At Copley Hospital, a top doctor’s firing has sparked a backlash

Copley Hospital in Morrisville. Courtesy photo Copley Hospital in Morrisville. Courtesy photo Copley Hospital in Morrisville. Courtesy photo In November, administrators at Copley Hospital fired Liam Gannon, a senior emergency department physician and former director of the department. That decision was a controversial one. In the immediate wake of the firing, current and former staff…

New owners of Sharon’s Midway Station seek to create community hub

The Tracy’s Midway Station building in Sharon was built in 1926 and served as a garage until 1986 when it became a convenience store, and closed in 2021. Photo by James M. Patterson/Valley News The Tracy’s Midway Station building in Sharon was built in 1926 and served as a garage until 1986 when it became…

Since 2021, Vermont’s religious schools have received an increasing amount of public education money

In 2021, court rulings gradually opened the door for religious schools to receive money through Vermont’s school tuitioning program, which allows students in districts without a designated public option to attend the school of their choice.  Then, a landmark June 2022 Supreme Court decision pushed it wide open.  Since the 2020-2021 school year, the public…

Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky: Bring Vermont seized and forfeited property into the light

This commentary is by Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky of Essex. She is a Progressive/Democrat representing the Chittenden-Central District. Vermont law enforcement agencies alert the media when they seize large amounts of drugs. They like the publicity. But once the photo op ends, no one knows what happens to the cash, cars and even entire houses that…

Ken Fredette: Smoke and mirrors on school spending

This commentary is by Ken Fredette of Wallingford. We have come to an even more unusual place than, well, usual, with public schools taking it squarely on the jaw as the purported challenge to Vermonters being able to remain Vermonters. I am compelled to try to cut through the smoke and mirrors: 1. Our public…

Cate Phypers: Town Meeting Day 2024, a day to remember 

This commentary is by Cate Phypers of Burlington. The dregs of winter in Burlington can be brutal. It’s gray. It’s damp. What’s left of the snow is dirty and littered with fossilized fall garbage, surfacing for the first time since November. It can be isolating and lonely.  March 5 wasn’t any different. It was cloudy…

Savannah Sly: No housing for the unchaste

This commentary is by Savannah Sly. She was raised in Orange County, where she continues to live and work. Savannah is the founder and co-director of New Moon Network, a national organization dedicated to advancing the rights and welfare of people in the sex trade. Vermonters, ask yourselves: Are you …  An unmarried individual who…

Vermont man incarcerated in Mississippi prison dies

A Barre man lodged in an out-of-state prison has died, according to the Vermont Department of Corrections.  Sean Ousterhout, 43, was found unresponsive in his cell early Saturday morning at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi. Prison staff attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead roughly half an hour…

Young Writers Project: Drumming thunder

“Ghost!” by Riley Bernatchy, 15, of Cambridge. “Ghost!” by Riley Bernatchy, 15, of Cambridge. “Ghost!” by Riley Bernatchy, 15, of Cambridge. Artwork is “Ghost!” by Riley Bernatchy, 15, of Cambridge. Young Writers Project is a creative online community of teen writers, photographers and artists, which has been based in Vermont since 2006. Each week, VTDigger…

‘A unicorn who gets it’: Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s historic mayoral win celebrated in Burlington

Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as Mayor of Burlington with her wife Megain Moir on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as Mayor of Burlington with her wife Megain Moir on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as…

Heavy snow knocks out power in Vermont as another storm approaches

National Weather Service projections of total snowfall in Vermont and northern New York from March 9, 2024 through March 11, 2024. Courtesy NWS Around 25,000 customers were without power in Vermont on Sunday morning after heavy, wet snow blanketed portions of the state. Another round of snowfall was expected later that day.  As of 9…

Bennington voters approve sale of senior center under plan to redevelop old high school

The Bennington Senior Citizen’s Service Center, at 124 Pleasant St., houses the senior center and the county’s Meals on Wheels program. Photo courtesy of Ilsa Svoboda The Bennington Senior Citizen’s Service Center, at 124 Pleasant St., houses the senior center and the county’s Meals on Wheels program. Photo courtesy of Ilsa Svoboda The Bennington Senior…

After millions in repairs, Montpelier’s Capitol Plaza plans to open in April

Crews bring in materials to the Capitol Plaza Hotel on Saturday, March 9. Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger This story by Cassandra Hemenway was first published by The Montpelier Bridge on March 7. The cosmos has aligned for Capitol Plaza Hotel’s spring opening. Eight months after the July 2023 floods, and $4.5 million in repairs later,…

Driver in crash that killed Treat Williams gets 1 year of probation

Ryan Koss (right) listens to the statements of Williams’ family shortly before he was sentenced in Bennington Superior criminal court on Friday. Photo by Tiffany Tan/VTDigger Ryan Koss (right) listens to the statements of Williams’ family shortly before he was sentenced in Bennington Superior criminal court on Friday. Photo by Tiffany Tan/VTDigger Ryan Koss (right)…

How did Emma Mulvaney-Stanak win Burlington — and how will she govern?

Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as Mayor of Burlington on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as Mayor of Burlington on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak celebrates her election as Mayor of Burlington on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Photo by…

Vermont manufactured home communities get $15.5 million to improve water infrastructure

Manufactured homes at a park in Berlin on Aug. 1, 2022. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott announced on Friday that an additional $15.5 million has been awarded to manufactured home communities throughout Vermont for water infrastructure projects.  Forty-six manufactured home communities are recipients of the latest round of funding, benefiting more than…

Shane Switser: The flavored tobacco ban is a dire threat to small businesses and Vermont’s economy

This commentary is by Shane Switser. He and his wife Emily own Lyndonville Redemption Center. In the ongoing debate over the proposed ban on flavored tobacco products in Vermont, the focus often centers on public health concerns and the potential impact on state revenue. However, it’s essential to dive deeper into the ramifications for small…

Rep. Tom Stevens: Address the housing crisis instead of passing the buck

This commentary is by Rep. Tom Stevens of Waterbury. A Democrat representing the Washington-Chittenden District, he is chair of the Committee on General and Housing in the Vermont House of Representatives. The General Assembly is gearing up for a difficult end to the biennium, and of the many issues tightening the screws on our society,…

Liz Steel and Laura Zakaras: 3 essential climate bills Vermont needs to pass this session

This commentary is by Liz Steel of Greensboro, a volunteer with 350Vermont, and Laura Zakaras of Burlington, a volunteer with Third Act Vermont. The climate crisis is raining out our iconic Vermont winters, flooding our streets and homes, battering our vibrant local farms, and filling our air with smoke. These impacts, each with its own…

Kristin Warner: Baby bonds proposal is government working at its best

This commentary is by Kristin Warner, public policy manager for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. VBSR is a statewide, nonprofit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. Vermont sets the national standard for socially responsible businesses. Our state has the most B Corporations per capita…

Readsboro man sentenced up to 15 years in toddler son’s death

Police said Darel Galorenzo’s vehicle rolled over as he was driving through Clarksburg, Massachusetts, with his toddler son in April 2023. Photo contributed by Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force A Readsboro man has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for the death of his toddler son last year, an incident that…

Sarah Gorsline: Modernizing wildlife governance has benefits for all Vermonters

This commentary is by Sarah Gorsline of Grande Isle. She is a Vermont representative for the science-based nonprofit Project Coyote, whose mission is to promote compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy.  It’s an exciting time for wildlife governance reform in Vermont, presenting the opportunity to make wildlife management…

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