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Ascension Lutheran Church, surrounded by trees in South Burlington, has had a focus on faith-guided environmentalism. Photo courtesy of Liv Miller Kate Kampner is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program. Sam Swanson understands people can feel hopeless in preventing climate change. “You can feel…

An employee at MontShire farms oversees the packaging of ground beef that could be sold under several labels, including Boyden Beef. Photo courtesy of Aaron Calvin/News & Citizen This story by Aaron Calvin was first published by the News & Citizen on Sept. 19. After weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark Boyden found himself nearly forced out…

This commentary is by Paul Dragon, executive director of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity is calling for the immediate reinstatement of the emergency shelter program. These past few days, our staff have been purchasing tents, sleeping bags and supplies for families with children being exited from…

This commentary is by Julie Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of National Resources. We have all witnessed the impact of our changing environment. Temperatures are warmer, storms are stronger and repeated floods are testing the limits of our resilience. The need for climate action is urgent, but this doesn’t mean that the transformation won’t…

Vermont’s first naloxone vending machine was set up last summer at the Johnson Health Center in the town of Johnson. Photo provided by Geoff Butler This story by Clare Shanahan was first published in the Valley News on Sept. 18.  WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A nonprofit is petitioning the town of Hartford to install an outdoor vending…

This commentary is by: Rebecca Bell, MD, president of the Vermont Medical Society; Breena Holmes, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics VT Chapter; Anne Morris, MD, president of the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians; Priscilla Carr, MD, governor of the American College of Physicians VT Chapter As primary care clinicians and physician leaders,…

The iconic Yellow Barn in Hardwick, now refurbished and occupied by a Cabot Creamery retail store. Photo by Kristen Fountain/VTDigger At long last, the Hardwick Yellow Barn project is almost complete. On Sept. 14, Cabot Creamery held a grand opening for its new retail store in the historic and newly renovated barn just off Route…

Dear Editor, I am retired after a lifetime of working in health care both in Vermont and New Mexico.  Allied health care professionals are important but we also need doctors.  My concern in a rural state with an aging population is the increasing need to travel long distances for care. If we are going to…

An artist’s rendering of the proposed White River Valley High School Performing Arts Center. Rendering courtesy of WRVSU This story by Liz Sauchelli was first published in the Valley News on Sept. 19. SOUTH ROYALTON — A $3.8 million bond to fund a variety of renovations to the White River Unified District’s middle and high schools — including a…

A person donating blood. Stock photo via Pexels The American Red Cross is urging Vermonters to donate blood after a nationwide emergency shortage this summer. “A steady increase in lifesaving blood products is vital to ensuring hospitals stay ready for any situation this fall,” the Red Cross of Northern New England said in a statement…

Carroll Peters, 70. Vermont State Police photo HYDE PARK — While arguing that Carroll Peters should be held in prison without bail on a charge of first-degree murder, a prosecutor told a Vermont judge on Friday that he killed his estranged wife “execution-style” more than 30 years ago in Morrisville.  Peters, 70, appeared by video…

King Farm in Woodstock. Photo courtesy of Caleb Kenna via the Vermont Land Trust Vermont’s only national park is in the running for an expansion.  On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt. introduced a bill to redraw the boundaries of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock…

A sign of support greets health care workers outside Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Some hospital administrators and elected officials reacted with dismay to a report this week that recommended a significant restructuring of hospitals across Vermont.  The sprawling report, released Wednesday by consultancy Oliver Wyman, recommends a slate of reforms…

This commentary is by Richard Butz of Bristol.  Aside from the obvious environmental and job benefits, community solar, properly structured, can offer significant benefits for low- and middle-income participants. Community solar provides the opportunity to benefit from clean, sustainable power that is not subject to global price pressures that affect fossil fuels and electricity that…

The scene outside the Army Aviation Support Facility at 3 p.m. on June 21. Photo by Emma Cotton/VTDigger This story by Liberty Darr was first published in the Other Paper on Sept. 19. The levels of PFAS in effluent at the South Burlington Wastewater treatment facility have been steadily declining since a toxic chemical spill in June.…

A Morristown police cruiser on Oct. 22, 2023. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger More than 30 years after Cheryl Peters was found shot to death in her Morrisville home, Vermont State Police say they have arrested her estranged husband on a charge of first-degree murder. Morristown and state police took 70-year-old Carroll Peters of Morrisville…

This commentary is by Titan Potter, a farmer and former environmental justice coordinator at the Vermont Agency of National Resources, who spent six years as a policy analyst with the Council of State Governments Justice Center.  In 2021, The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics released data showing that, over a 6-month period, 20% of incarcerated…

The Post Office in Burlington seen on Feb. 1, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger The United States Postal Service now plans to keep some local mail processing operations at its facility in Burlington, the organization announced on Wednesday. The development, part of a USPS operational strategy proposal, comes four months after the organization said…

Author Elle Reeve and her new book, “Black Pill.” Photos courtesy of Elle Reeve The Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues with politicians, activists, artists, changemakers and citizens who are making a difference. Listen below, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify to hear more. What do…

(Left to Right) Lizzie Vaughan, Amon Chumba, Cooper Hodgeman, Tate Parker Every September, VSAC celebrates National GEAR UP Week to make more Vermont families aware of the resources offered through the GEAR UP program—which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. This federally funded program, which VSAC has administered in Vermont for…

Jill Lepore, a historian, author, New Yorker staff writer, Harvard professor, and The Last Archive podcast host, spoke to a highly engaged audience of VTDigger readers and supporters on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The standing-room only event, which took place at the Manchester Community Library in Manchester, Vt., was an opportunity for Lepore to share…

It’s here! VTDigger has launched its 2024 General Election Guide ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. View the guide The Vermont secretary of state’s office is preparing ballots this week to mail to registered voters and town clerks across the state. For all statewide offices, incumbents are running for reelection against challengers from at…