By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The state was given an unusual task in a last-minute legislative deal brokered in June that extended publicly financed motel-based shelter for more than 2,000 unhoused individuals. It was charged with attempting to rehouse or shelter everyone by April 2024, and required to report back to the Legislature on its progress — every single month.…

  Two captive insurance media publications are now naming Vermont the top captive insurance domicile in the world. In their “Q1 Captive Formation Round-Up” article published June 13 in Captive Review used the most recent data to confirm Vermont’s No. 1 status. Another captive media publication, Captive Intelligence, confirmed that data in their captive insurance data…

   U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Rutland Regional Medical Center as a 2023-2024 High Performing hospital for hip replacement and knee replacement. This is the highest distinction a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings.  Rutland Regional was one…

  Alburgh and Vergennes mosquito pools are first to test positive in 2023  Mosquitoes collected in Alburgh and Vergennes during the week of July 24 have tested positive for West Nile virus at the Vermont Dept. of Health Laboratory. So far this season, 824 mosquito pools — groups of up to 50 mosquitoes of the…

  Vermont organic dairy farmers are encouraged to apply for relief funding. A grant funding designed to mitigate the extreme market challenges in 2022, including high feed and input costs was made available in the state budget which began on July 1, for $6.9 million. Eligible dairy farmers who apply will receive a single payment…

Declaration provides more resources to help recovery   UPDATE: Administrator Deanne Criswell announced Tuesday evening, July 18, that President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the state of Vermont to supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe flooding beginning on July 7 and continuing. The…

  Area residents rally in face of storm: Friday's flash flood through Monday's state of emergency By Katy Savage and Victoria Gaither It began with isolated flashfloods and a mudslide in Killington Friday, July 7, but rains continued — and worsened — Sunday and Monday escalating to become a State of Emergency. Estimates of  5-12…

Southern Vermont and the spine of the Green Mountains could see 5 inches of rain. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the entire state and warned of flash flooding Sunday night. By Paul Heintz/VTDigger Vermont could face catastrophic, life-threatening flooding as a deluge of rain meets saturated soils and swelling waterways, officials…

   By Amelia Seepersaud/Addison County Independent Vermont is small in population and land mass, but it is very big in at least one thing. Maple syrup. The United States Department of Agriculture’s final tally of this spring’s season showed that Vermont is once again the leading producer of maple syrup nationally.  According to the recently…

   Keeping a small flock of chickens at home to provide eggs and meat has become increasingly popular, but many first-time small-scale poultry farmers are discovering that several species of wildlife like the taste of chicken as much as we do.  The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department urges poultry owners to use electric fencing and…

   The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says many people are having problems with bears looking for food near their homes, and with the food scrap ban in effect the department is providing tips for people who are composting at home so they can avoid attracting hungry bears.   “We have been receiving lots of reports…

Funding is now available through the Samara Fund, which is directed by a group of queer and trans Vermonters committed to a vision of transformational grants and scholarships to the people and groups throughout Vermont who demonstrate their dedication to the empowerment, health, and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV positive (LGBTQ+)…

  Vermont Auditor Doug Hoffer released a memo June 27 announcing that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department cannot be audited at this time due to financial management irregularities. Arriving at such a conclusion is extremely rare for a public agency, Hoffer said, and reflects a judgment that the sheriff’s books cannot be relied upon to…

   Beginning on July 1, changes to Vermont Adoption Law will allow adopted Vermonters greater access to their adoption information.   “This new law makes original birth certificates, information about former parents, and details about their adoptions available to adoptees,” said Dept. for Children and Families Commissioner Chris Winters. “The adoption registry is there to help…

  Parts of Vermont continue to experience 'moderate drought,' while other areas are just 'abnormally dry' Staff report Rain fell over much of Vermont this past weekend and was forecast to continue, disrupting some Fourth of July celebrations. Fireworks at the Vermont State Fairgrounds scheduled for Monday evening, July 3, were canceled Monday morning. A Vermont…