One that proposes miscellaneous changes to elections has recently gained attention in and outside of the Statehouse. This bill has gone through multiple drafts and has evolved after witness testimony,...

The news of moving to an all-digital library and changes to the sports programs at Northern Vermont University-Johnson is disheartening. Making sure the state college system is relevant, thriving and adequately...

Sustainable forest management is essential to maintaining the landscape our state treasures and relies upon for ecosystem services and tourism dollars. During summer and fall of 2021, members of the Legislature’s...

Town meeting marks about the halfway point of the legislative session, commonly referred to as crossover. Bills that started in the House move to the Senate and vice versa. Interestingly, there are no...

The next two weeks are crucial for my committee, the House Committee on Appropriations. Whether you call it “crunch time” or “when the rubber meets the road,” key budget decisions that impact nearly...

What part of Vermont had the highest rates of suicides and opioid deaths last year? Answer: Lamoille County. Experts believe the increases statewide in suicide and opioid overdoses can be attributed...

We worked this week on prioritizing the family services division portion of the Vermont Department of Children and Families budget, which includes the foster care system and youth in state custody. That...

Well, we got off to a bit of a rough start with the first week remote due to Omicron. But everyone responded positively and with commitment to make it work. Thank You. And now as I write this we are getting...

In the last issue I wrote about the campus Wellness Center and suggested taking advantage of their free counseling and walk-in hours along with their self-guided relaxation, light therapy and biofeedback...

The first thing I’ve noticed each time I’ve stepped into the Wellness Center on the NVU-Johnson campus is the quiet, an intentional hush offset only by the white noise of the sound machines which line...

Shannon is a sophomore at JSC and is a founder and active member of Northern Vermont Recovery Program (NVRP). Hi, my name is Shannon and I am an alcoholic. By the grace of my higher power, I have not...

Winter depression (or winter blues) is a common affliction for those who live in our northern climate. Its clinical name is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and up to 5 percent of the population (especially...

Healthy relationships bring happiness and health to our lives. Studies show that people with healthy relationships really do have more happiness and less stress. There are basic ways to make relationships...

Do you know about mindfulness? One of the best definitions of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, who says that Mindfulness is “paying attention...

Enjoy video games? Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Then check out this brand new JSC service, which is offered through collaboration between the Health Center and the Behavioral Medicine Research...

In honor of Alcohol Awareness week and inspired by the Vermont Conference on Addictive Disorders that I recently attended, I thought I’d take a closer look at Alcohol Issues, particularly for those typical...

Procrastination is one of the most stressful maladaptive strategies in life. Yes, we need to stay on top of our readings and assignments, work, friends, families, laundry and lives, but sometimes it all...

Editor’s note: The following commentary was originally published in Vt. Digger on Jan. 21. It’s been reprinted here due to its relevance, despite the protests of its author, stemming from his active...