By Rep. Jim Harrison File it under "be careful what you divulge in a public forum." As I began some remarks in a House session last week, I started with a short childhood story to make a point where my mother would say, “Jimmy, you must clean your room.” Well, I have gone by “Jim”…

Vermonters participated in the nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day this past Saturday, April 24, turning in more than 3.5 tons of unused, unwanted and expired medication at over 55 collection sites throughout the state. The 7,165 pounds of collected medication sets a record for Drug Take Back Day in Vermont, exceeding the previous record of 6,734 pounds collected in October 2019.  “As we continue to work to prevent substance misuse in Vermont, we know having unused prescriptions in the medicine cabinets at…

U.S. congressmen Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), and senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) re-introduced bipartisan legislation that requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take enforcement action against manufacturers labeling non-dairy products as dairy on April 22. The Dairy Pride Act would stop the use of dairy terms such…

Dear Editor, America is the technology titan of the planet. America is the productivity engineer of the nations. America is the humanitarian giant of the globe. America is the policeman of the world. If so, why then is India burning its people to ashes night and day to remove the human fallout of our leadership…

Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that the Green Mountain state has become greatly incognizant of the issues of the U.S./Mexico border wall in regard to its environmental instability. Our local newspapers have failed to recognize the immense issues of the border wall even though they coincide with the ideals and values of…

By Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan As Vermont and our nation continue to work toward a more fair and equitable criminal justice system, the Vermont Legislature is considering an important bill that can provide a fresh start for thousands of Vermonters, promote public safety, and reduce incarceration. S.7 expands Vermonters’ ability to expunge old criminal records. Clearing…

By Governor Phil Scott and Lt. Governor Molly Gray It’s well known that Vermont faces a demographic crisis. We have an aging population, with a shrinking workforce and reduced school enrollment. As a result, Vermonters continue to shoulder an increasing tax burden. Both of us discussed this trend during the last election and we know…

By Curt Peterson KILLINGTON—From June 21-24, 78 young golfers, boys and girls ages 12-19, will be competing at Green Mountain National Golf Course (GMNGC) in one of more than 100 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments across the country. This is half the usual field for an AJGA tournament, limited by pandemic restrictions. The Killington…

By Lindsay DesLauriers Editor’s Note: Lindsay DesLauriers is one of the co-owners and the president of Bolton Valley Resort. She lobbied for the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance from 2012-2018 and for Voices for Vermont’s Children from 2012-2014. This commentary is the sixth in a 10-part series in which the authors respond to the pressing topics identified…

By Curt Peterson Two Hartland Select Board incumbents, Phil Hobbie and Mary O’Brien, are facing challengers. Every registered voter received paper ballots that must be submitted on or before Town Meeting Day, May 4. There will be no in-person town meeting this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Hartland Library director Nancy Tusinski hosted “Candidates’ Night”…

By Brett Yates About 50 Mendon residents joined facilitators from the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to talk about their town on April 21. The workshop followed a March 24 forum that initiated a program called Mendon on the Move, which VCRD describes as a “Two-month process that brings community members together to actively…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — An unlicensed fight promoter in Rutland has been ordered to pay $22,500 after promoting fights between children as young as 6 years old and violating the governor’s Covid-19 executive order. Lauren Hibbert, director of the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, said it was the largest administrative penalty she has ever seen. Randy Felion,…

On Wednesday, April 21, at approximately 8:27 p.m., troopers from the Williston Barracks were notified of a single-vehicle crash on I-89 south in the town of Richmond. While responding, troopers were notified that two more vehicles had collided into the original crash. They arrived on scene to find the third vehicle fully engulfed in flames.…

RUTLAND—Rutland South Rotary Club recently donated $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County. These funds will be earmarked for program development and facility improvements at the B&G sites at Barstow School in Chittenden, Castleton Elementary School in Castleton, as well as their locations in Fair Haven and Rutland City. The Boys &…

Dear Editor, Imagine, for a few moments, Vermont’s future 50 years from now. What do our communities look like? How is our food grown? How happy are we in the places where we live, work, and play? How central are public health concerns, equity, and justice in our legislation and decision-making processes? And what are…