Vermont
VT Islamic group facing deadline to fund new mosque move in Burlington
One of Vermont’s few mosques is racing against the clock to purchase two new buildings its leaders say will better serve the growing Muslim community around Burlington.
The Islamic Community Center of Vermont, which currently operates out a cramped Winooski building, says it needs to raise $100,000 by April 28 to guarantee ownership of two much larger Burlington properties on Riverside Avenue.
For the approximately 300 Somali families who use the mosque’s services, the change in location would be like “moving from a one-bedroom apartment to a mansion,” center board member Mukhtar Abdullahi told the Burlington Free Press.
The mosque’s current space limits services. It can only run a few small Qur’an reading and recitation classes each day and weekend, resulting in waitlists for some classes.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had to turn people away simply because we don’t have the capacity to accommodate everyone,” Abdullahi said.
The mosque also lacks sufficient space for women and their children, who for instance must share the facility’s single bathroom with men, “which is far from ideal,” Abdullahi said.
The small size is also a safety concern.
“If something was to happen, there’s no quick exit,” he said.
The deadline is built into a purchasing agreement and financing terms from a bank, Abdullahi said. The center has paid an upfront deposit of $30,000, he said, and the remaining balance of the down payment and closings costs is due April 28.
A bigger space would allow the center to offer multiple classes for different demographics, including age and gender, giving families more flexibility. The organization would also be able to expand Qur’an instruction and provide followers with more activities.
Abdullahi especially dreams of one day cultivating a place just for local youth, which the mosque and the greater Burlington area as a whole lacks, he said.
“Regardless of religion, our youth are the future,” Abdullahi said. “We want to make sure we take care of them.”
How Islamic Community Center of Vermont came to be
The center is one of only two state-registered mosques in Vermont, according to Abdullahi. The other is the similarly named Islamic Society of Vermont, based in South Burlington.
The Islamic Society of Vermont formed in 1995. The Islamic Community Center of Vermont followed in 2011. Together, the two mosques serve the Green Mountain State’s 6,200-6,500 Muslim residents.
The main difference between the organizations is who each serves, Abdullahi said.
His center formed 15 years ago in response to a growing number Somali immigrants, many of whom do not speak English or have a car, to the greater Burlington area. The Islamic Society of Vermont’s services are offered primarily in English and its mosque is a long walk from where the majority of Somali families live, Abdullahi said.
Although the Islamic Society of Vermont has done its best to welcome and accommodate Somali attendees, “there was a need for a mosque where they could communicate easily, ask questions and feel fully understood by people who share their background,” Abdullahi said.
“This wasn’t about replacing that but about creating additional support and accessibility for our community,” he said.
The prospective location, which used to be a laundry mat and a car wash, is a 20-30 minute walk from the mosque’s current spot in Winooski.
Despite its small size, the mosque is “the heart of the community,” Abdullahi told the Free Press, adding that many Somali residents “would struggle to live our daily lives without it.”
The center performs marriages and funeral rites. It’s where people go to settle disagreements.
“We teach children how to be good citizens, how to stay away from trouble, how to read the Qur’an,” Abdullahi said. “It’s where we tell stories about back home.”
“It’s a small building that stands for and does more than what the eye sees,” Abdullahi said.
How fundraising is going
Should the religious nonprofit fail to raise enough money, it will forfeit thousands of dollars in already paid fees and must look for a different location, according to Abdullahi.
Despite the tight deadline, Abdullahi told the Free Press he feels confident the group will secure enough donations.
“We already have several committed donations and meetings lined up, and we’re continuing to connect with supporters,” he said. “Our community has always shown up in meaningful ways, and we’re hopeful that, as more people hear about this effort, they’ll contribute financially or support us in other ways as well.”
Donations will pay for the down payment and closing costs, which originally amounted to $300,000, according to Abdullahi. The center has raised $200,000, a significant amount of which came from Vermont’s non-Muslim population. It has a GoFundMe that as of April 14 had raised about $8,300.
“Regardless of where you come from, always, at the end of the day, community depends on each other,” Abdullahi said.
Real estate records show that the owners of the Riverside properties have been trying to sell them, or parts of them, for several years now.
When would the new mosque open to the public?
Should the center succeed in purchasing the two properties, the new mosque will open sometime between fall and the end of the year, Abdullahi said.
“The place needs a lot of renovations to make it a place of worship,” Abdullahi said, but “it’ll be doable.”
