Podcasts about vermonters

Visiting the White River Valley to find out how a popular pick-up soccer league helps bring folks from all walks of life together to get some kicks. Plus, a Senate-approved bill would change how Vermonters can buy cannabis, there are new health guides available designed by and for Vermonters with developmental and intellectual disabilities, the state pauses funding for widespread P-C-B testing in schools, and new grant funding may help Rutland repurpose a downtown building being vacated by Walmart. 

Lake Memphremagog provides drinking water for around 200,000 Canadians, and recreation for countless Vermonters. It also faces serious environmental challenges. Today on Vermont Edition: the fight to restore and protect the water quality of our region's largest lakes. We'll hear from a Quebec-based group about their effort to designate Memphremagog as a lake in crisis. We'll also talk with a scientist from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, and a shoreline ecologist with Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation. They'll tell us about the biggest threats to these water bodies, like phosphorus runoff.

Do you know what rocker panels are? No? Well, one listener found out hers were rusted during her annual car inspection — and that they were in need of a pricey repair. Vermont is one of just nine states that still requires annual safety inspections for all cars. And over and over, car inspections — especially car inspections that end in failure — bring frustrated Vermonters to the BLS question box. Three listeners want to know why Vermont's inspection requirements persist, even as other states have axed theirs. And they ask: Do inspections actually make the roads here safer?For photos from our trip to Brian's North End Automotive (feat. Potato the dog) check out the web version of this story.Thanks to Keese Lane and Mike Santos of Essex Junction, and Julianne Jones of Derby, for the great questions.This episode was reported by Josh Crane. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team, Sabine Poux and Burgess Brown. Our intern is Catherine Morrissey. Angela Evancie is our Executive Producer. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.Special thanks to Rick Green, Steve Belitsos, Brian Chase, Drew Cline,  Amy Tatko, Scott Davidson, Jeremy Reed, Ernie Patnoe, Pete Hirschfeld, Abagael Giles, Joey Palumbo, April McCullum, Melody Bodette, Mike Dunn, Andrea Laurion and Lola Duffort, .As always, our journalism is better when you're a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

Parts of our region are experiencing a very wet and muddy spring. For some, the rains bring up tough memories of the flooding of recent years. For some towns, the floods of 2023 and 2024 caused immense damage and upended lives. While we all hope 2025 doesn't make this list, it's better to be safe than sorry. Here to to talk flood preparedness is the director of Vermont Emergency Management, Eric Forand. His office is working to improve communication with individual towns when a disaster hits. We also talk with volunteer organizers about their plans to help Vermonters weather this years storms. Megan Mathers of Northeast Kingdom Organizing and the Kingdom United Resilience and Recovery Effort, and Jon Copans of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience join us. 

We continue our series showcasing Vermont musicians who entered this year's NPR Tiny Desk contest with the Hokum Brothers and Wes Pearce. Plus, the Trump administration terminates a federal grant aimed at helping low income and aging Vermonters better utilize the state's high speed broadband network, federal grants have also been scrapped for Vermont arts and culture organizations, several Vermont political leaders visit Quebec to offer apologies for the actions taken by president Trump, and the Granite State's legal community reacts to the death of former Supreme Court justice and New Hampshire Attorney General David Souter. 

We hear from Vermont-based musician Sarah Bell and the band Miles of Fire as they compete to be winners of NPR's annual Tiny Desk Concert. Plus, the Trump administration sues Vermont and three other states over their climate superfund laws, the state gets some good news regarding the safety of its milk supply from bird flu virus, a funding boost should help more low-income Vermonters connect freely to the state's high speed fiber broadband network, Quebec sees near record population growth mostly due to a recent influx of immigrants, and the Notch road between Stowe and Cambridge has been reopened after its annual winter closure. 

Speaking with the designer of a highly reviewed video game called Wanderstop that infuses parts of Vermont's largest city into the action. Plus, a legal defense fund is created to help non-citizen Vermonters targeted by federal immigration officials, lawmakers in Montpelier float a bill to keep education property taxes nearly flat by relying on $118 Million in surplus funding, the winners of the 2024 Vermont Book Awards have been announced, we'll preview events happening in Castleton this weekend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Green Mountain Boys' defeat of the British at Fort Ticonderoga, and discuss why the favored defending NBA champion Boston Celtics find themselves in a two games to none playoff hole against the New York Knicks in our weekly sports report. 

