Featured Stories

South Burlington last week unveiled new improvements to its dispatch center that the city says will bolster its public safety apparatus as efforts to regionalize remain elusive.

A Burlington man, who authorities say is a person of interest in the fatal shooting of two out-of-state men found dead in Lamoille County last October, has pleaded guilty in federal court to an unrelated gun charge in a South Burlington case.

The newest police officer hired by Shelburne Police was quietly demoted as a Burlington police lieutenant last year after an internal investigation showed he filed 25 timesheets that were inaccurate or untimely, according to public records.

An investigation by the Vermont Human Rights Commission found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Orchard Elementary School and South Burlington School District illegally discriminated against a biracial kindergarten student in the 2018-2019 school year in violation of Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act.

The South Burlington School Board last Wednesday voted unanimously to not renew middle school principal Scott Sivo’s contract.

Michel Bergeron, a South Burlington Dolphins football alum and current Division I player at Delaware State University, is joining the Dolphins as their first-ever intern, bringing a wealth of professional experience and enthusiasm.

On Wednesday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m., Farmers Night at the Statehouse will honor Pete Sutherland, a leader of traditional and Americana music who touched and inspired many in Vermont and internationally through his compositions, playing, mentoring and teaching.

“Material Matters,” a collection of hand-colored and black-and-white photographic images and mixed media collage by Weybridge artist Victoria Blewer is on display at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier from Thursday, April 4 to June 28.

In the cosmic dance of heavenly bodies, no phenomenon possesses the drama of a solar eclipse, when the moon passes directly between the sun and earth. In the path of totality, where the moon completely obscures our home star, the world falls into an ominous darkness that has evoked everything from wonder to dread.

March 15 was the last day for the Senate and House to pass bills out of policy committees for consideration in the other chamber. Senate legislative committees now work on bills from their counterparts in the House. In addition, committees may also review the administration’s work implementing legislation passed during previous sessions.

On March 13, the South Burlington School Board unanimously approved a new budget proposal of $69,530,000 to place before the voters. The new proposal is a reduction of over $1.6 million from the original $71.2 million budget that voters rejected on Town Meeting Day.

The South Burlington School District budget failed to gain voter approval and we have been told Montpelier is to blame. That may be true, but does it really matter when it comes to the next vote. Montpelier defines the rules that govern education funding and the new rules have been known for two years.

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, the committee I currently serve on, oversees many areas, including what policies can be decided upon at the local level and state level, which often means reviewing and voting on municipal charter changes.

What came to mind when I read Alex McHenry’s statement about his resignation from the school board was “blowing out other people’s candles to make theirs shine brighter.” I attended many school board meetings this past year.

Congratulations to all six candidates who summoned the courage and commitment to run for the three open seats on city council. Campaigning for public office can be grueling, and the continual public scrutiny keeps most of us away from that process.