Jenn Jarecki

Out of 475 submissions, Burr and Burton Academy junior Justason Lahue's essay won the 2025 State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont students. The annual contest, run by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders office, is now in its 15th year.

A 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report found that nearly 1 in 4 Vermonters said they'd experienced symptoms of anxiety. Studies show that even just petting an animal can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Shelburne's New Village Farm invites guests to pet, scratch, hold and snuggle their dog-like herd of Nigerian dwarf, Oberhasli, and French alpine goats.

The awards honor outstanding local work in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and children’s literature. The prizes are overseen by Vermont Humanities and the state Department of Libraries.

Two and a half years into Vermont's retail cannabis marketplace, lawmakers and other stakeholders are considering making changes to target oversaturation.

Saja Almogalli is the newest district liaison officer for Winooski's schools. Her background as a refugee from Iraq informs her work in one of Vermont's most diverse school districts.

In the two weeks since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has released dozens of orders reshaping federal policy and agencies. A new task force created by state Treasurer Mike Pieciak is focused on helping guide Vermont residents, businesses and nonprofits through the federal transition.

A retail store in Middlebury, FLŌRA Cannabis, filed the lawsuit. It could have a large impact on the state's retail cannabis industry.

Vermonters bet just over $140 million in 2024, the first year of legal sports gambling in the state. During that time, the state has worked to grow its resources for people with gambling problems.

Lena Ashooh is Vermont's 43rd Rhodes Scholar, and the state's first since 2006. After earning Harvard University's first ever animal studies degree, she'll head to the University of Oxford to study legal philosophy.

The road to getting anything big accomplished this year in Montpelier is going to require collaboration between Democrats and Republicans. Here are some of the key issues to watch.