VPR News

Mary Oliver is gone at age 83 – and I feel like I’ve lost a friend, a soulmate, a walking companion.

The promises of 5G - the fifth-generation cellular technology - are incredibly fast speeds and the ability to connect thousands of devices at once. But according to the state's chief of telecommunications Vermonters hoping the technology will bring much-delayed broadband and cellular coverage to rural areas of the state will be disappointed.

“What are the environmental and economic benefits of wood heat in Vermont? And then what are the costs to that?” That question comes to Brave Little State from Coco Moseley of Lincoln, who – like many Vermonters – heats her family’s home with an antique wood stove.

Vermont’s drag scene has been around for decades, but now a generation of drag queens and drag kings are breaking stereotypes and finding new ways to play with gender on stage. We're talking about how Vermont's drag scene is evolving with new kinds of drag performances.

Much has been written about what Vermont’s small rural towns need if they hope to survive. Officials talk about bringing in broadband internet and encouraging young families to move in. But as they try to avoid population decline and other problems, some towns have decided to invest in what they already have. Across Vermont, communities have recently invested in historic, centrally located buildings that would otherwise sit vacant. The restored buildings, supporters say, can become places where

Donna Gottschalk, who now lives on a farm in Victory, documented the LGBTQ scene in New York and San Francisco in the 1960s and '70s. Her photos — some of which have never been displayed publicly — are featured in a solo exhibition called “Brave, Beautiful Outlaws” at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City.

In November, Montpelier voters overwhelming approved a change to the city’s charter that would allow non-US citizens to vote. As Montpelier’s City Clerk, I helped petition originator Roberta Garland bring it to a vote and now it's gone to the legislature for debate and perhaps, approval.

A couple months ago, I clicked on one of those listicles you see online. In this case, it was something like 10 things you didn’t know about the 1960’s TV show – Bewitched .

Enid Wonnacott, a leader of the organic farming movement in Vermont, has died. She was 57. Wonnacott died on Saturday , according to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT). Wonnacott led that organization for 30 years, and it grew significantly under her leadership.

Parts of Vermont saw as much as 18 inches of snow over the weekend. Big snow storms like this can pose a challenge for cities and towns with already strained budgets. We're talking about how municipalities work to keep roads safe and clear while facing challenges like high salt prices and aging equipment.

What makes a community sustainable? High school students in Morrisville are trying to answer that question, through interviews and art that explore the stories of local residents.

The push for renewable energy has been strong in Vermont. So strong that the grid in northeast Vermont sometimes gets so overloaded that renewable energy projects are ordered offline.

Looking out on the canvas of fresh snow that now blankets the trees and hills of our region, I realize that the artificial boundaries we create like fences, roads, and property lines are gone. They’ve all but vanished. And when I head out on skis, across the dirt road from my house, up along my neighbor’s cow path hill, over the crumbling old stone wall, and into the upper pasture I’m struck by the fresh, undisturbed vista before me.

Former State Rep. Kiah Morris reported a long campaign of racist harassment directed at her and her family. It's put a spotlight on the issue of racism in Vermont. We're hearing from a panel of Vermonters to talk about their experiences and thoughts on racism in our state.

It has been more than three months since 215 Vermont inmates were transferred from a government-run prison in Pennsylvania to a private prison in Mississippi. Although the idea of private prisons is not popular in Vermont, corrections and prisoner-rights groups say that, so far, the inmates are better off in Mississippi.