Growth of renewable energy is slow By Guy Page In an April 13 Associated Press story, a prominent renewable-energy advocate said Vermont’s wind power industry is “just taking a little hibernation here as federal policy gets the tax credits right.” While Vermont waits for Congress to act, now is a good time to examine the…

Dear Editor, The session has entered its final weeks and as we consider (and sometimes reconsider) bills that directly impact you and your lives. Therefore, I and many of my colleagues, have redoubled our efforts to remain vigilant. I am committed to ensuring that your voice for a more affordable Vermont remains heard — a Vermont…

Dear Editor, What an amazing day the spaghetti dinner was. We had approximately 300 people there. I would love to thank those businesses and people that went above and beyond for me and more importantly for my son Matthew Lorman — first and foremost the Loyal Order of Moose (Moose Club) who hosted the event.…

Dear Editor, The state legislature is presently considering a funding bill that contains onerous provisions detrimental to us all. The bill H.489 sections 8 through 10 propose to give the Department of Taxes the authority to collect delinquent tax debts by garnishing wages and attaching property without a court hearing. This runs counter to due…

By Anne Galloway and Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org The Senate gave final approval to the money bills on Friday. Amendments that would have pushed forward the Shumlin administration’s request to cut $8 million from the budget didn’t materialize, and the budget passed virtually unchanged. A proposal from the governor to cut state workers by an additional…

The Vermont State Police and the Department of Health are warning heroin users to be aware of the proliferation of doses containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl or, in some cases, pure fentanyl, a powerful narcotic that has caused numerous overdose deaths. According to the Department of Health, fentanyl is an opioid drug that…

Staff report A federal judge Monday, April 27, dismissed an attempt to block the implementation of Vermont’s law requiring the labeling of food containing genetically engineered ingredients. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss dismissed a preliminary injunction brought by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which contends that Vermont’s GMO labeling law is unconstitutional. Possibly the most…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org Gov. Peter Shumlin has signed legislation designed to keep guns away from dangerous criminals and people with severe mental illness. The governor has said that he doesn’t believe Vermont would benefit from new gun laws, but Friday, May 1, he called the bill he signed a “shadow” of what was originally…

On May 1, International Workers’ Day, 500 people from Vermont’s labor, racial justice, climate justice, disability rights, and migrant justice movements marched on the statehouse in Montpelier, entering the building while singing, before gathering outside for a rally. Demonstrators denounced Vermont’s political leadership for its failure to equitably address the revenue shortfall and healthcare crisis,…

By Julia Purdy Bloodroot, a spring ephemeral of the northern woods. By Julia Purdy ORWELL — On Sunday, April 26, Amy Olmsted, horticulturist at Rocky Dale Gardens in Bristol, led a group of about 20 participants on a spring wildflower walk at Mount Independence, a Revolutionary War site at the edge of Lake Champlain in…

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON By Dom Cioffi Sitting directly on the border between North and South Carolina is an amusement park called Carowinds. It has all the usual trappings of a modern-day theme park with fun activities, incredibly over-priced food, and a host of rides for every level of thrill seeker.  Up until this…

Courtesy of VSO RAISING CANE May 8, 12 — RUTLAND COUNTY — The Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s “Raising Cane” woodwind trio will present performances at five Rutland County schools on May 8 and 12. Schedule is as follows: May 8, Neshobe School in Brandon at 10:30 a.m.; Barstow Memorial School in Chittenden at 1:30 p.m.; May 12 at Rutland…

Courtesy of RRCC Race cars line Center Street in downtown Rutland, as fans get a close-up of their favorite Devil’s Bowl racers. Saturday, May 9 at 9 a.m. — RUTLAND — The windows will rattle and the ground will shake in downtown Rutland on Saturday, May 9 as the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce hosts the return…

Submitted Red trillium is one of the first flowers to bloom in the forest. With its scarlet leaves, it’s easy to spot! Saturday, May 9 at 9 a.m. — WOODSTOCK — Experience the beauty of Vermont’s spring wildflowers with a free Working Woodland Workshop entitled “May Flowers” on Saturday, May 9 in Woodstock. This walking tour will…

Submitted Ralph Fiennes’ character M. Gustave H, in a still from “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m. — “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” tragic comedyfilm, will be FOLA’s next movie on Saturday, May 9 at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a 2014 comedy film directed…