Vermont
VTrans begins preliminary planning for Amtrak expansion
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont is on track to receive federal funding as the state considers an Amtrak expansion.
A million dollars could be the ticket to the Ethan Allen Express adding stops in Manchester and Bennington. Vermont Agency of Transportation says this plan is in the very early stages and this initial funding is to study how expansion could happen.
Town leaders in the impacted areas say it would be a win for their communities.
Rutland connects northern and southern Vermont and is also the gateway to Albany, N.Y., and beyond thanks to the Ethan Allen Express. Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges says the Amtrak route is commonly used for weekend excursions, but there’s potential for the Ethan Allen Express to expand in southern Vermont, offering one service a day.
Doenges said the expansion could offer “convenience for business travelers and the ease of commute for them, and the ability to bring skiers up here on the weekends without having them having to drive.”
Doenges says while this plan isn’t necessarily a commuter rail, he likes the idea of continued connection among communities and would love to see a commuter line too.
“I think would be very helpful in what we see is currently a housing affordability crisis,” he said.
As would Manchester Town Manager Scott Murphy.
“The only Thruway from on the southwestern side is a non-high speed highway. You know, Route 7 is the only north-south, all kinds of street lights and things like that,” said Murphy.
Dan Delabruere of VTrans says federal funding, which is coming from the Corridor Identification and Development Program, will help establish which routes are and aren’t feasible for Vermont, its neighboring states, and Canada.
“It’s in our statewide rail plan to look at whether it makes sense to keep the Amtrak Ethan Allen in Vermont longer and go down through Manchester and Bennington. We don’t have all the data on that. We don’t know if that makes sense. Although in concept you would think it could make sense,” said Delabruere.
Delaburere says they’re working on receiving the funding and will have a handful of months to come up with the scope of the plan, and what this expansion could look like.
“Now that we have sort of a holistic view of the entire network and how all the corridors tie together, I think you’re going to see a difference over the next decade. You know, how people expand and use Rail,” he said.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont House lawmakers gave final approval this week to a mid-year adjustment of the state budget.
The spending plan passed unanimously and includes more money for state police overtime, an expansion of the Chittenden County Accountability Court and money for Meals on Wheels.
The budget also allocates $5 million to maintain Section 8 housing vouchers. That money comes from a $60 million fund set aside last year in the event of cuts from the federal government.
“We’re a quarter of the way through the game. We want to be careful to not spend everything now because given everything that’s happened in the last 12 months, who knows what’s going to happen in the next 12 or longer,” said Rep. Robin Scheu, D-Middlebury.
The budget adjustment bill now heads to the Vermont Senate.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
A Vermont woman is dead after her snowmobile struck a group of trees Saturday afternoon on a trail in Brighton.
State police say they were notified around 12:55 p.m. of a snowmobile crash on VAST Trail 2001 and arrived to find a 50-year-old female operator with critical injuries.
Life-saving measures were performed, and the woman was taken to North Country Hospital in Newport where she was later pronounced dead, according to police. She has since been identified as Laurie Jackson, of Proctorsville.
An investigation shows Jackson was traveling north on the trail near Meadow Street when she failed to negotiate a left-hand turn, driving off trail to the right where her 2001 Skidoo Renegade hit several trees, according to police, who noted that Jackson was wearing a helmet at the time, and described the trails as groomed/fair condition.
Further information was not provided Saturday.
The 2025-2026 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.
TO REPORT SCORES
Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.
▶ Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
SATURDAY’S H.S. GAMES
Girls basketball
Mount Mansfield 54, Brattleboro 42
MM: Maysa Long 15 points, 7 steals, 6 rebounds, 5 assists. Aly Dorman 15 points, 4 steals. Morgan Campbell 11 points.
B: Hailey Bristol 15 points. Juliette Pals 10 points.
Note: Mount Mansfield gained separation in the second half after entering halftime up 27-25.
BFA-St. Albans 46, Essex 42
B: Emma Harrison 17 points. Emma Parah 11 points.
E: Zoe Papaseraphim 16 points. Colleen Sonnick 11 points.
Burlington 52, Rutland 51
B: Emma Maley 17 points. Dieuna Beynnon 11 points. Mae Yenkavitch 11 points.
R: Brinley Gandin 22 points. Lilly Blanchard 10 points. Alanna Rooney 9 points.
Note: The Seahorses converted eight 3-pointers in the win handing Rutland its second straight loss. Rutland went 1-for-4 from the free throw line and committed two turnovers in the final two minutes of the game, while Burlington made its free throws.
Lyndon 60, Harwood 34
L: Makayla Savage 25 points. Gabriella Marshia 14 points. Grace Griswold 8 points.
H: Maddie Grace Ryley 13 points, 4 rebounds. Liv Kielich 4 points, 14 rebounds.
Spaulding 43, Montpelier 18
Woodsville, NH at Blue Mountain, 6 p.m.
Boys basketball
Lyndon 55, Lake Region 40
LYN: Nikko D’Auria 23 points. Logan Wheeler 11 points. Brent Wells 9 points. Beckett Bailey 8 points.
LR: Keagan Tartaglio 20 points. Brody McDonald 8 points.
