By James Finn/VTDigger A requirement that laid-off workers must actively seek work if they want to qualify for unemployment benefits is being reinstated, Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington announced at Gov. Phil Scott’s press conference Tuesday, April 27. The work-search requirement was suspended after Covid-19 entered Vermont last March, battering the state’s economy. But now, with a…

In recognition of Earth Day, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), Thursday, April 22, announced that it has joined the effort to protect the monarch butterfly by enrolling highway right-of-way lands throughout the state in a voluntary nationwide conservation program. The eastern monarch population has declined by approximately 77% since 1995. “AOT’s participation in this…

West Rutland and Proctor are two of the Vermont parishes affected by delay in green card processing Significant clergy and parish realignments within Vermont Roman Catholic Diocese were announced May 3 as a result of changes to U.S. immigration policies and processes. Four international priests — three from the Philippines and one from Nigeria who…

The state Natural Resources Conservation Council (NRCC) has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to support its Vermont stream restoration and protection program. Vermont’s NRCC Districts will deliver environmental and habitat benefits including improved aquatic organism passage and…

Vt on track to be the first state to offer breakfast to all On Friday, April 30, the Vermont Senate approved a bill that would bring universal school breakfast to all Vermont schools by 2022. The bill (S.100) would make Vermont the first state in the nation to provide breakfast free of charge to all public school students every school day.…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Last Thursday, April 29, the House approved changes to the Brattleboro charter that will allow 16-year-olds to vote in municipal elections and serve on town boards such as select boards. Additionally, 15-year-olds can vote early or absentee if they will be 16 on election day. The proponents of the measure believe…

By Seamus McAvoy/VTDigger Vermonters can expect a return to amusement rides, fried food and demolition derbies this summer, as most fairs plan a revival after a year off due to Covid-19, including the Vermont State Fair at the Rutland fairgrounds, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary Aug. 17-21 with two demolition derbies and a rodeo, among…

Out of concern for Lake Champlain’s underwater ecosystems, the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) and the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) have appealed a permit issued by the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to allow the sinking of a 152-foot-long ferry near the Burlington waterfront. The permit authorizes the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation and the…

New robocall team formed to stop scams to Vermont phones Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced April 28 a settlement with a small Florida-based company that routed thousands of foreign scam robocalls to Vermonters. The Attorney General investigated the company—Strategic IT Partner—after reports of scam robocalls to the Vermont Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). The settlement will…

New tool for job and education seekers Advance Vermont has launched MyFutureVT.org, the state’s first free online hub to provide Vermonters with the information they need to make informed and empowered decisions about their career and education pathways. With 30,000 fewer Vermonters working than before the pandemic, MyFutureVT fills an urgent need to connect those seeking…

Revises outdoor mask guidance, moves to Step 2 of reopening plan By Polly Mikula On May 1 the state announced that it had hit the targeted vaccination threshold of 50–60% of all Vermonters and 60–70% of Vermonters 16-plus, triggering the planned move to Step 2 of the reopening plan, Vermont Forward. As of Tuesday, May…

Record equity levels unlikely to spur many homeowners to sell Vermont has the third highest increase in real home value in the nation according to the First American Real House Price Index (RHPI), which measures the price changes of single-family properties throughout the U.S., adjusted for the impact of income and interest rate changes on consumer…

Women may now join any combat arms unit in the Vermont Army National Guard, following authorization by National Guard Bureau issued April 28. The Vermont Army National Guard is the first in the nation to open all combat arms units within its organization to the recruitment of women. “This is a momentous achievement for the…

Ludlow-Mt. Holly, Rutland Town, Hartland, and Mt. Ascutney school districts named in appeal By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The state board of education on Wednesday, April 21, ordered three Vermont school districts to reimburse families who live in “school choice” towns for the tuition they paid out of pocket this year for their children to attend religious schools.  The board’s…

Beware of a dangerous imposter if you are foraging for ramps Wild leeks, also known as ramps (Allium tricoccum), are a wild edible that many Vermonters enjoy each spring. But if you are foraging for them, be careful to not mistake the ramps for a poisonous lookalike plant called false hellebore, the state warns.  The…