By Emma Cotton/VTDigger On the heels of abnormally dry conditions, softened but not eliminated by last week’s rain, early June has brought several days of increasingly common record-breaking heat to Vermont.  Swimmers flocked to lakefronts and rivers over the weekend and early this week, and at least one school district closed early on Monday, lacking air…

At 79.4%, officials are hopeful that threshold could be reached this week By Polly Mikula As of Tuesday, June 8, 79.4% of the eligible population in Vermont has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, leaving just 3,139 to go before the state hits its goal of 80%. At that point all remaining…

The Vermont Student Anti-racism Network (VSARN) is a youth-led group founded last summer to bring a diverse group of students together from around the state to advocate for anti-racist education. The organization endeavors to make an impact by undertaking projects in schools, such as encouraging curriculum changes, statewide school policy reform, and promoting anti-racism in…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger A new federal appeals court ruling has once again chipped away at Vermont’s long-standing prohibition against sending public tuition dollars to religious schools. The Alliance Defending Freedom, the powerful Christian legal group litigating the case on behalf of four Vermont high school students and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, has declared victory, saying that…

By Rep. Jim Harrison  The recently adjourned Vermont Legislature will be heading back to a virtual session on June 23 to take up a couple of bills vetoed by Governor Scott. These bills would allow non-citizens to vote in Montpelier and Winooski. House and Senate leaders have indicated they planned to move forward to override…

Advocacy groups, civic organizations, and businesses hailed a brand-new law requiring ballots to be mailed to all active Vermont voters in general elections moving forward. The policy that was put in place as a one-time emergency measure in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic.  Governor Scott issued the following statement when signing S.15,…

Aimed at those who have not yet received aid or continue to see losses despite aid Governor Phil Scott, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and the Dept. of Economic Development (DED) announced Thursday, June 3, the launch of the latest economic recovery funding for Vermont businesses. On Monday, June 7, the application…

By Polly Mikula Vermont is just days away from hitting its threshold to remove all Covid-related health restrictions, state officials said Tuesday, June 1. When 80% of the state’s eligible population is vaccinated (one dose administered to residents 12 years old or older) then the remaining mandated protocols for masking and distancing will be removed. …

Governor Phil Scott and Sen. Bernie Sanders help 100 programs receive grants to expand offerings for state’s Summer Matters initiative Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders and Vermont Afterschool announced Friday, May 28, the recipients of the Summer Matters for All grant program. A total of $3.85 million was awarded to about 100 programs in…

By Kit Norton/VTDigger When the Covid-19 pandemic closed down restaurants and bars, Vermonters developed a taste for buying takeout booze. Now legislation on its way to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk would allow to-go alcohol sales for two more years. Scott indicated at the press conference Tuesday, June 1, that he supports the bill, "It was my…

Attorney General TJ Donovan announced May 26 that his office has reached settlements with nine different online sellers of electronic cigarettes for violations of Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban and Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act.  Under the settlements, the companies resolved claims that they sold electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco paraphernalia to individual consumers. As of…

Jobs The number of hotel and restaurant jobs increased by 1,800 in April, out of 1,900 total new private-sector jobs last month. As Covid-19 cases declined and business restrictions loosened, jobs in the hospitality sector grew to 24,300. The sector is still down more than 20% from pre-pandemic levels. Shrunken reserves Increased demand from jobless workers in…

Plan presents opportunities to spur economy, reduce energy use and costs Achieving Vermont’s climate commitments is not only possible—it is also an opportunity to make energy less expensive for Vermont households and businesses while creating jobs for Vermonters. That’s one of the key findings of the latest Annual Progress Report for Vermont, released Tuesday, May…

Vaccinating 80% of the state’s eligible population may be achieved this week, the governor says By Polly Mikula Governor Phil Scott announced at the Friday, May 21, press conference that when 80% of Vermont’s eligible population — those age 12 and older — have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the state will enter Step…

Captures thousands of Vermonters’ ideas for long-range recovery As the state was finalizing its budget for next year, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) released its summary of feedback from thousands of Vermonters who weighed in with their ideas of what we need to do in the next few years in order to have…