This episode aired May 6, 2025Host Brad Ferland 9:00 to 9:30Matt Cota weekly Legislative updateThe beat goes on 9:30 to 10:15Tim Johnson ArsenaultRetired southern Vermont WTSA radio personality in Windham County and recently retired Vernon Town ClerkThe story of two public careers of news and service to Vermonters 10:15 to 11:00Lloyd Devereux RichardsVermont Author of Stone Maidens and his new novel The Runnert's a standalone thriller of young man who gets involved with someone he believes is a savvy businessman and ends up abandoned in a terrible situation and on the run from some very bad people.

Rep. Peter Conlon, Chairman of the House Education Committee. Ken Fredette, member of the Friends of Vermont Public Education. Cheryl Charles from the Vermont Rural Schools Community Alliance, and Miriam Hansen on her trip to Montreal with 50 Vermonters to pursue goodwill. 

Vermont isn't just shrinking in population, its aging.  The state has 30,000 fewer working age citizens between 25-40 then it did 25 years ago.  This, while modest population gains during the Covid-19 pandemic has reversed. For those of us at the Innova802 Crew, we see the effects every day.  Many citizens on fixed incomes, who represent a larger share of the population, cannot afford increases to taxes for education, infrastructure and public healthcare subsidies.   For many, the gut reaction is to say, no new Vermont citizens, no new Vermont students, no new Vermont employers taking in  public investment dollars.  While this may seem intuitively correct, it is in fact the path to a downward economic cycle that becomes very challenging to reverse, especially for rural states. We hosted Kevin Chu, Executive Director of the Vermont Futures Project during season nine of the Are We Here Yet? podcast.  One year later, the Innova802 crew had him back to talk about the effort to get all Vermonters on the same page, writing a book of growth in order to create a more livable Vermont bursting at the seams with opportunity and the right balance between caring for our neighbors and having the ability to pay for it.  Listen to VFP on Marketplace This Are We Here Yet? podcast is in association with the Innova802 podcast. This conversation on rural development is so important, we're hosting it on The Housers Podcast, too!

Lawmakers, union leaders and administration officials all agree that the shortage of prison workers in Vermont is a major problem, but there's no agreement about how to address the issue. Plus, racial disparities persist in police traffic stops, a technical glitch delays a vote on an Amazon warehouse project, a judge orders the state to give homeless Vermonters notice before ending motel shelter benefits, and Fish and Wildlife wants feedback on new proposed deer hunting regulations. 

We discussed data privacy and how its unregulated nature can really impact everyday Vermonters. Vermont Rep. Monique Priestley has become a national leader in this discussion. We were then joined by Kiki and Rachel from Migrant Justice to discuss milk with dignity as well as the workers who were abducted from a farm in Berkshire. And the show wrapped with Claire Whitehouse, the Secretary/Treasurer of AFT Vermont to discuss International Workers Day (May 1st) and the work of unions as well as todays events across the state.

After decades of navigating various mental and physical health struggles, three Vermonters sought out an autism diagnosis for themselves in their late 40s and 50s.

Vermont Edition is launching a new series, featuring intimate conversations with noteworthy Vermonters right in their own living rooms. It's called Vermont Edition At Home. For the first installment, Mikaela Lefrak went to the Middlebury home of François Clemmons.. Clemmons is best known for playing Officer Clemmons on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.Clemmons discusses how he came to embrace his Blackness, his homosexuality, and his desire to be a performer.Broadcast live on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermonters and Quebeckers share much more than a border. We do business together, get our passports out for vacation, and visit family. But this year, the threads that hold us together have frayed.Vermont Edition co-hosted a cross-border conversation in partnership with Radio Noon, a call-in program from the CBC in Quebec. Mikaela Lefrak and Radio Noon host Shawn Apel took calls and emails from listeners on both sides of the border about the current state of U.S.-Canada relations. We also heard about the real-world repercussions of President Donald Trump's “51st state” rhetoric.Vermont Public reporter Peter Hirschfeld joined the conversation as well to talk about the effect the Trump administration is having on Canadian tourism in Vermont, and how the state's lawmakers are reacting to the increased tensions. Broadcast live on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

