The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is reminding the public to take precautions around wild birds, as virulent avian influenza (HPAI) continues to circulate in the state. Backyard flocks of domestic birds in Caledonia and Lamoille Counties have had to be destroyed after exposure to the virus, commonly known as avian flu. “Highly pathogenic avian…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Vermonters pocketed a median annual household income of $72,431 from 2017 to 2021 and are less likely to live in poverty than they were a decade ago, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. At first glance, the data — collected via surveys of thousands of people — shows…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger Vermont’s affordable housing advocates kicked off an expected legislative debate over the state’s housing crisis earlier this month by putting a $175 million price tag on what they say it will take next year for Vermont to build the homes needed to keep and retain workers. “We’re seeing employers really struggling to…

By Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger Three years after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the doors for states to legalize sports betting, Vermonters may soon be able to join their New Hampshire and New York neighbors in their gambling endeavors. That is, as long as a new proposal makes it through the Legislature. In a newly…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Joe Wiah grew up in the African republic of Liberia, fled its civil war at age 21 and has gone on to help the Ethiopian Community Development Council resettle refugees from Afghanistan. That’s why Wiah is now an award-winning Vermonter. The 49-year-old director of the ECDC’s branch office in Brattleboro — the…

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) will forgo a contract with OneCare Vermont (OCV) for the 2023 plan year. Despite having collaborated with OCV every year since its inception, Blue Cross is unable to reach an agreement this year due to the lack of tangible quality outcomes, inability to bend the cost…

By Rep. Jim Harrison The popular holiday poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Moore, was first published nearby in a Troy, New York newspaper on Dec. 23, 1823. With this past weekend’s fresh snow cover, the visions of St. Nick depicted in the poem should be alive and well this week. My best…

Now that winter has finally arrived with lots of snow for snowmobiling fun, the U.S. Forest Service reminds snowmobile enthusiasts to put safety first out on the trails, not only in the national forest but on all lands. Carelessness and hazards beneath the snow can ruin your whole day. For this and other reasons, snowmobilers…

Gov. Phil Scott and Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts visited White’s Tree Farm in Essex Dec. 9. to celebrate the arrival of the 2022 Christmas season with the help of Vermont’s farmers. The trees cut during this visit will decorate the Pavilion Building in Montpelier, which houses the Governor’s Office. “As we enter the holiday season,…

The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is calling on all Vermonters to check their addresses on the FCC National Broadband Map and file a challenge if the information is incorrect. Correcting addresses that are incorrectly listed as served at speeds of 25/3 Mbps or greater by a wired or licensed wireless provider could mean millions…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent Add childcare centers to the list of industries struggling to find and retain employees amid what has become a shallow pool of workers since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Childcare facilities statewide, many of which operate on a thin margin, simply don’t have the resources to…

Students pursuing a certificate or degree in early childhood education can get paid to increase the number of college courses they take and graduate sooner. A partnership between the Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is leveraging funds secured by Vermont’s federal congressional delegation to pay students while they take…

Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income…

California ranks No. 1; Maine is most improved; Northeast leads nation As Americans struggle to pay rising energy bills, leading states have instituted energy efficiency policies that cut utility bills—especially for those who need it most—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2022 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. These policies can serve as models for…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent You won’t find a lot of framed press clippings in the office of Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate. But there are two that stand out. One features a Vermont newspaper report that came out five days before the Nov. 5, 1974, General Election. The banner headline…