By Dom Cioffi I told my son at the beginning of the summer that we were going to do things differently this year. In past years, he had thrown away every opportunity to better himself, but this summer he would successfully balance fun with accomplishments. As far as I was concerned, he was not going…

Dear Editor, Kevin Mullin, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), called our state’s health insurance premiums “unaffordable” in 2019. Those premiums have since risen, and double digit-plus increases were just approved for both Blue Cross and MVP, making health care far more unaffordable. Our hospitals are requesting major increases in their budgets that…

Dear Editor, Warning. The state of Vermont has changed the process of renewing a vehicle driver’s license. No longer can you go to a real person who can answer questions and help fill out the forms, like at the Courthouse. Now it is to be done by the taxpayer, at home, and on a computer.…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger Across the country, private equity firms and real-estate investment trusts are buying up manufactured home communities from local owners and charging residents more to remain there. But in Vermont, with major help from the state — through education about their rights and millions in funding from two state agencies — residents are…

By Katy Savage The Vermont Farmers Market won’t be returning to the Vermont Farm Food Center (VFFC) building in Rutland this November, as hoped. VFFC Executive Director Heidi Lynch said environmental clean-up of the site hit a snag and more testing is required. “With more recent reporting from engineers, there are more tests that need…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger Housing is so tight in Vermont that some job applicants are turning down employment offers because they cannot find a place to live. Hearing hirees say “no” to job offers because they are giving up on their house search is a problem recruiters are facing in state and municipal government, nonprofit organizations…

By Katy Savage The Brandon Free Public Library temporarily closed Aug. 6 for 10 days after a staff member was threatened with sexual assault from a person in the community. Library Director Molly Kennedy said the threat was made against a female library clerk on June 30. Kennedy was informed about the incident on July…

By Curt Peterson At its regular meeting, Aug. 8, the Killington Select Board proposed to increase the fees for the required annual registration of short-term rentals for the next program term — Nov. 1, 2022 through Oct. 31, 2023. The registration fee for each category will increase over this year’s fee by $250, Select Board…

By Curt Peterson Deb and Andre Patenaude posted the first listserv notice about “campers” at Hartland’s Exit 9 Park and Ride lot on Aug. 3. “Okay, Hartlanders. I’m very surprised that no one has commented on the new eye sore that parked in the park n ride!” they posted, adding that the “campers” seemed to…

By Curt Peterson Hartland resident John Kapise of Bohaka Road celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday, Aug. 5. He served in the U.S. army artillery from 1942 to 1945, starting in England and helping drive the Nazi army through France and into Germany before the surrender. After the war and a stint on the grounds…

Mayor nominates Joe Barbagallo By Jacob Knipes During the “communications from the mayor” portion of the Aug. 1 Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor David Allaire announced that after some consideration Matt Reveal had withdrawn his nomination to the board. Reveal was previously nominated for the vacancy, first created by Devon Neary’s departure from the board…

By Liora Engel-Smith/ VTDigger Vermonters buying health insurance through the state’s Obamacare portal, Vermont Health Connect, will likely see a steep increase in their premiums next year, after state regulators voted this week to allow double-digit increases. The increases could coincide with the end of federal marketplace subsidies under the American Rescue Plan next year.…

By Josh Castonguay Editor’s note: Josh Castonguay lives in Colchester, and is the vice president, chief innovation and engineering executive at Green Mountain Power. When it gets hot outside, folks say it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets you. Some Vermonters relish the warm weather no matter how damp it is. Summer is…

Dear Editor, We’ve been following local and national news reports, and want to tell you that we are worried about the recent extreme heat and wildfires raging across the country. We feel for people who’ve lost their lives and/or livelihoods to extreme weather, and we believe that it’s only a matter of time until it…

Dear Editor, Why is it that modern name changes leave us so much in the dark about organizations and their legacy? For instance some of the local hospitals have given up the names of their medical benefactors of yesteryear. Instead of Mary Fletcher or Bishop DeGoesbriand or Fannie Allen, we now have UVM Medical Center.…