In our recurring series on class we hear from Isaac McDonald who spoke previously about growing up in the Northeast Kingdom, and is now back to talk about attending his freshman year at Columbia University on a full scholarship. Plus, high ranking state senate Democrats call for ending the contract that allows federal officials to detain people in Vermont prisons, in a state health department survey most Vermonters report being in good health, Clinton Community College in New York plans to move its operations to the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, Gov. Scott signs a bill designating November as the Vermont month of the veteran, and in our weekly sports report we predict an upset in round one of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs by a team that only made it into the tournament on the last day of the regular season.  

Today on Vermont Edition, we'll explore the massive changes underway at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A program known as LIHEAP offsets utility bills for more than 6 million Americans. Vermont Public reporter Abagael Giles tells us about the future of the program. We'll also talk with a Head Start supervisor in Windham Southeast school district, and the head of an agency that feeds hundreds of low-income, older Vermonters. Plus: Vermont's poet laureate, Bianca Stone helps us celebrate National Poetry Month.

Journalist Garrett Graff is sounding increasingly urgent alarms about America's slide into authoritarianism.He said that what is happening under the Trump administration is not a constitutional crisis, which “normally means that there's some sort of tension in the system, disagreements between the two branches.” Instead, he insisted that the tension is absent because “what we are seeing is a Congress that is willingly abdicating many of its constitutional and statutory authorities to the President.”What is happening now is “a constitutional crash. And I mean that in the medical sense, where we are seeing the unwinding of our constitutional system writ large, and sort of a collective failure of checks and balances across the board.”“Checks and balances only work if Congress actually cares,” Graff continued. “And what we're seeing right now is Congress just not caring what the President does... They seem unwilling to stand up for both their traditional role and also their own personal power in Washington, lest it basically anger Donald Trump's hoards of supporters and turns MAGA against them.”Garrett Graff, a former editor of Politico and Washingtonian magazines, is a frequent guest on television news shows and a regular contributor to the op-ed pages of the New York Times and Washington Post. His oral history of the 2008 financial crisis, “The Weekend That Shook The World,” was published this week in the Washington Post op-ed section.“I think the 2008 financial crisis is a moment that we have not fully reckoned with in terms of how it shaped and changed the trajectory of our country,” noted Graff. “It caused an enormous loss of faith in the system and in institutions among voters and Americans. It launched the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, which we have seen go in the years since from the fringe to the mainstream of the party.”“The fact that there were no Wall Street executives who were publicly held to account in criminal prosecution — basically that there were no CEOs who were perp walked on TV — caused a lot of people to rightly feel that the system was not working for them, that basically the powerful were being protected and they were being made to pay the price as ordinary mortgage holders or shareholders across the country. It also a big part of the rise of Donald Trump, who, in the wake of the financial crisis, begins his regular commentary for Fox News as this businessman and entrepreneur, and begins the way that he moves to the center of gravity in the Republican Party.”Graff was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his 2022 history of Watergate. He is the author of numerous books about history and national security, including “When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day,” “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9-11,” and “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here ― and Out There,”Graff also shares his writing about current politics in his online newsletter, Doomsday Scenario. Recently, Graff, who lives in Burlington, turned his lens closer to home. He is the editor of a new book from the Vermont Historical Society, “Life Became Very Blurry: An Oral History of COVID-19 in Vermont.” (Disclosure: VTDigger reporter Erin Petenko was interviewed for “Life Became Very Blurry.”Graff wrote that “it's possible that Covid will prove as transformational a moment for the (Vermont) population and culture as the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 1970s.”He predicted that the “national revolution around remote work” will benefit Vermont in the long term" and bring "a new generation of Vermonters to the state who can make successful careers here.”Graff notes that nationally, the pandemic gave rise to nostalgia that has fueled Trump's promise to return the country to a mythical past, even to a time when the U.S. was ruled by a king."Right now, hour by hour, we are watching the court cases play out about whether the President can rendition people without criminal records to torture gulags in El Salvador and then declare them beyond the reach of US courts for any sort of due process whatsoever. It does not take a law degree to note that that is one of the most fundamentally unconstitutional sentences I could have possibly uttered, and goes against sort of every American tradition in the legal process and due process in our 250 year history. It sounds much more like something King George III was doing to the colonists when they declared independence than anything that we have seen a US president do ever since."Are we on the road to authoritarianism?"I think we are in a moment where we are trying to answer that question anew almost every single day." 

