A tuition-free college course for the classes of 2020 and 2021 To the high school classes of 2020 and 2021: Vermont has a graduation gift for you! The state of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges System and Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC) are teaming up to provide one tuition-free college class to the graduates of…

By Rep. Jim Harrison In a note to House members early last week, Speaker Krowinski referred to the week ahead as the “Hurry up and wait” period of the session. As the Legislature strives to meet its self-imposed adjournment deadline, the full House recesses with the fall of the gavel periodically throughout each day, waiting…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson The Vermont Legislature adjourned Friday afternoon May 21. We all agree, it was an historic session. It was the first legislative session to be conducted completely remotely during an international pandemic. And, we also agree that, despite our productivity, we all long to be back in the State House doing the…

RUTLAND—The U.S. Forest Service is urging the public to be extremely careful with all types of outdoor fires as temperatures rise and we continue to see drying trends throughout New England. The agency is hoping to educate local and visiting campers about fire safety as the Memorial Day holiday approaches. Increased visitation, lack of precipitation…

Tuesday, May 25 at 4 p.m.—VIRTUAL—Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) Secretary Julie Moore invites the public to join her on May 25 from 4-5 p.m. for a virtual conversation about climate change in Vermont. Secretary Moore will talk about the work of the Vermont Climate Council and provide an update on the upcoming Climate Action…

Bears are exiting their winter dens, so it’s the perfect time for Protect Our Wildlife to share their new bear report, “Vermont Black Bears and How to Effectively Manage Conflict.” The report is the product of a five-month-long project launched by an Environmental Sciences student at the University of Vermont and was overseen by Protect…

May 26-27 — VIRTUAL — The Summit on the Future of Vermont on May 26-27 will bring Vermonters together virtually to consider The Vermont Proposition – a set of bold and transformational ideas for the state’s economy, environment and people by mid-century. The summit is produced by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). For 30 years…

VIRTUAL — The Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites people to take part in a new statewide community mapping project to improve state maps of where wetlands occur. People can submit observations of the wetland species they find by using the free iNaturalist website or phone app and upload these observations to the iNaturalist…

Thursday, May 27 at 7 p.m.— VIRTUAL — Susanne Schmidt, comedic storyteller and producer of “The Moth StorySlam” in Burlington, is hosting a live evening of virtual stories from an outstanding line-up of Vermonters on Thursday, May 27, from 7-8 p.m. These deeply personal stories will share the common theme of “Connection and Community -…

The Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) is now accepting applications for their Summer Readers Grant for Summer 2021. The grant includes a virtual storytelling presentation and brand new, high quality books for children to choose and take home at the event. An organization, program, or facility must meet these requirements to apply for CLiF’s Summer Readers program: Based…

Vermont now allows the fully vaccinated to go maskless indoors and outdoors, state expects full reopening before July 4 target By Polly Mikula Vermont continues to lead the nation in vaccinations, state officials reiterated at the press conferences, Friday, May 14 and Tuesday, May 18.  “We continue to have the highest rates in the country…

Amtrak and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced Tuesday, May 18, that tickets are now available for purchase on their state-supported train services for travel beginning on Monday, July 19. This includes the Vermonter, which provides daily service between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. and the Ethan Allen Express, which offers daily service between Rutland and…

With a bit of luck and some pragmatic approaches to unsettled proposals, the Vermont Legislature should adjourn for the 2021 session this coming Friday or Saturday, May 21-22. Differences between the House and Senate, and at times, with the governor, will need to be remedied on key bills, like the state budget. Other bills may…

Panelists framed paid family and medical leave as an essential infrastructure  On Monday, May 17, Lt. Governor Gray hosted her seventh and final “Seat at the Table” of this legislative session on “Caregiving During Covid-19 & Paid Family and Medical Leave.”  Over the last four months, Lt. Governor Gray has welcomed more than 500 Vermonters…

Donation to aid increased need for mental health resources, associates wear green shirts and ribbons to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month Hannaford and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation jointly announced May 12 a $50,000 donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Vermont to help build a strong network of resources for…