By Xander Landen/VTDigger Though they adjourned last month, Vermont lawmakers are preparing to log back on to Zoom once again next week.  Legislators will return June 23 for a remote veto session, during which Democratic leaders will attempt to revive the three bills that Gov. Phil Scott killed this year. They also plan to pass a housing reform…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger Vermont ranks fourth in the nation for overall child wellbeing, according to Kids Count, an annual 50-state report produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an influential national child welfare nonprofit. The foundation used 16 indicators across four domains — economic wellbeing, education, health, and family and community context — to come up with…

By Kit Norton/VTDigger The administrative costs of running OneCare Vermont, the company that enacts statewide health care reforms, are greater than the Medicaid savings that are credited to its efforts, according to a report issued Monday by State Auditor Doug Hoffer. The 38-page document, which looks at the operating expenses associated with the state’s all-payer health…

By Angelo Lynn It’s worth pondering what’s in Vermont’s DNA that makes us so agreeable? Why would Vermonters be the first to surmount an 80% vaccination rate? Why would the state legislature and a Republican governor lead the nation in adopting some of the most generous elections laws to promote easy access to as many…

By Lisa Loomis Editor’s note: Lisa Loomis, who is president of the Vermont Press Association, is the co-owner and editor of the Valley Reporter in Waitsfield. The Vermont legislature will be called back into special session this week to try to overturn three vetoes issued by Governor Phil Scott and also to possibly consider legislation that failed…

Dear Editor,  I am writing this letter in honor of Juneteenth, a day that commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in Texas were freed from captivity.  In many ways this represented a transition in our country. It was the final act to physically abolishing slavery. But that did not mean the legacy…

Dear Editor, Congratulations to Avery Provin, Jeannette Langston and everyone responsible for organizing Pride in Rutland! I lived in Rutland for most of my adolescence, graduating from Rutland High School in 1966.  During all that time I could not recognize that I was gay, having recently survived some horrific bullying in the small New Hampshire…

By Jennie Gartner, a now former teacher at Rutland High School In October 2020, I resigned my position as a social studies teacher at Rutland High School, effective at the end of this school year. As a teacher, and adviser for the Gay Straight Alliance, Model UN and New Neighbors student organizations, my primary role…

By John Keough I founded Appalachian Trail Adventures (ATA) in 2007, and the company has grown steadily each year, with a focus on providing fun adventures and premier customer service. I have lived and worked in Killington since 1986, and at 51 years old, that’s 34 years spent in the local area. ATA has enjoyed…

Top actors, actresses, producers, writers and a model descended on Killington to film last week By DJ Dave Hoffenberg You might have seen some filming around Killington the past two weeks and that was for a yet to be named dark comedy based in Killington that will be out in 2022. Local resident and comedic…

By Martha L. Molnar Poet for Hire? That is Cuttingsville native Ben Aleshire’s most recent incarnation. He has set up his manual typewriter to write poems for passersby on the streets of Paris, Madrid, London, Havana, New Orleans, and many other cities. Poet, artist, musician, troubadour and traveler, Aleshire has spent almost half his life…

Vermont’s bass fishing season kicked off on Saturday, June 12, and anglers throughout the state are eager to hit their favorite body of water in search of fun and exciting fishing adventures for largemouth and smallmouth bass. “Anglers in Vermont are fortunate to have world-class bass fishing for both species right in their backyard,” said…

June 24 at 6:30 p.m. — CAVENDISH— The Southern Windsor/Windham Counties Solid Waste Management District in conjunction with the Cavendish Energy Committee and the town of Cavendish will host a workshop specifically about composting on Thursday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cavendish town Elementary School, Main Street, Proctorsville. Masks and physical distancing will…

June 26 at 12 p.m. — CHESTER —Heritage Deli & Bakery, in collaboration with the Chester-Andover Family Center (CAFC), will kick off Heritage Cares outdoor music series featuring Lucky Soul, a high energy, seven-piece horn band playing classic  soul, funk and R&B music on Saturday, June 26 from 12-3 p.m. The event will take place…

June 26 at 12 p.m. — CAVENDISH —This Saturday will bring a burst of creative output to the Proctorsville Green. The first annual Birds & Blooms event will feature one-of-a-kind birdhouses, bird feeders, garden design gift certificates, potted flowers, decorative items for porch and garden, Vermont pottery, stained glass and more. Some items will only…