RUTLAND COUNTY—Beginning May 18, 2015, law enforcement officials will be out in force, taking part in the 2015 national Click It or Ticket (CIOT) seat belt enforcement mobilization. "As we kick off the busy summer driving season, it is critical that everyone buckles up every time they go out, day and night—no excuses. Our officers…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org The House vote to eliminate a philosophical exemption to childhood vaccines at the time of school entry left a bad taste in the mouths of some lawmakers, but efforts to reconsider that decision failed Wednesday, May 13. The legislation passed by the House on Tuesday would eliminate the philosophical exemption on…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org Lawmakers gave their final stamp of approval this week to a bill that provides a quicker path to scrubbing certain convictions from a person’s criminal record. Under the new law, individuals convicted of certain crimes they committed before they turned 25 will have an expedited process to expunge their records if…

On May 17, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to provide tuition-free higher education for students at 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. “We live in a highly competitive global economy and, if our economy is to be strong, we need the best-educated work force in the world. That will not happen if,…

By Don Turner, House Republican Leader Last November, Vermonters sent a clear message that the status quo no longer worked for them.  Vermonters told us that we needed to get to work to return Vermont to a sound and sustainable fiscal path, work to make Vermont a more affordable place to live and work to…

By Angelo Lynn It wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day, this Legislature and the Shumlin administration passed a couple major pieces of legislation, and overcame several significant budget hurdles in crafting a reasonable budget in tough times. The major legislation focused on cleaning up the state’s waterways (particularly Lake Champlain, but also…

By Rob Roper Love him or hate him, one has to concede that Bernie Sanders has had a tremendous impact on the political direction of Vermont over the past a quarter century, plus. His influence has reverberated throughout the Green Mountains and in our State House. He has spawned many acolytes in the activist community…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin We convened the legislative session in January with the goal of making this economy work for every single Vermonter and resolving the challenges that undermine our quality of life. It was an agenda focused on jobs, quality of life, our environment, and making Vermont a place that works for everyone, not…

By Paul A. Cillo The Legislature can work with local communities to improve education or it can push them around. That’s the choice at the heart of the education debate in Montpelier this year. But so far lawmakers are not showing much interest in cooperation. Instead, they are moving ahead with schemes to impose spending controls,…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org The two insurers participating in the Vermont Health Connect insurance exchange are seeking rate increases from state regulators for next year’s plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont is seeking an 8.4 percent increase and MVP Health Care is seeking a 3 percent increase over their 2015 rates, according to filings…

By Dom Cioffi There are certain things in the developed world that are easy to take for granted: the relative safety we experience, the medical care available to us, and the food we have access to. But the one thing we always count on without much thought is water. In this country especially, we turn…

By Tony Accurso Correction: In last week’s edition, May 21-27, in the article “Trail of the week: Noodle’s Revenge” we incorrectly attributed the flagging of the trail to Accurso; Jason Hayden actually did the flag work and deserves the credit. Noodles Revenge is a sweet flow trail in Pittsfield at the Green Mountain Trails. It’s…

By Polly Lynn Last year Killington embarked on the first of a five-year master plan to create world-class downhill mountain biking. Consulting firm Gravity Logic says Killington could see 50,000 bikers annual, if the master plan is followed to completion. The master plan includes not only trail design, but plans for marketing, instruction, and an…

Photo by Robin Alberti Thomas Hirchak KILLINGTON — The former Grey Bonnet Inn & Resort was up for auction Tuesday, May 19, but no spectators registered to bid for the 41-room property on Route 100. The auction was to be held at 2 p.m., conducted by Thomas Hirchak Company, with registration and inspection starting at…

Photo courtesy of the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Natural Resources Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. is receiving many reports of hungry bears getting into trash containers as well as raiding bird feeders, bee hives and chicken houses. “Human conflicts involving bears are rapidly increasing this spring,” said Chief Game Warden Jason Batchelder. “Vermont’s wardens are…