By Fred Thys/VTDigger More than 22,000 Vermonters who filed for unemployment last year could get a tax refund, according to the Dept. of Taxes. The state announced on Sept. 14 that it has begun sending checks to people who collected unemployment in 2020 and filed their taxes electronically before April 1 of this year. The…

By Ethan Weinstein Despite a call from Lt. Gov. Molly Gray to issue stricter pandemic measures, Gov. Scott remained firm during his press conference Tuesday, Sept. 21, that he would not provide pandemic measures such as an indoor mask mandate without a state of emergency. “I know there are some who would like to see…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger Amid a rise in cases, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray on Sept. 16 called on the Scott administration to take “greater measures” to dampen the spread of Covid-19. The Vermont Dept. of Health reported a record-setting 314 cases Thursday but said an IT problem might be partly to blame for the day’s spike…

When viewing civics through a geographic lens, it becomes clear that those who have the power to draw district boundaries have the power to determine political representation. In most states, state legislators redraw congressional, state house and state senate districts every 10 years to ensure district boundaries reflect population shifts over time. National news commonly…

When Mattel was looking to make over its iconic Barbie doll it decided to shine a light on empowering role models past and present in an effort to inspire young girls. As a key part of the toy company’s Dream Gap Project it is introducing girls to women’s stories from all walks of life to…

Staff report Hospitalizations continue to reach recent highs, according to data from the Vermont Dept. of Health. As of Tuesday, Sept. 14, 43 people were hospitalized for Covid, with nine in intensive care. That’s the highest daily count of hospitalizations during the current surge for the second day in a row, according to the state.…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger Three Vermont State Police troopers out of the Shaftsbury barracks have resigned and a criminal probe is underway to determine whether they may have violated federal law by making fake Covid-19 vaccination cards. The matter has been referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, as well as…

Area ski resorts among them By Fred Thys/VTDigger Some large Vermont employers say they’re waiting to learn more about President Joe Biden’s order that all employers with more than 100 workers be vaccinated against Covid-19 or be tested weekly, while others says they already require employees to be vaccinated. Biden’s order will affect about 100…

Successful hunters are required to submit bear teeth The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. is reminding successful bear hunters that a regulation requires them to submit a bear tooth so wildlife managers can collect important information on Vermont’s bear population. The hunter must field dress the bear before taking it to a reporting station. It…

The Vermont court system is not ready to return to business as usual. On Friday, the Vermont Supreme Court extended its order declaring a judicial emergency until Nov. 1, 2021. That means the state’s courts can continue to hold many proceedings remotely, and to limit how many people can be in a courthouse. The order…

Governor Phil Scott joined town officials from across the state on Sept. 2 to announce $13,258,021 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awards that have been made to 25 communities throughout Vermont. The funding, through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP), supports a broad range of projects that will accelerate pandemic recovery, build more affordable…

USDA Covid-19 study findings show government programs were crucial The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Sept. 8 report indicated that food insecurity in the United States for the year 2020 remained level, as compared to pre-pandemic 2019 numbers. This result proves that with adequate federal and state government support it’s possible to solve hunger in Vermont…

Staff report The Vermont Dept. of Health (DOH) reported 14 new Covid cases in Rutland County and 11 new cases in Windsor County, on Tuesday, Sept. 7 — in the past 14 days there have been 190 and 170 respectively. These numbers underscore an ongoing surge in virus activity since the Delta variant surfaced early…

By Kevin O'Connor/VTDigger His sound bites for the common good and against corporate greed haven’t changed. But facing the biggest test of his political career, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the stakes had never been higher. The Vermont Independent toured his home state this Labor Day weekend in support of a $3.5 trillion budget…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger It’s time for Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation to organize against climate change, according to veteran environmental activist and writer Bill McKibben. The Ripton resident is known for founding the grassroots environmental organization 350.org with a group of Middlebury College students in 2008 and writing one of the first…