Vermont State Police have closed an investigation into an incident that prompted the suspension of Woodstock Police Chief Joseph Swanson, with no criminal charges being brought.

Adam Silverman, a state police spokesperson, stated in an email Tuesday to VTDigger that “VSP was unable to move forward with the case due to the reported victim’s declining to cooperate with the investigation.”

Silverman added, “As a result, there was no review by the prosecutor’s office.”

Swanson was placed on paid administrative leave from his post as Woodstock’s police chief on Oct. 15 “as a precaution following a report of his alleged involvement in an incident” on Oct. 13, Woodstock Municipal Manager Eric Duffy stated in a press release last month. 

Duffy at that time would not comment regarding the nature of that incident nor on Swanson’s “alleged involvement” in it. Duffy said the matter had been referred to the state police to conduct an investigation.

Swanson’s attorney, William Vasiliou of Langrock, Sperry and Wool, emailed a statement to VTDigger on Thursday morning concerning his client. 

“Chief Swanson is glad that the investigation into the incident that occurred on High Street earlier this month is closed,” the statement read. “Chief Swanson wants the community to know that he fully cooperated with the investigation by VSP, and at no time was he suspected of committing any unlawful act.”

The statement added that Swanson was a witness to the incident and “acted to deescalate a situation that an unnamed person initiated during a minor traffic jam.”

As for job status as police chief, according to the statement, “(Swanson) looks forward to putting this matter behind him, and we expect that he will return to work in the very near future.”

VTDigger submitted a public records request on Oct. 18 to the town of Woodstock seeking information related to the incident.

However, late last week, through attorney Matthew Bloomer, the town withheld most of the material related to the matter. Some documents were provided but were so heavily redacted that the nature of the allegations that prompted an investigation could not be discerned. 

Bloomer largely cited the then-ongoing state police investigation and the possibility that providing the material to VTDigger could impede that probe as reasons for withholding and redacting the information.

VTDigger renewed its request for the materials earlier this week after state police confirmed the probe had been closed. As of noon Thursday, the town had not provided any further information, nor did Duffy respond to a question about Swanson’s current job status.

Swanson became Woodstock’s police chief in July 2023 after having worked for the law enforcement agency for many years since first joining the force as a part-time officer in 2000.

Woodstock Police Sgt. Christopher O’Keefe has been serving as acting Woodstock police since Swanson was placed on paid administrative leave last month. 

On Wednesday morning, Vermonters learned Donald Trump is their president-elect.

And Wednesday afternoon, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed crisscrossed Franklin County to hear how residents were feeling.

This story was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Elodie Reed: I visited farms, front yards, flower shops, restaurants, laundromats, a food shelf and a hair salon.

Some people felt happy about Trump winning. Some felt sad about Kamala Harris losing. Some people didn’t have strong opinions either way.

Some did have strong opinions, but didn’t want their neighbors to know about them.

And one person, citing their diversity, equity and inclusion work, as well as their gay son — said they planned to leave the country because of Trump’s victory.

Of the couple dozen people I spoke to, only a few felt comfortable sharing on the record, with their full names attached. No women wanted to be recorded.

Here’s 55-year-old Robert Ovitt, at his family’s farm in Fairfax.

Robert Ovitt: Trump is a good situation. You know, better than Harris, obviously, in my book, so. 

Elodie Reed: What are you hoping his presidency changes in your life? 

Robert Ovitt: Well, hopefully we get some taxes straightened out and the world straightened out a little bit. He isn’t afraid to step up to the plate. We figured that out last term.

Especially Vermont’s getting stupid. You know, the taxes are just phenomenal. Property taxes, too. I mean, it’s crazy. Makes it makes you think that you should, can’t live here no more.

Elodie Reed: When did you find out about Trump winning?

Robert Ovitt: This morning.

Elodie Reed: Do you remember, like, what you felt?

Robert Ovitt: “Ahhhh,” that’s how I felt. 

Elodie Reed: “Ahhhh”?

