Vermont Edition

Spring Gardening With Charlie Nardozzi

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi is back to answer all your spring gardening questions.

Secure Communities Program Comes To Vermont

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

This week Vermont became the latest state to have the federal government implement the Secure Communities program, raising questions and concerns about how it would affect law enforcement and immigrants in the state.

UVM Professor Pronounces At The Spelling Bee

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

UVM Classics Professor Jacques Bailly relates his experiences as the pronouncer at the National Spelling Bee and we hear about the Vermont music scene's Ryan Power and NNA Tapes.

Tracking Vermont's Bumblebees

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

As honeybee populations decline, there's a new focus on the role of bumblebees in pollinating plants, and a first-ever effort to document Vermont's native species.

Treating And Caring For Alzheimer's Patients

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Alzheimer's Disease ravages the brain and presents a host of challenges for families grappling with the disease. Last week the federal government announced a new effort to prevent or treat Alzheimer's by 2025.

Education Charts A New Course

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca discusses the department's change to a state agency, and Senator Bernie Sanders looks at the future of rural post offices.

Vermont Reads: The Literature Of War

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

As part of VPR's weeklong series, Vermont Reads Bull Run, we look at how war is written about in literature, and what we can learn about the experience and the truths of war by reading about it.

Rural Transit: Sometimes You Can Get There From Here

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We discuss how rural mass transit is being accomplished in the state and where Vermont needs to improve.

Adjutant General Dubie Prepares To Step Down

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Major General Michael Dubie's tenure as Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard will end this year, when he's confirmed as deputy commander of NORTHCOM. Dubie talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about his years heading the guard and the issues his successor will face.

Extinctions As Damaging As Climate Change

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

A new study published in Nature found that the extinction of plant and animal species may be doing just as much damage to the planet as climate change and pollution.

Reporters Roundtable: Results Of 2012 Legislature

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We talk with political reporters in the state about how lawmakers and the governor dealt with several difficult issues in the final year of the biennium.

Legislative Leaders Assess Session

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

House Speaker Shap Smith and Minority Leader Don Turner look back at the successes and failures of the recent session of the Legislature.

Welch Speaking Out About Student Loan Debt

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Representative Peter Welch has been speaking out about what he says is the necessity of keeping interest rates on Stafford Loans from doubling, and the greater issues of student loan debt and college affordability.

Recognizing Vermont's Abenaki

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We look at what affect state recognition of the Abenaki tribes might have on federal recognition, revisit the Maurice Sendak collection at Dartmouth and get a preview of the VPT series, "The Governors."

Flocking Together: Spring Migration Bird Show

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Time to get out your waterproof binoculars, and download the latest birding app - it's time for Vermont Edition's annual bird show.

Governor Peter Shumlin

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Governor Peter Shumlin discusses where legislation stands as the Legislature tries to wrap up the current session.

Brain Study Shows Addiction Risk Higher For Some Teens

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

A new study has found evidence that some teenagers are at higher risk for substance abuse because their brains work differently, in ways that make them more impulsive. The same study has also found that different networks in the brain seem to be connected to symptoms of ADHD.

Grading Our Stimulus Investments

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We look at how the federal stimulus money was spent and what impact it has had on Vermont's economy, VPR's Ross Sneyd provides a legislative roundup and we reach into our mailbag and read some of your comments.

The Lake Champlain Floods, One Year Later

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

This time last spring, Lake Champlain was still rising, inundating homes, roads, fields and businesses. For more than two months, the lake was above flood stage. The impact, on residents in communities all along the lake, and on the environment was significant.

Greening Up And Cleaning Up, Still

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Vermont's annual anti-litter Green Up Day is taking on the added challenge of cleaning up debris left by Tropical Storm Irene in August.

Leahy Pushes Renewal Of Violence Against Women Act

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Sen. Patrick Leahy is leading the effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, backing an amendment that would focus on domestic violence and rates of violence against teens.

Reeve Lindbergh On Her Mother's Life And Writings

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a prolific writer, publishing a number of books during her lifetime, many chronicling her life with her aviator husband, Charles. Now, her daughter Reeve Lindbergh is sharing a new chapter in her family's story, publishing "Against Wind & Tide," a book of her mother's letters and journals that span 1947-1986.

350 Vermont: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Climate change is a global issue, but many organizations are working to tackle the problem by engaging people at the local level.

The Politics Of Women, Work And Family

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Issues surrounding women, work and family are making regular appearances on the campaign trail, in the news, and in the public discourse. We look at how Vermont is doing when it comes to things like equal pay and equal opportunities for women, and at how these issues play out in an election year.

Report Assesses Vermont's Environmental Health

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We like to think Vermont is "green" but when you look beyond the postcard image, how is Vermont’s environment really doing? The Agency of Natural Resources is resuming a tradition of an annual report on the state's leading environmental indicators.

Health Care Bill Nears Vote In Vt. Senate

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

The 2012 health care bill sets up a consumer exchange, and allows individuals and small businesses to be eligible for federal tax credits.

The Bears Are Out There

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

State wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond discusses Vermont's efforts to control the bear population, we hear about dairy issues and milk supply and we learn about a Middlebury College team of poets competing in a national competition.

