Vermont was a leader in the abolition of slavery By Bill Clark May 25, 2020, was Memorial Day. A day set aside to pause and remember and pay tribute to all the brave Americans who have given their lives over the years so that this great American democracy can continue to live on. A time…

Dear Editor, Remember how Democratic candidates told us again and again during the presidential primaries that Americans love their private health insurance, love their employer-sponsored plan, and it shouldn’t be taken away from them? Well, the “radical left” didn’t take away health insurance, and health care, from as many as 27 million Americans. Mass unemployment from…

Dear Editor, I’m running for governor to bring a much-needed outsider’s perspective to a fundamentally broken political system. We don’t need people with decades of state house experience. We don’t need people who are beholden to PACs, lobbyists or deep-pocketed influencers. We need people like you and me, who bring common sense solutions and real…

Dear Editor, When I talk to people who know I’m running for Rutland Town’s House seat (Rutland-4) in the Vermont Legislature, their initial responses are largely the same. “That’s great news,” they say. Then a pause. “But why run now? There’s the coronavirus pandemic, the economic fallout, the social justice issues. Nothing will be easy.”…

Dear Editor, As I pen this letter directed to the citizens of Rutland Town, the Legislature is still in session, working well past our normal adjournment date. For many weeks now, we have been working remotely from our homes. Due to the pandemic, “Zoom” and conference calls are a reality for all of your elected…

By Eric Booth and Paul Gambill Look at a particular artwork with others and personal opinions and positions arise; join in making an artwork with others and connections bloom. The state of our union is jumbled, tense with differing opinions and opposed positions—our strengths disoriented, our consciousness of unacceptable systemic oppressions rising. But the power…

By Sen. Bernie Sanders Editor’s note: The following is Sen. Sanders prepared remarks June 25, ahead of the Senate’s consideration of a proposed $740.5 billion military budget authorization. Sanders’ amendment to the National Defense Authorization. Mr. President, if there was ever a moment in American history when we needed to fundamentally alter our national priorities,…

The state’s independent non-partisan Vermont Commission on Women released a new data dashboard report on Thursday, June 25, outlining on the ways the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately and uniquely impacted women. “The economic downturn associated with the pandemic makes women more vulnerable to financial instability,” said Cary Brown, the commission’s executive director. “Our dashboard reveals that a higher percentage of…

Recent rains will help, crowd-sourcing tool allows public to report and track water shortages According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, approximately 571,000 Vermonters or 91% of the population are living in an area of the state that is experiencing abnormally dry conditions. As a result state officials began asking Vermonters to report water shortages in their…

By Grace Elletson/VTDigger Across the country, homeless populations have been battered by Covid-19. Over 700 people without housing have tested positive for the disease in Boston. Similar outbreaks among homeless Americans have taken hold in cities like Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Philadelphia. In Vermont, only one person experiencing homelessness tested positive for Covid-19. No one has died. That’s because…

By Julia Purdy While the official 2020 Census kickoff on April 1, 2020 was delayed by the pandemic, households have now begun to receive invitational postcards by mail or physical invitational packets dropped at their door. A few folks have wondered, why these postcards and packets? The 2020 Census is aiming for a “complete count”…

BY Sen. Allison Clarkson Our extraordinary 2020 Vermont Legislative Session recessed for eight weeks on Friday night June 26 just after 9 p.m. Distinguished by our mid-March pivot to dealing with Vermont’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic which hit the United States full force – this Legislative Session has been memorable. And, it is…

By Rep. Jim Harrison No, it’s not the sound of a toy car, like the one we gave our son, Ben, many years ago. We quickly regretted the present as that’s all we heard, vroom, vroom…as he revved it up on the floor before letting it fly. Rather, it was a week of daylong Zoom…

Scott Howard of Bridgewater Corners passed away Thursday, June 25 from lung cancer. “He will always be remembered by the Killington community for skiing hard and every day,” wrote Bruce Kimball, a friend. In fact, Howard skied so hard that he broke records. In 2018 he set the record for vertical feet skied in a…

CLARENDON—On June 22, at 7:55 a.m., troopers from the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks were notified of a burglary at Lucky’s Trailer World in Clarendon that occurred the previous day at 3:35 a.m. Through investigation it was determined a lone male forced entry into the building and damaged property inside. The male appeared to be…