Robert Ovitt: Yes, delighted.

Elodie Reed: I also met Robert Ovitt’s son, Kyle, who was sweeping out a truck bed.

Elodie Reed: What are you up to right now? 

Kyle Ovitt: Oh, getting ready to go cut some firewood. 

Truthfully, I didn’t even vote. I mean, I’m not really — I wasn’t really too keen on either one of them, but I definitely feel that Trump was definitely the better elected president at this point. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to go the next four years with everything that’s happened in the last couple months, as far as the tries — the assassination attempts.

I’m gonna live my life the same way, no matter what, who becomes president, who becomes what. That’s why I don’t really get into politics too much. I kind of just, you know, have a farm family and live the way I live.

Elodie Reed: What do you see as the future of this family farm?

Kyle Ovitt: Hopefully keeping it going? Unfortunately, we had to sell our dairy cows quite a few years ago, in the ’90s, because of that, and we got into excavation and trapping. We keep the sugaring, you know, as a hobby, but also for our agricultural tax rate. But hopefully we can keep it going with the way society is going.

Elodie Reed: Is there anything you wish your president would do that would have an impact on your life?

Kyle Ovitt: Absolutely. Help the, you know, lower-income people, and that’s the biggest thing I disagree with, with Trump is, you know, he wants to raise taxes on the lower class, and, you know, middle class or whatever, and nothing for the higher class.

Well, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, you know. And that’s just the way it’s been for the last 20 years, you know, probably longer than that, but I’m only 35, so.

Elodie Reed: After spending time with the Ovitts, I drove through Fairfield and into Sheldon, where John Gorton and several volunteers were working in the local food shelf.

John Gorton: I’m the lay minister who serves the Sheldon Methodist Church. And we operate this rather sizable food shelf operation here.

I’m very disappointed. A lot of people talked about the economy. Apparently that was one of the main drivers, was the economy. And people say, was I better off in 2019 when Trump was president? The trouble is, the conditions that existed in 2019 will never exist again. We live in a totally different world today.

Before the pandemic hit, we were serving about 100 families a month. In February of 2020, just as the pandemic hit, we almost immediately doubled to about 200 families.

And then once the pandemic started wane, we actually dropped down a little bit for a few months. And then the effects, as the effects of inflation came in, it started growing and growing, growing. Today, right now, this month, we serve about 400 families.

I’m not very optimistic. I had a meeting this morning of leaders of social service providers out in St. Albans for Franklin County, and the mood was pretty somber, because we’re concerned that the need for our services is going to skyrocket and the federal resources that might support social services work will essentially be dried up.

You know, as a lay minister and a preacher, I studied the Old Testament. And if you think about the history of the Jewish people, the Israelite nation, as espoused in the Old Testament, through the Old Testament, they go through periods where they’re being very righteous. They’re doing things correctly. They’re being very morally right, and then they fall away, and they kind of forget about God and what they should be doing, to serve God, and fall down, and they’ll come back. And many times when they fall down, there are bad things that happen, like they got into slavery in Egypt.

But if you read through all those stories in the Bible, there’s a group of people who are always referred to as the remnant, and those are the people who remain faithful to their relationship with God and their calling to serve other people. And I feel like that’s what we’re going to see in this country. And the meeting I had this morning with a lot of other service providers, people who provide services to marginalized people, we all had the same feeling. We’re the remnant, and we are the people who, no matter what else happens, no matter how many bad things happen in the country or even around the world, we will be the ones who will remain faithful and will serve other people, no matter what. No matter what happens.

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In Tuesday’s election, Vermonters voted to change the balance of power in the state’s House of Representatives during the next legislative biennium. Republicans picked up 17 seats, bringing their ranks to 55 in the 150-member chamber. 

Democrats held 105 seats alone by the end of the 2023-2024 session, but now will be left with just 88, meaning they’ve lost their supermajority. Their numbers are bolstered by alliances with Progressives and independents, who will occupy the same number of seats as they do now: 4 and 3, respectively. But even with full cooperation, their numbers would not allow them to pass bills into law over the veto of Republican Governor Phil Scott. That requires a two-thirds vote in the chamber, or at least 100 votes. 

