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Vermont community leaders join guest moderator Mikaela Lefrak for a special Juneteenth episode of Vermont This Week.

This week’s Friday Song by the Ripton-based singer/songwriter is a cover of a Pink Floyd classic.

Many school districts now face a potentially existential dilemma: Disband their own governing boards and unite with their neighbors, or risk the financial turmoil of going it alone under a new school funding framework tentatively scheduled to take effect in 2029.

Norwich cartoonist Tillie Walden's new graphic novel highlights a beloved lesbian couple in 1800s Addison County.

The diocese received approval to sell the South Burlington property for $3.13 million to a company that leases commercial real estate.

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A dramatic jump in new apartments in Chittenden County and a dip in demand have contributed to the rising vacancy rate.

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Wednesdays are Ladies' Day at Vermont Quick Lube, which means a flower and a free car wash.

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Scientists with the Nature Conservancy and Forest Service have been raising American elms that are bred to be resistant to Dutch elm disease at two sites in Vermont. Now, they’re injecting them with the fungus to see what happens.

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Republican Gov. Phil Scott had previously insisted on a proposal that forces school districts to merge into larger governance units. But administration officials say it’s become clear that Democratic lawmakers won’t agree to mandatory consolidation.

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A new graphic novel tells the story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, two seamstresses in 1800s Addison County. The two women lived together as a couple for nearly half a century, and they were accepted and beloved by their community. They're buried under the same gravestone in Weybridge. Norwich cartoonist Tillie Walden tells this love story in her new historical graphic novel 'Charity & Sylvia.' Walden is the former Vermont cartoonist laureaute and the author of more than a dozen books. We also talk with Coco Moseley, executive director of the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury, which holds Charity and Sylvia's archives. And Vermont Humanities executive director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup helped bring the story to Walden's attention. Vermont Humanities will distribute thousands of copies as this year's pick for the Vermont Reads program. (Note: Vermont Public is the media sponsor of Vermont Reads.)

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This Friday is Juneteenth, a holiday marking the date that some of the last enslaved people in the Confederacy received word that they were free. Juneteenth celebrations date back to the 1860s, but it didn’t become a federal holiday in 2021. Now, communities across our region mark Juneteenth with storytelling events, speaker series, community meals and music. The Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro will host Singing a Journey of Freedom: Songs of Slavery and Emancipation on Friday. The program began as a research project by Mat Callahan, a musician and author currently residing in Bern, Switzerland. He uncovered songs composed and sung by enslaved people and abolitionists that had been buried by history.  Callahan then teamed up with Dr. Kathy Bullock to bring this music to life. Bullock is a visiting professor of music at Bennington College, as well as a singer, arranger and choral conductor specializing in gospel, spirituals and classical works by composers from the African diaspora.  We are also joined by Rev. Leon Dunkley, an ethnomusicologist and a minister at the North Chapel in Woodstock. Then, Joan Gorman of the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh shares the history of the museum, which used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.

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The FIFA World Cup is underway in stadiums across the US, Canada and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver in Canada are two of the World Cup host cities. For Vermonters, the closest place to see a match is Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. It’s been temporarily renamed Boston Stadium for the duration of the Cup, on FIFA’s insistence. Giving us the lowdown on Boston is GBH News reporter Esteban Bustillos. In addition to the Boston matches, he's been covering celebrations from local immigrant communities and the residence of the French national team at a nearby university.  For a Vermont perspective, we brought together a trio of Englishmen with a deep love of the game: Tyler Caton and Riley Moloney, two members of the Vermont Green FC; and Joseph Fox, owner of the SLIDE IN Pub in Shelburne, Vermont's first soccer bar.

