Vermont Edition

Vermont's famous big cats are rumored to be roaming the woods and hills. Here's how to know if you really did spot one in the wild.

The only definitive proof of a catamount living in present-day Vermont is Rally Cat, the UVM mascot dancing on the sidelines of sports games. The actual animal has not been officially documented in the state since 1881. Still, many Vermonters swear they've seen catamounts — also known as pumas, cougars, or mountain lions.On the latest installment of the Vermont Edition series Animal Hour, Mikaela Lefrak was joined by Declan McCabe, a biologist from St. Michael's University in Colchester, and renowned wildlife tracker and naturalist Sue Morse of Jericho. They discussed how to identify big cat species, be it a mountain lion, lynx, or bobcat.

A wounded Union captain from Vermont and the resilient wife of a Confederate soldier cross paths — and fates — in Chris Bohjalian's new novel.Bohjalian is the New York Times bestselling author of 25 books, a playwright and a longtime Weybridge resident. His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies and an Emmy-winning TV series (The Flight Attendant on Max). His novel Midwives was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. He was a weekly columnist for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.This show was recorded on Mar. 9 at a live event, when Bohjalian sat down with Mikaela Lefrak in front of a packed house at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. The event was produced in partnership with the Middlebury Book Shop.Then, we get a preview of the Green Mountain Film Festival in Montpelier when Mikaela speaks with festival programmer Sam Kann.Broadcast live on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

The average marketplace premium in Vermont is more than 140% higher than the national average in 2025. For individuals who get their insurance through their employers, not the marketplace, their contributions are the highest in the whole country.In a recent Brave Little State episode, senior producer Josh Crane explores why Vermont's health care system is so expensive. He looks into the UVM Health Network and compares health care costs in different parts of our region. Then, Chief Health Care Advocate for Vermont Legal Aid Mike Fisher answers your questions about our health care system. Broadcast live on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

The proposed center will provide medical supervision to people using illegal drugs.

Town and state leaders are working to improve humans' relationship with beavers to support flood resiliency. Beavers' brains are small — about the size of a walnut — but you wouldn't know it from watching them work. "They get up and go to work every single day, never take a vacation," said Skip Lisle, a wildlife biologist in Grafton. Lisle invented the Beaver Deceiver, a flow device that sneaks water away from beavers and removes the need to trap or kill them.For naturalist Patti Smith of the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center in West Brattleboro, it's important for Vermonters to understand what happened when beavers were overhunted in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. "When all of the beavers disappeared from North America — disappeared being a euphemism for 'turned into stylish hats' — eventually those dams degraded and all of those wetlands drained," she said.

Sen. Welch discusses Trump's tax on Canadian goods. Vermont Commerce Secretary and a Montreal reporter discuss how the tariffs will play out on either side of the border.

Town Meeting Day is a method of direct civic engagement and and a longstanding community building tradition. It's a time when Vermont’s 247 municipalities each decide how they’ll spend their local budgets. We begin by hearing about some significant votes taking place around the state. Vermont Public's Nina Keck talks about the Rutland mayoral race, and reporter Lexi Krupp explains Lyndon's vote to keep Town Meeting an in-person affair, rather than switch to Australian ballot.Then, we dig into the history of town meetings in Vermont with Middlesex town moderator Susan Clark. She is the co-author of many books about democracy in Vermont, including All Those in Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community. She discusses the times when Vermont towns voted on national and international issues that extended far beyond the purview of local budgets. Then, we share a 1982 NPR story by Leslie Breeding about a town meeting in Strafford. Broadcast live on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

It’s time for Town Meeting Day, a Vermont tradition stretching back more than 200 years. Chief administrative officer for the City of Burlington Katharine Schad discusses significant bond measures. Missisquoi Valley School District vice chair Renick Darnell-Martin, a Highgate resident, talks through the school district's budget. In Plainfield, select board chair Karl Bissex talked about a plan to expand the town after last year's flooding caused major damage. Bellows Falls, Saxtons River and Rockingham voted this past weekend to create a single municipal fire and rescue department. Rockingham town manager Scott Pickup provides insight on that vote. Jackie Matts, chair of the Bennington charter review committee, explains the effort to allow 16- and 17-year-olds and non-U.S.citizens to vote on town issues.