Melissa Cooney
Morning Reporter
Burlington, Vermont
Melissa Cooney joined WCAX in June 2021 and reports for Channel 3 This Morning. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University, where she received a B.A. in communication media studies and minored in both journalism and studio art.
During her time at WCAX, Melissa has enthusiastically taken over the education beat, following developments in state surrounding standardized testing, restraint and seclusion, school safety, COVID-19, mascot changes, and legislation, to name a few.
She has also covered top stories including the July flooding that tore through Vermont, the Morrisville manhunt, the sale of Jay Peak Resort, and even traveled to Columbus, Ohio to cover the University of Vermont's appearance in the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
Melissa regularly puts miles on the WCAX car by traveling all across the state to share your stories. In the winter, you'll find her inside Street View 3 sharing road conditions ahead of your morning commute.
In her free time, she loves to paint, read, run and ski! She is thrilled to be a part of this amazing team and loves Burlington so much.
A new state audit examines the timeliness and data collection that lead to the decisions made by the Vermont Public Utility Commission.
Some local utilities are preparing for the winter season that’s only just begun.
An update to the USDA’s plant hardiness zone maps shows the state is getting warmer when you look at the average minimum winter temperature.
Officials say a program helping homeless youth in the region is starting to make an impact.
School budget season is right around the corner and this is the first year schools are crafting budgets with a new education finance reform in place.
The State Treasurer’s Office says the net migration from the past two years is greater than the past ten years combined.
More and more people are driving green in the Green Mountain State, especially as an initiative for more green infrastructure continues.
As temperatures drop across our region, more people experiencing homelessness are looking for shelter, including Vermont’s youth.
Some 86% of people in Chittenden County are car-dependent. That’s according to a survey conducted by active transportation advocate Local Motion.
The Bolton Valley Resort has opened for the season. President Lindsay DesLauriers says Black Friday is always their target opening day, and they are excited to meet it this year.
Two Vermont music educators are getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Forever chemicals are festering inside some of Vermont’s schools. PCBs were a common component in building materials used prior to 1980.
Many people like to ski down the mountain, but a growing number of Vermonters like to hike up the slope first and then ski down, no chairlift needed.
The proposed changes would require independent schools to adopt the same principles of inclusiveness and anti-discrimination as public schools.
While weather conditions are localized and not every farm is impacted, some Christmas tree growers are weighing the impacts of an extremely wet growing season.
Feeding Chittenden is kicking off its turkey drive ahead of Thanksgiving.
It’s now been more than two years since Emily Ferlazzo was killed and the man police say did it continues to wait for trial.
At a ribbon cutting, officials celebrated the renaming of the former Hills Agricultural Sciences Building to the Patrick Leahy Building and officially launched the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships.
Calling all sports fans, the Olympic committee recently announced a number of new sports including baseball and squash will all be added to the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
Winter weather is just getting underway in Vermont, but Mount Washington's peak has already seen its fair share of snow.
State leaders say there are currently 30 electric transit buses in service across Vermont.
South Burlington is adding 1,000 new homes and 50,000 square feet of commercial space to City Center on Market Street, and a local elementary school is right in the middle of it.
Ballots are on their way to voters for a controversial wastewater project in Westford.
Residents in Stowe are preparing to vote on a $39 million bond to improve the Middle/High School, but it comes at a cost for businesses and some homeowners.
Allergies make this spooky holiday hard for kids and can make some parents feel like they are going as the Grinch for Halloween.
Kids are often told to reach for the stars. Now, 8th graders from the Troy School are expanding their horizons and getting an out-of-this-world opportunity.
Zero Energy Modular classrooms known as ZEMs are now open in one South Burlington Elementary school.
The long-efforted Exit 16 diverging diamond project is wrapping up its first season of work.
A rare invasive plant has been found in Charlotte now experts are warning you to keep an eye on your backyard.
As staff shortages at Vermont’s hospitals persist, one potential solution being used at hospitals across New England involves training current hospital employees to become nurses.
The initiative allows the schools to receive needed staffing while new hires get jobs and paid English classes.
Vermont is at the forefront when it comes to keeping an eye on artificial intelligence and its use in state government. Now, conversations are happening about how state government will continue to regulate artificial intelligence.
We visited schools having conversations about cannabis and how they are navigating the new normal with a legal weed market in Vermont.
The state stopped funding construction projects in 2007, so schools are left to figure out different ways to get their buildings up to snuff.
Leaves are falling and the leaf-peeping season is wrapping up in Vermont. As visitors leave, so does 20% of the state’s annual revenue from tourist spending.
After several major blockbusters, movie theatre officials are hoping to keep the momentum rolling.
Starting in the new year, the SAT will be fully virtual, and some Vermont schools are taking the online exam ahead of time to prepare.
Kids in Coventry want a fun place to hang out and play, but lately, the local playground just isn’t cutting it.
A killer is still on the loose four days after a woman was found dead on a trail in Castleton. Police on Monday provided their first update since Saturday, but many questions remain unanswered.
Vermont State Police say Honoree Fleming, 77 of Castleton was killed Thursday on the rail trail in Castleton. Police say they still have no idea who the killer is.
It’s the sweetest weekend of the year. Maple Open House Weekend is here, one of the many activities for leaf-peepers.
The second annual Invention Convention is coming to Vermont. It’s a national event where K-8 students show their inventions and even compete nationally if they qualify.
Despite the legal market for cannabis in Vermont, customers are still seeking CBD.
Citing staffing woes, some fire and EMS units in Vermont are considering merging forces.
If you’ve driven through the Burlington area this summer, you may have seen blue e-bikes in places they don’t seem to belong.
With pandemic-era benefits ending earlier this spring, some food stamp recipients went from getting hundreds of dollars a month to just $23. Now, a new work requirement means it could make it even harder to get benefits.
A lack of driving instructors and private driver’s ed programs is causing problems in rural Vermont towns, leading to long waits to get a license for students.
Vermont’s tourism sector is sending out a clear message that the state is open for business this fall foliage season.
Poor sportsmanship, accusations of racist remarks, and an on-court brawl -- Vermont high school sports have made headlines for the wrong reasons over the last few years.
The Windham Northeast Supervisory Union is partnering with a local dairy farm to provide organic milk to students in four schools.