Vergennes 78, Mount Abraham 54
V: Ryan Wright 15 points. Theo Elzinga 14 points, 9 rebounds. Ryker Mosehauer 12 points.
MA: Jaran Griffin 18 points. Charlie German 14 points.
Woodstock 56, Williamstown 52
WOOD: Elvis Lavallee 25 points. Brody McGaffigan 10 points.
WILL: Nick Mascitti 10 points. Keeton Hull 10 points.
Milton 53, Missisquoi 42
Lamoille 62, North Country 49
Middlebury 62, Enosburg 54
Richford 58, Oxbow 56
Winooski at Northfield, 11 a.m.
South Burlington at Burr and Burton
Watch Vermont high school games on NFHS Network
Girls hockey
Essex 4, Rice 1
E: Calleigh Bruyns 2G, 1A. Lexi Moody 1G. Sadie Lizotte 1G. Emily Morgan 1A. Leah LaBombard 2A. Aliyah Rassel 1A. Lucia Minadeo 1A. Morgan Hughart 18 saves.
R: Reilly Newton 1G. Eliza Fischer 1A. Lulu Colman 1A. Molly McGibney 35 saves.
Note: Essex scored three unanswered goals in the second period to break a 1-1 tie including goals 14 seconds apart minutes into the second period.
Burlington/Colchester 4, Kingdom Blades 2
B/C: Taylor Davidson 3G. Caroline Burdick 1G. Brett Mears 1A. Logan Jewett 22 saves.
KB: Gabby Griffith 1G. Alexis Bartley 1G. Isabel Guadreau 1A. Madison Colby 39 saves.
Note: The SeaLakers came roaring back scoring three unanswered goals after entering the first intermission trailing 2-1. This game saw 18 combined penalties.
BFA-St. Albans 8, Hanover, NH 3
U-32 8, Harwood 1
Spaulding 3, Hartford 0
Brattleboro at Stowe, 4:15 p.m.
Chittenden Charge at Middlebury, 7 p.m.
Woodstock at Missisquoi, 7 p.m.
Boys hockey
Colchester 4, Rutland 1
C: Colton Lefebvre 2G. Easton Rassel 1G, 1A. Griffin Lefebvre 1G. Garrett Castonguay 1A. Lucien Timmerman 1A. Boden Gamage 13 saves.
R: Ira Eaton 1G. Jayden McKeighan 1A. Tyler Kennedy 30 saves.
Milton 6, Brattleboro 2
Middlebury 4, North Country 3
BFA-St. Albans at Champlain Valley, 5:15 p.m.
Essex at South Burlington, 12:30 p.m.
Rice at Concord, NH
Harwood at Spaulding, 5:15 p.m.
U-32 at Burr and Burton, 5 p.m.
Hartford at Burlington, 7:20 p.m.
MIssisquoi at Woodstock, 5:15 p.m.
Gymnastics
At Green Mountain Training Center
Essex 133.15, South Burlington 108.65
Vault: 1. MacKenna Parisi, E 8.25; 2. Anna Colby, MMU 8.2; 3. Lizzy Bennett, E 8.15.
Bars: 1. Ashley Gokey, E 8.65; 2. Alice Leonard, E 8.5; 3. Emma Bennett, E 8.35.
Beam: 1. Anna Colby, MMU 9.2; 2. Lexie Ransom, E 8.9; 3. Emma Bennett, E 8.7.
Floor: 1. Anna Colby, MMU 8.85; 2. Alice Leonard, E 8.6; 3. Lizzy Bennett, E 8.55.
All-around: 1. Anna Colby, MMU 34.5; 2. Emma Bennett, E 32.95; 3. Izzy Dale, MMU 31.8.
(Subject to change)
Kennedy Center will close for 2 years for renovations in July, Trump says, after performers backlash
Unearthed photo of Swalwell meeting with top CCP official raises alarm bells: ‘Very disturbing’
Deputy AG denies 5-year-old, father has asylum claim after family released from ICE detention
Crockett says there’s ‘more than enough to impeach Donald Trump’ in Texas Senate debate
Palestinian immigrant convicted of second murder-for-hire plot hatched from North Carolina cell
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Kennedy Center will close for 2 years for renovations in July, Trump says, after performers backlash
Government shutdowns may be fewer, but they’re increasingly disruptive
These European airports have scrapped the 100ml limit
Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later
Trump says Iran ‘seriously talking to us’ as military ships head to Middle East
-
Massachusetts1 day agoTV star fisherman, crew all presumed dead after boat sinks off Massachusetts coast
-
Tennessee2 days agoUPDATE: Ohio woman charged in shooting death of West TN deputy
-
Pennsylvania7 days agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Movie Reviews6 days agoVikram Prabhu’s Sirai Telugu Dubbed OTT Movie Review and Rating
-
News1 week agoVideo: Jack Smith Defends His Trump Indictments During House Hearing
-
Science1 week agoLAUSD says Pali High is safe for students to return to after fire. Some parents and experts have concerns
-
Technology1 week agoThe TikTok deal is done, finally
-
Politics1 week agoTrump’s playbook falters in crisis response to Minneapolis shooting