Editorial: Middlebury’s houseless: Inaction isn’t an option

That Middlebury’s houseless population has become more problematic is an outcome of doing too little for too long. The issue has been recognizable for several years but came to a head a year ago when downtown vandalism and disruption prompted two dozen downtown business owners to protest to the town, and state legislators, demanding stronger action.

Rep. Joe Andriano has launched a noble cause to raise funds for a nonprofit community center in Orwell to follow in the footsteps of Buxton’s Store, which has served as that town’s de facto community center for decades.

Vermont Republicans running for election to the House or Senate have two ready-made campaign issues — inflation and high property taxes — and many are using it to their full advantage.

We received several comments from area voters who noted, with some alarm, that voters are responsible for not losing their personalized ballot because the town clerk’s office may not have enough blank ballots if too many residents treated the official-loo … (read more)

The presidential debate Tuesday night was notable for many reasons, but one stood out for us: Kamala Harris showed the nation and the world how easy it is to manipulate Trump.

Addison County’s community firefighters are a special breed of volunteers who, almost uniformly, spend hundreds of hours each year training and reporting to duty for one reason: a desire to give back to their communities.

Russia’s egregious bombing of civilian areas throughout Ukraine on Tuesday, in which more than 50 people were killed in a single strike on a military academy and nearby hospital in Poltava, should be met by the West with more than moral outrage.

Lloyd Komesar received well-earned recognition at what was a fabulous 10th Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. At both the opening night ceremony last Wednesday and the VTeddy Awards on Sunday night, the one-man, high-energy force behind the concept and l … (read more)

If you’re a reader of headlines and don’t often read the full story, you might delve deeper into the story where Meta czar Mark Zuckerberg regrets caving to “censorship” imposed by the Biden administration over Facebook’s posting of misinformation during … (read more)

The almost immediate impact Act 76 has had on Vermont’s childcare industry is not only hopeful but demonstrates how a targeted government program can help solve a problem in the marketplace.

The story of the Democrat Party pushing President Biden out of the limelight has been overblown by a national media too accustomed to selling sensationalism, rather than pursuing logical outcomes.

As the Democratic Convention gets under this coming Monday through Thursday in Chicago it’s worth a moment to reflect on the status of both parties, the leadership at the top and why voters interested in choosing a candidate based on policy and facts, rat … (read more)

While party primaries don’t usually get a lot of attention in Addison County, this year is an exception in two important races: the Senate race and the House race for Addison-4. Both races feature six candidates, three from each party, for two seats in ea … (read more)

Last week Addison Independent reporter John Flowers reported on the dire state of Vermont’s health care system, which ranks the highest in the nation in cost per capita for health insurance.

Here’s the only good news about the bad news concerning Vermont’s health care system — it’s so bad reform can’t wait. We absolutely must make substantial changes and do it quickly.