A UVM alum’s widow helped make what is now an annual concert series that's celebrating its 70th anniversary. Plus, The head of the University of Vermont Health Network is stepping down, All three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation say that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, A school bus company and its Brattleboro drivers have come to a tentative agreement on a contract, Two women broke speed records this summer on the Long Trail and the head coach of UVM men's soccer team is celebrating his 100th career win.
A Breakdown of Vermont’s $790 million investment in housing. Plus, estate tax revenues will rise as wealthy baby boomers begin to die, A ferry boat service connecting Vermont and New York has halted its operations for the season early, Rutland City Police created a "Safe Exchange Zone" in front of its precinct, Killington’s Town Manager passed away this week and community is created through collective gardens.
A Middlebury College course explores how students can use AI to develop their creative writing. Plus, calls for more security for public officials in light of recent political violence, drought conditions put a North Country town under a state of emergency, school libraries in the region are updating policies about books and advocates for English-speakers in Montreal push back against French language rules.
How scientists are working to save the tiny Bicknell’s Thrush, a delicate songbird that travels thousands of miles to Vermont’s tallest peak to raise its young. Plus, state health care regulators make deep cuts to next year’s proposed UVM Medical Center budget, the state employees union is asking the Scott administration to reconsider its return to work order, Montreal’s geodesic dome will be closed for two months of renovations, and the Agency of Education is developing new graduation requirements for Vermont high school students.
Afghan refugees are helping a Windham County school district serve up high quality vegetarian fare for students who don’t eat meat. Plus, Vermont’s home prices continue to rise even as the pandemic-era buying binge starts to level off, Gov. Scott taps an executive from Rutland Regional Medical Center to serve as Vermont’s next health commissioner and he’s also appointed a new labor commissioner, and recent drought conditions have been having an impact on apple crop yields.
There’s excitement over the discovery of a timber rattlesnake in a part of Vermont the reptile had not previously been spotted. Plus, Vermont’s Secretary of State says she won’t comply with a Trump Administration request to turn over voter data, there’s been a vacancy easing in Chittenden County’s notoriously tight rental market, the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream decry what they call a failure of political messaging by the company’s current owner, a shortage of horse veterinarians in Vermont is making things challenging for equine owners, and we preview two major bicycling races taking place today and Sunday in Quebec City and Montreal in our weekly sports report.
A Christian high school that was banned from sports competitions in the state for refusing to play against a team with a transgender athlete celebrates a legal victory. Plus, The Scott Administration says it plans to move forward with its new policy to restrict remote work for many state employees, Vermont health officials have confirmed the first human case of Jamestown Canyon virus in the state, a new program aims to strengthen the state’s African diaspora food businesses, and to diversify tourism and rising health insurance costs are driving a Vermont nonprofit to close a car detailing shop that employs at-risk youth.
How Vermont plans to keep teaching sex education in schools amid Trump administration threats to end federal funding over gender identity references. Plus, Burlington’s City Council green-lights two-million dollars in state grant funding to develop an overdose prevention center, a former state director of the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators faces charges of felony embezzlement, forecasters say it’ll start feeling a lot more like winter with freezing overnight temperatures expected in the region soon, and apple growers are using mitigation strategies to keep crops healthy amid challenging regional drought conditions.
Sen. Bernie Sanders talks about building a grassroots working class agenda for the Democratic party while fighting the influence of billionaires trying to curry favor with the Trump administration. Plus, federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a woman who pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting a border patrol agent in Vermont, an infectious disease doctor explains why most people should get a COVID booster despite recent federal guidelines recommending it only for people over 65, Caledonia County's interim state's attorney has been named to the job on a permanent basis, and research is underway to determine why there appear to be more bears than usual in Vermont.
A New Hampshire man has his dream of becoming a fishing guide blocked by a decades-old Granite State law regarding people with past felony convictions. Plus, once-frozen federal money has now been released allowing Vermont to build eleven new fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, state regulators suggest Brattleboro Memorial Hospital may need to consult an independent observer to oversee its troubled finances, a Manchester woman arrested by ICE officials has been moved to a processing center in Michigan, and environmental advocates urge people to pick up trash and other debris from their local streams as part of September’s Vermont River Clean-Up Month.
We visit an East Barnard church that’s just built a new outhouse on the grounds that’s free and open to the public. Plus, Sen. Sanders calls on Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign over his handling of federal vaccine policy, Rutland Regional Medical Center reaches a settlement with state regulators over a two-year old budget issue, a Shelburne police officer avoids jail time by pleading guilty to a reduced charge after fatally hitting a bicyclist with his vehicle, a Democratic primary looks likely in New York as two candidates vie to unseat Republican representative Elise Stefanik in next year’s midterms, and the Boston Red Sox get some very bad injury news regarding their superstar rookie outfielder in this week’s sports report.
