Local News
VTSU names John Casella 2025 Castleton commencement speaker
April 23, 2025
Vermont State University (VTSU) is graduating its second class this spring on May 17-18, 2025 and has announced a remarkable lineup of commencement speakers for the four ceremonies, held at the Castleton, Lyndon, Johnson, and Randolph campuses over the weekend. “We are delighted to welcome distinguished alumni and campus community leaders John Casella, Greg Tatro,…
Rutland affordable housing project earns state award for energy excellence
April 23, 2025
RUTLAND— A historic home on River Street in Rutland has been recognized among Vermont’s top energy-efficient building projects, earning a “Best of the Best” award at Efficiency Vermont’s annual Better Building by Design (BBD) conference. The award, presented to Hildebrand Homes, LLC, highlights a creative and forward-thinking approach to affordable housing that aligns energy efficiency…
Youth turkey-calling contest draws record participation
April 23, 2025
CASTLETON— A record-breaking 33 young participants, ranging in age from 2 to 18, showcased their best gobbles, clucks, and yelps at the 19th annual Bart Jacob Memorial Youth Turkey Calling Contest on April 12 at Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton. Sponsored by the Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club and underwritten by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife…
How Killington became The Beast: Part 7
April 23, 2025
By Karen D. Lorentz Editors’ Note: This is part of a series on the factors that enabled Killington to become The Beast of the East. Quotations are from author interviews in the 1980s for the book “Killington, A Story of Mountains and Men.” Despite the two-year delay to Killington’s debut—caused by the access road not…
Bailey’s Place spreads a welcome mat for the LGBTQ+ community in downtown Rutland
April 23, 2025
By James Kent RUTLAND— There’s a new space in downtown Rutland bursting with warmth, heart, and pride—and it’s called Bailey’s Place. Founded by 21-year-old Faith McClure, Bailey’s Place is the first LGBTQ+ bar and restaurant in the area in over two decades. It officially opened its doors on April 12, and within days had already…
Opinions/Columns
If Vt wants a future of abundance, we must choose to build
April 23, 2025
By Miro Weinberger Editor’s note: Weinberger is currently the executive chair of Let’s Build Homes. He was raised in Hartland and served as mayor of Burlington from 2012-2024. If you’ve turned on a podcast, watched a late-night show, or scrolled social media in the past month, you’ve probably heard something about “Abundance,” the new book…
Vermont School Board Asso. supports H.454 ed plan
April 23, 2025
Dear Editor, VSBA supports the bill as a more thoughtful and phased approach than Governor Scott’s rushed, five district proposal. Grounded in a more realistic timeline: H.454 is the most grounded and actionable proposal developed during the 2025 session. It acknowledges the operational realities education leaders face every day. The implementation timeline is more manageable…
Vote Bill Vines for Killington Select Board
April 23, 2025
Dear Editor, At the special election on May 28, I am running for the 2-year seat on the Killington Select Board. An incredibly diverse group of people call Killington home; my partner Mary Furlong and I included. After years of renting a ski house, we purchased our first Killington home in 1995. In 1997 we…
The real enemy isn’t fear, it’s how we let it divide us
April 23, 2025
By Stanley McChrystal Editor’s Note: Stanley McChrystal, who is retired from the Army, is the former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan and the former commander of Joint Special Operations Command. He is the author of the forthcoming book “On Character: Choices That Define a Life.” This commentary was first published…
Vermont’s public safety and recovery need adaptation
April 16, 2025
By Jenney Samuelson, secretary Agency of Human Services Vermont has long been a leader in treatment for addiction and substance use, particularly through its Hub and Spoke model, launched nearly a decade ago to address the opioid epidemic. This approach brought treatment into mainstream, integrating into doctor’s offices and expanding access to services through regional…
Top Events
State News
H.91 would overhaul Vermont’s response to homelessness, dissolving statewide motel program
April 23, 2025
By Carly Berlin/VTDigger This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, is published via a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public. A bill that would fundamentally overhaul Vermont’s response to homelessness is making its way through the Statehouse. H.91 provides a potential off-ramp to the state’s mass use of motel rooms as a…
DMV reminds Vermonters of upcoming REAL ID deadline
April 23, 2025
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reminding Vermonters that the REAL ID requirement takes effect on May 7, 2025. This means that people aged 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant Driver’s License or Identification Card, or another form of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), for domestic air travel and to…
New study shows most Vermonters report good health
April 23, 2025
Newly released data from the Dept. of Health, April 15, shows that most adults in Vermont report they are in good health, but that education and income levels, disabilities and other factors can lead to stark differences in people’s health. This data helps state officials and partners monitor trends and prioritize efforts to improve the…
Trade partners
April 23, 2025
For anyone who thinks that what is happening in Washington isn’t having a profound effect on life in Vermont, think again. It began with neighbors being fired from USAID and has evolved into destabilizing commerce with Vermont’s biggest trade partner, Canada. In addition, President Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric about Canada is having a profoundly negative impact…
Eyes on the Senate
April 23, 2025
This is that time of the session when the major money bills have passed the House and are now in the Senate for further review or amendments before heading back to the House for reconsideration. The next few weeks will tell the story of what was or wasn’t accomplished this year. These “money bills” —…
Arts & Entertainment
NECCA’s ‘Thank You for Waiting’ delivers acrobatics, laughter, and heart to Rutland
April 23, 2025
Staff Report Thursday, May 1 at 7 p.m.—RUTLAND — The circus is coming to town, but not just any circus. The Paramount Theatre in Rutland will host a high-flying, family-friendly spectacle presented by the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). The show, titled “Thank You for Waiting,” features America’s next generation of elite circus…
VINS celebrates annual Owl Festival with a hoot-worthy lineup
April 23, 2025
Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.—QUECHEE — The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) invites owl lovers, curious kids, and nature enthusiasts to take flight into the world of raptors during its 10th annual Owl Festival at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee. This milestone event is more than a celebration of…
Learn to draw Manga at Kaleidoscope Art Supply
April 23, 2025
April 26, 2–4 p.m. — RUTLAND — Young artists with a passion for Japanese animation and comics will have the chance to explore their creativity during a special “Manga for Kids” drawing class at Kaleidoscope Art Supply in downtown Rutland. Designed for children ages 8 to 12, the workshop introduces participants to the basics of…
Garfield’s not there
April 23, 2025
As a kid, I couldn’t pay attention to the reality of the classroom’s chalkboard world. My pencil was always scribbling from its warped source of reality, fueled by hours and hours of maniacal Saturday morning cartoons—a happy place vividly logged under nostalgic memories in the farther recesses of my data banks. Back in the day,…