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Burlington High School says goodbye to its Macy's location

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Howard Dean is a former Vermont governor, presidential candidate and Democratic National Committee chair. But before all that, he was just a local physician who really wanted Burlington to have a bike path. In the latest installment of our occasional series Vermont Edition At Home, Howard Dean invites us into his living room in Burlington.  He talks candidly about his upbringing in New York and his ongoing grief over his brother’s early death. We also hear his thoughts on the current political climate and Vermont’s struggle to provide affordable healthcare to all residents. Broadcast on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

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Midday Forecast    June 19, 2026

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Morning Forecast    June 19, 2026

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Recreational Forecast    June 19, 2026

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Farm & Garden Forecast    June 19, 2026

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Eye On The Night Sky For Friday, June 19

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Right now, there are around 150 Vermonters behind bars in Tutwiler, Mississippi.  Question-asker Devon Kurtz is wondering: Why does the state send these men to a private prison more than a thousand miles away — especially since there's a vacant prison in Windsor, Vermont?  Click here for the web version of this episode, including photos and a full transcript. And read an in-depth dispatch from Liam’s visit to Tutwiler here.  RSVP to our upcoming event in Winooski! This episode was reported by Liam Elder-Connors. Editing and production from Sabine Poux, Burgess Brown, Alicia Freese and Josh Crane. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Angela Evancie is our Executive Producer. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Zoe McDonald, Catherine Hurley and Tom Marsh. This episode was made possible with support from the Vermont Public Journalism Fund. As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org  Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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There’s a saying that twins are “in the water” in the town of Sheldon. Our journey to get to the bottom of this curious bit of local lore takes us from a dairy farm in Franklin County to a university in Amsterdam and back. Thanks to the amateur investigators who aided us along the way, and to Ellen Stanley, our winning question-asker. She’s wondering: “I live next to a community — Sheldon, Vermont — that has so many twins. Are twins really 'in the water'? What might cause this over generations?”  Click here for the web version of this episode, including photos and a full transcript.  As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org  Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Inside a cavernous redemption warehouse in the Upper Valley, customers come to exchange bottles and cans for coins — and to see bottle-sorter Teera “Sweet T” Paye.  We visited thanks to a question from Kevin Donohue of Thetford. He asked,“Who redeems bottles and cans in Vermont? Why are there so few places to do so?” Click here for photos and a full episode transcript. And here to sign up for the BLS newsletter! This episode was reported by Burgess Brown. Editing and additional production from Sabine Poux and Josh Crane. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Catherine Hurley and Marcie Gallagher. As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org  Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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People love to highlight Vermont “firsts” — like, how we’re the first state to ban billboards and to approve civil unions. Or how we’re first in the nation in maple syrup production and number of craft breweries per capita.  Gary Gulka, of Cabot, wants to know: Where is Vermont ranked dead last? As we waded through a sea of last-place statistics, one stood out to us more than any other. Satisfy your cravings (hint hint) and tune in to learn more. Thanks to Gary for the great question. Click here for photos and a full episode transcript. This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: That’s Burgess Brown and Josh Crane. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Kari Anderson, Bobby Lussier, Mikaela Lefrak, Jon Ehrens, Zoe McDonald, Phil Edfors, Shawn Harrington, Barbara Baraw, Hank Lambert, Michael Moser and everyone on Reddit who responded to our callout for fast food stories. As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org  Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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We all accumulate lots of … stuff. Increasingly, we’re cramming more of that stuff into self-storage facilities: those fields of metal lockers, arranged in neat, industrial rows.  Join us as we explore the stuff — and stories — we usually keep stored away. Thanks to Chris Robbins of Middlebury for the great question. JOIN US! We’re headed to Northern Stage in White River Junction to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the show. We hope to see you there. Click here for photos and a full episode transcript. This episode was reported by Mikaela Lefrak. Editing and production from Sabine Poux, Josh Crane and Burgess Brown. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Carly Berlin.  As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it: Ask a question about Vermont Sign up for the BLS newsletter Say hi onInstagram and Reddit @bravestatevt Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org  Make a gift to support people-powered journalism Tell your friends about the show! Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

