By Lola Duffort/VTDigger As soon as Gov. Scott told top lawmakers in a letter Monday afternoon, Nov. 15, that he would call them back into session and allow them to pass a measure clearing the way for time-limited municipal mask mandates, reactions started flooding in. According to Senate Pro Tem Becca Balint, D-Windham, legislative leaders…

By Angelo Lynn BRANDON — To say schools across the state are stressed is an understatement. That they are in crisis is a more accurate description, and one that school officials don’t shy away from. But in doing so, it’s not to say that academic progress is not being made for a vast majority of…

The Vermont Dept. of Labor has announced an increase to the state’s minimum wage. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, the state’s minimum wage will become $12.55 per hour. This is an increase of $0.80 from the current minimum wage of $11.75. This annual adjustment also impacts the minimum wage for tipped employees. The basic tipped wage…

By Katy Savage After much anticipation, the state rolled out Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 on Monday, Nov. 8. More than 200 students traveled from around the state to attend one of the first clinics at Riverside Middle School in Springfield that Monday. Most of the children and parents who attended said…

One of our native wildlife species historically played an important role on Thanksgiving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanksgiving turkey on our dinner table. Originally found only in the wild, turkeys now exist as meat-producing domesticated derivatives — the broad breasted white, broad breasted bronze, white Holland, bourbon red,…

By Lola Duffort and Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger After eight terms and nearly five decades in office, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is retiring. He announced his decision during a press conference at the Statehouse Monday morning that was attended by members of the media and his supporters, including his wife, Marcelle. “While I will continue to serve…

By Ethan Weinstein Following a week of record cases, Gov. Phil Scott will call the Legislature back for a special session, allowing them to pass a law granting municipalities to install local mask mandates — but only on his terms. Scott called his decision an “olive branch” and a “compromise.” Vermont currently has the fifth…

The Dept. for Children and Families announced Nov. 12 that, to enhance predictability and stability for program participants, the adverse weather conditions policy for the General Assistance Emergency Housing Program will be applied for a 100-day period from Nov. 22, 2021, through March 1, 2022. The adverse weather conditions policy has historically been applied on…

With Vermont’s 16-day rifle deer season beginning Saturday, Nov. 13, officials at the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) are encouraging the public to use caution and to be visible and mindful of their surroundings in the coming weeks. Saturday marks the opening day of the white-tailed deer rifle hunt in Vermont, a lifelong tradition for…

By Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger With Congress’s long-awaited passage of a $1 trillion nationwide infrastructure package, Vermont is set to receive about $2.2 billion to invest in roads, bridges, broadband, sewer systems and more. After months of negotiations, the U.S. House late Friday, Nov. 5, voted 228-206 to give final approval to the package meant to revitalize…

By Shane Spence Editor's note: Shayne Spence was a candidate for the Vermont House in 2020, and is a justice of the peace in Johnson. The tripartisan legislative apportionment board voted this month to recommend a new map for legislative seats, which is required every 10 years following the census. Its new map would eliminate…

By Ethan Weinstein As the state sets new records in both its seven day average case count and its single day case count, Governor Phil Scott and his administration addressed Vermonters while wearing masks for the first time in months but did not issue any substantive changes to Covid policy. Scott touted the over 14,000…

By Ethan Weinstein If, as experts expect, the CDC endorses Pfizer’s vaccine for children 5-11 on Nov. 2 or 3, Vermonters in that age group will be able to receive their first shot this week, Gov. Phil Scott said at the press conference Tuesday, Nov. 2. “We want you to know: Vermont is ready,” Scott…

In mid-October, Ethan Allen Extension Amtrak qualification trips began to operate between Rutland and Burlington in advance of the start of regular passenger service. Qualification runs are used to familiarize railroaders with how to run over a new or unfamiliar route, according to a Vermont Rail Systems (VRS) Facebook post, Oct. 18. These trips included…

By Tiffany Tan and Alan J. Keays/VTDigger State health officials learned something in October: An animal sedative is increasingly contributing to opioid overdose deaths among Vermonters. The drug, xylazine, is used as a sedative, muscle relaxant and pain reliever in animals such as horses and cattle. It is not approved for human use. In people,…