Brave Little State

In most places, public school means public school. But depending on where in Vermont you live, it can also mean “independent school” — approved private schools that serve as de-facto public schools. One listener wants to know why.Thanks to Beth Murphy of St. Johnsbury for the great question. Click here for photos and a full episode transcript.*Join the BLS team on December 8 in St. Albans! Get tickets and details here.* This episode was reported by Burgess Brown. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: Sabine Poux and Josh Crane. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.Special thanks to Amy Zielinski, Charlotte Albright, Peggy Pearl, John McClaughry, Rebecca Holcombe, Amanda Gustin, Gail Wiese, Kara Koenig and Daniella Sutherland. As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: [email protected] Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network. 

Spooky season is upon us – witches, werewolves … Wampahoofuses? Gather ‘round the campfire with us as we explore some of the creepy, mysterious and otherworldly questions our listeners have asked us over the years. For the full experience, we recommend listening to this episode with headphones.Thanks to today’s question-askers: Zachary West, Lauren Huffman and Mischa Tourin. Click here for photos and a full episode transcript.Hang out with us in Bennington! Click here for tickets. More from Brave Little State: Your Vermont Ghost Stories: A Halloween Special From Brave Little State The Bennington Triangle: How 5 mysterious disappearances developed a cult following online From apple pie to ... ticks? 20 of your Vermont questions, answered  This episode was reported by Sarah Bokelberg. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: Josh Crane, Sabine Poux and Burgess Brown. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Halloween theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.Special thanks to Jack Vorster, Phil Edfors, Bob Furst, Inge Schaefer and Katherine Noiva.As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: [email protected] Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show!

Election Day is less than a month away. You’ve probably thought about the big races on your ballot. But what about the ones near the bottom of the page? And what about all those obscure positions appointed after Town Meeting Day?Today, we’re answering your questions about some of Vermont’s more under-the-radar positions in town and county government: high bailiffs, justices of the peace, fence viewers and weighers of coal.Thanks to today’s question-askers: Sarah Heim of Richmond, Peter Booth of Jericho and Megan Smeaton of Colchester.Click here for photos and a full episode transcript. And here for a comprehensive guide to the upcoming election.Hang out with us in Bennington! Click here for tickets. More from Brave Little State: What do Vermont constables do, anyway? Who oversees Vermont’s county sheriffs? This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: That’s Burgess Brown and Josh Crane. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions and Crowander.Special thanks to Liam Elder-Connors, Jay Furr, Jennifer Harlow and the many town clerks we contacted for this episode.As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: [email protected] Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network. 

Wesley Davis grew up in the woods of Mount Holly. But there was always one place where he could get high above the trees: the fire tower on top of nearby Ludlow Mountain. He’s been curious to learn more about the history of these remote towers scattered across Vermont peaks ever since.In this episode from 2023, reporter Sabine Poux searches for answers and arrives at the doorstep of a couple that found a lifetime of artistic inspiration as fire tower lookouts in southern Vermont.For photos from our reporting, and a map of fire towers around the state, check out the web post for this episode.This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. Editing and additional production from the rest of the BLS team: Burgess Brown and me, Josh Crane. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Angela Evancie is our executive producer. Theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.Special thanks to Mark Haughwout, Ron Kemnow, Peter Hayes, Alan Thompson, Keegan Tierney, Prudence Doherty, Juls Sundberg and Liam Elder-Connors. And thanks to Danielle Kovacs and the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center at the University of Massachusetts for finding the copy of Visitors, Hugh Joudry’s radio play. Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: [email protected] Call our BLS hotline: 802-552-4880 Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

McKayla Baker has two dogs, Casey and Nettles, who for years she took to the same local veterinary clinic — until a few years ago, when she noticed changes like extra fees and recommendations for expensive treatments. She found out that the clinic she thought was still independently owned had been acquired by a big corporation backed by private equity. That got her wondering:To what extent has private equity quietly consolidated Vermont's veterinary market? And what are the primary hidden risks for pet owners like me?Click here for photos and a full episode transcript.Update 9/16/26: Before publication, we contacted McKayla’s vet to give them an opportunity to respond to the concerns she raised in the story. The practice didn’t respond until after publication. They did not address the specific treatment decisions McKayla described, but said while the practice is part of a larger network, clinical decisions remain with its local veterinarians and care teams — and added that being part of a network provides additional resources and treatment options. Further resources: SEARCH: Private Equity Vet SEARCH: Independent Vet LISTEN: "Loving Their Pets to Debt," from The Daily LISTEN: "Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" from Freakonomics Radio LISTEN: "A pro-worker experiment in private equity," from NPR's Planet Money READ:Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou This episode was reported by Josh Crane. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: That’s Burgess Brown and Sabine Poux. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.Special thanks to Zoe McDonald and Francis Wong, Kathleen Lanphear, Pam McCann, and Kim and Scott Martin.As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: [email protected] Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show!