University of Vermont (UVM) Extension recently received a $68,438 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service to work with farmers interested in trying "solar corridors" in their corn silage fields. The project will be led by Dr. Heather Darby, a UVM Extension agronomist based in St. Albans and head of the…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson Town Meeting week certainly was different this year. While I missed the in-person visits, delicious food and touring around Windsor District, our virtual Zoom town informational meetings enabled me to participate in 10 gatherings. Without having to drive half an hour or 45 minutes between meetings, I was afforded the rare…

Is your home or business ready for a heating update in 2021? Ready to opt out of oil and do your part to help the state meet its goal of 90 percent renewable energy by 2050? Many rebates and incentives are available to Vermonters interested in switching to wood heat this year. Heating homes or…

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is pleased to announce the 2021 State Economic & Infrastructure Development grant application opportunity. Eligible organizations, which include nonprofit and governmental entities (state, local & Indian tribes), will be able to access grant application details (available via NBRC’s website, nbrc.gov) beginning today, March 8. Potential applicants are able to…

The Vermont Agricultural Water Quality Partnership (VAWQP) released its 2020 annual report highlighting the impacts of state and federal investments toward protecting and improving water quality on March 5. The VAWQP report shares conservation practice implementation data which indicates a high level of commitment from Vermont farmers in land stewardship. For example, in 2020, conservation…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger Voters in Burlington, Brattleboro, Montpelier, Winooski and at least 15 other Vermont municipalities voted Tuesday to approve retail marijuana sales on Town Meeting Day. Bennington, Middlebury, Vergennes, Randolph, Waterbury, Berlin, Danby, Danville, Salisbury, Brownington, Waitsfield, Brandon, Pawlet, Barton, Sutton, Burke Duxbury, Strafford and Windsor also voted to allow local cannabis businesses, clearing the way…

By Amanda Gokee/VTDigger A eugenics survey in Vermont sought to “breed a better Vermonter” by sterilizing and institutionalizing Indigenous people, French-Canadians, and people who were mixed-race, poor or disabled. Ninety years after the 1931 survey got underway, lawmakers are proposing an official apology for the state-supported program that tore families apart. Abenaki people in Vermont say…

This year, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can help working families in Vermont make ends meet with a credit of up to $6,660. Additionally, any family with dependent children who receives the Vermont EITC is automatically income eligible for food benefits through 3SquaresVT – meaning it may be easier to enroll in the program…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger The Vermont Senate voted unanimously Friday, Feb. 26 to exempt menstrual products from the state sales tax. The bill, S.53, would remove the tax on products including tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, which are currently subject to Vermont’s 6% sales tax, and an additional 1% local option tax in some communities. The…

Rep. Peter Welch on Thursday, Feb. 25 reintroduced legislation that would provide federal funding to revitalize forests being destroyed by invasive species and help stem the future infestations of invasive pests. “Invasive species are devastating to forests which are a central part of Vermont’s economy and our way of life,” said Welch. “This bill will fund efforts…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Let’s face it, we all live by deadlines. It might be April 15 for tax filing or cramming the night before an exam. They cause us to change our priorities when a deadline is approaching. The Vermont Legislature also has deadlines, however self-imposed. In a normal year, the General Assembly meets…

Governor Phil Scott announced Feb. 22 that 11 new plug-in electric vehicle (EV) fast-charge stations are scheduled to be installed across Vermont over the next two years. The charge stations will be located in Newport, Enosburgh, St. Johnsbury, Johnson, South Hero, Springfield, Fair Haven, Wilmington, Ludlow, Randolph and Rutland. The chargers will be a part of the…

Absent a predictable forecast, events begin to cancel By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Wedding planner Jaclyn Watson has 15 weddings booked this summer in Vermont, three of them expected to cost more than half a million dollars. Two are planned in Stowe, one in Burke, and one in the Manchester area in July,…

Vermonters filed 5,021 scam reports with the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2020. The Social Security number phishing scam, which typically involves calls claiming that your Social Security number has been compromised, suspended, or linked to criminal activity, remained the most commonly reported scam for the second year in a row with 1,160…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson Our Town Meetings will be unusual this year. Yet another example of Vermont’s ability to respond flexibly to the continuing challenges the Covid-19 pandemic presents. Some towns are holding Informational Meetings in advance of the vote by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 2. Some are holding off until May in hopes…