After Election Day losses, Vermont GOP considers its future; Rutland County sheriff's deputy at center of shootout; Opioid deaths continue to rise

Vermont's online nonprofit news daily. Please support our reporting. 10,000 meals from 1,000 members by Thanksgiving Local news is essential. That's why we don't interrupt your access to the news during our membership drives. If you appreciate our unwavering commitment to public access to information, please support VTDigger's nonprofit journalism and help us send 10,000 meals to the Vermonters facing hunger by Thanksgiving. Donate and send 10 meals VTDigger is sending 10 meals to the Vermont Foodbank for every member donation we receive during our annual fund drive. Please give what you can during this special time of the year. Politics Where do historic Election Day losses leave the Vermont GOP? by Sarah Mearhoff Vermont Republicans lost all but one statewide contest, did not pick up any state Senate seats and lost ground in the state House. Read more... Looking for Vermont Covid-19 data? Visit VTDigger's Covid dashboard, updated on weekdays when new data is available. Crime and Justice Off-duty Rutland County deputy sheriff at center of shootout in upstate New York by Maggie Cassidy The deputy refused police officers' commands to drop his weapon following a gunfight outside a bar in Saratoga Springs early Sunday morning, prompting the officers to open fire, according to an official with the city's police department. Read more... Health Care Opioid death count through August is outpacing last year's record numbers by Tiffany Tan During the first eight months of this year, 151 Vermonters died from an opioid overdose. The figure represents 14 more deaths than in the same period in 2021, a year that set a new record for opioid deaths in Vermont. Read more... Business & Economy 5 municipalities in Chittenden County form new communications union district by Fred Thys Voters in Essex, Essex Junction, Shelburne, South Burlington and Williston overwhelmingly supported the plan to connect every address to fiber. Read more... Education Windsor Central Unified Union School District a step closer to possible name change by Valley News The district, a product of Act 46 supervisory union mergers, is considering a name that's less of a mouthful. Its student population hails from Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater, Pomfret, Reading, Killington and Plymouth. Read more... Politics Bill Schubart: Tom Sullivan and Leslie Niehoff take a long look at free speech by Bill Schubart This book addresses the core issues of hate speech, speech in public schools, academic freedom and internet speech in an accessible, readable way and is a must-read for all who care about ensuring the future of our democracy. Read more... People & Places Young Writers Project: Lantern in the night by VTD Editor This week's Young Writers Project entry is "Lantern in the night" by Noah Carmona, 17, of Colchester. Artwork by by Amelia Van Driesche, 16, of Burlington. Read more...   [News Briefs] None today.   [Obituaries] None today.   [Commentary] Barbara Felitti: It's time to ban recreational and fur trapping The governor, Fish & Wildlife and legislators need to listen and stop dismissing the legitimate viewpoints of the majority of Vermonters about trapping, and act to ban recreational and fur trapping. Don Keelan: Where uncommon service is a common virtue Todd Wilkins, a state police sergeant, just finished 18 years of coaching the Arlington high school boys soccer team, chairs the school board, and now is on the town selectboard. Neville Berle: Thriving with less, toward a livable climate As we work to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, we often ignore simple, low-cost strategies for climate mitigation. Walt Amses: November blues, as the light changes and the world edges toward gray I wake up to 3 or 4 inches of beautiful new snow, and November is suddenly no longer bleak but luminescent, offering a brightly reflective surface counteracting the graying hillside's tendency to absorb whatever light there is.   [Press Releases] None today.   [About VTDigger]   Our mission is to produce rigorous journalism that explains complex issues, holds the government accountable to the public, and engages Vermonters in the democratic process.  VTDigger is a project of the Vermont Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mailing address is VTDigger.org | 26 State Street, Suite 8 | Montpelier, VT 05602   Forward this email to a friend Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Copyright © 2022 VTDigger, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? Want to change how you receive our emails? You can manage your newsletter subscriptions or unsubscribe from all our newsletters.