By Duncan W. Campbell Editor’s Note: This article is part of a partnership in which Castleton University student journalists are teaming up with University of Vermont students to provide news stories for local papers. The program is funded by a grant through UVM. They are 20-to 40-year-olds who live and breathe the winter sport that…

By Merisa Sherman The morning started with freshies. Road crew was working so hard, but had yet to plow my road. It was just gorgeous — an untouched ribbon of white, so inviting as the snow reached from treeline to a not-quite-hidden guard rail. The lights from the condos were glowing through the  5 a.m. darkness…

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Dear Editor, When I was listening to the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, something just crossed my mind: I hope that every American university,  college and high school student in the United States had an assembly in the auditorium to watch it on a big screen. I know this will live in part of our…

New England teams sweep podium for the first time with Vermont in first, New Hampshire second and Maine third By Polly Mikula A team of three snow sculptors from the Woodstock area have won the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Jan. 29-Feb. 1. The competition attracted the most talented snow…

Dear Editor, On Thursday, Feb. 6, James Hall had a letter in the Rutland Herald discussing Nancy Pelosi’s childish, provocative comments about Trump’s Tuesday night campaign speech. Hall further indicates that the Democratic Party under her is withering away. Hall further states her “disrespectful arrogance” was on display in front of “God” and everyone present.…

Dear Editor, I was still trying to get used to the idea that some Americans are going to jail because they don’t show up in court when hospitals sue them for unpaid medical bills when I came across other news that seemed at first like satire.  The state of Utah has a “Pharmacy Tourism Program”…

Dear Editor, Did you know that patients fighting cancer need more blood than patients fighting any other disease? Cancer patients use nearly one-quarter of the nation’s blood supply. In fact, five units of blood are needed every minute to help someone going through cancer treatment. Yet, only 3% of people in the U.S. give blood.…

By Jake Claro I encourage everyone to read through the Vermont Agriculture and Food System Plan recently released by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) in fulfillment of Act 83. The jointly created 2020 plan takes a balanced and honest view of multiple agricultural industries…

By Sen. Dick McCormack “Half-baked idea” usually refers, insultingly, to an idea that hasn’t been thought through. But I offer an idea that I admit is half baked. Because no one in Vermont is talking about it, because the idea contradicts the largely unchallenged assumption that folks, regardless of ideology, party or cultural background, consider…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Last Monday, Feb. 10, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bill to raise the minimum wage in Vermont to $12.55. In his veto message, Scott said, “Despite S.23’s good intentions, the reality is there are too many unintended consequences and we cannot grow the economy or make Vermont more affordable by arbitrarily…

By Colin Meyn and Grace Elletson/VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott was once again talking about Vermont’s workforce woes during his weekly press conference, but the circumstances were less predictable than usual. The federal government is having a tough time finding people to conduct the census in Vermont. Scott said he got a call from federal officials informing him that…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger A Senate committee is poised to advance legislation that would criminalize robocalls in the state, penalizing illegal callers with up to 90 days in jail or fines up to $10,000. Sen. Randy Brock, R-Franklin, the lead sponsor of S.324, said he decided to propose the legislation after a day when he received 11 robocalls…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger Democrats in the Vermont House fell one vote short in their attempt to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a paid family leave program on Wednesday, Feb. 12. In a major loss for the majority party, which has made passing a mandatory paid family leave program a priority in recent years, the…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger The House Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation Wednesday, Feb. 5, that would legalize a marketplace for marijuana and set a 20% combined tax rate on sales of the substance. The action means the bill, S.54, will likely see a full vote on the House floor in the coming weeks, and represents major movement…