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Jakob Oliver explains the absence of his attorney to Judge Daniel Richardson during his arraignment at the Orange County Courthouse in Chelsea on Monday, Sept. 9. Photo by Alex Driehaus/Valley News CHELSEA — A Royalton police officer is facing criminal charges of domestic violence and has been placed on paid administrative leave from his job. …

Kyle Hartsfield casts his ballot at the polling station in Richmond on Primary Day, August 13, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office was warned earlier this year of potential vulnerabilities in new software being developed by the company that manages the state’s voter registration system, officials said.  However, they…

Four people are dead after a private plane crashed in Ferrisburgh on Sunday, according to Vermont State Police. The four-person Piper plane left Connecticut on Sunday morning, arriving in Ferrisburgh for brunch at Basin Harbor, police said in a press release Monday morning. The group is believed to have started flying back to Connecticut around…

One of the windows at the Rockingham Meeting House. Photo by Robert F. Smith/The Commons This story by Robert F. Smith was first published in the Commons on Sept. 5. ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham Meeting House has been awarded a National Historic Preservation Grant for $750,000 toward current efforts to preserve the town’s first public…

The Hilltop Inn in Berlin on April 30, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger This story by Cassandra Hemenway was first published in the Montpelier Bridge on Sept. 4.  Melissa Casto-Gordon is one of 100 people in Washington County who will be forced to leave state-funded motel rooms at the end of September as new…

A sign for Weathersfield’s Tenney Hill Road stands at Interstate 91’s Exit 8. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger WEATHERSFIELD — Longtime locals still recall the dark night of Sept. 12, 1964, when farmer Romaine Tenney held up a lantern at the only home he had known since his birth in 1900. The property had never been…

This commentary is by Jesse C. McEntee of Underhill. He is a freelance writer, hunter and author of the “Next Adventure” newsletter. A Vocal Minority I seek to minimize the suffering of all wildlife, whether by hunting or by catching mice in the kitchen cupboard. Spearheading the effort to reform Vermont’s fish and game laws…

This commentary is by Will Patten of Hinesburg, a retired business executive and author of the forthcoming book, “Rescuing Capitalism.” It was, in a way, a remarkable moment when Vermont homeowners opened their tax bill this year. Whether conservative or liberal, living in Essex or Chittenden counties, in a mobile home or mansion, I suspect…

A private jet taxis away from the Heritage Aviation terminal at the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger This story by Liberty Darr was first published in the Other Paper on Sept. 5. A home improvement and insulation program aimed at reducing interior noise levels for…

The Central Vermont Medical Center’s emergency department on July 12, 2023. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger Support staff at Central Vermont Medical Center have voted to form a union, the American Federation of Teachers-Vermont announced on Thursday.  “As support staff, we are the foundation of CVMC, and we know that when we have a voice…

Graphic by Laura Nakasaka/Vermont Public Over the past few months, VTDigger and Vermont Public reporter Carly Berlin has been looking into a persistent narrative about unhoused people living in Vermont. We’re excited to be able to share the results of that investigation in this podcast, produced by the Brave Little State team at Vermont Public.…

This commentary is by Ethan Parke of Montpelier, a board member of Vermont Health Care for All. Don’t tell me that Vermont is addressing the affordability of health care. It’s not.  According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s table of average marketplace premiums by metal tier, Vermont is by far the most expensive state in which…

This commentary is by Dr. Sunny Eappen, president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network. Health care is expensive, whether you’re receiving it or providing it.  While most of us already know this hard truth, it’s at the center of attention as Vermont’s 2025 hospital budgets are being reviewed by our regulator, the…

A MacIntosh apple ripens at Burtt’s Apple Orchard in Cabot on Aug. 25, 2020. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Vermont’s apple growers are expecting a bountiful harvest this year, following a season affected by a late-spring frost in some parts of the state last year. “Reports of an excellent apple season are true overall,” said…

This commentary is by Matt Wormser, vice chair of the Shelburne Selectboard. Summer is nearing its end up here in the Green Mountain State, and it’s time to enjoy our waning days of warmth as harvest season kicks into full swing. It’s also a time to reflect on some of this summer’s challenges, which included…

Workers rebuild Red Village Road in Lyndonville on August 5, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger In 2018, the state of Vermont released a plan outlining how it should prepare for natural disasters. The State Hazard Mitigation Plan lays out 24 strategies, separated into 96 discrete actions, to address risk factors for natural disasters. Those…

Burlington Police Department cruisers parked outside the department in Burlington on August 26, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Burlington police are calling attention to a rash of reported violent crimes in recent weeks involving large groups of people, including some juveniles. Police initially put out a press release late on the afternoon of Aug.…

This commentary is by Morgan Brown of Montpelier. He recently retired from engaging in volunteer citizen advocacy and activism, and is now a blogger and writer. He previously lived unhoused over the course of many years of his adult life. During the Montpelier City Council meeting held on the evening of Aug. 28, the potential…

Culiseta melanura mosquito. Photo via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A blood-sucking creature that comes at dusk is frightening Vermonters this summer.  No, it’s not a vampire. It’s Culiseta melanura — one mosquito species responsible for spreading the eastern equine encephalitis virus, a rare and sometimes fatal disease.  A man in New…

Research Technician Sandra May checks new samples into the UVM Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research in Colchester. Photo by David Seaver. Photo courtesy of UVM Burlington Bio is a startup that uses biotechnology to turn agricultural byproducts into food ingredients – such as material for lab grown meat or protein powder. When Rachael Floreani, a…

People talk about generational change, but change on a scale to earn that description is rare. Now that the Democratic presidential nomination has shifted from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris, true generational change is within view. The last election to usher in a generational shift came in 1992. Those of us then…