State News

By Ethan Weinstein / VTDigger State records show that since the start of 2020, taxpayers have funded more than $9 million in wages for state employees on paid leave while under investigation for alleged misconduct. According to Vermont Dept. of Human Resources records obtained through a public records request, the cost of paid investigative leave…

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) has initiated a monthly bulk milk sampling program to monitor for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle to protect Vermont’s dairy farms and the state’s agricultural economy. This proactive measure aligns with a USDA mandate to test Grade A milk nationwide following the first…

By Maggie Cassidy/VTDigger Meteorologists at the National Weather Service’s Burlington office pivoted among computer screens, each displaying a colorful digital smorgasbord of data. Interspersed with spreadsheets, line charts and big blocks of text, eight maps of New York and New England were overlaid with a variety of wavy lines, and numbers — lots of numbers. Indecipherable…

Vermonters Evan Fennelly and Barb Heath, and Aharoni Zisling of Pennsylvania, have been named 2024 Volunteers of the Year by Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nonprofit organization that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports. Recipients of the annual award exude tireless dedication, strong leadership and a big heart, Executive Director Erin Fernandez said. “This…

Vermont experienced a net gain of 7,500 residents moving from other states, according to a Treasurer’s Office analysis of recent U.S. Census data.  The report highlights Vermont’s strong appeal in the post-pandemic era. In 2023, Vermont had the highest per capita net migration in New England and the third-highest per capita net migration of any U.S. state. Over…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont approved its preliminary findings on Monday, Dec. 16, without making any recommendations about how to contain costs in the short term.  During the 2024 legislative session, as average education property taxes were slated to rise almost 14%, lawmakers created the commission as a…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger The Conservation Law Foundation expects Vermont to miss its first legally mandated deadline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9%-12%. The group’s estimates marked the latest in a debate between state officials and data experts over the accuracy of the data used to assess Vermont’s compliance with its emissions deadlines.  A 2020 state law, known…

Green Mountain State maintains No. 2 ranking for outdoor recreation as part of GDP New data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on Dec. 19 reinforces outdoor recreation’s significant and growing impact on Vermont’s economy. The BEA found outdoor recreation created $2.1 billion in value added for Vermont in 2023, accounting for…

Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing announced Dec. 17 the recipients of the Transformational Tourism, Events, and Regional Marketing (T-TERM) Grant Program. The T-TERM grant program was created to help events and communities offering unique visitor experiences to expand and/or market themselves to attract more out-of-state visitors and increase overnight stays. “These grants are…

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the state’s minimum wage will increase from $13.67 to $14.01 per hour — an increase of $0.34. If full-time, a minimum wage worker would earn $29,140 in a year. This annual adjustment also impacts the minimum wage for tipped employees. The “Basic Tipped Wage Rate” for service, or “tipped employees,” equals…

By Ekaterina Raikhovski Editor’s note: The following story was supplied by Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, originally produced for an assignment for the Winooski News. Grandchildren running around his 1840s farmhouse isn’t the only thing keeping John Rodgers’ hands full these days. There’s the masonry business the West Glover 59-year-old has…

By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger The Guidon, Norwich University’s student newspaper, has resumed reporting and publishing for the first time since it was suspended by administrators earlier this year. Prior to last week, student writers and editors had refused to resume publication of the paper, saying they were protesting administrative oversight of the paper and holding out for concessions. But…

Saint Michael’s College is fortifying its mission to make a deeply engaging, student-centered education more affordable through a new financial aid initiative: the St. Mike’s Community Commitment. The new initiative gives families whose income falls at or below $100,000 a total aid package that covers full tuition after federal grants, according to a news release Friday, Dec. 13.…

By Kristen Fountain/VTDigger Vermont’s senior U.S. senator shared new insight this week into how long he may be willing to represent the Green Mountain State in the nation’s capital.  In an interview published by Politico Tuesday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he was likely to call it quits after his fourth six-year term in the chamber. Asked…

Education spending saw its biggest jump in years in fiscal 2025, and school taxpayers are noticing the change in their bills. The increase this year was due to a lot of factors outside both schools’ and taxpayers’ control—inflation, healthcare costs, and the loss of pandemic-era federal support chief among them. All of that led to…