Considering the effect this summer’s drought will have on the fall foliage season. Plus, the Vermont Medical Society scores a legal victory against the Trump administration in a case about removing public health data from federal websites, the Scott administration’s plan to have state workers in their offices more often faces pushback from the union, school bus drivers return to the roads in Windham County after a company-imposed lockout against them was lifted, the UVM Medical Center is making changes to how operating rooms deliver anesthesia in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and a long-serving town manager for Bennington has died.
Visiting a sanctuary in Springfield that rehabilitates roosters rescued from illegal cockfighting rings. Plus, Amazon plans to appeal after its proposal for a distribution facility in Essex was denied, a new UVM volunteer program aims to foster friendships between teens and seniors, Vermont’s Attorney General spearheads an effort to stop the spread of fake images made without consent, and after weathering potential closure Vermont’s universal school meals program is up and running with the start of the new academic year.
Meet one woman documenting the dozens of creemees she eats every year, one cone at a time. Plus, The Trump Administration is threatening to pull Vermont’s funding for a federal sex education program if it doesn't remove language that references gender identity, Governor Phil Scott says he thinks the state’s voluntary paid family and medical leave program is off to a good start, boaters and swimmers will notice low water levels across our region ahead of this holiday weekend and for the first time in Vermont, anglers without a license can fish for free this long weekend.
In an effort to streamline Vermont’s K-12 school system, a task force of state lawmakers and retired school administrators are working to create new district maps. Plus, Governor Phil Scott says he's pleased to see many of Vermont's larger school districts restrict student cell phone use, Vermont Public announced layoffs, U-S Senators from New York Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are attempting to secure funding for airports in our region, and a portion of Montreal's Sainte Catherine Street will become a year-round pedestrian zone.
Three hydroelectric dams along the Connecticut River are being relicensed, and there are proposals to make big changes to how they operate. Plus, health insurance plans on the state marketplace are raising rates, though not as much as in recent years; Burlington City Council looks to improve safety in a major downtown park; contract disputes keep school bus drivers in southern Vermont from returning to work as classes resume; and what to expect for Labor Day travel.
A play about how Muslim families relied on a library that straddling the U.S. and Canada border during the Trump Administration's first term has taken on new meaning in the President's second term. Plus, the Scott Administration seeks federal disaster relief money to Northeast Kingdom towns recovering from flooding last month, remembering late Abenaki elder Jeanne Brink, debate continues over how to replace a statue in Burlington, state officials remind hunters about a ban on selling bear paws and Vermont musicians seek to break the record for “World’s Largest Square Dance.
A visit to Brattleboro’s year-round senior bowling league. Plus, Vermonters rally to show support for Brattleboro Memorial Hospital as it considers cost saving measures that include layoffs, an outside firm is being hired to develop a new visual brand identity for Vermont, the city of Vergennes and the town of Panton are in a dispute over a contested boundary, and a local volunteer organization breaks its own late-summer record with the donation of over one million blueberries.
Examining the causes behind recent increases in wildfire smoke in Vermont. Plus, school choice advocates argue stricter rules in the new education reform law regarding where families can use publicly-funded school vouchers violate a clause in the state constitution, the head of Vermont’s cannabis control board reacts to news that the Trump administration is considering a plan to reclassify cannabis as a less harmful drug, passengers who paid for expensive last-minute airfare following the Air Canada flight attendants' strike can now apply for a refund, why the town of Pomfret is implementing traffic restrictions again this year during peak foliage season, and we consider the abrupt changes of fortune over the last week for the Red Sox and Yankees in our weekly sports report.
Discussing new research that shows a growing number of kids and teenagers in Vermont are struggling with mental health issues. Plus, Gov. Scott disputes Trump administration claims that Vermont is illegally providing a safe haven for undocumented immigrants, hundreds of acres of land has been permanently conserved as a community forest in Wolcott, twelve of the fifteen positions being eliminated at Bennington College are union roles, the state health department says Burlington’s insurance plan will provide enough coverage for the city to house a proposed overdose prevention center, and a volunteer-led effort will help connect neighbors with local farmers in Jericho and Underhill.
Mark S
Perhaps my favorite episode yet. Gaining acceptance, comradery and joy from loss, via icy water. Beautiful.