For some Vermonters, biking is simply a fun form of recreation or exercise. But for others, it's how they get to work or school.Bike advocates across the region are trying to make commuting by bike more accessible and safe for Vermonters. Joining us is Jonathon Weber of Local Motion, Hanif Nazerli of the Capital City Corridor bike share project, and Darren Ohl of the Vermont Bicycle Shop in Barre discussed road safety, to discuss bike infrastructure development, and access to good bikes and gear.Broadcast live on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Let us know what you think - text the show!On this week's show:Happy national School Librarian DayYankees - innovators or big fat cheaters?Should church pay retiring child abusers?Road linking VT and Montreal scrappedVT goin' nuclearPotential changes to VT's little known panfish marketWelch wants local dairy farmers to get their milk in schoolsThe feds are usingVermont's prisons for immigration  Amtrak's Vermonter celebrates 30th anniversaryProgressive young  Vermonters are giving away inheritances(53:30) Break music:  Boomslang - “Together”https://boomslangvt.bandcamp.com/track/together  BETA goes coast to coast Burlington city council president challengeThe mad hatter of Manchester They're cutting the kids rocket programsVT family gets an empty urnLocal group expected to acquire Burke Mountain ski resortEat Vermont appVermont Brewer Donates Captured CO2 to Cannabis Grower SunCommon Sues Former Manager Who Defected to Competitor(1:38:57) Break music:  Ranjii - “Dear Lifehttps://rajnii.bandcamp.com/track/dear-life-2 Scumbag map Murder for hire plot foiledEast Ryegate shootoutHit and run / attempted homicide Rutland roofer tax evader Man arrested in Virgin Islands for threatening VT county prosecutor Plainfield dog scofflawSlow down for amphibians and salamanders Coyote attacks person in HinesburgThanks for listening!Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/VermontCatchup Follow Matt on twitter: @MatthewBorden4 Contact the show: 24theroadshow@gmail.comOutro Music by B-Complex

In an excerpt from Brave Little State, we dig into the origins of the widespread, stylized Stowe logo. Plus, the final state budget approved by House lawmakers could be jeopardized by potential federal funding cuts it relies on, the state's emergency motel voucher program has begun imposing its off-winter limits on length of stays for some homeless Vermonters, Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools may join a national lawsuit against a software provider following a data breach that compromised personal information of students and school faculty, and the Vermont senate gives the green light to let freestanding birth centers offer their services. 

Highlighting streaming video services designed specifically to help people suffering from dementia and those who care for them. Plus, House lawmakers approve legislation shielding personal Internet information for some state and public officials, the head of the Green Mountain Care Board says the state's health care system is near a breaking point, a probe by the Agency of Education concludes a private school in southern Vermont that serves autistic students has failed to properly educate them, the author of a UVM study says large dead trees along stream banks should be protected for the significant amounts of carbon they store, and a home in Vergennes for older Vermonters welcomes its first residents since expanding its living space.

