Vermont

A note from our CEO: Your gift will do double the good – VTDigger

Published

10 months ago

April 9, 2025

A note from our CEO: Your gift will do double the good – VTDigger

Dear Reader,

Although you may have seen a few snow flurries recently, spring in Vermont always brings a sense of renewal and possibility. This year, our Spring Membership Drive is fully embracing that spirit.

I’m thrilled that VTDigger is partnering with Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, a nonprofit that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreation.

When you donate today, your gift will do double the good: it fuels independent journalism and sends $5 to Vermont Adaptive. Will you join us?

This collaboration is close to my heart — because I’ve seen firsthand what adaptive sports can mean to a person and their family.

Pictured are Sky Barsch, at left, with her brother, Shane Sessa. Adaptive sports have brought a sense of belonging and joy to Shane’s life.

My brother Shane is an athlete with disabilities. Growing up, I watched him navigate a world that often wasn’t built with him in mind. That’s why it meant so much when our family found places where he could truly participate and thrive. Whether he was in the saddle through a therapeutic horseback riding program or aiming for a strike in Special Olympics bowling, I loved seeing his confidence, spiritedness and joy shine through.

Vermont Adaptive promotes independence and furthers equality through opportunities including alpine skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, sailing, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, veterans’ programs and more.

And just as Vermont Adaptive helps people access the outdoors, VTDigger helps Vermonters access the truth.

During our Spring Drive, when you support VTDigger, you’re also supporting Vermont Adaptive. Together, we’re advancing connection — through sport, through journalism and through the power of an informed community.

If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider making a donation today. Your gift fuels investigative reporting, holds power to account, and helps ensure Vermonters of all abilities and backgrounds are reflected in our coverage — and in our future.

Sincerely,

Sky Barsch
CEO, VTDigger

P.S. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is always looking for passionate and caring volunteers with a love for the outdoors. If you’re interested, visit their website to learn more.

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Vermont

I traveled to 29 states last year. There are 3 I can’t wait to go back to — and 2 I probably won’t return to anytime soon.

Published

7 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Press Room

I traveled to 29 states last year. There are 3 I can’t wait to go back to — and 2 I probably won’t return to anytime soon.

Seeing massive carvings of former presidents is impressive, but there’s so much more to South Dakota than Mount Rushmore.

For example, I loved spending time in Custer State Park, which I believe offers some of the best views in all of the Black Hills. During our visit, we saw coyotes, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and hundreds of bison (one even licked our car!)

Less than two hours away, we were treated to an entirely different landscape in Badlands National Park, which is dominated by buttes and towering rock spires.

There are also tiny museums and fascinating sites tucked away in small towns, making the drive across the state even more entertaining.

We stopped at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs — an active excavation site where the remains of over 60 mammoths have been unearthed. I was amazed by the sheer scale of that many skeletons found in one place, and it was definitely worth the stop.

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Vermont

Former Vermont Capitol police chief owes hefty lunch tab

Published

19 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Press Room

Former Vermont Capitol police chief owes hefty lunch tab

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – An overdue lunch tab has landed Vermont’s former Capitol police chief in hot water.

Former Vermont Capitol Police Chief Matthew Romei left behind an unpaid lunch tab of $1,600 at the Capitol Food Court when he stepped down in 2023, according to multiple sources at the Statehouse.

The debt is owed to the Abbey Group, a private company that contracts with the Legislature to provide meals under the Golden Dome.

Attempts to reach their new owners, New York-based Whitson’s Culinary Group, were unsuccessful.

Romei declined an interview but said over the phone he has the lunch money and is willing to pay. He was unclear whether the payment should go to the Legislature or the Abbey Group.

He said this private debt issue shouldn’t be public.

Lawmakers working on legislative bills receive meal stipends, but others who eat at the Capitol food court must pay their own food bills.

The Statehouse cafeteria has since ended the practice of allowing individuals to run lunch tabs. People who don’t get state stipends must pay each time they dine.

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Vermont

Meet the new faces on the Intervale Center’s board

Published

1 day ago

February 10, 2026

Press Room

Meet the new faces on the Intervale Center’s board

Beth McDermott
| Reporter assisted by AI

The Intervale Center has added seven members to its board of directors, according to community announcement from the organization.

The new members bring expertise in social entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, community development, public service, legal strategy, environmental stewardship and hospitality, says the announcement.

Chuck Ross, Intervale Center board chair, said, “The Intervale Center’s programming is essential to supporting the incredible potential in Vermont’s farm and food economy and to ensuring we do all that we can to help farmers and sustain our working landscape. Our Board of Directors and talented staff bring the right mix of experience and passion to this important food systems work.”

The new board members are:

David Keck, owner of Stella 14 Wines and director of hospitality at Golden Dog Farm. He is a master sommelier.
Hannah Lebel, contracts counsel at BETA Technologies.
Lucie Lehmann, a naturalist, environmentalist, writer and former public servant.
Lauren Masseria, regional manager for Vermont State Parks.
Johanna Schneider, small business support specialist with the city of Burlington’s Community and Economic Development Office.
Eric Sorkin, co-founder and CEO of Runamok Maple.
David Torres, professor of the practice of social entrepreneurship and global health at Middlebury College.

“We are thrilled to welcome this diverse and talented group of leaders to the Intervale Center board,” said Travis Marcotte, executive director of the Intervale Center, in the announcement. “Their collective experience and dedication to community, sustainability and innovation will help guide our work as we continue to strengthen Vermont’s food system that sustain farm, land and people.”

The Intervale Center has been supporting Vermont’s food system for more than 35 years. The organization works to unlock opportunities for the farm and food economy while addressing challenges such as farm viability, water quality, hunger and climate resilience.

The organization’s programming includes farm business development, riparian buffer and land restoration, food and market access and stewarding a 360-acre campus in Vermont’s most populated region. Learn more at intervale.org.

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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