With the current infant formula shortages, more parents are exclusively breastfeeding their babies longer. For many new families, breastfeeding and returning to work can be hard. Fortunately, the Vermont Department of Health is letting families know that its breastfeeding programs offer support for workers and their employers to help make breastfeeding the easy choice. For…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger More than 4,800 people moved to Vermont between 2020 and 2021, the highest net migration total the state has reported in at least a decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. The trend represents a complete reversal of the previous decade, when domestic migration meant people left Vermont to move to…

Staff report New state guidance released last Wednesday, Aug. 10, leaves Covid mitigation up to school nurses this school year. The Vermont Agency of Education and Department of Health release was three-pages of loose guidance, signed by Vermont Secretary of Education Dan French and Health Commissioner Mark Levine. The state said it is aimed at establishing…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger Across the country, private equity firms and real-estate investment trusts are buying up manufactured home communities from local owners and charging residents more to remain there. But in Vermont, with major help from the state — through education about their rights and millions in funding from two state agencies — residents are…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger Housing is so tight in Vermont that some job applicants are turning down employment offers because they cannot find a place to live. Hearing hirees say “no” to job offers because they are giving up on their house search is a problem recruiters are facing in state and municipal government, nonprofit organizations…

By Liora Engel-Smith/ VTDigger Vermonters buying health insurance through the state’s Obamacare portal, Vermont Health Connect, will likely see a steep increase in their premiums next year, after state regulators voted this week to allow double-digit increases. The increases could coincide with the end of federal marketplace subsidies under the American Rescue Plan next year.…

If you or someone you know would like to go hunting this fall but have never taken a hunter education course, this is the time to act. Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are now holding a limited number of courses throughout the state. A person must pass the basic hunter education course before they can…

The Vermont Lakes and Ponds Program is seeking volunteers to help monitor and collect information about lakes and ponds in the state. With over 800 lakes and ponds, volunteers are key to the success of the program’s lake monitoring efforts. Volunteers can be found statewide greeting lake visitors, inspecting boats, collecting water samples, tracking algal…

By Curt Peterson Scams targeting seniors is big business, according to AARP Fraud Watch Network volunteer Bill April. “An identity is stolen every two seconds,” April told an audience at the Thompson Senior Center last Thursday July 21. “Each year 21 million people lose $19 billion through scams or fraud.” Several in the audience reported…

Cliffs clear to hike and climb again Aug. 1 Hikers and rock climbers can return to Vermont cliffs starting August 1, now that peregrine falcon nesting season has ended. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has confirmed that all the young falcons have learned to fly and should not be disturbed by human presence on…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger It’s been roughly a year since the Delta variant arrived in Vermont, reversing what had been a nearly Covid-free summer. Delta caused a surge in cases and hospitalizations, propelling what Health Commissioner Mark Levine deemed a new phase in the pandemic — only for Omicron to arrive in December, leading cases to…

Fred Thys/VTDigger CNBC has ranked Vermont as the top state to live in, same as last year. The cable business news channel cited how easy it is to vote in Vermont as one reason, mentioning that residents can opt to vote by mail or in person, and can start voting 45 days before election day.…

By Emma Cotton/ VTDigger When Julia Pupko pulled a little red bug out of her sweep net in late June, she doubted it was the two-spotted lady beetle. No one had seen the species in Vermont since 1996, and biologists feared it was extinct in the state. Upon closer inspection, she saw that she had,…

Vermont launched the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline on July 16. Callers will be immediately connected to compassionate, caring counselors who are trained to provide support for individuals experiencing everything from emotional distress to a mental health crisis. While they are trained to treat and address suicidality, it is not only for those individuals in…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Although the Vermont legislative session concluded on May 12, just like with a book or movie, I find it interesting to learn what happened afterwards. And because the legislative leaders decided to adjourn sine die, the outcome of various bills sent to the governor during the month after the session concluded…