Project SELFIE offers tools to better navigate digital communications In response to a new emerging issue, Prevent Child Abuse Vermont has developed a new sexting prevention program for middle and high schoolers.  Vermont youth are sexting at a rate that may surprise many adults. According to the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey, in 2019, 27%…

By Rep. Jim Harrison This past week Governor Scott held a special press conference to talk about the need to maintain the $150 million his administration put in its budget proposal for purposes of the state share of federal infrastructure grants. Under the so-called bi-partisan infrastructure legislation approved by Congress last year, Vermont stands to…

The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced Feb. 9 a group of 16 new participants to the 2023 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program from a strong pool of applicants. The 16 participants come from across the state and will focus their time on implementing projects addressing topics such as developing town climate actions; expanding outreach…

By Marin Howell/Addison County Independent Before he was an economics major at Middlebury College, Ben Lash was getting hands-on instruction in the distribution of goods and services by running his own business.  Lash, now a senior at the college, founded American Student Helpers in 2016. The odd jobs company connects students looking for part-time work…

A registration requirement for residential contractors had been debated for many years before Act 182, a light-touch registration was passed by the Vermont Legislature and signed by Governor Scott in 2022. Act 182 requires that residential contractors register with the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR).  At its heart, the residential contractor registration is a consumer protection…

Newly released data from the Department of Health show that most Vermont adults report they are in good health, according to a news release Feb. 16. Over the last decade, adults have taken steps to reduce health risks and increase preventive behaviors. At the same time, disparities highlight the public health challenges Vermont continues to…

To be a volunteer at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is to embody tireless dedication, strong leadership and a big heart. To strive to empower athletes with disabilities is reflected through every highly-trained instructor. The most outstanding volunteers in 2022 were Alexander (Sandy) Kish, Dave Morse and Ellen Riley. Named 2022 Volunteers of the Year,…

By Alison Clarkson So much is happening at the Statehouse. Bills are beginning to be passed out of committees at a rapid pace, a new set of pages have arrived, the Budget Adjustment Act is poised for a final vote in the Senate and will probably got to a conference committee, and the building is…

By Jim Harrison Last Thursday, Feb. 16, we had a joint assembly of the House and Senate for purposes of re-electing the Sergeant at Arms and electing three trustees to the UVM Board. I had the honor of seconding the nomination for Rep. Tristan Toleno (D-Brattleboro) for one of the trustee positions. I began my…

Three fish caught in 2022 were certified as new state records. In February, Swanton angler Matt Gingras landed a new Vermont record burbot while fishing on northern Lake Champlain in the West Swanton area. The burbot, caught on a live golden shiner set under a tip-up, weighed 10.9 pounds and measured 32 ½ inches long…

By Jim Harrison At this stage of the session, new members and new committee chairs are settled in and committees are busy taking testimony and amending their priority bills for the session. With deadlines to get bills out of their initial committee soon after the Town Meeting recess, the next few weeks will determine the…

 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delaying the effective date of the final rule to reclassify the northern long-eared bat from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The agency is extending the effective date by 60 days, from Jan. 30, 2023, to March 31, 2023.  The extension will allow the Service to…

The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) is issuing a consumer protection warning for flower produced by Holland Cannabis, due to pesticide contamination.  The CCB received a report of an adverse health impact allegedly related to the smoking of an unregistered strain of Holland Cannabis flower. The CCB obtained a sample of this product from the complainant…

Vermonters who need to remove firearms from their homes now have access to a renewed program that provides safe storage at sites statewide, the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced Jan. 24. Two of the safe storage sites are in Addison County and one is in Brandon. Under the Firearms Storage…

By Fred Thys / VTDigger Vermont is still not meeting its goal of recycling and composting half its waste, according to a new report from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. “We need to do more with waste reduction,” said Josh Kelly, the department’s solid waste program manager and the author of the report.  Vermonters…