This is what the Boston Globe had to say about health care costs needing to be contained. This editorial was edited for length:

We enjoyed a good news week. It was a blend of hard news, features and even a deeper dive into an issue. Not every week has that mix of stories. News cycles do not always provide the right blend.

This week, the House has shown support for H.230, which would require secure storage of firearms, among other precautions aimed at keeping children safe.

Most of us take for granted that we can go to the tap and get a glass of clean water.

This is what the Portland Press Herald had to say recently about kids living on Maine streets — a problem demanding immediate attention:

It’s spring. Congratulations, we made it.

In another sad reminder that transphobia and broader anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes remain alive and well in Vermont schools, the Vermont Principals’ Association this week banned Mid Vermont Christian School from participating in school sporting events. The sanctions come after the independent religi…

Too many times each year, our journalists have to call out elected officials for being in violation of the state’s open meeting and open records laws. On a few of those occasions, we have had to educate the violators with letters citing statute, and even reaching out to town attorneys to und…

This is what the Bangor Daily News had to say recently about drivers who don’t clear snow off their vehicles:

Due to Daylight Savings, we lose an hour this weekend. Remember a few years ago when we lost a year to the pandemic. Three years to be precise.

This is what the Albany Times Union had to say recently about public financing election campaigns:

Some congratulations are in order. Not because of how voters rallied on Town Meeting Day but, rather, how Vermont municipalities have rallied to reach an historic milestone.

Our votes have been cast. Across Vermont, budgets have been considered; public officials have been elected; and, in some cases, a new course has been charted for a community.

This is what the Boston Globe had to say on casinos violating a new state law on sports betting:

Next Tuesday, March 7, most towns across Vermont will be asking voters to consider how public departments, including schools, should be best funded — and governed.

Suddenly, we are in the midst of a winter weather cycle. We seem to be getting more days with snow than no snow. Quite a change in weather systems from a few weeks ago.

Farming is hard work. It’s even harder for some Americans — a problem that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is determined to remedy.

A plan to generate new revenue through sports betting is under consideration this legislative session.

This is what the Portland Press Herald had to say recently about the state’s report from the Deadly Force Review Panel:

During the past few weeks, we have been co-hosting candidate forums along with public access television centers in Montpelier, Barre and Rutland. The aim has been to get to know the candidates beyond the articles in the newspaper and have a robust conversation about the issues facing the com…

Every day, our Inbox fills up with junk mail. We get a lot of it, as you can imagine. A good portion of it is made up of ginned up polls that are trying to push viewership to one website or another. Our spam filters are pretty good about separating the wheat from the chaff.

We are grateful that Vermont communities are taking a hard look at how they represent themselves to the rest of the state. There is something to be said for proper self-assessment as times change.

A case appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court has our attention. It puts free speech to the test.

This is what Hearst Newspapers had to say recently about open government laws not being optional:

A report this week gave an interesting glimpse into who we are as Vermonters.

This is what the Albany Times Union had to say this week on revisiting “Citizens United”:

It must be an election season. With Town Meeting Day right around the corner, local politics is getting loud.

Last week was the State of the Union address. Vermont lawmakers are taking up stacks of proposed legislation. Town Meeting Day is a few weeks away, and the local campaign push is on. The long-term validity of libraries is on the table, along with hunting and trapping rights, and bitter debat…

This I what The Boston Globe had to say recently about the need for more voc-tech schools — and a fairer way for students to get into them:

You do not need to be an academic scholar to know the importance of libraries. We know it from our earliest years of schooling. “Going to the library” means something different to everyone.

The steps we have taken to reduce food waste and single-use plastics from our waste stream here in Vermont appear to be working. We should feel proud about that.

The hoaxes that caused multiple law enforcement agencies across Vermont to scramble on Wednesday morning was negligent and unnecessarily traumatizing. This act of crying wolf at the expense of parents’ and communities’ nerves is criminal and must be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted fully.

In recent years, there have been several occasions when Gov. Phil Scott has used his position to put out calls for civility. He has done it in talking about extreme partisanship; he has talked about it when tensions have been high in the wake of race-related news events.

This is what the Albany Times Union in New York state had to say recently about restraining students:

File this editorial under “Things That Should Not Have To Be Stated. Again.”

This is what the Bangor Daily News had to say recently about snow days:

This is what the Boston Globe had to say about the COVID-19 learning loss:

Raising children is challenging enough. For working families, finding child care can be a difficult and expensive obstacle. It is taking a toll on our state — and our nation.

All weekend, the news cycle continued to overwhelm us with apt outrage over Tyre Nichols’ fatal encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the Community News section of this newspaper, we try to highlight, in brief snippets, events that are going on. While it includes notable milestones, it mostly contains notices from groups, organizations, and even state and federal agencies regarding very specific information the public s…

Today, Jan. 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day designated by the United Nations “to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.”

Congratulations, Mikaela Shiffrin.

In America, it’s customary to tip our service industry workers — the servers, bartenders, baristas, drivers and delivery people who fill the myriad, often thankless jobs that keep our economy humming.

When history looks back, part of Gov. Phil Scott’s legacy will be that he oversaw one of the most unique fiscal moments in the modern era. His 2024 proposed budget made significant new investments in top state priorities, including housing, community revitalization, child care, mental health…

This week marks the end of an era. For as long as most of our regular readers can remember, Dennis Jensen has been writing about hunting and fishing in these pages. Jensen is an award-winning columnist (and was also a longtime award-winning sportswriter for the Herald).

All we can do is shake our heads.

Last week, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced plans to create a new education and civic engagement coordinator position for the agency.

As Vermonters, we take pride in the access we have to our elected officials. In our hometowns, we run into them at the hardware store; we catch them in line at the market. Save the governor, they are not surrounded by staff or security. They are where we all need them to be: public.

This is what the Boston Globe had to say about lifting the statute of limitations in abuse cases:

The stresses that we are all feeling at this moment are real. Very real. Whether it is inflation, our well-being, our job or any of the other issues that keep up at night. As adults, we navigate stress, coping and problem-solving as best as we can.