News from Vermont Public
VPR News is Vermont's statewide, public broadcast and digital news service.
Scientists are injecting elm trees with a killer fungus to save them
Scientists with the Nature Conservancy and Forest Service have been raising American elms that are bred to be resistant to Dutch elm disease at two sites in Vermont. Now, they’re injecting them with the fungus to see what happens.
Capitol Recap: Education reform deal in sight after Scott bends on forced school district mergers
Republican Gov. Phil Scott had previously insisted on a proposal that forces school districts to merge into larger governance units. But administration officials say it’s become clear that Democratic lawmakers won’t agree to mandatory consolidation.
Capitol Recap: Vermont House votes to partially repeal Act 181
Lawmakers learned that the conservation measures they enacted in Act 181 “were alienating rural landowners and were not the right tool for the job,” said Rep. Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury.
Hardwick wrestles with the future of one of its ailing dams
Removing the Jackson Dam could cost $4 million to $9 million — or more, depending on what’s found in the sediment. “I’m not sure anyone wants to pay for it,” said the general manager at Hardwick Electric.
From the 1970s to today, mapping Vermont for land use sets off fierce opposition
Opponents argued that a land-use plan in the 1970s was “Satan’s work, Communist propaganda, and a wishy-washy bureaucratic nightmare,” according to one news report from the time.
A Vermont landlord pursues debts from tenants. His wife now helps write eviction law
For years, Rep. Debbie Dolgin and her husband brought cases before an assistant judge who issued arrest warrants to collect unpaid debts from their tenants. As a major landlord-tenant bill is actively debated, Dolgin says she sees no conflict in her roles.
St. Johnsbury gets a new food co-op and local students help make it possible
CTE students from St. Johnsbury Academy play instrumental roles in the buildout of the brand new Caledonia Food Co-op.
Capitol Recap: Proposal to tax high earners stirs debate over policy, and politics, in Montpelier
The House Committee on Ways and Means has spent the last three weeks crafting proposals that would raise income taxes on households that earn more than $586,000 a year. Though the legislation has no chance of becoming law this year, some Democrats hope the debate will resonate with voters heading into the midterm elections.
'It brings out the happy hormones': How music is helping Vermonters with dementia and caregivers
A growing number of support groups in Vermont are using music to foster joy and connections for people with memory loss and their caregivers.
Farming snow? Burke Mountain will try new strategy to extend ski racing season
Citing climate change as a factor, Burke Mountain and its partner ski academy plan to experiment with storing snow under massive tarps over the summer.
For a fee, the doctor will see you now
A growing number of Vermont's primary care providers are shrinking their practices and charging membership fees. Concierge practices offer providers a break from burnout — but leave many patients behind.
Capitol Recap: Impasse on education fuels fears of state government shutdown
Republican Gov. Phil Scott says he won’t let a state budget go into law unless the Legislature approves an education reform bill that includes mandatory school district consolidation. House lawmakers have refused to budge on forced mergers, and they've begun preparing for a government shutdown over the issue.
Collecting sap with sugarmaker Brian Blaisdell
A conversation about collecting sap for maple syrup, and making a resourceful living, in Cabot.
State says it polices driving program that feds accuse Migrant Justice activist of exploiting
A conversation about collecting sap for maple syrup, and making a resourceful living, in Cabot.
The push for smaller, cheaper plug-in solar panels gains momentum in New England
These small panels can be plugged into a regular wall outlet, and when paired with a battery, they generate enough electricity to keep a refrigerator running through a power outage.
Capitol Recap: House approves education reform bill that Scott plans to veto
Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate were in lockstep on mandatory school district consolidation heading into the 2026 legislative session. House Speaker Jill Krowinski says it’s since become clear that while voters are desperate for property tax relief, they’re not willing to sacrifice control of their local schools to get it.
Memphremagog Community Theatre brings performance art to both sides of the US-Canada border
Memphremagog Community Theatre, whose members come from Canada and the United States, held a kick-off event recently at a venue that straddles the international border.
As one Vermont college finishes its last semester, an estimated 442 others may be in trouble
A new estimate projects that 442 of the nation’s 1,700 private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, with a combined 670,000 students, are at risk of closing or having to merge within the next 10 years.
Capitol Recap: When hospitals close services, who should have a say?
Last year, in the wake of controversial, patient-facing cuts at the University of Vermont Health network, lawmakers passed a new law. They said regulators would get to intervene if they didn’t think hospitals should shutter a service. But now, barely a year later, lawmakers are already second-guessing that decision.
Mary Lake, sheep shearer, butcher and whisperer
Mary Lake drives all over the Northeast in the spring, shearing people's sheep and talking with them about the health of their flock.
