By  Lindsay Kurrie Editor’s note: Lindsay Kurrie is the secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. This is a pivotal moment in the history of Vermont that will determine our future. It’s imperative we all realize that housing is the foundation of how we will meet this moment to create the momentum…

Vermont legislators are calling for support on a bill that seeks to exempt Social Security benefits from state income tax, a move aimed at easing financial burdens for retirees while aligning Vermont with most other states. This proposed legislation, H.74, has over 60 co-sponsors from across all parties and from all corners of the state.  Currently, Vermont is one of…

On Thursday, Jan. 23, a coalition of Vermont state legislators and healthcare workers, in partnership with the office of Senator Bernie Sanders, unveiled a bill that would task the Green Mountain Care Board with moving healthcare resources to the front lines of patient care amidst a deepening healthcare crisis.  The bill, which was introduced on…

 Last Tuesday, Jan. 21, Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Senator Ginny Lyons, and Representative Alyssa Black announced a proposal to provide medical debt relief to thousands of Vermonters. The proposal would eliminate up to $100 million in medical debt for a one-time investment of $1 million. Further, the proposal would protect Vermonters’ credit scores by eliminating the…

By Karen D. Lorentz What started out as a fun winter sport on a school trip and a hobby — perhaps inspired by his artistic mother — led to a new vocation and lifestyle for Jerry LeBlond. Born in 1946 and raised in Biddeford, Maine, a coastal French speaking community, until the  6th grade when…

By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger Vermont’s economy, and the country’s as a whole, is in “exceptional” shape, the state’s economists told a panel of top fiscal lawmakers Wednesday, Jan. 22 — but cautioned their outlook was tempered by uncertainty over the actions President Donald Trump has pledged to take, or already taken, early on in his second term.…

By Staff Report After an injury cut her 2024 season short, Killington native Taylor Dobyns is back on the Freeride World Tour (FWT), ready to reclaim her place among the world’s best freeride skiers. Dobyns, who qualified for the prestigious FWT Pro Circuit last year, received a season wildcard for 2025 and has already made…

Judy O. Findeisen, a longtime Killington resident and avid skier, passed away on Jan. 22 at the age of 92. Born Oct.13, 1932, in Newport, Rhode Island, Judy was the oldest of Dorothy and Arnold Openshaw’s three children. She grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, swimming, horseback riding, and skiing. While attending St. Lawrence University, she…

Robert L. Reilly (“Riles),” 80, of Manahawkin, formerly of Long Beach Island and Belmar, died Wednesday, Jan. 1. Bob was born in South Amboy, New Jersey, and moved to Belmar as a child. He graduated from St. Rose Grammar and High Schools, both in Belmar. He attended Mt. Hood College in Oregon, where he achieved…

By Brett Yates Municipal officials have long wanted to install a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the North Chittenden Grange Hall, and thanks to a recent grant from the Vermont Dept. of Buildings and General Services, they finally have the money to do it. But one last hurdle has emerged. The state’s Municipal Energy Resilience Program intends…

Three leading housing organizations—NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, Shires Housing, and Housing Trust of Rutland County—have merged to form Cornerstone Housing Partners, a new entity dedicated to expanding and maintaining affordable housing and homeownership services across Rutland, Bennington, and Addison counties. The newly combined organization will provide a comprehensive range of housing services, including affordable rental…

By Auditi Guha/VTDigger He was called the N-word. His head was compared to a chimpanzee’s skull. A banana was waved at him with comments about him looking like he needed it. His arm was drawn on with a dark marker with remarks about how it could not be seen on his skin. Comments and memes…

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) announced Friday, Jan. 24, that the Agency of Natural Resources, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Water Quality Division has awarded the RRPC a contract to administer water quality improvement programs in partnership with the 11 Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) across the state of Vermont. Funded through the 604(b) Water Quality…

by Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger State officials unveiled the broad strokes of Gov. Phil Scott’s education proposal on Wednesday, Jan. 22, a plan that includes sweeping changes like consolidating Vermont’s dozens of school districts to just five and adopting a foundation formula. “We know that the work that we’re describing here is going to be really challenging,”…

By Bill Schubart Editor’s note: Bill Schubart is a retired businessman and active fiction writer, and was a former chair of the Vermont Journalism Trust, the parent organization for VTDigger.  The latest statewide count for unsheltered Vermonters is 3,458, a nearly 5% increase over 2023, the second highest rate in the country, and this is deemed…