By Katy Savage Gov. Phil Scott addressed the healthcare crisis on Wednesday, April 6 in front of a crowd of about 100 people during the Rutland Regional Medical Center’s annual meeting at the Paramount Theatre. Scott praised the staff at RRMC and other hospitals for being on the “front line of a battle we never…

Experts are holding their breath By Erin Petenko/ VTDigger Timothy Plante likens Vermont’s day-to-day Covid-19 data now to the very first days of the virus’s arrival in March 2020.  At the time, little was known about the progress of the virus because PCR testing was so limited, said Plante, an assistant professor at the University…

By Rep. Jim Harrison No, we are not talking about college basketball and the referees reviewing the monitors to see who last touched the ball when it went out of bounds. However, with live streaming now of House and Senate sessions, that is exactly what happened for the first time in the State House. A…

In cooperation with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the state of Vermont’s Office of Racial Equity and the Vermont Community Foundation is offering grants to Vermont villages, towns, and cities to foster inclusion and belonging for people of all races and backgrounds while at the same time addressing the opportunity gap—the divide…

Average health insurance premiums and cost burdens fall; areas of needed improvement emerge Nearly 97% of all Vermonters have health insurance, matching the state’s highest insured rate on record. According to the 2021 Vermont Household Health Insurance Survey released March 30, almost 600,000 Vermonters are covered. The data is consistent with studies from the U.S. Census Bureau…

With the unfortunate discovery of a deceased bald eagle in North Hero and one ill bald eagle in Shelburne on March 29, Vermont joined 33 other states across the country in detecting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the environment.  The bald eagles were found near Lake Champlain in both towns.  Sampling was conducted by…

By Kevin Ellis It is so very difficult to celebrate the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the next Supreme Court justice. Nominated by President Biden, and confirmed by the Senate, Judge Jackson has a deep resume. She will be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. She will be the…

Dear Editor, In a few short months, Vermonters will begin casting their ballots to determine party nominees for the fall elections. With so many candidates running for Congress and lt. governor, you may not hear as much about the secretary of state’s race. I urge you to take a closer look — this small office…

Dear Editor, The Democratic leadership in the Vermont legislature has proven themselves irresponsible and with no respect for every Vermont citizen. These people do not care about you as demonstrated by their disrespect for the unintended consequences of their legislation and how it will negatively affect every Vermonter, especially low income and working families. Their…

Dear Editor,  Amending the Vermont Constitution is a long and arduous process, taking four affirmative votes in the legislature (two in each chamber) over two biennia, followed by a statewide popular vote, which, for Proposal 5, will take place this November. The purpose of all this is to ensure that the public has time to…

By Christopher Herrick When Vermonters balance our passion for wildlife with a commitment to mutual respect, our state sees results. The first half of this legislative session exemplifies what this approach can accomplish.  After years of regulatory and legislative stalemate the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees have worked with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife…

Girl Scout Troop 62365 in Rutland has been very busy since forming recently. Troop Leader Marisa Valent said the girls started by learning the Girl Scout Promise and played games to get to know each other. In January, they began earning badges and embarked on their first experience as entrepreneurs with the Girl Scout Cookie…

Attorney General T.J. Donovan filed a civil lawsuit against Missouri-based Karabell Industries and its owner Eli Karabell on March 25 for making repeated illegal telemarketing calls and harassing state legislators to pay him exorbitant sums of money.  The lawsuit was filed in Washington Superior Court after numerous state legislators complained of receiving late-night phone calls…

Poultney Cemetery Association will soon begin monument restoration work. Work by the volunteers will be focused on the old cemetery section which abuts Beaman Street at the property’s entrance area.  A significant amount of restoration work will be undertaken in that section. Additional volunteers for the restoration team will be needed as work continues. Not…

A Vermont youth hockey team with Rutland connections won a USA Hockey National Title in Troy, Michigan, on Monday, April 4. The Vermont St. Pats Hockey Club claimed the USA Hockey 16-and-Under Boys’ Tier II National Championship on Monday with a 3-0 win in the title game over the Park City Ice Miners of Utah. …