Dr. Mark Levine retires as Vermont's health commissioner this week after an eight year tenure marked by historic events. Dr. Levine is best known as the steady hand guiding Vermont's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which by many measures was one of the most successful in the nation. Vermont had the second lowest Covid fatality rate, after Hawaii. According to the Vermont Department of Health, 1,283 people died from the Covid pandemic in Vermont.During the dark days of lockdown in 2020 and 2021, Dr. Levine stood alongside Gov. Phil Scott and reassured anxious Vermonters about how to stay safe, the need for masking and social distancing, and the critical importance of vaccinations. His grandfatherly baritone voice conveyed wisdom and compassion.In announcing Dr. Levine's retirement, Gov. Scott said, “I will be forever grateful for his advice and counsel over the years, but especially during the pandemic, as he appeared with me daily at press conferences during those difficult days, giving much comfort to Vermonters as our very own ‘Country Doc'.”Sen. Peter Welch said that Dr. Levine “helped Vermont through those incredibly challenging times, and saved many lives.” Prior to Dr. Levine's appointment as health commissioner in 2017, he worked as a primary care physician and as a professor and associate dean at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, where he still teaches.Dr. Levine, 71, steps away from health care leadership at a fraught and uncertain moment. Public health and science itself have come under unprecedented attack by the Trump administration. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the country's newly appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, has been derided for being a conspiracy theorist and one of the top purveyors of medical misinformation. This week, Kennedy announced the layoffs of 10,000 health workers and $11 billion in cuts to public health grants dolled out to states. This includes a $7 million cut in aid to Vermont that state health officials said would “negatively impact public health in our state.”All of this comes as measles is infecting unvaccinated children in the U.S. in what is already being described as the worst outbreak of this century.Dr. Levine reflected on how Vermont compared to other states in managing the Covid pandemic. “Our economy looks like many of the states that had far worse outcomes from Covid and prioritized their economy more in terms of keeping a lot of sectors open. When you look at the bottom line in the end, our economic status and theirs don't look very different, yet our public health status looks much, much better. And I'm going to hang my hat on that as very, very important for the way we approached the pandemic here in Vermont.”“You know, there isn't a hell of a lot I would have done differently, to be honest,” said Levine.Levine insisted that there are not many critics who say “you shouldn't have had vaccines. You shouldn't have masked us up. You shouldn't have closed down things. When you close them down, they kind of understand that the major outcome was that Vermont fared much better as a state than many other states. So it's hard for me to have too many regrets.”Why did Vermont fare better than other states?“We come from a culture here in Vermont where people look out for their family, they look out for their community, and they work collaboratively,” said Levine. “The second thing is that in public health, we always say, be first, be right, be credible. And the communication that the governor and I and the rest of the team had was frequent, it was with integrity about what we knew and what we didn't yet know, and it was with great transparency … revealing the data every time and showing what we were responding to.”Levine leaves his post with deep concern about what lies ahead for public health. “When disinformation comes from the top, whether it be the secretary of (Health and Human Services) or the president, it has an impact and it makes our job much harder.”Levine noted that even when Trump administration officials are trying to control the measles epidemic, “they always manage to sort of agree, but then say the wrong thing and let you know that they really aren't completely aligned, which is a problem I am very concerned about."Levine says that federal budget cuts could have a serious impact on Vermont, where “40 percent of my budget is related to federal grant money.”If the latest cuts “are a signal of what's to come, then they are of tremendous concern. And the problem is, of course, we're not seeing broad visions and huge strategic plans with discrete timelines associated. We're seeing abrupt moves by the federal government that basically say, today your grants were stopped, and by the way, we're interested in chronic disease prevention. But they haven't actually shown us the vision and the timeline and what the resources will be and (where they) will come from.”Dr. Levine said of his legacy, “People will always remember Covid, and I'm fine with that, but I hate for that to be the defining moment because public health is so much more than that. One thing I'm very proud of is work we've done to protect our children's health.”“I'd like to be remembered that we've now turned the curve on the opioid overdose death rate, and it's clearly on the way down. It's not a mission accomplished. There's still a lot of work to be done. But at least it's going in the right direction.”As he retires, Levine lamented the rise in the “great anti-science bias” and the movement of those who are “vaccine resistant, or at least hesitant.”“We do in public health as much as we can to provide what we consider not the alternative viewpoint but the actual evidence-based viewpoint. But the recipients of that have to be willing to receive that information, and we're in a time where many people get their information from one set of resources and they won't veer from those resources to others. So it's a challenging time for public health, indeed.”

