Sophie Zdatny, the newly named chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System, certainly has her work cut out for her.

It’s hard to know whether we are living in strange or dangerous times.

This weekend we celebrate the 244th anniversary of the founding of our nation.

If you were not composting or using your own bags for groceries, this week has probably been a bit of a shock to your system.

It’s been a tough week. Fortunately, for Vermont it has been business as usual.

On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the number of new infections in the United States could more than double to 100,000 a day if the country fails to contain the surge that is now underway in many states. The nation’s top infectious disease expert said the recent sharp rise in cases, l…

Today, the pandemic version of our “Five Questions With …” comes to an end. Over the last three months, we have introduced you to just under 50 Vermonters and let them explain, in their own words, how their lives have been shaped by the pandemic and, specifically, how they have been coping w…

For the first time since Town Meeting Day, voters need to think about how they vote. Literally.

All of a sudden, the “For Sale” signs are out.

All of a sudden, the “For Sale” signs are out.

Typically, at this point in a statewide election cycle, we see the sparring between primary candidates, as well as across parties.

The reporters of The Times Argus and Rutland Herald were having an email discussion on Wednesday morning about their observations about how, where and when they are seeing individuals not wearing face masks. The reporter who posed the original query had stopped at a convenience store and, up…

Monday provided a certain validation we needed right now. It is Pride Week across the nation, and we actually have something to celebrate.

As Vermont small businesses re-open during the ongoing pandemic, their struggle is real. There have been pools of money provided by the feds, the state and even at the local level in the form of grants. And there is constant chatter about more stimulus money going to mom-and-pop operations.

At the Black Lives March rallies around Vermont, and across the nation, one of the predominant messages has been to “defund the police.”

Vermont rallied. That is what it does. We do not stand idly by, especially when it comes to social injustice. But do we do enough? (Cringe) No.

As encouraging as it is to see more Vermont businesses re-opening during this pandemic, there remain grave concerns for our state. Certain challenges are real and seemingly a million miles from “back to normal.”

In the absence of leadership, we are fortunate leaders are standing up right now. Their voices are badly needed.

You don’t have to look far to see how upset people have become. The tension in the nation is palpable, and many of our nation's leaders are calling for calm. Over the weekend, there were a handful of protests right here in Vermont (Burlington, Bennington and Montpelier).

You don’t have to look far to see how upset people have become. The tension in the nation is palpable, and many of our nation’s leaders are calling for calm. Over the weekend, there were a handful of protests right here in Vermont (Burlington, Bennington and Montpelier).

You are living a moment in history.

One of the opportunities that has come from the challenge of this pandemic is a renewed interest in local produce, meats and other Vermont-made products. It is a most welcome trend. The movement has farmers eager to see just how prosperous this growing season might be.

In these challenging times, we seem to crave a sense of normalcy. In many ways, we are blessed this pandemic unfolded at the end of winter, on the cusp of spring. We can, at a minimum, be outside with ease, enjoy the blooming of springtime flowers, and the leafing of spring foliage. We neede…

In these challenging times, we seem to crave a sense of normalcy. In many ways, we are blessed this pandemic unfolded at the end of winter, on the cusp of spring. We can, at a minimum, be outside with ease, enjoy the blooming of springtime flowers, and the leafing of spring foliage. We neede…

Arguably, one of the added bonuses of self-isolation has been more time with family.

We have heard more people are planting gardens this spring. And that classes about canning and preserving are at capacity already, and the harvest is still months away. People are talking about walking and cycling more, using their vehicles less. And there is a concerted push on to buy local…

Monday saw many Vermont businesses back to work, albeit in a somewhat limited capacity. Everyone is cautiously optimistic that this turn of the spigot is the one that fills the pump enough to prime it. Each step in this process needs to be thought out, planned, executed and enforced — a word…

For some Vermonters, this pandemic has been nothing short of hell.

As a matter of course lately, our reporting staff has been taking note of when technology plagues a public meeting.

In recent weeks, we have been featuring answers to emailed questions to a handful of Vermonters that ask how they have been coping with self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. Each “Five Questions With ...” has been unique, and we have chosen individuals who represent a cross-section…

We’re itching for self-isolation to be over and done with.

We have been very fortunate in recent weeks that this page has seen a lot of activity. It would seem that self-isolation gives people ample time to think about topics and then sound off on them.

Our apologies to the governor for making him the protagonist in a full-page reader engagement exercise on the cover of this section. But we felt that he was the perfect subject for a story that required levity. Besides, how many states have race car drivers who double as governors?

The arrogance is astounding and dumbfounding at the same time.

When every person counts, it is key to ensure every person is counted.

We had a warm winter. We are having a weird spring. (It snowed in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, after all.)

Vermonters should be upset about a proposal on the table to close two crucial college campuses.

Town Meeting Day feels like a long time ago. From the floor of a few meetings that March 3, either the town health officer, or someone from the local volunteer fire department, or a local nurse perhaps, gave a brief report or observation to the gathering about coronavirus.

In last weekend’s Magazine section, Henry Homeyer, our regular gardening columnist, suggested that now is the perfect time to be thinking about garden planning for the summer.

As we continue to adjust to this self-isolation routine, the changes we have been forced to make in lifestyle and behavior can only be described as “jarring.” Isolation of any kind feels confining and a bit confused; it creates anxiety.

Within moments of Bernie Sanders announcing that he was suspending his run for the White House, many of his supporters too to social media. They lamented his decision, suggesting that despite longshot odds for the nomination at this point, there still had to be a way the Vermont senator coul…

There is a seismic shift happening around us.

Organizers of Green Up Day made the decision this weekend to postpone the annual event until May 30. Originally, it was scheduled for May 2.

In politics, timing is everything.

The news is not feeling terribly bright this week.

In the last week, we have witnessed the volatile effects COVID-19 has had on the financial markets and the business community. For the world markets, it has been a wild ride, with the lowest lows since 1987, and bold attempts at rebounds that feel more like one step forward, three steps back.