Not being able to drive in this state can be isolating — especially for older Vermonters navigating the challenges of aging. Ninety-two-year-old Gerry Quinlan has found a way, with a network of friends that can drive her to their weekly coffee dates in Essex. But she’s wondering how others do it, so she came to us with this question: "How do you maintain a social life in Vermont once you can no longer drive?" Join us as we ride along with Gerry and others who have given up their keys, but not th...
Jun 19, 2025•23 min
Wanting children, and not being able to have them, is an experience people rarely discuss publicly. But it’s one that cuts close to the bone for many — like Gina Accorsi, of Milton. Gina is grieving the loss of a path she can’t take, and she’s looking for support as she charts a new one. She reached out to us with some questions: “How common is childlessness in Vermont today? Is there a support system or community acceptance here for childless people?” If you’re looking for more support, check o...
Jun 05, 2025•26 min
Do you know what rocker panels are? No? Well, one listener found out hers were rusted during her annual car inspection — and that they were in need of a pricey repair. Vermont is one of just nine states that still requires annual safety inspections for all cars. And over and over, car inspections — especially car inspections that end in failure — bring frustrated Vermonters to the BLS question box. Three listeners want to know why Vermont’s inspection requirements persist, even as other states h...
May 22, 2025•26 min
Vermont’s logging industry has changed a lot over the last several decades. But one thing remains true: We just can’t agree about how to manage our forests in the face of climate change. This raises a lot of questions about how Vermont should manage its forests — and it has led to heated debates around the state. For photos from the episode, check out the web version of this story . This episode was reported by Abagael Giles. Editing and production from the BLS team: That’s Sabine Poux, Burgess ...
May 08, 2025•28 min
What does it mean to be a Vermonter if you’ve left the Green Mountain State? Reporter Myra Flynn brings us on a sonic journey across the globe from Los Angeles to the Dominican Republic, to Jamaica. There are love stories, tales of taking chances and conversations about what it means to call somewhere home. Thanks to question-asker Jesse Wingate of Virginia – formerly of North Troy, Vermont – for the great question. For photos and an episode transcript, head to our website . This episode was rep...
Apr 17, 2025•24 min
South Royalton has something that no other Vermont town does: a law school. But for a long time, there’s been one rumor the town and the school can’t seem to shake — that Vermont Law & Graduate School is on the verge of upping sticks for Burlington. Question-asker Tess Mix, of neighboring Tunbridge, has been hearing this rumor her whole life. She wants to know, is it true? And how reliant is the community on the law school, anyway? For more photos and an episode transcript, head to our websi...
Apr 03, 2025•18 min
You can find the swoopy, stylized version of the word “Stowe” everywhere — police cruisers, store windows, a covered bridge. It’s as if the entire town is part of one giant marketing campaign. Question-asker Joe Emery of Essex finds this sort of weird, and wants to know how it came to be. We made a video version of this episode! Check it out here . For more photos and an episode transcript, head to our website . This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. It was edited and produced by Josh Crane a...
Mar 20, 2025•13 min
Five mysterious disappearances were the talk of Bennington in the mid-20th century. Now, they’ve developed a cult following online. We revisit the initial cases and trace the rise of the “Bennington Triangle” in the popular imagination. Thanks to Kevin Landry of Claremont, New Hampshire for the great question. Check out the web version of this story here . This episode was reported by Howard Weiss-Tisman and produced by Burgess Brown. Editing and additional production from Josh Crane and Sabine ...
Mar 06, 2025•22 min
Cha-ching. Vermont health insurance is pricey, and getting more expensive really quickly. For one listener in Montpelier, it’s just not adding up. Rosie Krueger says sky-high health insurance costs were a real pill when she was building budgets on the Montpelier City Council a few years ago. Since then, this health insurance dilemma has only gotten worse. The good news: There’s a pretty straightforward answer to Rosie’s question. The bad news: It’s hard to know what to do about it. For a closer ...
Feb 27, 2025•28 min
Forests for the people! Democracy in the woods! Most towns in Vermont have a locally owned forest, but no two are exactly the same — and their stories are still unfolding. Check out the web version of this episode for photos and a full transcript . You can participate in UVM’s town forest census project here . Thanks to Anne Wallace of Bristol for the great question. This episode was reported by Lexi Krupp. It was produced by Burgess Brown, with editing from Josh Crane and Sabine Poux. Angela Ev...
