We start by learning how Norwich University students are testing wastewater to detect the presence of COVID and why this works. We’ll meet the woman who raffled off the right to give her a middle name to raise money for the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Heather Pelham tells us how and why it’s great to shop Vermont-made products.  And we hear from Jas Smith finally followed his heart late in life to begin a career in forestry with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. 

VTDigger’s Katja Schwenk provides insight into the recent announcement by UVM that they are considering dropping 12 majors, 11 minors and four graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to close a budget gap. We then hear about National Life’s robust community involvement programs. And in the 10 o’clock hour, we get to know the Montpelier organization CERF+ The Artists Safety Net, and a NEK Blacksmith that got assistance from the non-profit after a fire. We’ll hear about what kinds of crises artists face — and how the art economy is coping with COVID-19.

Lisa Scagliotti of the Waterbury Roundabout hosts the show while Ric takes some time off. Lisa talks with Monica Talbot Ogelby, contact tracing leader for the Vermont Department of Health, about how contact tracers aim to outpace the coronavirus and get close contacts of the infected tested and quarantined. Will Senning, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance for the Vermont Secretary of State's Office, talks about how Vermont towns can best handle Town Meeting Day on March 2, 2021. Stephen Kiernan, former journalist and current author, gives recommendations on books to read this winter.

Lee Kittel host the show today as Ric takes some time off. Andrea Grayson of the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine talks about sugar consumption and why it's important to reduce one's intake of sugar. Patrick Lancour joins us to talk about rare collectibles, particularly in the sports realm. Amanda Ahmadi with the Children's Trust Fund talks about the Polar Express event in Burlington.

Former Governor Jim Douglas hosts the show while Ric takes a few days off. Two members of the Governor's COVID response team, Mike Smith, Secretary of Human Services, and Mike Pieczak, Commissioner of Financial Regulation, will discuss the recent statistical trends and the plan to roll out vaccines. Political Science Prof. Matt Dickinson of Middlebury College tells us why the polls were wrong and whether the election is over.

It doesn’t matter how many times you have to drive through snow or ice, getting tips on how to drive safely in the winter are always helpful. We’ll hear from a couple VTrans workers who know the roads well and how we should be behaving around snow plows. We’ll hear how a startup created a repurposed version of their food deals app to bring free food to Vermonters affected by COVID-19. And then we’ll learn about the work being done by the Central Vermont Council on Aging to help older Vermonters in 54 communities.

In the first hour, we get a history lesson from NVU-Lyndon Professor Paul Searls on how Vermont tried to attract people to move here from 1890 through the 1970s. And he’ll discuss all that went into building the Interstate Highways in the state. Then we get great book suggestions from Waterbury Public Library Director Almy Landauer and Bear Pond Books Owner Claire Benedict. 

The Vermont Council on Rural Development has been working on an initiative they’re calling the Vermont Proposition. It looks to articulate priorities for our economy, environment, communities, and people. We’ll hear about the effort. We’ll meet master bird carver (and one-time decathlon champion) Floyd Scholz. Derek Brouwer of Seven Days has the latest on one-time Whistle Pig owner Raj Bhakta on his plans for the Green Mountain College property in Poultney. And we talk to a couple of the people behind the new annual Vermont Almanac.

We begin by getting a big-picture look at how Vermont’s labor market has been affected by the pandemic, how the state’s Department of Labor has handled an unprecedented surge in its caseload, and what’s coming up for the 30,000 Vermonters receiving unemployment benefits. Then we get some pointers on taking care of your personal finances during this COVID-19 era. And finally, we’ll learn about holding on to your well-earned money by avoiding the many online and phone scams that pop up daily. 

We’ve been hearing about the rising percentage of Vermonters who are food insecure since COVID-19 reached Vermont. We’ll hear from a couple of UVM researchers who have been collecting data on the subject from the outset of the pandemic. Then we head to Brattleboro to learn about emissions goals and rent controls in that town. And we finish with Brian Bittner of Bittner Antiques to learn about his deep family history and well-entrenched interest in antiques.