By Emma Cotton/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Around the state, slots for vaccines have filled up quickly at several clinics organized specifically for Vermonters who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and those in their households. Megan Herrington, public health services director for the Bennington district, said around 3,000 Vermonters who qualified registered for the…

National Healthcare Decisions Day, a day devoted to educating the public about the importance of advance care planning, is Friday, April 16. Though we at the Vermont Ethics Network spend all year stressing the importance of planning ahead for future health care decisions, we take this annual opportunity to make a public statement encouraging Vermonters…

Governor Phil Scott, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Vermont Afterschool and the Agency of Education outlined a plan to enhance and expand summertime enrichment opportunities for Vermont students grades K-12, April 9. In response to the impact of the pandemic on children, youth and families, Governor Scott, Senator Sanders and other partners worked to ensure that…

It’s a question of social fairness that has grown increasingly pertinent for public health officials as more and more Americans receive their initial dose of the Covid-19 vaccine: Should vaccinated people, or those with antibodies, have more freedom than those without or who have not been vaccinated? As some public spaces begin to open up,…

  By Polly Mikula Governor Phil Scott issued the “Vermont Forward, Roadmap to Reopening” on April 6, which outlined a three step approach to reopening the Vermont economy based on projected vaccination milestones reached. “We now have three safe and effective vaccines in our toolbox, which gives us a level of predictability we didn’t have…

[dflip id="199174" ][/dflip] To download as PDF, click on the three dots on the right.

https://youtu.be/gqjvIs7gmA8 The Vermont State Highway Safety Office has put together a presentation about the dangers of distracted driving and to promote the upcoming Distracted Driving Enforcement campaign that is called Connect To Disconnect (C2D).

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced on April 8 that Amtrak passenger rail service and inter-city bus service in Vermont will resume effective July 19, 2021. “We are very pleased to announce the restart of these vital transportation services for Vermonters and those who wish to travel to and from Vermont by train or…

Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement Monday, April 5, regarding the importance of the state’s prioritization strategy, and specifically as it regards Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) populations in the state. “There is no better, safer, or faster way to defeat this virus and revitalize our economy than to make vaccinations available…

Staff report On Monday, April 5, the Board of Aldermen learned that Rutland’s portion of the federal $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” is $4.4 million. Congressman Peter Welch told the aldermen that Rutland Town would get about $1.2 million and the school district another $11.7 million, according to a report by the Rutland Herald. “The…

Governor Phil Scott and his administration presented a plan, Tuesday, April 6, to strategically invest $1 billion in one-time federal money provided to states to jumpstart recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic and support long-term economic growth. Adhering to the principles set in his Fiscal Year 2022 budget, presented in January, the package makes historic investments in projects and…

By Rep. Jim Harrison In my column last week, I gave House Speaker Krowinski kudos for taking on the very difficult issue of pension reform this year. In the ensuing week of pushback from the state employees’ and teachers’ unions, the speaker announced last Friday, April 2, that doing pension reform was no longer a…

'Good Sam Law' protects from criminal prosecution Vermont law enforcement and public health leaders joined together March 31 to urge Vermonters to call 9-1-1 if an overdose occurs, to save people’s lives. Vermont’s "Good Samaritan Law" provides protections from criminal liability for those who call for help from the scene of an overdose. A recent report from…

State leaders hype free app during financial literary month This past year dealing with Covid has emphasized the importance of financial wellbeing. April’s Financial Literacy Month highlights that everyone benefits from financial education, as research demonstrates: Two in three families lack an emergency fund. Three in five families don’t keep a budget. Fewer than one…

Vermont nets second most in nation Staff report From the beginning of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, to civil unrest and catastrophic wildfires in the summer, to election drama in the fall, 2020 was historically difficult… and yet, statistically fascinating. Data shows that by several accounts, 2020 has somehow been a year of…