high school grades versus 75 in favor, according to Danville’s moderator Tob
  
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