Also in Final Reading: Road salt, prison labor and a stronger ban on voyeurism.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont’s school enrollment is declining. Students needing special education are on the rise. .
Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, said the proposal was "faulty," and his "first attempt" to create conversation and debate. But it signals a ramped up attempt by lawmakers to garner consensus on efforts to consolidate the state's 119 school districts.
Read the story on VTDigger here: House lawmaker’s proposed school consolidation map would combine 119 districts into 27.
Attorneys cited the complex nature of the first federal death penalty case in years in Vermont as a reason to extend a Thursday deadline for the filing of motions.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Prosecution and defense push for delay in slain border agent case .
The idea is to loosen the rules for building housing in some areas, and tighten up the permit requirements in environmentally sensitive areas. It’s getting complicated.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont is overhauling Act 250. Here’s what the development maps look like so far .
Removing employee health insurance from education budgets would ease pressure on schools.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Mary Alice Bisbee: Health care costs are breaking Vermont schools.
By excluding working lands, Act 59 undercuts the very conservation goals it sets.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Gina Galfetti: Vermont’s conservation math doesn’t add up.
The raise only would apply to employees working at restaurant chains with over 60 locations nationwide.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Fast food wage bill would raise minimum pay to $20 an hour in 2027.
Also in Final Reading: trains, local news and public records.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Will Vermonters be able to get their cars inspected every other year? .
In a new book, author Dan Chiasson traces Sanders' political roots across the East Coast. "Moving to Vermont was a way of thinking, could we start society over?”
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont Conversation: How Sen. Bernie Sanders went from ‘political loser’ to progressive trailblazer.
Tendo, who fled his native country to seek asylum and has lived in Vermont since 2021, was detained outside a health care facility in Shelburne where he works, advocates said.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Ugandan minister Steven Tendo, who faced brutal torture abroad, detained by ICE.
Scott’s call for Ryan Palmer’s resignation came the same day state regulators revoked his law enforcement certification.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Gov. Phil Scott calls on Sheriff Palmer to resign .
Noah has always made the most of his time. Dual enrollment, advanced coursework, and community college gave him a strong head start at UVM. Balancing classes, work, and careful planning, Noah is steadily building the future he envisions—with the support of his family and community.
Read the story on VTDigger here: A childhood accident inspired Noah to pursue a career as a physical therapist.
Also in Final Reading: Lt. Gov. Rodgers announces reelection bid, House advances bill to protect voters, a nurse’s family affair.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont Senate president wants state dollars to cover policing costs if anti-ICE protests break out.
“How do we get as much education and clarity out to the Rutland community and help them just be prepared for what will be definitively an unconventional mayoral race,” a Board of Aldermen member said.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Rutland City prepares for rare write-in election after mayor resigned.
A federal rule proposed Friday would cap the amount of federal dollars nurses can borrow towards graduate level degrees. Vermont’s nurses say that can undermine an already strapped workforce.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont nurses raise alarms about proposed federal loan limits.
Under the bill, plug-in solar devices would no longer need an interconnection agreement, a contract between customer and utility which ensures technical compatibility when connecting a new energy system to an existing grid.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Proposed Senate bill would make plug-in solar easier to own.
The contentious vote over Drescher, who recently served as Vermont’s top federal prosecutor, came after senators approved Christina Nolan’s appointment to the court.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Michael Drescher to serve on Vermont Supreme Court after lieutenant governor breaks tie .
Closing small schools erodes the community, identity and future that make rural towns livable for families.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Jordan Hepburn: What we lose when we close rural schools.
Underinsurance is keeping Vermonters from seeing doctors — with devastating consequences.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Jack Mayer: Health care delayed is health care denied.
Feedback from residents was overwhelmingly against the proposed change to the charter. “I think it’s pretty anti-democratic and really flies in the face of our values as Americans and Vermonters,” councilor Cary Brown said.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Amid outcry, Montpelier council scraps proposal to gain veto power over citizen petitions.
School officials say closure will help strengthen educational programming at three other K-6 schools in the district, but residents fear closure will only exacerbate demographic decline in their small towns.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Calais, Worcester residents will vote next week on whether to close their small elementary schools.
Dave Wolk hopes to return to the legislature after a 35 year hiatus.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Rutland County assistant judge resigns, plans to run as independent for Vermont Senate.
For students with complex needs, therapeutic schools like Kindle Farm offer a path back to learning, stability, and confidence. Learn how this school in southern Vermont is changing lives and giving families hope when traditional classrooms aren’t enough.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Why therapeutic schools matter for Vermont.
Vermonters face higher taxes, bigger budgets and lawmakers who aren’t listening.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Bruce Roy: Taxed to the max — enough is enough.
Vermont lawmakers have tried to address gaps for years. But the topic prompts a sticky debate about balancing public safety with the legal rights and health needs of defendants.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont has no facility for people incompetent to stand trial. Could that finally change? .
This week’s Young Writers Project entry is “Ours” by Isla Segal, 14, Woodstock. Art is “Welcome,” also by Isla Segal.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Young Writers Project: ‘Ours’.
Our small schools are a feature of rural life, not a failure that needs fixing.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Leanne Harple: Don’t treat rural schools as mistakes.
Vermonter Andrea Mead Lawrence remains the only American alpine skier to win two golds in a single Olympic games.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Then Again: The ‘perfect run’ that made an Olympic legend.
“Given the state of the world currently, I believe the games are needed now more than ever,” says Peter Graves, a Bennington-born announcer whose new memoir recounts a particularly vocal career.
Read the story on VTDigger here: A Vermont sportscaster’s behind-the-scenes replay of a half-century of Olympics.
There are 36 Red Cross disaster volunteers across the cross-border region who logged over 1,000 hours collectively in 2025. But not all of those volunteers participate equally.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Upper Valley Red Cross volunteers remain committed in spite of dwindling ranks.