Dear Reader, Our reporting begins where the official version begins to fray.  A number doesn’t reconcile, an answer arrives too smoothly, officials won’t talk. And when we start asking questions, we keep digging until we find answers. Reader donations make this work possible. Until Saturday, June 6, your gift will also send a new book to a Vermont child through the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF).  Will you help keep local news strong and support the news readers of tomorrow? Donate send a book Often, our reporting leads to real impact for Vermonters. Recently, reporter Emma Green published a story about stalled flood recovery efforts in North Barre. Residents had spent months waiting for answers and updates after devastating flooding. The day after the story published, the mayor showed up to address residents directly. For people who had felt ignored for a long time, that moment mattered. This is what local reporting can do: bring transparency, accountability and attention to issues that affect people’s daily lives. A one-time gift helps make stories like this possible today. Ongoing support helps make this reporting possible every day. Monthly support helps us plan ahead, stay on stories longer and continue producing in-depth reporting across Vermont. If you can, please consider becoming a sustaining member today. Your gift will also provide a new book to a Vermont child. Donate send a book Your support, in any amount or frequency, matters deeply to this newsroom and the communities we serve. Thank you for being a reader. Sincerely, Shane Graber Deputy Managing Editor, VTDigger Each donation of a brand-new children’s book via the Children’s Literacy Foundation has been generously underwritten by the Vermont Book Shop. 100% of your gift to VTDigger will directly support our journalism. Read the story on VTDigger here: Invest in journalism that makes a difference for Vermonters. ...read more read less