The Vermont State Police in 2015 initiated efforts to obtain body-worn cameras for all troopers and to replace two-decade-old in-cruiser dashboard camera systems. State police leaders have been working ever since with the Legislature to acquire not only body-worn cameras but also the necessary data storage systems to support them, according to a news release,…

By Rep. Jim Harrison This past Friday, the House gave final approval to S.348, which removes the governor from the decision on how the elections are run this fall and allows the secretary of state to establish any new rules. Secretary Condos has indicated he plans to mail out ballots to all registered voters for…

School immunization data recently released by the Vermont Department of Health shows that over 95% of Vermont students from kindergarten to 12th grade have all their required vaccines. “This high rate of children who are up-to-date with their vaccines reflects the ongoing work by Vermont health care providers, child cares, schools and parents,” said Christine…

Until the recent Covid-19 restrictions, the number of Vermont homes used as short-term rentals has ticked up each year, according to a recent analysis by Vermont Housing Finance Agency. In a typical month last year, about 8,000 homes were listed as short-term rentals across the state. Largely located in towns near Vermont ski areas, homes…

75% of home weatherization projects covered, boosting resilience during Covid-caused recession As Vermonters cope with an economic recession, Efficiency Vermont and partners announced a raft of higher-than-ever incentives to help Vermonters reduce their home energy costs, make their homes healthier and more resilient into the future, and encourage investments that support the local economy. Efficiency Vermont…

By Sawyer Loftus and Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger More than 200 community members gathered on Saturday, June 13, to help paint “Black Lives Matter” in massive yellow letters in front of the State House. The project had been in the works for just under a week and was a collaboration between Noel Riby-Williams, a Montpelier resident, and City Councilor Conor Casey. The week prior,…

Here is a list of road construction projects happening throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. Interstates: I-189 Burlington – South Burlington - Nightwork for a resurfacing project between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Motorists can expect lane closures. I-89 Berlin – A bridge project is underway. Northbound and Southbound traffic…

By Mikie Perkins, Albany Recruiting Battalion When the first Continental Congress founded the army in 1775, it was done to protect the original 13 colonies against invasion by the British. The U.S. Army continues to fight to protect Americans from aggressors 245 years later. It does so successfully because of soldiers who are dedicated and…

Attorney General T.J. Donovan sent a letter to Senator Tim Ashe, president pro tempore, and Representative Mitzi Johnson, Speaker of the House, on Wednesday, June 3, urging the Legislature to pass legislation to improve training of law enforcement and to study a change in the standard applied to police use-of-force incidents. In the letter, Donovan…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger With Vermont seeing one of the country’s slowest rates of growth for coronavirus infections, K-12 officials have said they intend to have students back in classrooms come fall. But schools will look starkly different, they warn. And all plans are subject to change. “The best thing about it is the whole nation’s in…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson This week’s New Yorker magazine cover ,“This Side Up,” illustrates an upside down world, capturing an aspect of how many are feeling right now. Our U.S. government has failed to adequately prepare and protect its citizens from a global pandemic — and our public safety officers, whose job is to protect…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Vermont has a proud tradition of a citizen legislature. Its 180 members (150 House and 30 Senate), are part time and in my opinion, most serve as public servants in the truest sense of the word. The typical legislative session adjourns in early to mid-May. However, this year is like no…

By Sen. Dick McCormack Note to readers: This isn’t the Covid/Economy related article I’d planned to submit for this week. The economic fallout of the shutdown is terrible and people want an accounting of how their legislators are responding. There are reasons for me to not write about racism. We’re the whitest state in the…

By Rep. Jim Harrison In my prior role with the Grocers Association, I remember going into the House Appropriations Committee where the chair at that time, Michael Obuchowski, had a sign on the wall, “What part of NO do you not understand…The N or the O?” The message was clear if you were coming in…

Staff report The members of the (VSP) Vermont State Police and Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling unequivocally condemn the actions of police officers in Minneapolis that led to the death of George Floyd, according to a statement, Friday, May 29. “What I have seen on video from the mishandled attempt to arrest George…