Just as before, people of all faiths, or people with no religious affiliation at all, are invited to visit the mosque.
“We don’t care what religion you are,” Abdullahi said. “It’s a place for the community. Anyone’s welcome.”
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
Score: UAlbany 4, Vermont 14
Location: Virtue Field | Burlington, Vt.
Records: UAlbany (10-5, 5-1 America East) | Vermont (8-6, 4-1 America East)
Short Story: UAlbany women’s lacrosse fell to the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday afternoon.
Key Stats
- Grace Cincebox recorded a total of 14 saves with 13 goals allowed for a .565 save percentage.
- Ravan Marsell led the Great Danes with two points on one goal and one assist.
- Four different UAlbany players scored in the contest.
- Reggie Williams was the team’s leader with three ground balls.
- Delilah Mile caused a team high three turnovers.
How It Happened
- The Catamounts came out of the gates hard and heavy, scoring all three goals between both sides in the first quarter.
- Vermont would take an 8-0 lead in the second quarter before Amanda Williamson found the back of the net on a women-down goal to put the Great Danes on the board and make it 8-1.
- The Great Danes would allow one more goal in the first half to trail 9-1 after 30-minutes of play.
- Grace Cincebox would enter the half with 10 saves.
- Riley Forthofer started the Great Danes off in the second half to make it a 9-2 game, before Vermont put up three more goals to take a 12-2 lead entering the final quarter of play.
- Mya Carroll and Ravan Marsell both scored on back-to-back free-position goals to make it a 12-4 game.
- The Catamounts finished the game with two more goals to take the win 14-4.
Up Next
The Great Danes will next have a bye week and wait to see the outcome of next week’s Vermont vs UMass Lowell game to see who will host the America East Tournament.
Social Central: Stay up to date with UAlbany women’s lacrosse by following the team on Instagram (@UAlbanyWLax), Facebook (UAlbany Women’s Lacrosse), and X (@UAlbanyWLax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.
Is creativity the missing key to better health?
Research suggests creative activities like art, music and crafts may benefit mental health as much as other key health habits.
Here’s another reason Vermont is the best New England state: It’s home to one of the top 5 happiest cities in the United States.
Plus, it has another within the top 15.
Massachusetts, on the other hand, doesn’t even break the top 50. Nor, does Connecticut or Rhode Island.
The personal finance website analyzed 182 of the largest cities in the country, and ranked Boston 63rd overall. Although the city is home to some of the nation’s top universities, high-ranking hospitals, and well-regarded companies, it didn’t break the top 50.
To get the rankings, WalletHub compared the cities using 29 metrics, including life-satisfaction index, depression rate, poverty rate, job security, and acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, and cities were assigned an overall happiness score.
Here’s a look at how the cities ranked.
South Burlington is No. 4 happiest city, Burlington is No. 11
South Burlington came on top for Vermont in WalletHub’s list of the happiest cities in the United States, ranking at No. 4. In scored very high for emotional and physical well-being coming in at the No. 4 spot, which made up for coming in No. 48 for community and environment. It was No. 9 for income and employment ranking. That gave it a total happiness of score of 70.15
Burlington wasn’t far behind at all, taking the No. 11 spot on the list and a happiness score of 67.54. It’s highest score was for income and employment ranking where it came second. It ranked No. 13 for community and environment and No. 21 for emotional and physical well-being.
