By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger.org While Vermont’s congressional delegation has lauded the passage of new federal education legislation, leaders of the state’s schools are more cautious. After 14 years of federal mandates meant to help improve learning that often bucked up against Vermont’s more progressive policies, the Agency of Education and State Board of Education…

On Dec. 2, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced that a five-year, $305 billion transportation bill agreement reached Tuesday by House and Senate negotiators will deliver nearly $1.1 billion to Vermont to improve the state’s roadways. The passage of the new Federal Transportation Bill, known as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, promises to bring a…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org Lawmakers got a preview of the budget struggles ahead in an all-day meeting at the State House Tuesday, Dec. 1. When legislators return to Montpelier in January, they’ll need to put together a budget for fiscal year 2017 that will make up for a projected gap between state revenues and spending…

In response to the urgent and growing demand for child protection services largely driven by the opiate addiction crisis affecting Vermont and other states, on Dec. 3 Gov. Peter Shumlin outlined a comprehensive proposal to enhance Vermont’s child welfare system. The package will add 35 new positions in the Department for Children and Families (DCF)…

Tips help parents shop safely Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund’s 30th annual “Trouble in Toyland” report. The survey of potentially hazardous toys found that, despite recent progress, consumers must still be wary when shopping this holiday season. The report…

Following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday, Dec. 2, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for sensible gun safety legislation at a press conference with his Democratic colleagues in the Senate. His remarks are transcribed here: “Here is the very sad truth and that is that it is very difficult for the American…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger.org The State Board of Education will revise rules for state approval of private schools in the coming year. The decision, made at a meeting earlier this month, caught the Vermont Independent Schools Association off guard. The recommendation for review was brought by William Mathis, a board member, who raised concerns…

By Bruce Parker, Vermont Watchdog A poll of registered voters in Vermont, conducted by the Center for Regulatory Solutions, has found that most Vermonters oppose adding higher amounts of ethanol into gasoline. According to a survey of 600 registered voters taken earlier this month, 67 percent of respondents said they disagree with the federal Renewable…

By Jasper Craven, VTDigger.org As part of a comprehensive immigration plan, Sen. Bernie Sanders says as president he will give all undocumented people who have been in the country at least five years immunity from deportation. Sanders also calls for a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Sanders’s made…

RUTLAND—Community College of Vermont (CCV) is partnering with GE Aviation and Adecco Staffing USA, part of the world’s largest recruitment and workforce solutions provider, to offer a Certified Production Technician (CPT) course in Rutland, which began last week. This course is the first step in establishing a manufacturing pipeline to help GE address a skills…

KILLINGTON — For the second year, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, will participate in the nationally recognized charitable giving campaign, #GivingTuesday on Dec. 1. It will harness the generosity of an anonymous Vermont Adaptive family participant, who has gifted a matching gift challenge of $20,000 to be used to leverage additional funds. Last year, the same…

Projects will bring affordable housing, jobs and flood protection to nine communities New jobs in Brattleboro, and new, energy-efficient affordable housing in White River Junction and Addison County are among the nine projects receiving more than $2.4 million in grants from the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP), announced Friday, Nov. 20. “From Brattleboro to Barre,…

To ensure Vermont highways remain safe, the Vermont State Police will be participating in the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign; as well as Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) over the holiday from Nov. 25-29. Vermont has experienced 48 traffic fatalities so far this in 2015. By using high visibility enforcement coupled with education,…

On Friday, Nov. 20, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his sixth annual State of the Union essay contest, calling upon Vermont’s high school students to address what they view as the major issues facing the United States. The U.S. Constitution calls for the president to “give to the Congress information of the State of the…

All Vermont fourth graders can get a free Christmas tree cut from national forest land RUTLAND – Gov. Peter Shumlin announced Monday, Nov. 23, that for the first time in Vermont history, the State House Christmas tree will come from federally managed land within the 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The 32-foot balsam fir…