Vermont Edition

For years, Burlington residents have gone back and forth about police oversight in their city. On Election Day, voters approved a charter change that's intended to do just that. Liam Elder-Connors, Vermont Public’s senior reporter on public safety, talks us through the measure and the years of local debate over police conduct and oversight that led to this moment. Michael Moran and Eric Dallamura of the Burlington Police Officers Association discuss their concerns, and Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak explains why she sees the charter change as a promising compromise.

After a failed gubernatorial run in 1982, Madeleine Kunin secured 50% of the vote in her second run in 1984, winning against her Republican challenger. John J. Easton, Jr. Forty years ago, Kunin became the first and only woman to Vermont's highest-elected office. She’s also the first and only Jewish person to serve as Vermont’s Governor."I think the women's movement gave me the idea that women could do anything," Kunin said. "And I wanted to be involved in public events, and being in Vermont politics seemed more accessible. We had a small group of people at that time who encouraged each other to do things larger than their personal lives, and I took that seriously."When reflecting on the career of former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin, it’s natural to focus on her historic “firsts.” Once in office, she appointed the first woman to Vermont's Supreme Court, Denise Johnson, She then appointed Mollie Beattie to the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, who would go on to become the first woman Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The influence her leadership has had on generations of women. This legacy continued when, two years ago, Becca Balint was elected as Vermont’s first female representative in Congress. Balint’s election ended Vermont’s distinction as the only state never to have elected a woman to Congress.Broadcast live on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us…

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his show, "My Place," Joel Najman recounts his long radio career.

Vermont has numerous invasive species, including zebra mussels, Japanese knotweed, false indigo, and golden clams. Invasive species are plants, insects, or other organisms introduced—intentionally or accidentally — from other places. A recent episode of Brave Little State centers on a listener's question about which invasive species has done the most damage in our region. The episode also features Noah Hoffman, invasive species coordinator for Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, who explains the prevention measures the state takes.Broadcast live on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermont has numerous invasive species, like zebra mussels, Japanese knotweed, false indigo, and golden clams. Invasive species are plants, insects, or other organisms introduced—intentionally or accidentally — from other places. A recent episode of Brave Little State centers on a listener's question about which invasive species has done the most damage in our region. The episode also features Noah Hoffman, Invasive Species Coordinator for Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. He'll explain the prevention measures the state takes to fend off these pesky invaders.Broadcast live on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at noon

It’s been almost 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. The conflict transformed how Americans felt about fighting on foreign soil, and how civilians treat veterans upon their return home. For today's Veterans' Day show, we want to shine a particular focus on Vietnam War veterans.Two local Vietnam veterans share their stories of deployment and their return home. Perry Melvin, Shelburne resident and president of the Vermont Vietnam Veterans State Council, served with the Combined Action Platoon unit 135 as a Navy corpsman with the Marines. Maureen Dwyer served as an Army nurse from 1967 to 1970, stationed for a year at the 67th Evacuation Hospital from 1969 to 1970. She now lives in Essex.The organization Vets Town Hall creates storytelling space for veterans of any era to share their stories at events around the state. Jon Turner, one of the local organizers and board member, served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, and also operates Wild Roots Community Farm in Bristol.Broadcast live on Monday, November 11, 2024, at noon

Local veterans reflect on their experiences in the Vietnam War. Plus, Vets Town Hall events encourage veterans to share their experiences.

Elections elicit a lot of strong feelings and reactions, as the results determine the future of our country and our region. So this hour, we opened our phone lines and inboxes to get a sense of how our area is feeling about the outcome of both the national and local races. We're joined by Middlebury College Professor Matt Dickinson for analysis of the campaign and its outcome and to react to your thoughts.Then, But Why host Jane Lindholm discusses how to navigate tough conversations with kids and students who may have many questions following this election season.

Election anxiety can accompany any election, as the results determine the country’s direction for the next four years. This year, Vermonters were deciding which candidates could best improve their lives and communities. We spoke with Middlebury College Professor Matt Dickinson for analysis of the campaign and its outcome. We also heard from Vermonters across the political spectrum about their perspectives on the election.Additionally, But Why host Jane Lindholm discusses how to navigate tough conversations with kids and students who may have many questions following this election season.Broadcast live on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Today on Vermont Edition, we'll get a breakdown of the main takeaways from the state's elections with Vermont Public statehouse reporter, Peter Hirschfeld. Then, we speak with winners of major local and statewide races. Republican John Rodgers appears to have won the lieutenant governorship, besting Progressive Democrat David Zuckerman, the incumbent. Republicans flipped six seats in the Vermont Senate, ending the Democratic supermajority. We'll hear from one of those Republican winners, Steve Heffernan of Addison County. And Democratic state senator Thomas Chittenden of South Burlington will tell us about his re-election and gives us his take on why some candidates from his party were not able to hold on to their seats. Lastly, Democratic Congresswoman Becca Balint joins us to give us her thoughts on the results on the national stage, including the re-election of President-elect Trump, and how the changes in congress will affect her work next year.