Vermont

(03/09/12) Vermont's Champlain Islands are smack in the middle of Lake Champlain's northern end. Isle La Motte is the westernmost of those islands. It's isolated and rural. Living there, you might travel to New York State to see a doctor, or go to the grocery store.

But, Isle La Motte joins other towns across Vermont in town meeting day, when citizens come together to have their say on issues big and small. Sarah Harris spent town meeting day on the island and has our story. more

(03/07/12) Burlington has a new mayor, Democrat Miro Weinberger. He's the first Democratic mayor of Burlington in 30 years. Republican candidate Kurt Wright conceded just before 7:30 last night as votes were being counted. Sarah Harris was at Weinberger's election party in downtown Burlington and has our story. more

(03/06/12) Town meeting day in Vermont is one of the few examples of direct democracy in our country. It's a state holiday, and townspeople turn out to elect municipal leaders and approve local budgets.

This year local issues at town meeting reflect national debates. In Franklin, Vermont, voters will determine whether prayer should be allowed at town meeting. And 52 towns will vote on whether to pass a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United.

In Burlington, the state's largest city, Vermonters are headed to the polls to elect a new mayor. Sarah Harris has more. more

(03/02/12) "Politics" are different in Vermont's largest city. Since 1985, a successful third party, the Progressive party, has dominated local government there. Progressive voters essentially sent Sen. Bernie Sanders to Congress after re-electing him mayor of Burlington for successive terms.

But for the first time in almost 30 years, there's no Progressive running for mayor this year.

Paul Heintz covers politics for 7 Days, an alternative weekly newspaper based in Burlington. He says this race isn't so much about issues as personalities and shifting loyalties. And he says that even though there's no Progressive on the ballot, those votes will still make a difference.

He told Sarah Harris there's a history of bad blood between Progressives and Democrats, and this race is a bit of a turf battle. more

(02/23/12) Imagine racing over a frozen lake on a wind-powered sled, hitting speeds that top forty miles an hour. Ice sailing is a big sport in winter and the north end of Lake Champlain has a growing reputation as one of the best venues in the northeast. Our Champlain Valley correspondent Sarah Harris headed out on the ice to give it a try and has our story. more

(02/22/12) The federal low income heating assistance program, commonly known as LIHEAP, has had a lot of ups and downs this year. Funding levels are lower than they've been in awhile. And there's more demand for services.

In New York state, this winter's average benefits for families are $500-700 lower than they were last year.

Sarah Harris reports from Vermont, where the state's Congressional delegation secured an additional $5 million to bolster the program. But even with that help, many Vermonters are still struggling to keep their heat on this winter. more

(02/15/12) In his new book, Happy Life, Vermont poet David Budbill uses the ancient Chinese poets as inspiration. Our book reviewer, Betsy Kepes, reflects on Budbill's reflections. more

(02/07/12) For the first time since 1995, a sitting president will be visiting the state of Vermont. That's according to the Burlington Free Press.

According to the newspaper, the White House has confirmed that Barack Obama will be visiting Burlington on March 30th "to participate in campaign events."

First Lady Michelle Obama visited Vermont last June, but this will be the president's first trip to the state since he won office.

The last sitting president to visit was Bill Clinton in 1995.

(01/23/12) Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the supreme court Citizens United decision. The court voted 5-4, saying that corporations have the same protected speech rights as people, including the right to make unlimited financial contributions to groups who want to influence elections. That's upsetting to a lot of Vermonters. And as Sarah Harris reports, they're working to change it. more

(01/13/12) Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin addressed the state legislature Thursday with his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. With federal funds factored in, the budget totals around $6.7 billion. more