Vermont
Owl festival a hoot
QUECHEE, Vt. (WCAX) – Raptors big and small descended on the Vermont Institute of Natural Science’s Owl Festival in Quechee Saturday.
One of those birds was Nora, a young screech owl named after the girl who rescued her.
“Nora and her father were out fishing in Tennessee, and they found this owl hanging upside down in a tree, all tangled up in fishing line,” Mark Wilson said, holding Nora on his arm. Wilson and his wife took Nora in through Eyes On Owls, their refuge for disabled owls. Now, Nora travels around New England and New York with the couple, teaching people about her species. “This little screech owl is a big crowd pleaser,” Wilson smiled. “It’s hard to resist those big blinking eyes.”
Over one thousand people flocked to the festival for an up-close glimpse of the elusive birds. “I hope that they’re left with kind of a sense of awe,” VINS Environmental Educator Mya Wiles shared.
Owl educators say meeting the raptors is a great way to better understand and appreciate nature. “Telling them different ways that they might be able to encounter wild birds in their backyard is also really fun,” Wiles said. “Kind of seeing those people kind of engage their curiosity with the natural world.” Wilson says he teaches to highlight local wildlife. “A lot of people know more about African wildlife than they know what’s in their backyard,” Wilson said. “So, this way we introduce people to their wild neighbors.”
That introduction was a hoot for Priscilla Kozdroy of New Hampshire. “I’ve never seen an owl until just now, five minutes ago!” Kozdroy laughed. “I think I’m going to go try to see some owls. Maybe go owling and birding, see what I can find.”
With spring being breeding season, raptor encounters can ramp up. If you find a raptor that’s hurt, Wilson says to contact rehabilitators like VINS. Otherwise, find ways to coexist with them from afar.
“Just keep your distance, enjoy it. Use some binoculars, maybe use a telephoto lens on your camera and get some pictures of it,” Wilson said. “Maybe put up a house for them to nest in your yard!”
VINS says they hope the festival inspires people to consider the raptors that live in their own backyards.
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)
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