By Lee H. Hamilton Not many people outside of Capitol Hill paid attention last month when the congressional leadership released next year’s legislative schedule. Its headline feature is a strikingly long summer recess: half of July and all of August, along with a few spotty weeks of work before the November election. In all, the…

Dear Editor, As as Rochester community member, I am writing to share some of my thoughts and concerns about the future of our school. My hope is that this will be the beginning of a conversation. I know there are lots of concerns and worries coming from all different points of view. My concern is…

Dear Editor, Happy holidays on behalf of the Killington Pico Area Association (KPAA) to you and your families. Looking outside its hard to determine which holiday season we are in. I’d like to remind everyone that we have been here before and there’s no reason to panic as some have   expressed to me. I,…

Submitted Bernie Sanders By Jasper Craven, VTDigger.org Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has taken a double-digit lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, just two months before Granite State voters go to the polls in the nation’s first primary. According to the CNN/WMUR poll released Wednesday, Dec. 9, Sanders has a 50 to 40 percent…

Expanding on his ambitious plan to combat climate change, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Climate Protection and Justice Act, Dec. 10, to establish a price on carbon pollution. The legislation would cut total emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, fund historic investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies, return billions of…

By Matthew Cox, VTDigger.org A controversial federal visa program that offers permanent U.S. residency to foreigners willing to invest $500,000 or more in at-risk companies has helped Sugarbush Resort return to profitability, while also benefitting the 40 foreign investors who loaned the Warren, Vt., resort $20 million, both sides say. The 40 investors—from Canada, Mexico,…

By Dom Cioffi I haven’t wanted to physically assault anyone in a long time, but over the past week I came close on several occasions. I’m not sure if it was the stress of the holiday season or the fact that some people just decided to abandon social graces, but I genuinely got pushed to…

Courtesy of  VTF&W, By Kris & Norm Senna Vermont Fish & Wildlife says some bears are still active and to wait for six or more inches of snow and colder weather before putting up your bird feeders. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is urging people to wait for colder weather and snow before putting…

Facebook recently instituted a welcome (or not-so-welcome) feature that brings up photographs and memories from prior years. Consequently, knowing that snow amply covered the ground at this time last year and the year before is inescapable. Last year, we were in the midst of a two-day electrical outage, caused by heavy, heavy snow that broke…

On Dec. 8, Peace Corps announced that Vermont ranked No. 1 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps Volunteers per capita for the third straight year, with 52 residents currently serving worldwide in Peace Corps. With a ratio of 8.3 Volunteers for every 100,000 residents, the Green Mountain state has the highest per…

By Leonard Perry, UVM horticulturist, and Charlie Nardozzi, garden consultant Providing birds with water by means of heated birdbaths, starting herbs indoors, and choosing the best poinsettias are some of the gardening activities for this month. Keep birdbaths ice-free and filled with fresh water. Heated bird baths, and heating elements made to insert into bird…

Public-private partnership assures no cost to taxpayers Gov. Peter Shumlin, Department of Buildings and General Services Commissioner Michael Obuchowski, and Transportation Secretary Chris Cole Dec. 11 joined the partners of Maplewood LTD to sign an agreement and break ground on the state’s first 24-hour Vermont Traveler Services Center. The center will be built and operated…

It’s a formidable challenge to develop a syllabus for a college-level pharmacology course focused entirely on a drug that’s illegal to possess, use and even research under federal law. That’s the task that Wolfgang Dostmann, Ph.D., and Karen Lounsbury, Ph.D., have undertaken as they plan the University of Vermont’s first medical cannabis course in the…

Courtesy of Dave Hoffenberg HAMJOB Alex Abraham said this weekend is “fixing to be one of the better weekends” of his life and it could be yours too if you head to the Wobbly Barn on Friday night, Dec. 18, to see his band, “Hamjob.” It’s a free show if you’re 21 and over and…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger.org While Vermont’s congressional delegation has lauded the passage of new federal education legislation, leaders of the state’s schools are more cautious. After 14 years of federal mandates meant to help improve learning that often bucked up against Vermont’s more progressive policies, the Agency of Education and State Board of Education…