Carbon regulation sneaking in under the radar in Vermont
The carbon tax hasn’t gained significant traction in the climate-conscious state of Vermont, but environmental activists have new approaches that could see progress in 2019.
Despite positive report on opioid treatments, 20,000 still untreated
A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center review of Vermont’s highly regarded “hub-and-spoke” model for treating opioid addiction concludes that the system is working very well.
Hate crime reports up, but not all reports equal crimes
The FBI says that Vermont has the highest amount of reported “hate crimes” since the mid-1990s. But do reported hate crimes amount to actual crimes?
New education funding formula in Vermont called ‘a roulette wheel’
“It’s like a roulette wheel: If you call black and get black you are good, but if you call black and get red … [then you are not so good]. In this case, the roulette wheel is the economy.”
Fair and Impartial Policing Committee focuses on politically correct tactics
In an era when social justice and political correctness are becoming a cornerstone in American culture, police training and tactics are under pressure to deal with all groups and scenarios.
Extreme risk protection orders gaining traction in Vermont
Extreme risk protection orders are popping up frequently after lawmakers passed a slew of gun laws this year, but some gun rights advocates in Vermont say the orders could be abused.
2018 Vermont Telecommunications Plan includes controversial high-powered 5G expansion
The Vermont Department of Public Service is midway through public hearings on its draft 2018 Telecommunications Plan that outlines trends in the telecom industry — some controversial — regarding broadband and cellular infrastructure improvements.
Green Mountain Power doubles down on climate change rhetoric
Only weeks after Green Mountain Power issued a press release that featured a meteorologist blaming a snowstorm on climate change, CEO Mary Powell echoed the same alarmist rhetoric, this time for the company’s energy plan.
FCC policy shift may shake up public access TV funding balance
Actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission could have big implications for the funding of public access television.
As health insurance deadline looms, questions abound regarding fees and alternatives
The Dec. 15 deadline is fast approaching for purchasing health insurance from the state’s two major providers, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care.
Athens, Grafton and Westminster districts poised to fight Act 46
Now that the dust has settled on school merger proposals from the State Board of Education, some of the most frustrated districts are joining a legal battle to defeat Act 46.
Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union reacts to state mandated merger
Four communities in the lower Northeast Kingdom are trying to adjust to a big reversal by Vermont’s education bureaucracy about recommended mergers under Act 46, the 2015 school governance law.