By Kevin Theissen The economic impact of Covid-19 has been felt from coast to coast. And, unfortunately for many pre-retirees, it could potentially impact Social Security benefits as well. Some reports suggest that if Congress doesn’t take action to address funding, benefits will be cut to approximately 80% by 2034. Social Security’s long-term funding has…

Last Friday, I traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, for an important appointment. I had waited five years for this day and the magnitude of the moment was not lost on me. In 2016, I was diagnosed with cancer and was told that without immediate treatment, I would be dead in a year. That’s a sobering scenario…

By Walt Amses Editor’s note: Walt Amses is a writer and former educator who lives in Calais. The last few weeks have seen the word “unprecedented” beaten like a rented mule. I’ve wielded the whip myself too often to cast aspersions at others, but collectively, we’ve all been habitually categorizing what should have been predictable…

Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m.— PLYMOUTH NOTCH — The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site hosts singer and historian Linda Radtke on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m.  Radtke, producer of the VPR Choral Hour on Vermont Public Radio (VPR), will present “From the Parlor to the Polling Place: Stories and Songs from the Suffragists.”…

After purchasing a new home, buyers often want to put their own fingerprint on the property. Homeowners anticipate the day when their homes are transformed into spaces that reflect their style and not the preferences of previous owners. When deciding how to renovate interior spaces, homeowners will make some relatively temporary changes, but they also…

4-year-old. Spayed female. Terrier mix. Brindle. I am super sweet and great with everyone I meet. I am one happy lady, so happy that I just can’t stop wiggling. Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 • Tues. – Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org "I’m a 6-year-old…

By Brett Yates On Sept. 13, the Chittenden Select Board approved a proposal to redesign the intersection of Holden Road and Dam Road, with a cost not to exceed $2,000. Currently, drivers heading south on Holden Road approach a fork just below its junction with Mountain Top Road and the bridge over East Creek, bearing…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger As Vermont schools settle into the school year, state data shows that the number of cases among young children has risen dramatically in recent weeks. Infections among children under 12 rose to a peak in late August, then began to decline, but they’ve shot up again in the past two weeks, according…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger A conversation about welcoming refugees has returned to Rutland City. Five years ago, plans to resettle 100 people from Syria spurred a deep divide in Rutland, but the first inkling of a plan to welcome people fleeing Afghanistan has received broad support — even from those who strongly opposed the previous plan in…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Up to 100 Afghan refugees could be coming to Vermont if the federal government signs off on a new request from the state and its nonprofit partner. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of State Friday, Aug. 27, to resettle…

By Katherine Lazarus BRANDON — After a hiatus, Brandon Music reopened on Sept. 4 with a rocking Celtic performance by Gypsy Reel. “We’re absolutely delighted to be reopening,” owner Edna Sutton said. “It’s really lovely that people are supporting us. We’re grateful to the Brandon community and beyond, and [our supporters] understood why we needed…

Staff report The Vermont Dept. of Health (DOH) reported 14 new Covid cases in Rutland County and 11 new cases in Windsor County, on Tuesday, Sept. 7 — in the past 14 days there have been 190 and 170 respectively. These numbers underscore an ongoing surge in virus activity since the Delta variant surfaced early…

By Kevin O'Connor/VTDigger His sound bites for the common good and against corporate greed haven’t changed. But facing the biggest test of his political career, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the stakes had never been higher. The Vermont Independent toured his home state this Labor Day weekend in support of a $3.5 trillion budget…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Results from the 2020 census have revealed the deep impact of Vermont’s shifting population. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Chittenden County gained more people than any other part of the state. But another, perhaps less predicable, trend has also emerged: Ski communities, and areas popular with tourists and seasonal homeowners, had a…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger Lauren Gitlin knew something was wrong when she found Potato, among the more energetic goats on her Tunbridge dairy farm, lying in the field where she had been grazing that day. On the afternoon of July 31, Gitlin, the owner and sole operator of Villa Villekulla Farm in Tunbridge, had come to gather…