The response to this feature’s debut was overwhelmingly positive, so here we are again. For those just joining us, every week I’m scanning the news coverage of Vermont and pointing out a bunch of items that might have escaped your attention. These could be news stories, essays, blogposts, podcasts, videos, or what have you.

This week’s subtitle is a reference to the second installment in a series, but also to a story that might turn out to be dramatically impactful — but has barely been covered by our mainstream outlets. Probably a matter of time before our own domestic empire strikes back.

The Statehouse Transgender Kerfuffle. This story began in the Vermont Daily Chronicle, the extremely conservative outlet for right-wing opinion and news of questionable veracity. A recent VDC story has gained traction in the wider conservative media ecosystem, which could lead to significant implications for our relations with the Trump administration.

And here it is. On Wednesday, March 12, the Vermont Family Alliance, a conservative activist group, tried to hold an event in the Statehouse promoting “detransition,” the allegedly growing phenomenon of people who’ve had gender affirming care subsequently deciding to return to their birth gender. Transgender activists disrupted the event, leading Statehouse officials to call a halt to the proceedings. This story has been relentlessly followed up by the Chronicle and been amplified by Fox News and other outlets as an example of the oppressive left trampling the free speech views of conservatives.

It’s a stupid story but if it filters up to the Trump White House, we might find ourselves in the crosshairs just like Maine Gov. Janet Mills or the University of Pennsylvania. I may be writing a full post about this, but I did want to spotlight it in this forum.

Last Rites for Phil Scott’s Education Plan? It’s not often that one of our TV outlets is out in front on a major story, but props to WPTZ’s Stephen Biddix for first (as far as I can tell) reporting that the House is almost certainly going to sideline Gov. Phil Scott’s education transformation plan. This was inevitable, and really it’s the responsible thing to do when a radical bill like this is tossed in front of the Legislature halfway through a session. But hey, Biddix got the story and ran with it. Good on him. (His story also quotes Senate Education Committee chair and putative Democrat Seth Bongartz as advocating some kind of massive school district consolidation this year. Problem: Crossover Day is already in the rear-view. Cool your jets there, Senator.)

A Different, and Informed, Take on School Funding. VTDigger has posted an opinion piece by former lieutenant governor and human services secretary Doug Racine, who says that it’s the Education Fund that’s broken, not our public school system. The Fund, he says, “has been stretched beyond its original intent to include expenses not related to K-12 schools,” and that’s the real reason school funding is so problematic.

Every governor and legislature in recent times, according to Racine, “has used the property tax as a piggy bank to balance the budget.” He says that costs unrelated to K-12 education, such as social and mental health services, should be borne by the general fund instead. It’s a point that ought to get a lot more emphasis as we consider radical, wide-ranging changes to public school governance and financing.

The Haskell Free Library, a Threat to Our Nation. Federal officials have moved to block direct access from the Canadian side to the Haskell Free Library, which straddles the border between Derby Line VT and Stanstead QC. The story was first run by the Montreal Gazette, and picked up by many a Vermont outlet. I’ll specifically point to a nice follow-up by the online-only Newport Dispatch, which has library officials “scrambling” to create a new, hassle-free entrance for Canadians.

The notion of literacy as a security threat reminds me of an old Bill Hicks routine — well, there aren’t any new ones — about getting in trouble by reading a book at a Waffle House. Begins at about the 2:27 mark of the linked video.

Montpelier Ponders New City Plan. Kudos to the Montpelier Bridge for taking a comprehensive yet readable look at the new city plan, a subject that often induces eye-rolling if not outright unconsciousness among reporters. But our capital city is at a crossroads, as the Covid pandemic has resulted in seemingly permanent losses in office occupancy and downtown foot traffic. There are a lot of vacant storefronts and spaces around the city.

Of most interest to me: the Transportation section, which “aims to treat all modes of transportation equally, including walking, biking, public transportation, and personal vehicle.”. Montpelier, like almost every other American community, prioritizes personal vehicles over every other means of transportation. It’s almost a crime, given how close Montpelier is to being the ideal, walkable small-city environment.

A Voice for the Voiceless. People experiencing homelessness have far too often been absent from discussions about how to address the issue. House Human Services Committee chair Rep. Theresa Wood has done valuable work in this regard by featuring testimony from witnesses with “lived experience.” They bring a perspective you don’t get anywhere else, plus intelligence and insight honed in part by the struggle to survive.

Well, now comes the Lamoille Community House with “Lives of Lamoille,” a new podcast spotlighting those who have experienced homelessness. Two episodes have been posted so far. And reporter Aaron Calvin did a write-up for The News & Citizen if you want to get a sense of the proceedings before firing up your podcast app.

A Deep Dive Into a Region’s History. Ski writer and author Karen Lorentz has written a three-part series for The Mountain Times on the development of skiing at Killington entitled “How Killington Became the Beast.” As of this writing, parts one and two have been published with the final installment due later this week. The story packs a lot of history in an easily consumable package. It’s the kind of thing that small weeklies could do, especially when an available writer brings the necessary skill and expertise, to enhance their communities’ awareness of how they came to be the places they are.

Old School Finds New Purpose. With apologies for spotlighting a paywalled article, the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus reports that one of Barre’s old elementary schools has been redeveloped into affordable housing. Angie Harbin, executive director of Downstreet Housing & Community Development, which spearheaded the project, said “The classrooms, the principal’s office, the cafeteria, the gym, (have) been repurposed” in “a building where history and new beginnings will be blended.”

One new resident actually attended kindergarten in the Ward 5 School a mere 62 years ago, and her new apartment — complete with chalkboards — is in the classroom where her two kids spent second grade. I couldn’t agree more with Alex Farrell, Gov. Phil Scott’s Commissioner of Housing and Community Development, who said “This is a great example of what we can do. We’re checking a lot of boxes, and we’re keeping an asset that means a lot to a lot of people.” More like this, please.

Amidst the Concern about Opioids, Don’t Overlook Alcohol as a Problem. Finally, a brief mention of a story you almost certainly didn’t miss but is worthy of note: the cover article in the most recent issue of Seven Days, a thorough investigation of alcohol use in Vermont by Colin Flanders, one of many highly skilled reporters on the 7D staff. This is a tremendous example of the way a statewide weekly can take a deeper look at a societal issue, and they deserve congratulations for making the effort.

There you go. Week two of “News You Should View.” Times are tough in the new biz, but a lot of reporters and editors are still producing content that’s worthy of your attention and support.