Today's location-specific episode features Vermont.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Vermont Title 9 Chapter 137 Residential Rental Agreements.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Vermont Title 9 Chapter 137 Residential Rental Agreements, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental inVermont, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Vermont.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

A 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report found that nearly 1 in 4 Vermonters said they'd experienced symptoms of anxiety. Studies show that even just petting an animal can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Shelburne's New Village Farm invites guests to pet, scratch, hold and snuggle their dog-like herd of Nigerian dwarf, Oberhasli, and French alpine goats.

A new book preserves the stories of Vermonters during the historic COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time, you can read oral histories of more than a hundred state leaders, frontline workers and regular citizens. It's called Life Became Very Blurry, An Oral History of COVID-19 in Vermont. The book illuminates the mindset of Vermonters during this unforgettable period in history, the way Vermont handled the epidemic, and how it reshaped the state. Its editor, Garrett Graff, is a bestselling author and historian. He teamed up with field historians, including our guest Amanda Gustin of the the Vermont Historical Society, to collect and publish this new book.Broadcast live on Monday, March 24, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

A new book preserves the stories of Vermonters during the historic COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time, you can read oral histories of more than a hundred state leaders, frontline workers and regular citizens. It's called Life Became Very Blurry, An Oral History of COVID-19 in Vermont. The book illuminates the mindset of Vermonters during this unforgettable period in history, the way Vermont handled the epidemic, and how it reshaped the state. Its editor, Garrett Graff, is a bestselling author and historian. He teamed up with field historians, including our guest Amanda Gustin of the the Vermont Historical Society, to collect and publish this new book.Broadcast live on Monday, March 24, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

We preview original classical music compositions written by Vermont students for a Music-COMP concert next week. Plus, what's behind the financial shortfall hampering Randolph's Gifford Medical Center, lawmakers consider a bill to provide emergency financial relief for Vermont's largest health insurer if its money woes worsen, the Vermont Senate approves legislation giving financial incentives to people who take care of seriously ill family members at home, lawmakers also advance a proposed constitutional amendment further protecting Vermonters' rights to organize and collectively bargain, the University of Vermont announces its next president, and we preview UVM's game against NC State in the opening round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament in our weekly sports report. 

Sheep used to dominate the Vermont landscape. But these days, it's kind of rare to drive by a large flock. What happened to Vermont's sheep?Today on Vermont Edition: It's the latest in our March series Animal Hour and it's all about sheep. We begin with local historian Mark Bushnell who tells us all about the sheep boom and bust of the 1800s.Even though there aren't as many sheep here as there used to be, there's still a lot of Vermonters out there shearing sheep for their wool, raising lambs for meat, or producing award-winning sheep's milk cheese. We'll talk with Mark Rogers, head of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, and Amber Reed, a livestock grazing expert in Barnet.

Sheep used to dominate the Vermont landscape. But these days, it's kind of rare to drive by a large flock. What happened to Vermont's sheep?Today on Vermont Edition: It's the latest in our March series Animal Hour and it's all about sheep. We begin with local historian Mark Bushnell who tells us all about the sheep boom and bust of the 1800s. Even though there aren't as many sheep here as there used to be, there's still a lot of Vermonters out there shearing sheep for their wool, raising lambs for meat, or producing award-winning sheep's milk cheese. We'll talk with Mark Rogers, head of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, and Amber Reed, a livestock grazing expert in Barnet.

Why voters in Royalton rejected proposed restrictions on what people can do with flood plain property. Plus, nearly half of Vermont's 14 hospitals lost money providing patient care last year, Gov. Scott vetoes a budget adjustment package that includes funding for affordable housing and the state's motel voucher program, federal updates to the state's flood hazard maps could result in more private property building restrictions, Vermont's Attorney General joins a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block layoffs at the US Department of Education, and state public health officials are urging Vermonters to make sure they're immunized against measles.

