After a tumultuous start to Killington’s first hybrid volunteer fire department, the town’s first paid fire chief and assistant chief have departed.  Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth announced June 20 that he accepted Fire Chief Chris LaHart’s verbal resignation on June 14 effective immediately, while Assistant Chief Glenn Burres was fired on June 19.  Paul Ginther…

Celebrating a successful winter season, supporters and friends of Vermont’s ski industry joined the state’s Alpine and crosscountry ski areas at Killington Resort on June 7-8 for the Vermont Ski Areas Association’s 54th Annual Meeting. Despite initial weather challenges in the first half of the season, Vermont’s alpine ski areas reported 4.1 million skier visits—a 10% increase over the 2021-22…

  Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and the Vermont Department of Public Service announced June 9 that $1 million in federal funding will soon come to Vermont to establish sustainable energy projects at elementary, middle, and high schools across the state — as well as municipal buildings such as public libraries and town halls.  The funds…

The Rutland Area Robotics’ FRC Team 2370- IBOTS, based at the Stafford Technical Center, traveled to a prestigious offseason event at Worcester Polytechnic Institute June 3-4,called BattleCry @ WPI ‘23. The event was attended by 64 teams from all over the Northeast, including some from as far away as Pennsylvania and Ohio. The competition was…

  Dear Editor,  The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently proposed new trapping regulations they call “Best Management Practices (BMPs)” in response to Act 159, which was passed last year by the Vermont Legislature. The purpose of Act 159 was to improve trapping safety and the welfare and humane treatment of trapped animals.…

  Bobolinks, Savannah sparrows and eastern meadowlarks enrich our summers with their songs, but their populations have suffered dramatic, long-term declines due to the loss of their grassland habitat. “These species have experienced declines across the continent, but on Vermont’s grasslands, especially in larger fields and more open landscapes, there are ways we can help,”…

  On May 30 the Vermont Department of Mental Health announced that the state had received a new federal grant to help provide mental health and substance use services to more people throughout the state.    The $1 million, one-year planning grant aimed at developing a network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs).   “We’re excited…

Gov. Phil Scott today announced continued progress towards the implementation of the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan (VT-FMLI). The Department of Financial Regulation approved the VT-FMLI insurance coverages and rates filed by The Hartford, a private insurance carrier who was selected to deliver and administer the program benefits.  Phase 1 of the three-phased…

  Gov. Phil Scott signed S.100 – known as the Housing Opportunities Made for Everyone or HOME Act – on June 5, which will enable more significant progress addressing Vermont’s housing shortage.  “This bill represents what we can get done when we all come to the table, work through our differences, and reach compromise to…

Earlier in the session, one of our colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Woodman Page of Newport, referred to one of the changes in the Medicaid program as a big deal when explaining his sections of the budget on the House floor. The change he was referring to may or may not have been…

  By Lola Duffort/VTDIgger Gov. Phil Scott on Saturday vetoed the $8.5 billion state budget sent his way by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. The governor’s action was widely anticipated, but in a more unexpected turn of events, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, followed the governor’s announcement by calling on Scott to declare a state of emergency…

  By Matthew Durkee Editor’s note: Durkee is the New England Regional president and leads Community Bank’s team. He’s a native Vermonter and has been active in the local banking community for his entire 30+ year career. Like many other states in the U.S., Vermont is facing a severe affordable housing crisis. Affordable Housing Month…

  Challenges in mental health and substance use stand out during a period of social and educational disruption New data from the Vermont Dept. of Health that measures students’ health risks and behaviors provides a unique snapshot of Vermont youth’s health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS),…

  Vermont-NEA says move points to urgent need for Legislature to stop taxpayer funds flowing to private schools RUTLAND—On May 17, the State Board of Education voted to exempt private schools that receive public vouchers from the latest education quality standards.  The Vermont-NEA immediately responded saying that the State Board of Education provided yet another…

The Vermont Habitat Stamp raised $221,337 in 2022 and leveraged a $228,567 federal match, totaling just under $450,000 for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s land conservation and habitat improvement efforts, according to a news release from the Agency of Natural Resources May 2. “This is our second strongest year for the Habitat Stamp since the program…