Feb 06, 2025•20 min
Vermont used to have hundreds of dumps all over the state. These days, most of the state’s trash ends up in one place: a landfill in Coventry. Question-asker Sylvia Dodge, of Lyndon, wants to know why all that trash ends up in just one small town. We visit the Coventry landfill, trash bag in hand, and talk to the people doing the dirty work. You can find photos from our reporting, and a full transcript for the episode, here . Share your feedback about BLS! We’d love to hear from you and it will ...
Jan 23, 2025•29 min
We track down the Lorax of Vermont cemeteries and visit a farm in East Putney where the past and present collide. Share your feedback about BLS! We’d love to hear from you and it will help us make the show even better. Plus: prizes! Thanks to Kathleen Cuneen of Thetford for the great question. Check out the web version of this episode for photos and a full transcript . This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. It was produced and edited by Burgess Brown and Josh Crane. Digital support from Sophi...
Jan 09, 2025•15 min
Alex Larrabee is in 10th grade at the Danville School in the Northeast Kingdom. She doesn’t hunt, but her family does and her classmates do. And she’s noticed that people who go hunting… it’s not a casual interest. They’re passionate about it. Alex, on the other hand, doesn’t really get what all the fuss is about. Now, we at Brave Little State are not big hunters, and neither is Lola Duffort, our reporter for this episode. So, we figured the best way and probably the only way to answer Alex’s qu...
Dec 19, 2024•29 min
It’s been seven years since Colorado-based Vail Resorts bought the ski resort at Stowe. Almost immediately, Vail cut the cost of a season pass there in half. But cheaper skiing hasn’t deterred people from lampooning Vail online or displaying angry bumper stickers in ski town parking lots — spotlighting a tension over the soul of Vermont ski culture and ski towns. In this episode, we look into what’s changed since Vail’s entry here, from chairlift upgrades to stress on the housing market. Plus, a...
Dec 05, 2024•24 min
Government for the people! A beacon of democracy! The Postal Service has been essential for free speech and the circulation of ideas since before the founding of the United States. These days, it's becoming increasingly important during elections, as more people vote by mail. And it’s still a vital part of many communities, from beloved local mail carriers to shiny, gold P.O. Boxes in general stores. But in recent years, it’s been struggling to make good on its public service — and Vermonters ar...
Nov 07, 2024•29 min
We’re sharing a story from New Hampshire Public Radio’s Document team. A young police officer unexpectedly finds herself back in New Hampshire, and she’s not the same person she was when she left. Something happened to her – to all of us. But for Officer Emelia Campbell, this thing still lives in her brain and her body. NHPR’s Lauren Chooljian brings you Emelia’s story of survival and resilience in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021. You can find the full transcript here . Heads up: This episode contains ...
Nov 01, 2024•52 min
Climate change is here. So is Vermont’s energy transition. Ahead of the 2024 election, voters want to know: How do they fit in? Environment and climate reporter Abagael Giles looks into efforts to both mitigate and adapt to climate change in this pivotal moment. And she explores how Vermont can make sure its most remote communities aren’t left behind. Thanks to Laura Zettler of Fairfax and Pam Ladds of Newport for sharing their curiosity with us. There’s a full transcript for this episode here ....
Oct 24, 2024•29 min
For centuries, humans have transported plants and animals and fungi all around the globe. Whether exotic plants for a home garden or spores hitching a ride on a boot, flora and fauna have found their way into ecosystems that were unprepared for their arrival. These “invasive species” have no natural predators to keep them in check and in that absence, they wreak havoc. But which of these species has wreaked the most havoc in Vermont? That’s what Ashley Wojnarowski and Mike Mezzacapo of Pomfret w...
Oct 11, 2024•30 min
The “girlie shows” are long gone from the county fairs. Former clubs like Planet Rock in Barre and Club Fantasy in South Burlington have all shut down. Vermont is now the only New England state without strip clubs. One stripper who grew up in Vermont reached out with a simple question: Why? For photos from our reporting, check out the web version of this story . Thanks to Susan Meiselas and Magnum Photos for the materials from Carnival Strippers and Carnival Strippers Revisted . This episode was...
Sep 27, 2024•29 min
For as long as Carly Berlin has been reporting on housing issues for Vermont Public and VTDigger, she’s been hearing some version of this question: Is Vermont’s rise in homelessness due to unhoused people moving here from out-of-state? She hasn’t been able to track down an easy answer to this question. And in the absence of information, the idea that Vermont’s benefits are a “magnet” for those experiencing homelessness has taken root, from the aisles of grocery stores to the Statehouse floor. It...
