Legislation leads to unintended consequences By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger As he ponders a future where online orders are dropping and the opening of a new store in Connecticut has been delayed, Danforth Pewter CEO Bram Kleppner is also wrestling with another unexpected problem: Workers who leave their posts are eligible for more than $1,100 a week—…

By Brooke Geery All around the country, people are finding ways to connect without actual contact, and one of those is through lights. Here in Rutland, Rutland Regional Medical Center illuminated its Christmas star, which gave Nancy Greenwood an idea. The local Realtor and community activist turned to Facebook to help spread message that actual…

On Friday, April 10, Governor Phil Scott extended Vermont’s State of Emergency through May 15, which also extends the expiration date of all corresponding orders and directives issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original State of Emergency, issued on March 13, was set to expire on April 15, as were the subsequent mitigation measures. As…

U.S. Senator and presidential candidate from Vermont Bernie Sanders announced the end of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, April 8. He sent the following email to his supporters:   I want to express to each of you my deep gratitude for helping to create an unprecedented grassroots political campaign that has had a profound impact…

CEO says “ok for now” on PPE By Polly Mikula On April 2, Governor Phil Scott announced new steps in the state’s plan to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases, and in turn, the need for additional hospital and medical capacity. “We continue to expand our medical surge capacity to be prepared for what…

On Friday, April 3, Attorney General T.J. Donovan published Attorney General’s Directive to Law Enforcement on the Enforcement of COVID-19 Emergency Order. The directive is geared toward law enforcement, including state’s attorneys, sheriffs, and police. The directive establishes that the Attorney General will bring all enforcement actions related to the COVID-19 Emergency Order and provides steps…

By Heather Furman, director for The Nature Conservancy in Vermont Only a few short weeks ago, none of us could have predicted the impacts to our personal and professional lives that COVID-19 would wreak. During times of crisis or tragedy we are often compelled to gather with one another and find community, but in this…

By Katy Savage Volunteers from the Rutland MINT Makerspace are committing to making 10,000 face shields for the Rutland Regional Medical Center as the hospital combats the coronavirus. MINT MakerSpace spokesperson Karen McCalla said MINT members Gabe Oberkirch and Tom Lichtman created the design for the shields and are cutting them with a laser. Oberkirch…

By Polly Mikula On Friday, April 3, Health Commissioner Mark Levine officially recommended that Vermonters wear cloth facial masks, or coverings, if they need to leave their homes for essential purposes. This advice is based on new data about how COVID-19 can spread before a person has any symptoms, in other words: before they know…

Staff report The state identified 70 new coronavirus positive cases Saturday, April 4 — the largest increase of any single day so far. The next day brought 52 more. The state has double its confirmed cases in just a week, 280 new cases in seven days for a total of 575 confirmed cases as of…

The Killington Community comes together over a common love for their pets By Brooke Geery This week Flor Bolige posted a call for people to share pictures of their four legged friends (rather than attacking each other for having out of state plates) on the Killington Locals+ Facebook group.  The request worked, and over 100…

The state identified 71 new coronavirus positive cases Saturday — the largest increase of any single day so far — and reported three new deaths in Vermont. Sunday brought 52 more. The new cases bring the total number of positive coronavirus tests in the state since the beginning of the outbreak to 512. Thus far,…

On Friday, April 3, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, recommended that Vermonters wear cloth facial masks, or coverings, if they need to leave their homes for essential purposes. This advice is based on new data about how COVID-19 can spread before a person has any symptoms. Because people may have COVID-19 but no symptoms, wearing…

Pranks, practical jokes and various goofs are Hallmarks of April 1st, April Fools’ Day — a tradition that dates back several centuries. Media has been a prime vehicle for some April tomfoolery over the years, too. Here are a few favorites: In 1957, the BBC told viewers there was a great spaghetti crop in Switzerland…

At a press conference on Friday, March 27, Governor Phil Scott and Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., announced that aggressive procurement of supplies has allowed the state to broaden the scope of its testing efforts. Until now, limited supplies required restricting prioritized testing to high risk patients. Dr. Levine said health care providers are now…