By Jeralyn Darling/VTDigger Vermont’s teachers’ union is calling Friday’s decision to end contact tracing and surveillance testing a “demoralizing blow” to anyone involved in the state’s school system, including students and their parents. In a statement issued Saturday, Jan. 8, […]
Category: State News
Covid-19 updates, Featured, State News
Governor Scott doubles down on controversial school Covid policy changes
Staff report Gov. Phil Scott and other state officials defended their controversial and “abrupt” shift in school policy for combatting Covid-19 in the governor’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 11. As case numbers have hit record numbers with the […]
Local News, State News
Governor Scott appoints three superior court judges, including Heather Gray of Quechee
Governor Phil Scott announced his appointment of three Vermont Superior Court judges: Elizabeth Novotny of Jericho, Heather Gray of Quechee and of Underhill, Dec. 20. “I have often said there are few responsibilities more important than governors making judicial appointments,” […]
Featured, State News
‘A pretty serious crisis’
Students and staff return to school closures, surging cases, expired tests, changing guidance, frustration By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger As students returned from the holiday break, some Vermont schools made it just three days before closing under the weight of Covid-19 cases. […]
State News
Changes are coming to state’s incentivized relocation program
Money could flow in advance of move to incite decision, officials propose By Fred Thys/VTDigger The Scott administration and state senators are considering overhauling Vermont’s programs that pay people to move to the state. “(M)y budget will support the Senate’s […]
Covid-19 updates, State News
Vermont launches ‘Tests For Tots’
On Friday, Jan. 7, Governor Phil Scott announced the launch of the state’s “Tests for Tots” program, which will provide rapid antigen Covid-19 test kits to regulated child care providers across Vermont. Child care providers can enroll in the program […]
Covid-19 updates, State News
Scott announces plan to send 500,000 free rapid tests to Vermonters
By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The state is partnering with the National Institutes of Health to send 500,000 free Covid-19 rapid antigen tests to Vermonters’ homes in the coming weeks, Gov. Phil Scott announced Thursday, Jan. 6. On Jan. 11, the announced […]
Covid-19 updates, State News
Covid case record set on New Year’s Eve, then broken again
Hospital stays, deaths rising too By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Vermont broke its one-day case record for the third day in a row on New Year’s Eve, hitting 1,471 cases in a single day, the Dept. of Health reported Monday, Jan. 3. […]
Featured, Local News, State News
Woodstock rep Charlie Kimbell announces bid for lieutenant governor
By Katy Savage After some speculation, Woodstock Rep. Charlie Kimbell announced he’s running for lieutenant governor. Kimbell, 57, is the only candidate to officially announce his campaign for lieutenant governor. He said he made the decision to run after current […]
Covid-19 updates, Local News, State News
Amid nerve-racking return to school, pre-K families feel left out of state response
By Mike Dougherty/VTDigger and Polly Mikula To safely return to child care while Covid-19 cases surge, Billie Slade asked all the families she works with to rapid-test their children. Slade runs Wonder in the Woods, an in-home child care program […]