This September the Vermont Foodbank, together with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, will mobilize across all 50 states in an effort to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 42 million Americans, including 13 million children,…

By Cyrus Ready-Campbell, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott signed a proclamation Friday, Sept. 1, declaring September to be School Safety Month in Vermont. Scott and state education and safety officials gathered at the Statehouse to praise the work done behind the scenes to keep schools and children safe and to commit to a safe year ahead. Rob…

By Morgan True, VTDigger The Tax Department is sending close to 20,000 letters to Vermonters telling folks they may owe sales tax for online and other purchases. The letters say residents have until Oct. 31 to pay without interest or penalties. When a seller doesn’t charge Vermont’s 6 percent sales tax, buyers are responsible for paying…

Keith Stern By Stephen Seitz SPRINGFIELD—Springfield resident Keith Stern has set his sights on the governor’s office. Stern, a Republican, said he plans to challenge Gov. Phil Scott in next year’s primary. “I’m challenging Phil Scott because I don’t like the job he’s doing,” Stern said. “I think he needs to look more at cutting…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger A lawsuit over a traffic stop in Wallingford and subsequent vehicle search that police justified based on a whiff of marijuana is heading to the Vermont Supreme Court. The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the state in 2014 on behalf of Gregory Zullo of Rutland,…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger Vermont’s economy added 1,700 jobs in July, causing the unemployment rate to fall from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent. Just as it has been for several years, the state unemployment rate continues to be far lower than the national rate, which was 4.3 percent in July. Vermont tied with Indiana and South…

HEAT Squad, an energy efficiency service developed by NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, is expanding to the Northeast Kingdom with the help of a $250,000 Northern Border Regional Commission grant. The strategy of HEAT Squad focuses on educating homeowners about energy efficiency; offering low-cost energy audits and same day audit reports; objective advice and guidance regarding…

Just over three years have passed since Green Mountain Power was recognized as the first utility in the world to become a Certified B Corp - and the Colchester-based energy company has received recertification. B Corps are companies that believe business can be a force for good and are certified by the nonprofit B Lab…

The Vermont Foodbank announced Thursday, Aug. 17, the release of The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2015, a study of food insecurity among seniors in the U.S. produced by Feeding America. Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to enough nutritious food. The findings are further evidence that the benefits of the…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that federal disaster assistance will be made available to Vermont to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe thunderstorms and flooding from June 29 to July 1, 2017. Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on…

Early bear hunting season starts Sept. 1 The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding successful bear hunters that a regulation now requires them to submit a bear tooth so wildlife managers can collect important information on Vermont’s bear population. Teeth submitted by hunters are used to determine the ages of bears. Wildlife biologists use…

By Julia Gosselin If you have diabetes, you most likely have insulin needles in your home. Leaving these syringes around your home could not only look bad, but it could pass on possible diseases. Diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV can all be passed through a used syringe. Let’s not forgot the possible…

By Cyrus Ready-Campbell, VTDigger Vermonters with incomes near the federal poverty line stand to lose more in benefits than they would gain from an increased minimum wage if they have young children, experts told the Minimum Wage Study Committee on Thursday, Aug. 10. The Legislature created the committee in June to explore how a minimum…

Grassland-nesting bird populations continue to decline in numbers in Vermont, according to recent surveys conducted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (VTF&W) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bird species that nest in grasslands include vesper sparrows, grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks, and eastern meadowlarks, among others.  The birds nest in hayfields or cow pastures,…

Two fish caught in tributaries of Lake Champlain earlier this year have been certified as new Vermont state records. A new state record carp, weighing 33.25 pounds and measuring 40 inches in length, was caught in Otter Creek in April by Ferrisburgh angler Chase Stokes. Stokes, an accomplished youth angler, caught the carp while fishing…