Programs that provide support for older Vermonters and their caregivers could be at risk due to proposed federal cuts to Medicaid. Plus, the Trump administration shutters a nationwide program that provided local food for schools and food shelves, GE Areospace invests in Rutland, the Vermont Senate gives initial approval to more restrictions on social media for kids, a call for state lawmakers to take action against bullying in schools after a Vermont teenager's suicide last year, and the Essex Westford School Board announces the district's next superintendent.

The only definitive proof of a catamount living in present-day Vermont is Rally Cat, the UVM mascot dancing on the sidelines of sports games. The actual animal has not been officially documented in the state since 1881. Still, many Vermonters swear they've seen catamounts — also known as pumas, cougars, or mountain lions.On the latest installment of the Vermont Edition series Animal Hour, Mikaela Lefrak was joined by Declan McCabe, a biologist from St. Michael's University in Colchester, and renowned wildlife tracker and naturalist Sue Morse of Jericho. They discussed how to identify big cat species, be it a mountain lion, lynx, or bobcat.

In Vermont, there are only 11 day programs aimed at supporting older adults and providing daytime respite for caregivers. Proposed Medicaid cuts could exacerbate that shortage.

Town and state leaders are working to improve humans' relationship with beavers to support flood resiliency. Beavers' brains are small — about the size of a walnut — but you wouldn't know it from watching them work. "They get up and go to work every single day, never take a vacation," said Skip Lisle, a wildlife biologist in Grafton. Lisle invented the Beaver Deceiver, a flow device that sneaks water away from beavers and removes the need to trap or kill them.For naturalist Patti Smith of the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center in West Brattleboro, it's important for Vermonters to understand what happened when beavers were overhunted in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. "When all of the beavers disappeared from North America — disappeared being a euphemism for 'turned into stylish hats' — eventually those dams degraded and all of those wetlands drained," she said.

On Tuesday, Vermonters gathered to discuss, debate, and vote on issues directly related to their community. That includes the big stuff — town and school budgets — and the small, like resurfacing tennis courts or earmarking a few thousand dollars for after-school programs.

Congressional Republicans voted Tuesday night for a House budget resolution that could reduce funding for the health insurance program for people with low incomes and people with disabilities, in order to pay for tax cuts and more military and immigration enforcement spending.

A new study out of Dartmouth College examines how current research practices can improve the governance of Indigenous data. Plus, the University of Vermont Health Network will continue to run three dialysis clinics around the state, a Shelburne cop who hit and killed a cyclist is now facing criminal charges related to the incident, a new poll finds the majority of Vermonters don't approve of President Donald Trump's job performance, why Abenaki leaders from Odanak First Nation were at the Statehouse last week and how you can help prevent avalanches.

We meet the Vermonters of the Green Mountain Chorus, who raise their voices to provide singing valentines on the 14th of February. Plus, a lawsuit filed in federal court accuses a Burlington police officer of using excessive force in an incident last summer, Sen. Sanders introduces legislation aimed at lowering Americans' credit card debt, the EPA plans to inspect cleanup efforts at a Bennington Superfund site, why New Hampshire farmers can get paid to pause mowing on their hayfields in early summer, the Vermont-born band Phish has been nominated for entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and we consider the courtship that ended with the Boston Red Sox hooking up with a coveted free agent in our weekly sports report.

Singers with the Green Mountain Chorus, Vermont's oldest barbershop ensemble, have fanned out across parts of northern Vermont each Valentine's Day for decades — serenading Vermonters in offices, homes, restaurants and even on the street.

Reporter Erica Heilman shares a success story from HomeShare Vermont, a program that matches folks who have extra housing with people who need it. Plus, House lawmakers pass a bill making it easier for prosecutors to charge Vermonters with hate crimes, Vermont's attorney general joins a multistate effort to block the National Institutes of Health from slashing billions of dollars in medical research, nursing staff at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans vote to unionize, the head of Vermont's largest health insurer is retiring after a 16-year tenure, and the Vermont Green Football Club announces its new head coach.

