Vermont has received a failing grade from a national advocacy group that says the state doesn’t require Supreme Court justices to disclose enough financial information.

Over the course of the next ten years, more than half of all Vermont teachers are expected to retire.

To help deal with this demographic change, Vermont’s teachers union will ask lawmakers to adopt several proposals to encourage more young people to enter the education workforce.

The Vermont Republican Party seems to have begun its Election 2014 opposition research on Gov. Peter Shumlin. In a release Monday, the party’s political director criticized Shumlin for saying recently that he “never promised cell service to Vermont because I knew that we couldn’t get that done by 2013 or 2014.”

Dr. Jay Batra is back at work as the medical director of the Vermont Department of Mental Health. That’s a position he left almost a year ago, to join a health insurance co-op that had attempted to offer insurance on the state health care exchange.

In resuming his role as medical director, Batra will be instrumental in opening the psychiatric facility that replaces the Vermont State Hospital, as well as coordinating care across all of Vermont’s mental health services.

He spoke with Vermont Edition as he  returned to this position.

The impending closing of Vermont Yankee has everyone worried about job losses in southern Vermont. But a group of people in Windham and Bennington counties have been working for years to try to understand the region’s underlying economic situation.

It’s the holidays, a time when friends, families and co-workers unite to celebrate. Quite often with alcohol flowing.

We take a look at some of Vermont’s liquor laws and how they developed with Department of Liquor Control Director of Enforcement Bill Goggins. And we’ll hear how law enforcement agencies around the state work to keep impaired drivers off the highway from Ted Minall, Chief of the Governor's Highway Safety Program and Vermont State Police Sergeant Gary Scott.

August "Auggie" Pullman doesn't look like your average fifth grader, but that's exactly what he wishes he could be. He feels ordinary, but other people don't see him that way. That's because Auggie was born with a facial deformity.

Auggie's family is fiercely protective of him, but they can't shelter him from the world forever. After being home schooled through elementary school, Auggie is accepted at Beecher Prep. But no matter how prestigious, middle school is still middle school and not everyone is kind.

After years of planning, voting, more planning, and re-voting, the new Stowe Arena has opened. Stowe Youth Hockey held its first games at the new rink over the weekend.

The town’s seasonal rink – Jackson Arena – was torn down in the spring. In its spot now stands the new year-round facility. Joanna Graves uses the rink as a hockey player, a coach, and the high school athletic director. She says she’ll miss the quirky old rink, but the new facility is a big improvement.

Petitions are circulating in Bennington to recall an ordinance that prohibits “aggressive panhandling” and sleeping in cars in public areas.

Opponents say the law is unnecessary and that it unfairly targets the town’s neediest residents.

The ordinance was adopted by the Bennington Select Board at the end of November.

Bennington Town Manager Stuart Hurd said the issue was raised by members of the chamber of commerce and a downtown advocacy group.

“Because they were becoming concerned that panhandling was becoming a problem,” Hurd said.