Vermont Edition

Every month, Vermont Edition hones in on a different town or city for a series called Town by Town. Our goal is visit all 252 towns in Vermont. For the latest installment, we head to Royalton, which includes the unincorporated villages of North and South Royalton. It’s known for being the home to the state’s only law school, its bucolic location along the White River, and much more.  Today's show...

Around the turn of the 20th century, only 25% of Vermont was still forested. Today, that situation has completely reversed, with forests covering about three quarters of the state.  Author Robert Mello helps Vermont Edition mark Earth Day 2026 with an environmental comeback story: How the Green Mountain State became green again. His new book, When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Verm...

How to tackle your storage unit this spring cleaning season

This hour we’re going to be talking with Beth Roberts , the CEO of Vermont’s largest private insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. This is a rebroadcast of a show from early February. We wanted to replay it in light of some updates. Last month, BlueCross reported a net operating gain of 53 million dollars in 2025. This is significant because it’s the first time in 2020 that the com...

Navigating 'gray divorce' in your later years

The sound of spring peepers tells us warmer weather is on its way. As the frogs ribbit, spotted salamanders crawl across roads to find mating spots, while turtles and snakes bask in the sun. Herpetologist Jim Andrews from Salisbury coordinates the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas . He joins Vermont Edition for our annual hour on reptiles and amphibians to offer advice on how to observe and prot...

Vermont state lawmakers are considering a bill that would restrict the influence of private equity in the healthcare system. Private equity's influence has been seen among specialists, methadone clinics, and nursing homes.  Vermont has also seen an increase in membership-based medical practices, sometimes referred to as concierge care. These businesses are often backed by private equity firms. We...

The history of blackface and minstrelsy in Vermont

Using psychedelics in mental health treatment has been gaining legitimacy in recent years. Now, a little-known substance called ibogaine has some addiction counselors wanting to learn more about the benefits and dangers of ibogaine therapy. We hear from Vermont state representative Brian Cina , a Progressive-Democrat from Burlington who wants Vermont to use opioid settlement funding to pursue ibog...

Rep. Becca Balint pushes for an Iran war powers vote in the House

Contra dancing has deep roots in New England. But it's also still evolving, from an increased emphasis on gender inclusivity to new styles of dance. Two well-known local callers help us explore the ever-changing culture of contra. Luke Donforth and Mary Wesley are both Burlington-based, but they call dances all across the region. Welsey is also the director of education and media at Vermont Folkli...

An unprompted hug. A shoulder massage that was never requested. A compliment or comment that crosses a boundary. What some consider acceptable workplace behavior may actually be problematic.  Today on Vermont Edition, it's a conversation about appropriate–and inappropriate–conduct in the workplace.  We’ll hear from the executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women on the laws supporting em...

So you're thinking about getting Canadian citizenship, eh?

Grab your lucky rabbit’s foot, walk around that ladder, and come talk about superstitions and tall tales with us. Do you ever wonder why you feel a little uneasy when a mirror cracks? You’re not alone.  Locally, there’s stories like the Bennington Triangle and Emily's Bridge in Stowe. There’s also the superstitious behavior we inherit, such as saying 'rabbit rabbit' on the first of the month. Toda...

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has roots in Vermont and nationwide implications. The Zorn v. Linton case involved a 2015 protest in Montpelier, and Vermont State Police. We discuss the case with one of its subjects, Shela Linton of Brattleboro, and two constitutional lawyers: Jay Diaz , Civil Rights and workers compensation litigator at Darby Kolter & Roberts. He was formerly the lead ad...

Nurses at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will return to the bargaining table tomorrow with hospital administrators. 

Migratory songbirds warble, tweet and twitter their way back to Vermont

For the latest in our Town by Town series, we head to Rockingham, in Windham County. Rockingham sits along the Connecticut River and includes the villages of Saxtons River and Bellows Falls. Each month, Vermont Edition visits or learns about a different Vermont town or city, with the goal of hitting all 252 of them. At the end of the hour, a guest helps us select our next location by spinning a bi...

As health plans drop GLP-1s, what's next for patients?

Lawmakers recently elected a new head of the Vermont National Guard. This new leadership comes as Guard members are being deployed around the world, from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Today on Vermont Edition, we'll talk with Major General Henry "Hank" Harder Jr. He now leads around 3,000 Guard members in the Green Mountain State. He’ll tell us about his military service, and his role when the...

In the latest installment of our series, Vermont Edition At Home, we head to the Williston home of Ryan Miller, lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for the pop rock band Guster. Miller and his bandmates have released nine albums over the last three and a half decades. Miller is also the former host of the Vermont PBS show Makin’ Friends With Ryan Miller , and composes for film and theater. His i...

Commonsense House, a new publishing imprint in the Upper Valley, aims to bring more Arabic works to English readers. Its founder, Ezzedine Fishere , is an author himself. He is a Distinguished Fellow at Dartmouth from Egypt who teaches courses on Middle East politics. He discusses the highs and and lows of getting his novels translated into English.  Daisy Rockwell is an award-winning Hindi and Ur...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The Irish have deep roots in Vermont.  We’ll learn about Irish immigrants’ arrival in the Green Mountain State with Vincent Feeney, a Montpelier historian and co-founder of the Burlington Irish Heritage Festival. Seven Days Food writer Jordan Barry will share ideas for where to order traditional Irish food and other food news from our region. Plus, Vermont Senate leader Ph...

Reporter roundtable: Vt. legislature's 'crossover day'

Vermonters respond to major clash between ICE and protesters