A Vermont Couple Drove a School Bus for a Combined 103 Years. Now They've Both Retired

By Alison Novak Posted on June 22, 2021 at 7:32PM

Lois got her own bus route in 1972. She had some close calls during the winter, including times she slid into ditches and had to be towed out by a wrecker, but no child ever got hurt, she said.

OneCare Vermont Costs More Than It's Saving the State, Auditor Finds

By Kevin McCallum Posted on June 21, 2021 at 8:58PM

OneCare is Vermont’s only accountable care organization and manages the state’s all-payer health care system. The foundation of the system is a five-year agreement between the state and the federal government for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers to pay OneCare a set amount per patient for their care, as opposed to reimbursing health care providers for every medical test, visit and procedure.

With Song, Food and Fellowship, Burlington Celebrates Juneteenth

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on June 19, 2021 at 9:00PM

"A Black history museum like this is created because museum institutions are not representing Black people, Black history, Black narratives," el-Hakim said, adding that "it's kind of hard to share some of it, but my thing is that we should be honest about the history." At Champlain Elementary School on Pine Street, Alganesh Michael ladled steaming portions of lentils, collard greens and spicy beef atop injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, as a crowd gathered under graying skies.

Joe Magee Wins Progressive Nomination for Ward 3 Special Election

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on June 19, 2021 at 8:58PM

The Progs, who have held Ward 3 for decades, had the most robust caucus with five total candidates. Chris Haessly, who nominated himself at the caucus last week, was eliminated in the first round with six votes, or 3.6 percent.

Burlington GOP Nominates Ward 3 Candidate in Last-Minute Caucus

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on June 18, 2021 at 9:29PM

"People have this feeling of despair that we cannot win," former council candidate Ericka Redic said. "This is absolutely, 100 percent a winnable seat.

One Prog Drops Out and Another Joins Burlington's Ward 3 Council Race

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on June 17, 2021 at 9:49PM

Ward 3 Progs will have until Saturday at 7 p.m. to cast electronic ballots. In true Prog fashion, the election is being conducted with ranked-choice voting, a system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, lesser-ranked choices come into play to determine a winner.

After Intense Debate, Essex Westford School Board Approves Equity Policy

By Alison Novak Posted on June 15, 2021 at 11:12PM

With Dems' Support, Burlington Council Candidate Owen Milne Makes His Case

By Courtney Lamdin Posted on June 15, 2021 at 8:51PM

That study, which is being performed by the Virginia-based nonprofit CNA, was due to come out this month but has been pushed to the fall, VTDigger.org reported last week. Milne said he looks forward to using the report to determine what types of calls police should respond to, and which incidents could be handled by unarmed professionals.

State Officials, Advocates Prep for the End of the Eviction Moratorium

By Anne Wallace Allen Posted on June 15, 2021 at 4:15PM

Asked how many people will be affected by the end of the moratorium, Hanford said he didn’t know. In a normal year, courts see about 600 eviction actions, he said.

As Vaccinations Rise, Vermont Border With Canada Could Reopen This Summer

By Anne Wallace Allen Posted on June 15, 2021 at 3:15PM

To limit the spread of the coronavirus, Canada closed its U.S. border to nonessential travel on March 21, 2020. The decision has curtailed movement for many Vermonters who regularly visited Québec, and it has cut sharply into revenues for northern businesses, many of which relied on travelers from the populous province for as many as half of their visitors.