Colin Flanders

Burlington, Essex Junction

Staff Writer at Seven Days

Staff writer for @sevendaysvt, currently covering health care. Send tips/feedback to [email protected].

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Articles

Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Have Big Impact in Vermont

1 week ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge U.S. House Republicans passed a multi-trillion dollar budget bill last week that would significantly slash Medicaid, the government-sponsored insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.
Burlington Man Credited With Saving Woman From Burning Condo

1 week ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge Jamie Strotmeyer was driving between haul-away gigsaround 10:30 a.m. on May 20 when he noticed dark smoke rising above the treetops along South Burlington’s Dorset Street. He pulled into a nearby condominium village and located the source: the second-story window of a brick townhouse. Strotmeyer saw no one outside despite the blaring smoke alarms.
Vermont's Search and Rescue Team Prepares for the Future

2 weeks ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge A self-described "weather geek," Mike Cannon says he's studied enough forecasts over his 66 years to warrant a degree in meteorology. Every morning, he reviews the National Weather Service's written forecast, a jargon-filled report posted on a web page that looks like it was last updated before Y2K.
Overdose Deaths Fall in Vermont for Second-Straight Year

2 weeks ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge Overdose deaths fell in Vermont for the second consecutive year, the state Department of Health reported Monday, mimicking a national trend that has encouraged experts despite uncertainty over which interventions are having the biggest impact. The number of people who fatally overdosed in Vermont last year — 183 — represents a nearly 25 percent decline from the 236 deaths recorded in 2023.
Case of Detained Russian Scientist to be Heard in Burlington

3 weeks ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge A Vermont judge on Wednesday will hear arguments in the case of a Russian scientist who was conducting groundbreaking research at Harvard University before getting swept up in the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration crackdown.
Vermont Judge Orders Feds to Release Tufts Student

4 weeks ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge A federal judge in Vermont has ordered the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts University graduate student who was arrested by masked federal agents in March. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III ruled Friday that Ozturk presents "absolutely" no danger to the community, nor does she pose a flight risk, and that her continued detentioncould severely impact both her academic pursuits and her health.
Health Care Leaders Are Scrambling to Prevent Insurance Hike

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge A long-awaited state-commissioned report released last fall warned that some Vermont hospitals could go bankrupt within a few years unless they make significant changes to their operations. Hospital leaders downplayed the findings, describing the document as error-filled and intended to stoke fear. Seven months later, it's possible that the only substantial error was the report's overly generous timeline.
Palestinian Activist Mahdawi Released from Prison

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge A judge on Wednesday ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian man from Vermont who was detained by federal immigration authorities last month for speaking out against Israel’s war in Gaza. Cheers erupted as Mahdawi emerged from the Burlington courthouse with a keffiyeh draped across his shoulders.
In review: Dairy farm arrests, advocates rally for Mahdawi, small town housing incentives

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Calvin Cutler |Colin Flanders

In what’s being described as one of the largest immigration enforcement actions in Vermont’s recent history, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested and detained eight workers at a Berkshire dairy farm this week. Plus, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch meets with Mohsen Mahdawi in prison as advocates rally to show their support. And lawmakers hammer out the details of a new housing proposal aimed at spurring development in small towns.
Palestinian Activist Appears in Court, to Remain in Custody

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Colin Flanders

click to enlarge Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi will remain in custody for at least another week, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, giving the Trump administration more time to justify why the 34-year-old White River Junction resident should be denied his freedom while his immigration case plays out. Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also extended for 90 days an order requiring the government to keep Mahdawi in Vermont.