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How are video games made? Who invented the concept? Why do games have levels? Who invented them? Why are game consoles so expensive? Why do people like playing these games so much and do they turn your brain to mush? What do you do if you can’t make yourself stop playing? In this episode, we talk with Patrick Klepek, writer and editor of Crossplay, a newsletter focused on video games and parenting. Download our learning guide: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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What is ADHD? How does ADHD affect the brain? Why do only some people have it? How can we control our brains? An estimated 11 percent of U.S. kids are diagnosed with the neurological condition known as ADHD, so you may have it or have a friend or classmate with this unique way of thinking. In this episode we explore how you can learn to balance the strengths and challenges of ADHD with Dr. Liz Angoff, author of the Brain Building Book.  Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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What are eels? And why are some eels electric? We head to Poughkeepsie, New York to learn about eels with Chris Bowser, Hudson River estuary educator with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Plus we learn about electric eels. Electric eels have captured the imagination of many people, but they’re not actually considered eels by the scientific community. They’re a type of knife fish, more closely related to catfish and carp. But they are electric! So we’ll tackle why they’re electric and how they create electricity. David de Santana, of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, tells us what it’s like to study electric eels in the Amazon. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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Why is there traffic? How do traffic lights work? How do they know when to turn red and green? Why does green mean go and red mean stop? Why are cars able to go faster than they are allowed to go with the speed limit? Why do we drive on the right side of the road in the United States? Why are some roads bigger than others?  Answers to your traffic questions with Mike Knodler, professor and director of the Transportation Center at the University of Massachusetts. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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Can’t get enough of lizards? We’re back with a bonus episode answering more of your lizard questions with Adam Clause of the San Diego Natural History Museum. This week, chameleons, Komodo dragons, iguanas, monitor lizards and tuatara! How do chameleons change color? Why are Komodo dragons called dragons and are they endangered? How many babies do monitor lizards have? Why do iguanas have dewlaps? (And what’s a dewlap?!)  Why are iguanas green? What is a tuatara? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Zebra Mussels are an invasive species in Lake Champlain. Not only do they consume a great deal of the food supply in the lake, but they also attack native mussel species by sticking to them and robbing them of fresh water and food. The Zebra Mussel can reach a density of 100,000 per square meter, covering exhaust and intake pipes for water treatment and power plants.

There are 19 species of worms in Vermont. Three of them are considered invasive; they are known as snake worms or jumping worms. These busy, invasive worms change the forest floor and the content of the soil, making it difficult for new growth to take root. This affects the habitat and food source of wildlife and the future of the forest itself.

Fen grass-of-Parnassus has a beautiful white flower that blooms from mid-August to mid-September in Vermont. It is the sole food source for a rare species of bee, which are only referred to by their Latin name, andrena parnassiae.

In these times of social distancing, when people can feel disconnected from one another, it's important to realize that nature is just outside your door. From bird songs to green frogs' croaking chatter, stay connected to the outdoors by exploring your own "backyard biodiversity."

Birdwatchers know that when they see the Red-winged Blackbird return, spring is on its way. These birds are numerous and everywhere. The males are stark-black with a red epaulette, a striking flash of color on their wings, that they use to attract mates and ward off other competing males.

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We’ve been exploring the life of Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a multi-talented violinist, composer and conductor who was famous in France in the 18th Century. In the last four episodes, as we’ve relayed all of this history, I’ve left something out on purpose, but it’s now time to address the elephant in the room. Anyone who has studied or listened to the music of Chevalier will know him by a particular nickname, “The Black Mozart” a title given after his death.

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Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a world-renowned fencer, a composer, violinist and conductor in 18th century France. Even with all of his success, there was a limit to what Chevalier was allowed to achieve.

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This is our third episode exploring the life of 18th Century French composer, violinist and conductor Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges. We’re answering the question, why was this incredibly talented individual, who was quite popular in his day, barely known to us today. In the last episode we spoke about Joseph’s heritage, being the son of a Senegalese enslaved individual and French aristocrat. In this episode we’ll dive into the early life of this multi-talented prodigy.

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***Just a quick content warning before we begin. This episode will make references to sexual assault and might be triggering for some listeners.*** Chevalier’s father, George, was born into a long line of colonists. The family owned extensive sugar and coffee plantations in Guadeloupe and beyond, meaning they were quite wealthy and had participated in slavery.

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Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was an 18th Century French composer, violinist and conductor of mixed race. Why was this talented individual, who was quite well known in his day, all but forgotten in ours?

