Vermont

(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

(01/04/12) The Vermont legislature convened in Montpelier yesterday for the first day of the 2012 legisaltive session. It's session is expected to be a busy one, with lawmakers determining how to fill a multi-million dollar budget gap and recover from Tropical Storm Irene. more

(01/03/12) Vermonters earning minimum wage had reason to celebrate this New Year's Day. The state's minimum wage is indexed to the cost of living. And that pushed Vermont's minimum up 31 cents yesterday, from $8.15 an hour to $8.46. It was one of 8 states to raise its minimum wage on Jan. 1, and now has the third highest minimum in the country. Minimum wage in New York State is the same as the federal rate, $7.25 an hour. more

(12/29/11) Vermont might have become the eastern side of New York State if it hadn't been for the bold action of patriot and land speculator Ethan Allen. Betsy Kepes reviews William Sterne Randall's new biography of Vermont's first hero. more

(12/23/11) Paul O'Toole, a Burlington homeless man, died of hypothermia Saturday night. He was found sleeping on a heating grate. The temperature was 17 degrees, with windchill around 6. O'Toole's death has sparked debate about what options the homeless have as the weather gets colder. Some say he could have benefited from a low, barrier, or wet shelter. That means the kind of shelter where you're allowed in even if you're intoxicated. But mostly, people were sad that O'Toole couldn't get the help he needed. Sarah Harris stopped in Georgia Center and Milton, Vermont, to hear what people had to say.

(12/15/11) More and more companies are making the business case for "doing good." A Rochester woman who cut her chops at the socially-conscious ice cream-maker Ben & Jerry's is trying to spread the word in New York State's for-profit community. The Innovation trail's Zack Seward has more. more

(12/15/11) Social Band, a mixed chorus of 22 singers based in Burlington, will celebrate all things winter -- from outer cold to inner warmth - with two concerts this weekend in Vermont.

Some of the music will come from the group's first winter album, which came out a couple of years ago. The music ranges from traditional and medieval carols to works by modern Vermont composers.

Social Band will perform Saturday, 7:30 pm at Burlington's First Baptist Church and Sunday 4:00 pm at the Charlotte Congregational Church. Todd Moe spoke with director Amity Baker about Deep Midwinter.

(12/06/11) In our on-going series, The Adirondack Attic, Andy Flynn talks with Steve Engelhart, Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, about an early photo of the original Lake Champlain Bridge, which connects Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont. Back in 1929, the original bridge was state-of-the-art for the era.