When Governor-elect Peter Shumlin takes office in January, it will mark the first time since the Howard Dean administration that both chambers of the legislature-and the Governor's office-will be under Democratic leadership.  But that one-party majority doesn't necessarily mean harmony will reign in Montpelier.

It's a crowded field to be sure, and media outlets including VPR, struggle with how to include as many voices as possible. VPR's Mitch Wertlieb discusses the role of those candidates in an election with Tony Gierzynski, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont

A dubious distinction from a small sampling of a Seven Days survey is being used against Peter Shumlin by his political opponents in commercials and press releases.

VPR's Mitch Wertlieb talks with  Annie Bellerose, one of the caretakers of the Long Trail who spend their summers advising hikers, and answering questions about the trail.

An experiment at Shelburne Farms recently brought some visitors from Massachusetts to showcase a material called biochar. Some farmers swear by its use as a soil supplement and some UVM students are studying whether it can be used to clean up Lake Champlain.

Officials aren't quite sure why, but cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are on this rise in Vermont. Prevent Child Abuse Vermont started keeping track of cases in the fall of 2007. Since then, there have been 19 cases. Six have resulted in the death of an infant.

The wait is over for fans of Howard Frank Mosher. His first novel in 3 years hits the bookshelves today. His newest and 11th novel is called "Walking to Gatlinburg", and tells the Civil-War era tale of 17-year-old Morgan Kinneson.

Vermont lost 52 dairy farms last year. Farmers were struggling with low milk prices long before this economic downturn. But they're also affected by the economy around them. VPR's Mitch Wertlieb speaks iwth Onan Whitcomb of the North Williston Cattle Company.

Whether or not new nuclear plants should be built is up for debate this afternoon at the University of Vermont's Janus Forum. Arguing against more plants is Tyson Slocum of the group Public Citizen. He'll be speaking with author and journalist William Tucker.

For 20 years Katy Payne has been listening to sounds most humans will never hear. The sounds are the ultra-low rumblings of elephants that carry messages over great distances, and inspired what's come to be known as the Elephant Listening Project.

But just how worried should people be about the discovery of tritium at Vermont Yankee? To get to the science behind the headlines regarding tritium we got in touch with Doctor Edwin Lyman, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington.

Drive less, share more. That was the goal of a fledgling non-profit called CarShare Vermont when we spoke with its Executive Director almost two years ago. Now we're back with Annie Bourdon to gauge the success of her efforts to bring non-profit car sharing to Vermont.

The first hurdle for reforming health care was cleared in the senate today, with lawmakers gathering for procedural voting in the nation's Capitol at one in the morning. Vermont's senior Senator Patrick Leahy pushed for a $250 million increase Medicaid funds for Vermont. He joined VPR's Mitch Wertlieb this morning to talk about the vote. 

VPR's Mitch Wertlieb talks with author Elizabeth Bassett about finding the perfect walk off the beaten path.

Today we're marking the fortieth anniversary of that historic summertime event with the stories from people who were there. One Vermonter who got to Woodstock is today the Attorney General of the state.

Monday at the University of Vermont that dilemma will be explored in depth with multiple presentations by nationally recognized legal experts, and a panel discussion: "The Constitutional Rights of the Individual During Times of War versus National Security Needs of the Nation." One of the panelists is familiar to Vermonters, George Terwilliger was Vermont's chief federal prosecutor as United States Attorney for the District of Vermont.

The 16th annual Open Studio Weekend begins tomorrow, with 260 sites showing off the creativity of more than 285 artists. We traveled recently to Jericho to meet one of them, Jack Chase, at Birch Pond Sculpture in Jericho. Chase show VPR's Mitch Wertlieb his studio.

A winner of 11 presidential primaries in a row, Senator Barack Obama hopes Vermont will play a role in keeping that winning streak intact in tomorrow's Democratic primary voting. The Illinois Senator spoke with us from the campaign trail yesterday by cell phone, and VPR's Mitch Wertlieb had a chance to ask him about a number of issues of concern to Vermonters.

VPR's Mitch Wertlieb heads to Pico to ski with Linda Goodspeed, a visually impaired skier, and her guide, Erin Fernandez, Executive Director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.