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Greg and Jordan Camp are the fourth and fifth generations running the Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock, Vermont, which has been in business for more than a century. Funeral homes can seem so mysterious, like they're in their own world. But at the same time, they're almost unavoidable. They're the place most people go to when there's a death in the family. What is that like to be the person who's helping, to be the person everyone else is turning to? In this story, Greg and Jordan talk about their job, which is pretty much the same job that all small funeral homes do, not only in Vermont but across the country. The work is practical, but also delicate; full of logistical details, but also big, complicated emotions. What’s it like to be the person who’s caring for community members when they’re at their most vulnerable, feeling grief, confusion, and loss?  This story is produced by Elissa Pine and Jennifer Sutton of Two Daughters Productions.

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July 1st, 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of civil unions in Vermont. This legal alternative to marriage was the first of its kind in the United States. In the Vermont Supreme Court case Baker v. Vermont, the court ruled that the state had no legal basis to discriminate against same-sex couples. If the legislature would not allow same-sex couples to get marriage licenses, lawmakers would have to figure out a legal alternative. The result: civil unions. Vermont Public's Andrea Laurion spoke with LGBTQ+ Vermonters who were coming of age — and coming out — when civil unions became legal. They were likely too young at the time to be thinking about marriage for themselves, but old enough to know what was going on and how it might affect them one day. See photos and learn more at vermontpublic.org. Support Vermont Public's longform audio storytelling with a donation.

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For Tibetan-American artist Migmar Tsering, music and dance are inextricably linked to being Tibetan. Migmar first learned traditional dance in the village of Langkor in the county of Tingri. He was born there almost 3 decades after the invasion of Tibet by communist China in 1950. Since the 1950s, the Tibetan diaspora has expanded, with multiple groups of Tibetans relocating to India and later the U.S., Canada, Australia, and some European countries. Under the United States 1990 Immigration Act, 1,000 Tibetans living in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan were chosen via lottery to receive U.S. visas. In 1993, Vermont became one of 25 resettlement sites in the U.S. Migmar arrived to Vermont in 2011 and soon began teaching traditional music and dance to kids in Vermont's Tibetan American community. The Arts that Shape Us is a podcast by Vermont Folklife, produced with support from Vermont Public's Made Here Fund. Hosted by Mary Wesley, it’s devoted to exploring the state’s cultural heritage and what different local artforms say about the past and present of Vermont.

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Since at least the 1870s, people in central Vermont have cut, chiseled, hoisted, polished, and carved local granite, creating monuments, statues, and especially memorial grave markers. The granite industry brought Italian, French, Canadian, Scots, Scandinavian, Irish, Greek, and Spanish workers to the city of Barre, each bringing their own stone carving traditions. Over time, these artisans and the manufacturers they worked for shaped an enduring identity: The Barre stone carver. The Arts that Shape Us is a podcast by Vermont Folklife, produced with support from Vermont Public's Made Here Fund. Hosted by Mary Wesley, it’s devoted to exploring the state’s cultural heritage and what different local artforms say about the past and present of Vermont.

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“There is a lot of change from the beginning up to now, and we are still learning every day.” The experience of resettling in Brattleboro has changed not only the Afghan women who had to rebuild their lives, but also the people and the town that helped them do it. There are many challenges—a housing shortage, the loss of federal funding that supports refugee programs, pockets of resentment among local residents. But in the words of one longtime Brattleboro citizen, the town has learned a lot “about resiliency, support, and what really matters.” The Afghan Women of Brattleboro was produced by Two Daughters Productions with support from Vermont Public's Made Here Fund.

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What role does storytelling have in addressing the opioid crisis? In March, Vermont Public Radio hosted a gathering at the Turning Point Center of Burlington to talk through that question with the team behind My Heart Still Beats .

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"When you have anxiety, or chronic depression, your mind is constantly going. And I tried opiates and realized that my brain was just quiet for a little bit."

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"When you're told over and over, 'Your child's a problem child — he's bad, he's bad, he's bad, he's bad!' ... You believe your kid's bad."

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"There were three things you could be good at: fighting, drinking or sports. So, I stink at sports. I can't fight. But I guess I can drink."

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"You’re right, I probably do deserve to be in jail the rest of my life. Or, I do deserve to give my life for hers. But since I can’t, let’s save somebody else’s life."