Happiest cities in the US, per WalletHub
Here are the 25 happiest cities in the U.S., and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- Fremont, California – 74.09
- Bismarck, North Dakota – 73.11
- Scottsdale, Arizona – 71.36
- South Burlington, Vermont – 70.15
- Fargo, North Dakota – 69.36
- Overland Park, Kansas – 68.45
- Charleston, South Carolina – 68.44
- Irvine, California – 67.99
- Gilbert, Arizona – 67.96
- San Jose, California – 67.79
- Burlington, Vermont – 67.54
- Madison, Wisconsin – 66.35
- Columbia, Maryland – 66.28
- Chandler, Arizona – 65.69
- Seattle, Washington – 65.62
- Plano, Texas – 65.34
- San Francisco, California – 64.99
- Lincoln, Nebraska – 64.90
- Portland, Maine – 64.59
- Tempe, Arizona – 64.30
- San Diego, California – 64.30
- Raleigh, North Carolina – 63.47
- Peoria, Arizona – 63.38
- Durham, North Carolina – 62.84
- Huntington Beach, California – 62.80
Least happy cities in the US, per WalletHub
Here are the 25 least happy cities in the U.S., and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- Detroit, Michigan (#182 overall) – 29.55
- Memphis, Tennessee (#181 overall) – 34.39
- Shreveport, Louisiana (#180 overall) – 34.93
- Cleveland, Ohio (#179 overall) – 36.50
- Huntington, West Virginia (#178 overall) – 37.20
- Toledo, Ohio (#177 overall) – 37.21
- Augusta, Georgia (#176 overall) – 38.24
- Fort Smith, Arkansas (#175 overall) – 38.66
- Dover, Delaware (#174 overall) – 39.08
- Akron, Ohio (#173 overall) – 40.11
- Baltimore, Maryland (#172 overall) – 40.28
- Birmingham, Alabama (#171 overall) – 40.37
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (#170 overall) – 40.47
- Columbus, Georgia (#169 overall) – 40.61
- Montgomery, Alabama (#168 overall) – 41.35
- Gulfport, Mississippi (#167 overall) – 41.65
- Charleston, West Virginia (#166 overall) – 42.18
- Jackson, Mississippi (#165 overall) – 42.60
- St. Louis, Missouri (#164 overall) – 43.53
- Knoxville, Tennessee (#163 overall) – 44.04
- Wilmington, Delaware (#162 overall) – 44.34
- Little Rock, Arkansas (#161 overall) – 44.48
- Mobile, Alabama (#160 overall) – 44.85
- New Orleans, Louisiana (#159 overall) – 45.19
- Tulsa, Oklahoma (#158 overall) – 45.33
Where New England cities ranked
Here are the 12 happiest cities in New England, and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- South Burlington, Vermont (#6 overall) – 70.15
- Burlington, Vermont (#11 overall) – 67.54
- Portland, Maine (#19 overall) – 64.59
- Nashua, New Hampshire (#27 overall) – 62.49
- Manchester, New Hampshire (#51 overall) – 59.10
- Boston, Massachusetts (#63 overall) – 56.88
- Warwick, Rhode Island (#66 overall) – 56.59
- New Haven, Connecticut (#95 overall) – 54.14
- Bridgeport, Connecticut (#96 overall) – 54.01
- Providence, Rhode Island (#98 overall) – 53.52
- Worcester, Massachusetts (#116 overall) – 50.12
- Lewiston, Maine (#145 overall) – 47.28
A tornado touched down in Vermont Thursday, when a strong storm system moved through the area, the National Weather Service said.
Winds are believed to have hit 90 mph when the tornado churned through Williamstown at about 9:15 p.m., the agency said Friday. That makes it an EF1 tornado on the Fujita Scale, which goes from 0 at the weakest to 5 at the strongest.
Lasting three minutes, the twister traveled for more than four-tenths of a mile, with a maximum width of 100 yards, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary assessment. It damaged a pair of buildings and numerous trees, shearing tree tops. Golf ball-sized hail was also reported in the area.
Severe thunderstorms popped up across the North Country Thursday night, including in central Vermont — Williamstown is south of Montpelier.
The town thanked its road crew, firefighters and locals who spent hours in the wake of the storm cleaning up.
“We appreciate all that you do to keep the town functioning though an emergency situation,” the town said.
People in the area told NBC affiliate WPTZ that the storm was shockingly powerful, and National Weather Service staffer Marlon Verasamy said that while tornadoes in Vermont are rare, they’re even rarer in this part of the state.
“Generally, when we do see tornadoes around the area that they’ve been in Addison County and not here, so it make it really, really unique to get a tornado in this kind of terrain in this part of the state,” Verasamy said.
-
Ohio4 minutes agoThree Buckeyes Who Proved They Belong at Ohio State Spring Game
-
Oklahoma10 minutes agoOklahoma’s Jahsiear Rogers ‘Knew It Was Time to Showcase’ His Talents In Spring Game
-
Oregon16 minutes agoOregon Tight End Jamari Johnson Speaks Openly About New Role
-
Pennsylvania21 minutes agoPennsylvania State Police investigating incident in Salisbury Township
-
Rhode Island27 minutes ago2 dead, 1 seriously hurt after crash on I-95 South in Warwick
-
South-Carolina34 minutes agoMissouri beats South Carolina in game two
-
South Dakota40 minutes agoDemocrats fail to field candidates for a majority of South Dakota legislative seats
-
Tennessee46 minutes agoTennessee drops series to Ole Miss with game two loss