By Liora Engel-Smith, Erin Petenko and Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger RUTLAND — Asked what it’s like to do her job right now amid a staffing crisis and surging Covid-19 hospitalizations, a nurse heading home from Rutland Regional Medical Center on Monday, Jan. […]
Category: State News
State News
Scott proposes more spending to bring Vermonters back to the workforce and attract workers from other states
By Fred Thys/VTDigger During his annual budget address on Tuesday, Jan. 18, Gov. Phil Scott proposed taking advantage of federal money pouring into Vermont to encourage more people to move into the state and to train Vermonters to fill thousands […]
State News
Legislative Update: Pension for teachers,state employees rectified
By Sen. Alison Clarkson When the Pension Benefits, Design, and Funding Task Force was created last year, I was relieved. Our public pension system was in crisis. If we did nothing to fix the problems, Vermont taxpayers were looking at […]
Covid-19 updates, State News
Vermont is no longer collecting school Covid data
Positive Covid case numbers are now impossible to know with shift to at-home antigen testing, self-reporting By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger and Polly Mikula State officials in Vermont are no longer gathering or publishing the number of Covid-19 cases detected in schools. […]
State News
State adopts rules for new Americans’ licensure in professional fields
Sec. of State Jim Condos announced Jan. 19 that the Office of Professional Regulation’s (OPR) has adopted foreign credentialing rules, which create a pathway for foreign-trained individuals to become licensed in their field in Vermont. The new rules became effective […]
State News
Golden opportunity
By Rep. Jim Harrison Last Tuesday, Jan. 18, Governor Phil Scott began the week with his annual budget address to the Legislature. In that speech, he called on lawmakers to work with his administration to pass a budget that was […]
Covid-19 updates, State News
Covid continues its spike, hospitalizations high
Staff report The state reported 715 new Covid-19 cases, Tuesday, Jan. 18, with 116 hospitalized — a new record. Just prior, the state reported 806 cases Monday, 2,217 on Sunday, and 1,766 cases Saturday. The seven-day average is 1,604 cases […]
State News
Hartland ponders ARPA windfall, projects suggested
By Curt Peterson The Select Board hosted a public meeting to discuss how best to invest $1,050,000, Hartland’s share of the federal government’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund. For perspective, the windfall represents $3,088 per man, woman […]
State News
Grant helps to protect native turtles in Connecticut River Valley
The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) has received a new grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that will help protect native turtles. The grant will fund landowner outreach by CRC and wood turtle site assessment by project partner, […]
State News
2022 poll shows Vermonters split on some issues
The VPR–Vermont PBS 2022 Poll asked hundreds of Vermonters how they feel about state leaders. A total of 600 people responded. Braun Research conducted the poll under the direction of Richard Clark, a professor at the University of Vermont. Do […]