By Elizabeth Gribkoff/VTDigger While plastic bag bans in some parts of the country have been rolled back during the pandemic, Vermont’s single use bag prohibition will still go into effect next week. Starting July 1, stores and food service establishments will no longer provide plastic carryout bags at check-out. Stores and food service establishments may provide…

Staff report Vermont state law bans food scraps from the trash starting July 1. The state defines food scraps as “Parts of food items that are typically discarded rather than eaten: peels, rinds, cores, eggshells, seeds, pits, bones, coffee grounds (and filters), loose-leaf tea, and fats/oils/grease” and/or “Food that was eaten but not finished.” “If it was once…

Vermont Rotary Clubs across the state have teamed up to donate fresh Vermont yogurt and butter to the Vermont Foodbank. Ten Vermont rotary clubs joined forces to raise over $10,000 dollars, adding significant financial support to the effort already in place to recover Vermont milk. In collaboration with Dairy Farmers of America, Commonwealth Dairy LLC…

Vermont Congressional delegation announces two-month extension of Farmers To Families Food Box program, now lasts through summer U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, along with U.S. Representative Peter Welch announced Wednesday, June 17, that two Vermont-based entities, the Abbey Group and Willing Hands, have secured extended contracts through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)…

Vermont high school graduates gifted a free CCV course As school districts across the state said good-bye to the Vermont high school class of 2020, the McClure Foundation announced a graduation gift for every member of that class. Every graduating senior, no matter their circumstances, will be eligible for a free course of their choosing…

Law enforcement and public safety leaders from across Vermont presented to the Legislature a draft set of action items and reforms intended to modernize policing in the state, according to a news release June 11. The 10-point proposal, intended as a starting point for the conversation, was developed by the Vermont Department of Public Safety,…

The Vermont State Police in 2015 initiated efforts to obtain body-worn cameras for all troopers and to replace two-decade-old in-cruiser dashboard camera systems. State police leaders have been working ever since with the Legislature to acquire not only body-worn cameras but also the necessary data storage systems to support them, according to a news release,…

By Rep. Jim Harrison This past Friday, the House gave final approval to S.348, which removes the governor from the decision on how the elections are run this fall and allows the secretary of state to establish any new rules. Secretary Condos has indicated he plans to mail out ballots to all registered voters for…

School immunization data recently released by the Vermont Department of Health shows that over 95% of Vermont students from kindergarten to 12th grade have all their required vaccines. “This high rate of children who are up-to-date with their vaccines reflects the ongoing work by Vermont health care providers, child cares, schools and parents,” said Christine…

Until the recent Covid-19 restrictions, the number of Vermont homes used as short-term rentals has ticked up each year, according to a recent analysis by Vermont Housing Finance Agency. In a typical month last year, about 8,000 homes were listed as short-term rentals across the state. Largely located in towns near Vermont ski areas, homes…

75% of home weatherization projects covered, boosting resilience during Covid-caused recession As Vermonters cope with an economic recession, Efficiency Vermont and partners announced a raft of higher-than-ever incentives to help Vermonters reduce their home energy costs, make their homes healthier and more resilient into the future, and encourage investments that support the local economy. Efficiency Vermont…

By Sawyer Loftus and Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger More than 200 community members gathered on Saturday, June 13, to help paint “Black Lives Matter” in massive yellow letters in front of the State House. The project had been in the works for just under a week and was a collaboration between Noel Riby-Williams, a Montpelier resident, and City Councilor Conor Casey. The week prior,…

Here is a list of road construction projects happening throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. Interstates: I-189 Burlington – South Burlington - Nightwork for a resurfacing project between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Motorists can expect lane closures. I-89 Berlin – A bridge project is underway. Northbound and Southbound traffic…

By Mikie Perkins, Albany Recruiting Battalion When the first Continental Congress founded the army in 1775, it was done to protect the original 13 colonies against invasion by the British. The U.S. Army continues to fight to protect Americans from aggressors 245 years later. It does so successfully because of soldiers who are dedicated and…

Attorney General T.J. Donovan sent a letter to Senator Tim Ashe, president pro tempore, and Representative Mitzi Johnson, Speaker of the House, on Wednesday, June 3, urging the Legislature to pass legislation to improve training of law enforcement and to study a change in the standard applied to police use-of-force incidents. In the letter, Donovan…