Vermont, like most states, doesn't track the deaths of homeless residents. An investigation by Vermont Public and Seven Days finds that at least 82 people have died in the state in the past four years while unhoused. Derek Brouwer of Seven Days, whose work focuses on law enforcement and the courts, and Liam Elder-Connors, Vermont Public's senior reporter on public safety, provided a behind-the-scenes look at their reporting. Resources mentioned on today's show include a warming shelter at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington and an overnight shelter at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Those looking for help or ways to volunteer can find information on Vermont 211's website, or by calling 2-1-1.

We hear the story of a Morristown man who passed away last April after struggling with substance abuse, in the first of a three-part collaboration with Seven Days analyzing the number of unhoused Vermonters who have died over the last several years.. Plus, lawmakers want to examine COVID-era appropriations that may not be yielding adequate returns for taxpayers, a Brattleboro nonprofit secured grant funding to support refugees before a federal funding freeze,tariffs on Canadian goods could raise Vermonters' energy bills, officials ponder options for the future of Vermont's waste disposal, and Vermont's senators register their opposition to Robert F. Kennedy's Jr.'s nomination for health secretary.

It's hard to find a subject more frustrating to Vermonters in recent years than education. Specifically, how to fund it, how to make it affordable, and how to ensure that all Vermont students have access to a high quality learning environment. Today on Vermont Edition, we're joined by Vermont's Education Secretary, Zoie Saunders. We'll hear why the Scott administration is aiming to fundamentally change the way how schools are run in the state, including a massive consolidation school districts, a statewide curriculum, how schools are funded, and more. We'll also speak with the head of Vermont's teacher's union, Don Tinney, and the executive director of the state's Rural Education Collaborative, John Castle, for their initial reactions to the plan. And Vermont Public's education reporter Lola Duffort joins us as well for analysis.

The Kohbandi family moved to Vermont after fleeing Afghanistan in 2021, and now hopes to grow deeper roots here with help from a new partnership intended to ease the path to homeownership for refugees. Plus, economists say Vermont's economy is in great shape, several Vermonters have been announced as James Beard Award semifinalists, state officials are looking to nix an inspection requirement for motor racetracks, and authorities have released the name of the Border Patrol agent who was fatally shot on Monday.

We visit the skating trail at Lake Morey, which town officials in Fairlee helped save by folding into its recreation department. Plus, Vermont joins a multistate lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch says he's appalled at Trump's blanket pardon for people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, Canadian officials say proposed tariffs on their goods will raise prices for Vermonters, legislation that could erase hundreds of millions of dollars worth of medical debt will be introduced this week, and authorities continue to investigate the fatal shooting of a Border Patrol agent in Coventry.

Checking in on the state's efforts to help people who develop gambling problems, after one year since online sports betting was legalized in Vermont. Plus, the Public Utility Commission recommends nixing the clean heat standard, some lawmakers in Montpelier want to exempt more Vermonters from paying state income taxes on Social Security, an outdoor clothing outlet in Essex will close a little more than a year after opening, the state director of the U.S.D.A. Farm Service Agency prepares to leave his post as a new presidential administration takes over in Washington, and we make predictions for this weekend's NFL divisional playoff games in our weekly sports report.

For the first time ever, the state is offering financial incentives for upgrading electrical systems to help reduce Vermont's carbon footprint. Plus, there's an effort to get more Vermonters to run for their local school board, more than 3,500 scams were reported to the state Attorney General's office in 2024, Rutland city officials seek public input on a proposal to move the library and city hall to a more modern building, and a no-cellphone policy goes into effect at Twin Valley Middle High School.

We prime you for the start of this year's legislative session, after Vermont Republicans picked up more seats than in any other state during the November election. Plus, an early report shows an above-average number of Vermonters have ALS, Vermont Democrats are looking for new leadership, Killington Ski Resort is beefing up security amid passholder fraud, and a new state fish stocking program is opening up new opportunities for anglers.

Vermont Public's Peter Hirschfeld breaks down the politics of climate policy in Montpelier, with Republicans potentially poised to block a sweeping energy proposal that would reduce Vermonters' use of fossil fuels to heat their homes. Plus, the fossil fuel lobby is suing Vermont in a first-of-its-kind case, Vermont's top federal prosecutor is stepping down, and Vermont's AI czar is looking for new ways to streamline government interactions.