The Draw Of Darkness In Young Adult Fiction

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Difficult subject matter has long been a staple of young adult fiction. But the enormous popularity of The Hunger Games has focused a lot of attention on just how dark young adult fiction can be.

What Follows A Sexual Assault

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We discuss the steps that a sexual assault victim goes through after an attack, Steve Zind updates us on how Irene Recovery funds have been distributed and we hear about a novel written in one-page serialized chapters.

Milk Prices, Irene Aftermath Worry Farmers

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Farmers are embarking on the first planting season after the destructive floods of Tropical Storm Irene, and the continued recovery coincides with low milk prices.

The Civil War Story Of Vermont's Sleeping Sentinel

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Civil War historian Howard Coffin relates the story of the Sleeping Sentinel, an update on the Vermont Legislature and we listen back to the voices in the news this week.

Teaching And Learning About The Holocaust

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

With Holocaust Remembrance Day next week, Vermonters are working on community and classroom education about the Holocaust and human behavior.

Walking The Line: The Politics Of Teacher Strikes

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Teachers in the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union are on strike this week. Last fall, teachers in Bennington walked the picket lines, and several other communities have narrowly averted walk-offs in the past year. We look at the bigger picture to put these strikes in context.

Bedrock Gets A New Map

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Geologists Marjie Gale and Nick Ratcliffe discuss the state's first Bedrock Geologic map to be printed since 1961 and we hear about a new documentary that looks at the tough road that kids with emotional and behavioral problems can face in school.

Efforts Underway To Make Mobile Homes More Resilient, Efficient And Affordable

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Mobile homes were hit particularly hard by the flooding last spring and during Tropical Storm Irene. There are now efforts underway to come up with a better financing model for mobile home owners and to design and build a mobile home that is energy-efficient and still affordable.

House Speaker Shap Smith

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

House Speaker Shap Smith discusses the top legislative issues, we hear an analysis of the latest developments of the proposed CVPS-Green Mountain Power merger and we listen back to the voices in the news this week.

Rogue Planets Rocketing Through Space

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Dartmouth Professor Gary Wegner hypothesizes that rogue planets are hurtling across the universe, VPR's Bob Kinzel updates us on budget talks in Montpelier, we go north for a poutine-eating contest and pianist Ignat Solzhenitsyn performs.

Single Dads, Teenage Daughters: A Survival Guide

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Navigating a teenage girl's experiences and emotions can be tough on parents, and sometimes overwhelming for single fathers. There are cliques and crushes, dating, puberty, hormones and eating disorders to contend with. We talk to the authors of a new book: "But Dad! A Survival Guide For Single Fathers Of Tween And Teen Daughters."

What Cheese Reveals About Human History

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

The science of cheesemaking and the development of the western world are deeply intertwined in the new book "Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and its Place in Western Civilization" by University of Vermont professor and food scientist Paul Kindstedt.

Quebec Students On The March

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We look at the student protests and strikes in Quebec that have been going on for the past several months and hear about a new report that shows discrimination in Vermont's rental market.

The GMP/CVPS Merger's $21 Million Question

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We hear both sides of the debate over how CVPS should return $21 million to its ratepayers as part of its merger with Green Mountain Power and Congressman Peter Welch discusses campaign finance reform.

Millennials: Coming Of Age Awash In Technology

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

The Millennial generation has grown up in culture defined by mass media, digital communications and forming social bonds through technology.

A Legal Look At Traumatic Brain Injuries

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We look at how recent developments have changed the legal community's ability to represent victims of brain injuries and we hear Part 3 of our Generation Gap series.

Lyme Disease Concerns Grow As Cases Rise

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

As Lyme Disease cases increase, researchers are trying to figure out why - and physicians are educating patients about symptoms and treatment.

Not So Fast There, Gardeners

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Our region was saturated with sunshine and hot days recently, causing green shoots to burst up from the soil. But it’s only March, and gardeners are speculating whether snow will fall again before spring is over.

This Week In Vermont News

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

It's been a big week for news in Vermont. Vermont Yankee continues to operate, even though its license has expired. There's going to be a Democratic primary for attorney general. A renewable energy portfolio has passed the House, and backers of the "Death with Dignity" bill aren't giving up on having a vote in the Senate.

Vermont's Been Hacked

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

We look at how big a threat the computer hacking movement is and at what can be done to protect against its attacks.

Vermont Yankee End Date Comes, And Goes

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Wednesday marks the date that Vermont Yankee's original 40-year operating license ends. But supporters and opponents of the nuclear power plant are enmeshed in legal and regulatory proceedings about extending the license, and the plant continues to produce electricity.

Vermont Considering Driver's Licenses For Migrant Workers

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Vermont's dairy industry relies heavily on migrant farmworkers, most of them from Mexico. Now, the state legislature is looking into whether these workers should be allowed to obtain driver's licenses, regardless of their immigration status.

A New Look At End-Of-Life Care

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Doctor Ira Byock argues that we need to seriously shift our political and cultural thinking about end of life care. The Dartmouth-Hitchcock physician is one of the leading thinkers on palliative medicine.