Vermont Health Department Reports Another COVID-19 Variant

By Colin Flanders Posted on March 18, 2021 at 6:08PM

The California strain has shown some some signs of resistance to the current crop of vaccines, according to the LA Times, though studies are ongoing. The CDC has yet to deem any variants "high consequence," a category that would include strains shown to significantly reduce vaccine effectiveness.

Vermont Officials Blast Proposal for Border Surveillance Towers

By Colin Flanders Posted on March 17, 2021 at 7:18PM

Lavallee, the border patrol agent, could not say whether Vermont has experienced a recent uptick in illegal activity along the border that would necessitate new surveillance techniques. But he said the 295-mile Swanton border sector — which stretches from western New York to the eastern border of New Hampshire — reports a higher number of illegal crossings than the other northern sectors combined.

Wood-Fired Power Plant in Ryegate Gets Two-Year Contract Extension

By Kevin McCallum Posted on March 17, 2021 at 6:24PM

Business Groups: Unemployment Bill Would Worsen Labor Shortage

By Anne Wallace Allen Posted on March 17, 2021 at 5:56PM

A bill expected to come before the Vermont Senate this week could make the worker shortage worse by raising unemployment benefits, say business groups. The measure, approved by the Senate Economic Development Committee, would increase weekly unemployment insurance benefits by about 20 percent and would add $50 per week for people who have dependents.

'I Made a Mistake': Weinberger to Allow Racial Equity Director to Oversee Police Study

By Sasha Goldstein Posted on March 17, 2021 at 3:41PM

Vermont Could Be 'Close to Normal' Around July 4, Scott Says

By Anne Wallace Allen Posted on March 16, 2021 at 4:21PM

“The single greatest item impacting our COVID-19 data, impacting our outlook, is the number of Vermonters who have been willing to be vaccinated,” Pieciak said. “The higher these percentages go, the faster and more normal our recovery will be.”

Vermont Senate Approves Universal Mail-In Voting Bill

By Colin Flanders Posted on March 16, 2021 at 1:08PM

The bill also makes permanent several other election changes installed during the pandemic: It allows clerks to start processing absentee ballots up to 30 days ahead of Election Day; offers towns the option of outdoor or drive-thru polling places; and gives school districts and municipalities the option to mail out ballots during local elections. It also compels the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office to produce a report by early next year on how to improve access for non-English-speaking voters.

UVM Professor's Viral Video Prompts Calls for His Resignation

By Chelsea Edgar Posted on March 16, 2021 at 11:13AM

the doors for censorship of anyone of any ideological perspective who says something in class that could potentially offend somebody else," as he told Seven Days at the time.  He felt compelled to speak out again after a UVM administrator commented that debates about newly adopted diversity, equity and inclusion requirements in the curriculum were resulting in “harm,” he told Seven Days on Monday.

Weinberger Removes Racial Equity Director From Oversight of Policing Study

By Sasha Goldstein Posted on March 16, 2021 at 12:25AM

Bolstered by Grants, Hard-Hit Hospitality Sector Now Seeks Reopening Timeline

By Anne Wallace Allen Posted on March 15, 2021 at 4:04PM

More than 4,800 businesses received money from the commerce agency and the Tax Department, which shared the job of administering the grant programs, according to the report, released March 11. The commerce agency lists each Vermont business that received money, and how much, on its website.