Burlington Police Union Accuses Tracy of Suppressing Opposing Views

by Courtney Lamdin Posted on January 5, 2021 at 10:35PM

Council Progressives “are only concerned with the selfish pursuit of their own interests which come at the expense of public safety,” the statement reads. “This is not governance for the people by the people.

Winooski Schools Extend Remote Learning as COVID-19 Cases Mount

by Alison Novak Posted on January 5, 2021 at 8:03PM

Just 13 of the 66 who tested positive were infectious while in school, according to Emily Hecker, the district’s communications director. She credited the district’s shift to remote learning for helping prevent spread.

Montpeculiar: Luckily, This Was Not an Actual Legislative Session

by Kevin McCallum Posted on January 5, 2021 at 6:33PM

Even in normal times, following legislative votes can be hard enough for the public, with the differences between voice and roll-call votes often lost on all but the lawmakers and those who make it their professional business to track the legislature’s at-times mysterious machinations. Remote technology only complicates matters, as the practice session demonstrated.

Vermont Lawmakers Expect to Enable Mail-In Voting for Town Meeting Day

by Colin Flanders Posted on January 5, 2021 at 5:06PM

"There are some things during the global health crisis that probably shouldn't be left to individual selectboards to decide, especially when people want to hold some of these customs even in the face of what might be insurmountable odds," Ashe said at Tuesday's meeting. But Condos said unlike primary and general elections, which his office oversees, Town Meeting Day votes are instead run at the local level, and so discussions about universally mandated changes would need to involve many other parties, including the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

Burlington Councilors Fail to Override Mayor's Veto of Police Oversight Proposal

by Courtney Lamdin Posted on January 5, 2021 at 1:00AM

Weinberger Vetoes Police Oversight Ballot Item, Urges Council to Compromise

by Courtney Lamdin Posted on January 1, 2021 at 3:32PM

Weinberger said the civilian-led oversight board would dissuade police recruits from joining the department, at a time when it lacks a permanent chief. He also criticized the proposal for not giving the mayor a bigger role in oversight, writing that the months of protests had made "very clear that the public holds the mayor accountable for police disciplinary decisions."

Media Note: Paul Heintz Departs Seven Days to Lead VTDigger Newsroom

by Derek Brouwer Posted on December 23, 2020 at 8:04PM

His coverage has won numerous journalism awards over the years. The New England Society of News Editors named him the New England Journalist of the Year in 2017, when Heintz was 33.

Vermont Prison Probe Finds 'Disturbing' Number of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

by Paul Heintz Posted on December 23, 2020 at 10:50AM

Though Baker said the report had not led to additional disciplinary proceedings against department employees, staff members have faced consequences for other sexual behavior on his watch. “We have terminated people as a result of that,” he said.

UVM Medical Center Confirms Cyberattack Involved Ransomware

by Colin Flanders Posted on December 22, 2020 at 6:02PM

Gentile said officials never considered contacting the attackers because even if the hospital received the encryption key, it would still have needed to rebuild the downed systems to ensure the malware was eliminated. Though it took the hospital only about two hours to find the file Gentile described, UVM Medical Center officials repeatedly said they did not know whether the attack involved a form of ransomware — a point they emphasized by noting that they had not received any requests for money.

Vermont Reinstates Ban on Utility Shutoffs During Pandemic

by Kevin McCallum Posted on December 22, 2020 at 5:44PM