802 News with Mark Johnson

Send us Fan Mail Ellen Kahler, executive director of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, was recently inducted into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame as an innovator for her work on the state's Farm to Plate program, which has benefited farmers and people by increasing the amount of local food consumed by Vermonters.

Send us Fan Mail Retired businessman and opinion writer Bill Schubart explains why he thinks Vermont's health care system is at a "tipping point" with costs rapidly rising and accessibility diminishing. A recent study by Rees Partners presented to the Green Mountain Care Board showed where savings could be achieved.

Send us Fan Mail Print and digital news outlets in Vermont are struggling financially. Seven Days reporter Colin Flanders discusses the in-depth analysis he and colleague Kevin McCallum conducted on the difficulties and efforts media sites are making to stay alive. 

Send us Fan Mail Historian/Journalist Garrett Graff of Burlington discusses why the crimes and coverup that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon still resonate today. Graff is the author of "Watergate: A New History" that details the events and explains why the scandal has endured 50 years after Nixon stepped down in August of 1974.

Send us Fan Mail Historian Will Randall discusses past presidents who've faced the same pressure as Joe Biden to not run again. Some allies of the 81-year-old president have been concerned about his electability after a poor debate performance against Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Vermont Democrat Sen. Peter Welch said in Washington Post opinion piece that Biden should step aside. 

Send us Fan Mail Doris Sumner is the author of "Camp Life: Combating the Sexism We Tolerate and Why the Military Should Take the Lead."  She served in the military for 36 years in several capacities, including as State Equal Opportunity and Diversity Manager for the Vermont National Guard. 

Send us Fan Mail Lawmakers will try later this month to overturn Gov. Phil Scott's veto of a bill allowing for the creation of an Overdose Prevention Center in Burlington.  Ed Baker ,  a retired psychotherapist, and David Mickenberg of the Drug Policy Alliance discuss how the center would save lives and reduce the strain on emergency workers.  

Send us Fan Mail Ashley Van Zandt, a mother of two from Lyndonville, suffered from an unusual aftereffect from Covid that left most foods tasting and smelling like "moldy garbage" or the "bottom of your compost bucket" for a year until she tried a radical treatment in Texas.

Send us Fan Mail The head of the coalition of Vermont's free health care clinics says: "More people falling through the cracks into the safety net is indicative of a system that is failing." Olivia Sharrow blames "out of control hospital costs" for the rise in uninsured and underinsured people seeking help at the state's nine free clinics. 

Send us Fan Mail State Treasurer Mike Pieciak was elected in 2022. Before that he served as Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, where he played a key role in the state's Covid response and helped untangle the Ponzi-like fraud at Jay Peak. Part of his job as treasurer includes overseeing the Unclaimed Property Division , from where I received my $29 check. 

Send us Fan Mail UVM History Department senior lecturer Andrew Buchanan discusses why it's important to look at what happened before 1941 and after 1945 to understand the full implications of World War II... even to today. 

Send us Fan Mail Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer has released a 69-page report on the role of state officials in the EB-5 ponzi scheme scandal. Three developers, Ariel Quiros, Bill Stenger and William Kelly were sentenced to jail in connection with the fraud. 

Send us Fan Mail Ten years ago, Vermont documentary filmmaker Bess O'Brien put the spotlight on opioid addiction in "The Hungry Heart." Now, she aims to raise awareness about Vermonters facing food and housing insecurity in "Just Getting By." The film tours from March 22 - April 12 throughout the state .

Send us Fan Mail Dan Daltry served as a contact tracer for the Vermont Department of Health in the frightening early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was declared a national emergency four years ago. Daltry, an infectious disease program manager, has worked for the department since 2006.  This interview will also appear as part of the Vermont Historical Society's oral history project on...

Send us Fan Mail Lawmakers and Vermonters are bracing ahead of Town Meeting Day over potentially staggering increases in education property taxes. 

Send us Fan Mail Howard Center helps people and communities by providing services to address mental health, substance use, and developmental needs. Beth Holden, Chief of Client Services, Dan Hall, Director of Outpatient Services, and Dr. Heidi Melbostad, Director of the Chittenden Clinic discuss some of the challenges clients and the Burlington-based organization are facing.

Send us Fan Mail Northeast Kingdom developer Bill Stenger served jail time in connection with the EB-5 scandal that rocked Vermont.  The Newport businessman led the effort to raise more than $400 million from foreign investors to fund projects in Jay, Burke and Newport. In part 1 of "Fall from Grace," Stenger discusses his 9 months at a Massachusetts prison and his relationship with busi...

Send us Fan Mail Northeast Kingdom developer Bill Stenger served jail time in connection with the EB-5 scandal that rocked Vermont. The Newport businessman led the effort to raise more than $400 million from foreign investors to fund projects in Jay, Burke and Newport. In Part 2 of "Fall from Grace," Stenger discusses his culpability, remorse and post-prison efforts to help see some of u...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Monte, the executive director of Champlain Housing Trust, discusses the complex challenges to create affordable housing and the recent surge of homeless people in Vermont.

Send us Fan Mail Lindsay DesLauriers, president of Bolton Valley , discusses her family's history owning the Chittenden County site and some of the challenges of being an independent ski operation. 

Send us Fan Mail Former Ambassador Skip Vallee talks about the suicide of his 27-year-old son, Charlie , and the foundation the family started for research on Long Covid.

Send us Fan Mail House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, discusses priorities and goals for the second half of the 2023-2024 biennium.

Send us Fan Mail Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, discusses goals for the second half of the legislative biennium starting January 3, as well as accomplishments in 2023.

Send us Fan Mail Ken Squier, the voice of NASCAR motor racing and owner of WDEV Radio, died two weeks ago at the age of 88. 

Send us Fan Mail Former Gov. Jim Douglas discusses the lawsuit against Middlebury College leaders for removing the Mead Memorial Chapel sign in 2021.