By Emma Cotton/VTDigger New England Newspapers Inc. is selling three newspapers in southern Vermont to Guilford resident Paul Belogour.  Company president Fredric Rutberg announced Tuesday, May 4, that the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal, Brattleboro Reformer and UpCountry Magazine will split off from the Berkshire Eagle, which is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where Rutberg is based. The…

By Rep. Jim Harrison A clear sign we are entering the final days of the 2021 session was the initial meeting on Friday, May 7, of the House-Senate budget conference committee. When the budget is done, the Legislature is done.  A conference committee is made up of three House and three Senate members, whose job…

At a Vermont State House press conference Thursday, May 6, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that Vermont will receive $12 million in Covid relief funds that will help communities strengthen their responses to substance use disorders and address new challenges brought on by the pandemic. Leahy was joined…

Gov.  Phil Scott proclaimed May 9-15, 2021 Inclusion Week in Vermont and reiterated Vermont’s commitment to welcoming all people. The governor also established a proclamation of inclusion, which makes clear the state of Vermont condemns discrimination in all forms, and welcomes all people who want to live, work and visit Vermont. Both proclamations acknowledge the work…

For more information visit: vermontfarmersfoodcenter.org/everyone_eats Rutland County Vermont Farmers Food Center 251 West Street, Rutland Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 4 p.m.-6 p.m. (Drive-thru; first-come, first-served)   Rutland Veggie Van Go Diamond Run Mall Thu 4/22, 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/vdhrutland   Barstow Memorial School 223 Chittenden Rd, Chittenden Wednesday 5  p.m. -…

Keeping a small flock of chickens at home to provide eggs and meat has become increasingly popular, but many first-time small-scale poultry farmers are discovering that several species of wildlife like the taste of chicken as much as we do. Therefore, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.  is urging poultry owners to use electric fencing and follow other precautions…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger At the turn of the 21st Century, no bald eagles nested in Vermont. In 2020, the state recorded 41 pairs.  Biologists have been working to reintroduce the iconic birds in the state for around a decade — and have succeeded. The result: Bald eagles are likely to be removed from Vermont’s endangered species…

A massive surge of fraudulent activity has struck the Vermont Department of Labor. The department announced Friday, April 30, that it had shut down its online portal for filing unemployment claims last Wednesday after finding that up to 90% of entries coming through that system were fraudulent. Fraud has been a persistent problem during the pandemic. Labor Commissioner…

By James Finn/VTDigger A requirement that laid-off workers must actively seek work if they want to qualify for unemployment benefits is being reinstated, Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington announced at Gov. Phil Scott’s press conference Tuesday, April 27. The work-search requirement was suspended after Covid-19 entered Vermont last March, battering the state’s economy. But now, with a…

In recognition of Earth Day, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), Thursday, April 22, announced that it has joined the effort to protect the monarch butterfly by enrolling highway right-of-way lands throughout the state in a voluntary nationwide conservation program. The eastern monarch population has declined by approximately 77% since 1995. “AOT’s participation in this…

West Rutland and Proctor are two of the Vermont parishes affected by delay in green card processing Significant clergy and parish realignments within Vermont Roman Catholic Diocese were announced May 3 as a result of changes to U.S. immigration policies and processes. Four international priests — three from the Philippines and one from Nigeria who…

The state Natural Resources Conservation Council (NRCC) has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to support its Vermont stream restoration and protection program. Vermont’s NRCC Districts will deliver environmental and habitat benefits including improved aquatic organism passage and…

Vt on track to be the first state to offer breakfast to all On Friday, April 30, the Vermont Senate approved a bill that would bring universal school breakfast to all Vermont schools by 2022. The bill (S.100) would make Vermont the first state in the nation to provide breakfast free of charge to all public school students every school day.…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Last Thursday, April 29, the House approved changes to the Brattleboro charter that will allow 16-year-olds to vote in municipal elections and serve on town boards such as select boards. Additionally, 15-year-olds can vote early or absentee if they will be 16 on election day. The proponents of the measure believe…

By Seamus McAvoy/VTDigger Vermonters can expect a return to amusement rides, fried food and demolition derbies this summer, as most fairs plan a revival after a year off due to Covid-19, including the Vermont State Fair at the Rutland fairgrounds, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary Aug. 17-21 with two demolition derbies and a rodeo, among…