Howard Weiss-Tisman

Southern Vermont Correspondent at Vermont Public Radio

Southern Vermont Correspondent at Vermont PBS

Howard Weiss-Tisman is the southern Vermont correspondent with Vermont Public Radio. [email protected].

Articles

USDA Says Vermont`s Milk Supply is Free of Bird Flu

2 days ago | m.farms.com | Howard Weiss-Tisman

By Howard Weiss-TismanVermont’s milk supply has not been affected by the bird flu virus, which was detected on some farms in the West and Midwest last year. Vermont started testing its milk in January after the U.S. Department of Agriculture required a nationwide testing program following bird flu outbreaks in other parts of the country.
USDA says Vermont's milk supply is free of bird flu

5 days ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

Vermont’s milk supply has not been affected by the bird flu virus, which was detected on some farms in the West and Midwest last year. Vermont started testing its milk in January after the U.S. Department of Agriculture required a nationwide testing program following bird flu outbreaks in other parts of the country.
Most of Vermont's public trails are on private land. Is that sustainable?

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

On a recent chilly morning, Tim Calabrese was carrying a leaf blower across a wooded hillside, just south of downtown Ludlow. He was following a line of pink flags that marked out a future mountain bike trail, across about 300 acres that are owned by the Fletcher Farm Foundation. The economy in Ludlow is closely tied to outdoor recreation.
Bennington hospital will build adolescent psych unit despite opposition from Brattleboro Retreat

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

State regulators have approved a plan to build a new 12-bed psychiatric unit for adolescents at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. The Green Mountain Care Board signed off on the estimated $10 million project at a meeting on March 19, despite strong pushback from the Brattleboro Retreat, which operates the only other inpatient psychiatric facility for adolescents in the state.
From every corner of Vermont, thousands protest Trump

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Mark Davis |Peter Hirschfeld |Howard Weiss-Tisman |Lola Duffort

This post will be updated. From the Barton village square to the South Royalton green, the sidewalks of downtown Brattleboro to the brick walkway of Church Street in Burlington, thousands of Vermonters rallied Saturday afternoon in opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies. In Brattleboro a large crowd gathered in front of the First Congregational Church on Main Street to listen to U.S. Rep. Becca Balint speak.
Vermont Humanities loses all of its federal funding under latest Trump cuts

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

The group Vermont Humanities says it will lose 42% of its annual budget after the latest move by the Trump Administration to slash federal spending. Every humanities council in the country received a letter this week from the National Endowment for the Humanities saying that all funding was being frozen immediately.
As Westminster celebrates its history, some questions arise over historic interpretations

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

There’s not a lot of disagreement over the facts surrounding the Westminster Massacre. On March 13, 1775, a group of Westminster farmers took over the county courthouse, and were met by an armed posse led by the local sheriff. About a dozen people were shot, and two men died. It was an important event in our state’s, and country’s, history, and the Westminster Historical Society this month held a three-day event commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Westminster Massacre.
VTrans wants $1.5 million in cuts to bus service across the state

1 month ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

The Agency of Transportation is asking every public transit agency in the state to make cuts to next year’s budgets. VTrans recently released its annual Public Transit Route Performance Report, which is where the state makes projections about ridership and funding for next year. And according to Public Transit Program Coordinator Daniel Currier, there is a $1.5 million shortfall in what the transit agencies need to keep service at its current level.
Program that sends local food to Vermont schools loses funding in Trump cuts

2 months ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

The Trump administration is withholding about $1.7 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture aid that was supposed to fund local food programs for schools and organizations that assist low-income Vermonters.
Public safety report says Vermont's dispatch system needs a overhaul

2 months ago | vermontpublic.org | Howard Weiss-Tisman

The Department of Public Safety is looking for input on a new report that suggests major changes to how Vermont handles emergency dispatch calls. Lawmakers created the Public Safety Communications Task Force in 2023 to take a hard look at the state’s dispatch calling system, and the group released a draft version of its findings this month.