VPR News

More than 90% of those surveyed in the new VPR-Vermont PBS Rural Life Survey said the dairy industry is "somewhat important" or "very important" to Vermont, yet this treasured way of life is in serious trouble.

Thousands of people turned out in New York City over the weekend to rally for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. It was the first major campaign event since Sanders suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago. He also received a key endorsement at the rally from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Vermonters generally enjoy life in their rural communities, and most say they're optimistic about the future, according to the new Rural Life Survey commissioned by VPR and Vermont PBS. But the poll also reveals stark challenges threatening the future of rural economies that experts say are in a time of "enormous transition."

The results of the Vermont Rural Life Survey, a part of the VPR and Vermont PBS This Land project , will be released Monday morning. At noon, join Vermont Edition for a discussion of the results with Castleton University political science professor Rich Clark.

Local newspaper reporters from around the region share stories and issues that are top-of-mind in their communities for the week ending Oct. 19. We hear from John Gregg, news editor for the Valley News , covering the Upper Valley; Madeline Clark, who writes for The Other Paper and covers issues in South Burlington and Alex Nuti de-Biasi, managing editor from the Bradford Journal Opinion , with news from Orange County, Vermont and Grafton County, New Hampshire.

This weekend marks the 155th anniversary of a key Civil War victory for Union troops known as the Battle of Cedar Creek . On that same day, a Confederate raid took place in St. Albans, Vermont — robbing a local bank and killing one citizen before escaping to Canada. And while much is known about Vermont's generals and sharpshooters , what about the Vermont women who sustained the home front?

After breaking up in 1977, the influential proto-punk band Death had a remarkable resurgence starting in 2009. Fans who were unaware of the band's place in musical history were turned on to Death thanks to a release of some of their music and a documentary that charted their story: A Band Called Death .

Backed by fans from four high schools in two counties, the Fairfax-Lamoille Bullets play their last football game of the regular season on Saturday. If they make it past Otter Valley , the team will go into the postseason with a perfect 8-0 record.

In an ideal world, Windsor County State’s Attorney David Cahill says, the reason for his resignation wouldn’t be news.

The region's largest dairy cooperative will impose a new pricing system in January in an effort to curb excess milk production.

The Burlington High School girls soccer team is advocating for equal pay for women with special-made jerseys. The team is hoping people will buy and wear them when Burlington takes on rival South Burlington this Friday night.

The Vermont Department of Health released death certificates on Tuesday for the Rutland man killed by police in a shootout last week, and a second man killed in a related homicide.

Tuesday night, 12 Democratic candidates for president took the stage in Ohio for a fourth primary debate. Many eyes were on Bernie Sanders, who suffered a heart attack just two weeks ago. We're analyzing Tuesday's debate with a roundtable of Vermont political scientists and discussing what Sanders' performance means for his campaign.

Vermont is the only state in the country that regulates hospital budgets. And as rural hospitals struggle, the panel that oversees them is requesting more paperwork.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are already in Vermont's skies. They collect data, snap photos and can provide helpful views of buildings and other structures. They're also increasingly being used to respond to disasters and other emergencies. We're talking about drones with the director of UVM's Spatial Analysis Lab, and how the lab is helping federal aviation officials craft rules for using drones during emergencies.