Dear Editor, If President Biden is interested in uniting our nation, the best thing he can do is to pardon President Trump in the first week of his presidency.  Both parties and the press would realize that our new president will focus on far more important issues. As Oscar Wilde noted, “There is only one…

Dear Editor, Trump says take the vaccine. Biden says take the vaccine. Scientists say take the vaccine. God says take the vaccine. Yet many of those who work with sick people won’t take the vaccine because their friend Dumbo the flying elephant says don’t take the vaccine. This is a massive failure of the churches…

By Brooke Geery As soon as  a mob of conspiracy-theory-inspired thugs breached the gates and began to the climb the steps of the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, the finger pointing began. Rightfully, many blamed Trump for inciting the coup, which for all intents and purposes, was a failure, as all it did was delay the…

Vermont businesses team with state to save Vermonters money and cut carbon Vermont’s Statehouse is first in the nation to have clean backup power stored in batteries  —using a GMP program to help lower costs for all Vermonters. State officials, and leaders from Northern Reliability, Dynapower, Virtual Peaker and Green Mountain Power (GMP) were joined…

By Emma Cotton and Katie Jickling/VTDigger Ski patrols count as health care workers. The state is currently distributing the Covid-19 vaccine to “health care workers likely to be exposed/treat Covid-19 patients” and “long-term care facility residents and staff who have patient contact,” as part of group 1a, according to state guidelines. But who qualifies under that definition has evolved,…

By Rep. Jim Harrison On Jan. 6, the Vermont Legislature convened for the start of the 2021-22 biennium. Normally the first week has its share of tradition, as well as some pomp and circumstance, with the swearing in of all 180 lawmakers along with the State’s constitutional officers and the Governor’s Inaugural address, which are…

By Rep. Alison Clarkson Last Wednesday, Jan. 6, we saw a sharp contrast between legislative life in Vermont and in the Congress in Washington, D.C. This contrast couldn’t have been more stark — one: unusually quiet, orderly and historic but subdued, and the other: noisy, chaotic and shockingly violent. One affirming and one rocking our…

By Haviland Smith Editor’s note: Haviland Smith is a retired CIA operations officer who was the CIA’s first chief of counterterrorism. Since his retirement in 1980, he has lived in Vermont. It is a fact that the best, noblest political movements often attract the worst kind of violent participants. These people barge in and commit the…

Applications due March 31, 2021 USDA Rural Development (RD) is seeking applications for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, with the next deadline being the close of business on March 31, 2021. State information on the program and application materials are available at rd.usda.gov. The RMAP program provides loans…

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced Jan. 8 that the Paycheck Protection Program will re-open the week of Jan. 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday,…

By Polly Mikula As the contagious effect that the Christmas and New Year's holidays have had on the spread of Covid-19 in Vermont becomes better known, the state's prognosis for the coming month worsens. Just last week the plateau in cases was predicted to max out at around 200 cases per day — now it's…

On Jan. 7, the Vermont State Police (VSP) received a report of personal, off duty, social media posts by Lucas Hall of the Shaftsbury barracks. The posts appear to support the criminal insurgency that occurred Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol and to advocate for such insurgency to continue. “God Bless America!!!!” Luke Hall, allegedly…

Whereas, on January 6, 2021, President Donald J. Trump addressed thousands of supporters, urging them to go to the U.S. Capitol in support of his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, and Whereas, the President’s supporters marched to the Capitol and violently stormed the building, attacking police officers, ransacking offices, terrorizing the…

On Jan. 8 the Vermont House of Representatives voted 130-16 in favor of a resolution to condemn the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The bill enjoyed tri-partisan support. According to a release from the Vermont Democratic Party, “130 Democratic, Republican, and Progressive House members voted in favor of the resolution in…

Once a student, Elizabeth Frascoia is now the executive director of GIV The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) is excited to announce that this month the nonprofit organization will welcome Elizabeth Frascoia as its new executive director. This is the first time that a graduate of the Institutes has taken this leadership role, and she…