By Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen via U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on Aug. 24, 2021.   Rutland among five cities…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Quite a few years ago, I remember visiting the House Appropriations Committee at the State House, where there was a prominent sign on the wall, “NO, is it the N or the O that you do not understand?” The committee chair then was Michael Obuchowski, who later served as House Speaker…

Submitted     Opening date for applications is Jan. 15 The University of Vermont’s Vermont Pitch Challenge is a new entrepreneurial-focused competition that gives high school students from across the world in grades 10-12 a chance to pitch innovative and impactful business plans — all while competing for individual cash prizes and full tuition scholarships to…

By Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen via U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on Aug. 24, 2021.   Rutland among five cities…

  Outside organizations are increasingly challenging the state regulations on religious schools, defending transphobia, and weighing in on local policies and events By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger Last February, the girls’ basketball team at Mid Vermont Christian School, a pre-K-12 private school in Quechee, made the state’s Division 4 playoffs.  But instead of playing its first game, Mid…

  The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) seeks “Climate Economy Resilient Community” participants for 2024. Community leaders and/or volunteers can now submit a simple online application that will be reviewed on a rolling basis until Jan. 12, 2024.  Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action…

Submitted September saw the highest number of active short-term rentals out of any month on record.    So are debates over how to regulate them By Carly Berlin/VTDigger Editor’s note: Report for America corps Carly Berlin wrote this story in  partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public. A new data analysis by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency…

  In advance of the 2024 legislative session, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce reintroduced its annual Legislative Preview Presentation series to provide guidance on the business priorities for the session and provide information on legislative activities and advocacy opportunities. This series creates opportunities for business leaders to engage with the Vermont Chamber advocacy team to…

  The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont), announced Dec. 11 that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will receive a combined $1 million to develop long-range plans to improve existing passenger rail services and expand services in Vermont from the Department of Transportation (DOT).…

  Want to build or improve a recreational trail in your Vermont community? The Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) invites municipalities, non-profits, and other governmental entities to apply for funding through the Recreational Trails Program. In 2024, FPR will award approximately $500,000, funded through the Federal Highways Administration, to build and maintain…

  Earlier this month, $635,465 in federal grant funding was awarded to Vermont State University (VTSU) to expand educational opportunities and workforce development in rural communities. The grant is authorized through the USDA’s Distance Learning & Telemedicine (DLT) grant program, which provides rural communities with key resources to access advanced telecommunications technology and promote more opportunities in…

  By Emma Cotton/VTDigger On Thursday evening, Dec. 14, members of the Fish & Wildlife Board voted unanimously to approve new rules for trapping and hunting. Recent laws required the board to create the rules, which were intended to make the activities safer for wildlife, pets and people.  Earlier on Thursday, a group of lawmakers on…

  By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Seven long-term care facilities and one school reported Covid-19 outbreaks in the week following Thanksgiving, an uptick from the weeks prior to the holiday, the Vermont Department of Health reported Wednesday. Although the health department noted in their weekly report that overall Covid levels remained “low,” the outbreaks come at a…

    The Natural Resources Board will host an online public meeting to present its draft legislative report “Necessary Updates to the Act 250 Program.”  The online public meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.   Act 182 of 2022 and Act 47 of 2023 directed the Natural Resources Board with reporting to…

    Experts believe the new system will provide a clearer picture of Covid and leave the door open for more disease tracking By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Bob Fischer, water quality superintendent for South Burlington, remembers when researchers first realized that they could track the health of a population through its sewer system decades ago.  Measuring all…