Sep 06, 2024•37 min
A chapter of Northeast Kingdom history that is most mysterious. A man whose talent and ambition led him down a perilous path. To answer a question from Eric Lucier of Jay, Henry Epp tells the story of the Space Research Corporation and its founder, Gerald Bull. We originally released this episode in 2022. Check out photos of the Space Research Corporation site, then and now, in our web feature . Henry Epp reported this episode. It was produced by Angela Evancie, with additional editing and produ...
Aug 22, 2024•52 min
What’s summer without a road trip? Every year, Brave Little State travels around Vermont to find the stories behind the road signs. But even with several years of investigations under our seatbelts, we’re still finding plenty of surprises. This year, we looked into the stories behind Lake Willoughby, Hells Peak Road and Pumpkin Harbor Road. You can find the web version of this story here . And psst — check out our new Brave Little State landing page, which, for the first time, has a searchable a...
Aug 08, 2024•41 min
Whew… a big question. And certainly not one with a yes or no answer. Happiness looks different depending on who you ask. So we visited five Vermonters to learn what happiness looks like to them. Question-asker Courtney Rabuffo is a recent transplant to Vermont. She’s found a lot of happiness in her new home in North Hero. But she wants to know how other Vermonters are faring, which is why she asked us: "Are Vermonters happy? And are they happier than people in other New England states?" Find the...
Jul 25, 2024•28 min
Jeezum crow , is it tough to find the origin of the phrase ‘jeezum crow’! Join us for our exploration into this quintessential Vermont saying, as we journey from folklore to linguistics to… crows. Thanks to Sandra Bettis of Middlesex for the great question: “Where did ‘jeezum crow’ come from and is it just a Vermont saying?” Find the web version of this episode here . This episode was reported by Mikaela Lefrak. It was produced and edited by Angela Evancie, Josh Crane, Sabine Poux and Burgess Br...
Jul 18, 2024•10 min
Here we are again. Exactly one year after historic floods ravaged Vermont, parts of the state are again dealing with devastating flooding following heavy rains. We turn back to a 2023 episode about how understanding why these floods are so destructive is not as simple as measuring rainfall. Last year, reporter Lexi Krupp took on what turned out to be a very timely question from Gus Goodwin of East Montpelier. He wanted to know: “What does an old stream look like? Does Vermont have any? And can w...
Jul 11, 2024•29 min
For about a century, a farm operated on a hillside in Hardwick. At one point, it was said to have one of the finest herds of cows in town. But life for those working the farm was less rosy. They were known as “inmates” — though they hadn’t committed crimes. This was Hardwick’s “poor farm.” Vermont towns used to be required by law to provide welfare locally. That’s where poor farms came in. A listener from Shelburne wants to know if there’s anything we can learn from this approach — in spite of i...
Jun 20, 2024•29 min
Hours and hours of calls. Months-long waitlists. Vermonters are spending a lot of time looking for primary care providers — and those providers are struggling, too. Question-asker Jen Kaufman is a doctor practicing in Vergennes who got into primary care because she likes spending time with patients. But she’s cut back on her hours seeing patients to manage her workload. She wants to know: What is the state of primary care in Vermont and where is it anticipated to go? Why is it so hard to get a p...
Jun 06, 2024•23 min
Chittenden County has been using buses to move people around for almost a century. But with ridership down and the bus system heading toward a fiscal cliff, one listener wants to know — is there a better way? In the not-too-distant past, Burlington and its surrounding towns dreamt big transit dreams: more efficient buses, commuter trains and light rail. In 2024, those dreams remain unrealized or abandoned, and we’re fighting to keep the system we do have alive. Winning question-asker Nathaniel E...
May 23, 2024•26 min
There’s a tooth embedded in a retaining wall alongside East State Street in Montpelier. Who put it there? This question has been keeping Brave Little State producer Burgess Brown up at night. He and question-asker Elvira Dana channeled their best Holmes and Watson to crack this cold canine case right open. And they enlisted the entire town of Montpelier for help along the way. Find the web version of this episode here . This episode was reported and produced by Burgess Brown, with editing from S...
May 09, 2024•30 min
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Vermont’s messy transition from winter to spring always brings its fair share of surprises and obstacles. And this year has been no exception: The mud came early, and it came often. Keith Gadapee is on the front lines of battling mud season as road foreman for the town of Danville — which has more dirt roads than anywhere else in Vermont. We spoke to Keith back in 2022 for an episode we called “Mud Season Madness” and put your pressing mud questions to t...
Apr 18, 2024•23 min
