Senate overrides governor’s veto of affordable heat bill The Senate adjourned our 2023 Legislative session at 8:23 p.m. Friday evening May 12, three hours earlier than the House, which needed to act on the last bills the Senate had messaged. With an impressive number of new legislators re-energizing the Legislature, we accomplished a great deal…

Vermont is currently experiencing high and very high fire danger due to drier than normal weather conditions. The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) is reminding the public to exercise caution and follow all state laws and local ordinances regarding open burning. The National Weather Service has issued Special Weather Statements for elevated fire weather…

  Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced May 3 that $5.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding helped 193 low- to moderate-income Vermont households repair or replace failed or inadequate on-site water or wastewater systems like wells, springs, septic systems, and leach fields in 2022. “These investments demonstrate…

If you enjoy theater, you would like the final days of the legislative session. Late last week the House Speaker held a press conference announcing the House would initiate an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of the Franklin County States Attorney and the Franklin County Sheriff. The last time an elected official was impeached by…

By Kristen Fountain/VTDigger Some House legislators took a pause from amending amendments Thursday afternoon, May 4, to hear from several Vermonters about their personal experience of the healing power of magic mushrooms. For Rory VanTuinen of Waterbury, it only took one experience with psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in around 200 species of fungi, to start…

As a critical care specialist at Rutland Regional Medical Center, Dr. Marie Pavini always felt that her her work had tremendous positive impact. She was also gratified to be surrounded by colleagues who shared her dedication. “Intensive care is like a war zone,” said Dr. Pavini in a recent interview. “You get very close to…

  Halley Riley-Elliott has been promoted to manager of the vehicle maintenance department at Killington Resort, continuing its tradition of promoting from within and advancing women to leadership positions.  “Halley has an attention to detail and an ability to identify mechanical issues that has earned her the nickname ‘Eagle Eyes’ in the maintenance shop,” said …

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger Desperate to lure young people into an aging state, the Vermont Senate in 2018 put forward a plan to pay relocation expenses for remote workers willing to move to the Green Mountain State. Gov. Phil Scott eagerly hopped on board, and in 2018, a $500,000 pilot program was signed into law. The Legislature…

  Xylazine and gabapentin join fentanyl as drugs of serious concern A newly-released report from the Vermont Department of Health shows that the number of opioid-related accidental overdose deaths increased for the third year in a row. According to the 2022 data report, accidental opioid deaths increased by 10% in 2022 (239) over 2021 (217).…

By Kristen Fountain/VTDigger Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is seeking to become part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan “family of companies.”  The Vermont organization’s decision to affiliate with its Detroit-based counterpart, announced Monday, May 1, would give the state’s largest provider of health insurance access to a more sophisticated array of…

On Friday, April 28 the Vermont Senate passed a bill, H.230, “an act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide and community violence” on a vote of 21 to 9.  The objective of the bill is to save lives by reducing gun violence by passing a safe storage provision, reducing the number of suicides by…

With potentially just three weeks left in the legislative session, one of this year’s most controversial bills, the Affordable or Unaffordable Clean Heat bill (depending on your perspective), S.5, cleared the House on Friday after two days of contentious debate. The approval in the House was 98-46, with several members absent, signaling an ominous override…

With the growing number of electric vehicles on the road, the state of Vermont is working proactively to find more locations for charging stations. In partnership with Drive Electric Vermont, the state is seeking to identify property and business owners interested in supporting plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging or providing services associated with the installation…

By Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger While federal litigation threatens access to a widely used abortion medication nationwide, Gov. Phil Scott is setting his sights north. Lawmakers and abortion access advocates are scurrying to craft backup plans as a lawsuit making its way through the federal appeals process could revoke or severely tighten the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone,…

BARNARD—When life hands you lemons … Hang on for the ride! Sara Widness, a Barnard resident, did just that! She played a pregnant game of ping pong in the psychiatric ward; dressed to the nines on the world’s most famous train; baked 18 loaves of bread a day at her East Poultney country store; entertained…