Brave Little State

A story about the mess a toxic industry left behind and the fight over how to clean it up.

Finalists include questions about gas prices, abandoned pharmacies and a Vermont town with a lot of twins.

Sixteen volunteer firefighters have joined the Norwich department since 2020. At the firehouse, Vermont’s issues with declining volunteerism and its aging population seem far away.

Vermont has one of the weakest forms of government at the county level. Why? Vermont Edition shares a recent Brave Little State episode that digs for the answer.

Ice is unavoidable during winter on the Champlain Islands. Surrounded on all sides by an icy expanse, islanders embrace this seasonal terrain — as a place to walk the dog, to skate and to fish.

Vermont has among the weakest forms of county government in the United States, placing a big burden on towns. Is there a better way forward?

For centuries, there's been conflict over who has the authority to deploy the National Guard — including here in Vermont.

A few years ago, one man was digging around in his backyard when his shovel hit a glass bottle. Then he found another, and another — all with words like “remedy,” “tonic” and “quick cure” embossed on them.

Question-asker Manny recently got out of prison. He’s curious about finding a place where he could stay sober while readjusting to life outside a prison cell. It turns out, his options look different today than they would have even a few years ago.

Rutland — or, “RutVegas” — gets a pretty bad rap. But some residents say there’s a side of the city most people are missing.