Fourteen incumbent House Democrats lost their seats, though two of them will be replaced by fellow Democrats. Several lawmakers from districts in Bennington, Caledonia and Rutland counties were ousted, as were at least one from Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Washington and Windsor counties. 

Among them are several veteran lawmakers who hold leadership positions and other legislators who just started in 2023. Voters have left almost no House committee unchanged. 

• Rep. Diane Lanpher, D-Vergennes, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, first elected in 2008, was bested by Republican Rob North of Ferrisburgh. 
• Rep. Mike McCarthy, D-St. Albans City, chair of the House Government and Military Affairs Committee, fell to Republican Joe Luneau also from St. Albans City.
• Rep. Stephanie Zak Jerome of Brandon, a House member since 2019 and vice chair of the House commerce committee, fell to Republican Todd Nielson, also of Brandon.
• Robin Chesnut-Tangerman of Middletown Springs, vice-chair of the House Committee on General and Housing, was bested by Republican Chris Pritchard of Pawlet.
• Rep. Carl Demrow, D-Corinth, ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, fell to Mike Tagliavia, also of Corinth.
• Rep. William Notte, D-Rutland City, an assistant majority leader, lost his seat to Republican Chris Keyser, also of Rutland City.
• Rep. Mike Rice, D-Dorset, elected in 2022, lost to Republican Sandra Pinsonault, also of Dorset.
• Rep. Bobby Farlice-Rubio, D-Barnet, elected in 2022, fell to Republican Debra Lynn Powers, a Waterford Republican.
• Rep. Dennis LaBounty, D-Lyndon, also elected in 2022, lost to Republican Martha “Marty” Feltus, a former lawmaker, also of Lyndon.
• Rep. Julie Andrews, D-Westford also elected in 2022, was bested by Republican Brenda Steady of Milton.
• Rep. Josie Leavitt of Grand Isle, also elected in 2022, lost a race to Republican Leland Morgan, a former state lawmaker from Milton.
• Rep. Heather Chase, D-Chester, elected in 2022, fell short in her race against Republican Thomas Charleston, also of Chester.
• Rep. Jonathon Williams, D-Barre City, elected in 2022, landed third in a four-person race. Republican Mike Boutin of Barre City came out on top, and a different Democrat, Edward “Teddy” Waszazak, was second. 
• Rep. Jim Carroll of Bennington, came in third to both Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, and fellow Democrat Michael Nigro. The two seatmates were both in the spotlight over the past session, Carroll for a drunken driving arrest in Montpelier and Morrissey for her behavior towards Caroll, which included repeatedly soaking his personal belongings. 

Elsewhere, Democrats lost ground when newcomers were unsuccessful in filling a seat vacated by an incumbent. 

• Republican Mike Southworth of Walden bested Sabrina Morrison of Hardwick.
• Republican Greg Burtt of Cabot prevailed over Thomas Ziobrowski of Danville.
• Democrat Jim Ryan of Wolcott was unable to overcome a challenge from Richard Bailey of Hyde Park. 
• Republican Kevin Winter of Ludlow outlasted Adrienne Raymond of Shrewsbury.
• Republican VL Coffin of Cavendish bested Mark Yeungling of Weathersfield. 

Republicans Jim Casey of Hubbardton and Ken Wells of Brownington won without a fight when Democrats did not field a candidate for one stepping down.

The highlight for Democrats was in a Chittenden County district, where incumbent Rep. Sarita Austin and newcomer Wendy Critchlow, both of Colchester, were able to overcome Republican challengers to swing one seat the other direction. 

The overall balance of power is complicated by party shifts in two other districts. Northfield’s Anne Donahue, a long-time Republican, won reelection as an independent, while Democrat Chris Morrow of Weston was able to win a seat for his party previously held by independent Kelly Pajala who did not run.