VPR News

Worry is normal in healthy amounts, but this year, Vermont's younger students may be feeling more than is healthy. With the help of Vermont Family Network and some savvy puppeteers from Puppets in Education , some students in Vermont schools are learning how to not let worry and anxiety overwhelm them.

The company that runs the hydroelectric dams along the Connecticut River unveiled a new proposal this week, and if approved, it would change how much and how often the company discharges water from three dams in the valley. News editor John Gregg from the Valley News covered the story.

In recent weeks, eight of Vermont's eldercare homes have experienced outbreaks of the coronavirus, and the vast majority of the state’s recent COVID-19 fatalities have come from those events.

Where have you found support during the pandemic? Through online communities or virtual events? By phoning a loved one or writing a friend? This hour, Bob Kinzel and Mitch Wertlieb want to hear your approaches and experiences.

Restaurants that rely on dine-in customers have had a rough year, to say the least. Indoor dining is still allowed in Vermont, but some establishments have chosen to offer only takeout and delivery or they've closed altogether – some for the foreseeable future and some permanently.

A government shutdown looms at the end of this week. Congress is expected to pass a one-week stopgap measure to keep the wheels in motion while members continue to debate a more than $900 billion bipartisan coronavirus aid proposal. This hour, we talk with Representative Peter Welch about federal coronavirus aid, the presidential transition and other issues.

Last week, administrators at the University of Vermont announced that they plan to cut 12 majors, 11 minors and four master's programs from the College of Arts and Sciences. University leaders say persistent budget deficits and low enrollment in certain programs make these cuts necessary.

Terri Williams was recently elected to the Vermont House of Representatives for the Essex-Caledonia district, which has exactly one representative. Independent producer Erica Heilman visited the freshman lawmaker at her house in Granby, and they talked in her garage during the first freezing rain this fall.

The Vermont state archivist is using modern technology to tell an old story that's now new again: how Vermont responded to the 1918 influenza pandemic. And she's chronicling it all on Twitter with epic tweet threads that tease out similarities between plagues past and present.

From social isolation to food insecurity, the effects of COVID-19 can be wide-ranging and strenuous. So Vermont officials have a new message for residents: take care of your mental health and well-being, and reach out if you need help. This hour, in our weekly update, we talk about this and the latest COVID-19 news with Mental Health Commissioner Sarah Squirrell and Deputy Health Commissioner Tracy Dolan, and we answer your questions.

The town of Stamford held a community Christmas tree lighting ceremony Friday, in direct defiance of Gov. Scott's order not to congregate due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dating during a pandemic poses a unique set of challenges. Especially under Gov. Scott’s recent ban on multi-household gatherings , Vermonters are no longer able to connect with new partners in person. This hour, we hear from two relationship coaches who share their expertise on how new relationships are impacted by social distancing guidelines. And, we hear from Vermonters about how you are navigating new relationships in the midst of COVID-19.

When the pandemic hit, the number of seniors relying on Meals on Wheels surged nationwide.

Due to the pandemic, southern Vermont's Mount Snow will forego seeking international workers to fill seasonal jobs at its resort this season.

In 2004, the Upper Valley town of Grafton, N.H. was set to transform into a libertarian paradise. But the group that wanted to make Grafton a tax-free town void of almost any government footprint found themselves up against a literal force of nature: a sleuth of curious, bold and, above all, hungry bears.