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Before and after: In New England, the ‘Ugliest House in America’ gets a makeover

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Before and after: In New England, the ‘Ugliest House in America’ gets a makeover


Real Estate

Before its transformation, Retta described the house as a “mishmosh hodgepodge color-block animal sanctuary.”

Before: A Vermont house dubbed “Mishmash Hodgepodge” won season 7 of HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America” and received a $150,000 makeover.
HGTV

“Treat yo self” was Retta’s tagline in “Parks and Recreation.”

And that’s just what a New England couple did when they won a $150,000 home renovation from HGTV after their Vermont home was deemed the “ugliest” in America.

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Hosted by Retta, HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America” sees the comedian travel across the country to “tour properties nominated by their owners as the ugliest home around,” per the show description. In the finale, HGTV designer Alison Victoria surprises the winners with a total home renovation.

On the season 7 finale, which aired Feb. 4, homeowners Brooklyn and Dylan teared up when they saw their remodeled Vershire, Vermont, home. (HGTV did not provide last names.)

“Ugliest House in America” host Retta and interior designer Alison Victoria show Vermont residents Brooklyn and Dylan their remodeled home in the season 7 finale, which aired Feb. 4, 2026. – HGTV

The couple and their three sons were introduced in episode four when Brooklyn explained the house “is our nightmare.”

Retta named the home “Mishmash Hodgepodge.”

The bright orange and blue house— three stories high, built on stilts, and 3,344 square feet, per the show description — may have been deemed the ugliest in America by HGTV, but the view is gorgeous. It sits on 14 green acres, with panoramic views of the White Mountains.

“Is there a significance to the colors?”Retta asked of the bright exterior.

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Before: The living room looking into the dining and kitchen area. – HGTV
After: The living room looking into the dining and kitchen area. – HGTV

“At least you never get lost when you’re driving up to it,” Dylan quipped. The family said they had lived in the home for 10 months when they appeared on the show.

As for the chaotic inside, Dylan said, “We definitely want to make it less circus-like.”

Before: The living room and staircase. – HGTV
After: The living room and staircase. – HGTV

There were green monkeys carved into the cabinets and birds carved into the staircase railing. The primary bedroom and bathroom ceiling was thatched. Parts of the interior were painted in blocks of yellow, orange, and blue.

“I feel like I need to center myself,” Retta said.

She pointed out that the living area had built-in couches made of stone and concrete. “I look at your couches and I think: hemorrhoids,” she joked.

After looking into their mirror-filled bathroom, Retta remarked, “This is sensory overload. This is a fifth-grade project.”

Before: The powder room. – HGTV
After: The powder room. – HGTV

Retta pointed to the thatched ceiling in the primary bedroom: “You’re asking for mice.” Walking into the upstairs bathroom, her eyes popped, as she took in another thatched ceiling. The couple shared that spiders kept them out of the bathtub.

At the end of the episode, Retta dubbed the home a “mishmosh hodgepodge color-block animal sanctuary.” She scored the Vermont house a 6 out of 6 for appearance on the “Ugly Meter.”

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Before: The primary bedroom. – HGTV
Before: The en suite bathroom in the primary bedroom. – HGTV
After: The primary bedroom. – HGTV
After: The en suite bathroom in the primary bedroom. – HGTV

In last night’s finale, we learned that of the 15 houses Retta toured this season, the Vermont house was “uniquely ugly.”

She and Victoria announced to the New Englanders: “You have the ‘Ugliest House in America!’” as confetti rained down.

Victoria pointed out that the land they sit on is “amazing…This could be very picturesque… The view’s ridiculously beautiful,” the designer said. “I want the outside of your home to be as beautiful as the property it sits on.”

Walking inside, Victoria suggested leveling out “wonky weird” floors in the conversation pit area, taking out the bird carving on the stair handrail, taking down the plastic sheeting wall of the primary bedroom, and redoing and thatched “tiki-hut-kind-of-feel” ceiling, among other things.

“I don’t know where to start,” she told the camera. “This is seriously one of the wildest, craziest, ugliest houses that I’ve ever taken on.”

After demolition and remodeling, the couple was brought blindfolded before the house for the big reveal.

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After: A Vermont house dubbed “Mishmash Hodgepodge” won season 7 of HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America” and received a $150,000 makeover. – HGTV

Gone was the orange and blue paint. “It’s like a painting behind your house,” Victoria said of the green woods and hills. “And now your house is part of the painting.”

“This doesn’t even look like the same house,” Brooklyn said touring the interior.

The primary bedroom, totally redone, now boasts sliding glass doors to an outdoor hot tub. They also see a madeover patio area with a new walkway.

“I am blown away,” Dylan said.

“It reminds me of a fairy forest house,” Brooklyn added. “And I love that.”

Lauren Daley is a freelance culture writer. She can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1, and Instagrams at @laurendaley1. Read more stories on Facebook here.

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Lauren Daley is a longtime culture journalist. As a regular contributor to Boston.com, she interviews A-list musicians, actors, authors and other major artists.





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VT Lottery Powerball, Gimme 5 results for April 20, 2026

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Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.

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Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.

Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.

Here’s a look at April 20, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing

09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Gimme 5 numbers from April 20 drawing

16-17-25-33-36

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing

Day: 0-5-8

Evening: 6-1-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing

Day: 7-8-3-4

Evening: 0-0-4-9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from April 20 drawing

04-11-23-32-41, Megaball: 04

Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.

For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.

All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.

Vermont Lottery Headquarters

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1311 US Route 302, Suite 100

Barre, VT

05641

When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
  • Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
  • Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
  • Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
  • Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
  • Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
  • Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?

Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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74-year-old woman fulfills childhood dream as EMT at fair in Vermont

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74-year-old woman fulfills childhood dream as EMT at fair in Vermont


ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (Aging Untold) — For 10 days, the Champlain Valley Fair, a county fair in Vermont, becomes its own little town with thousands of people, hot afternoons and the occasional emergency.

Charlene Phelps, 74, runs the fair’s emergency response team.

“We have a lot of seniors that come and people don’t drink enough water,” Phelps said.

The team handles sprains, bee stings, heat exhaustion and whatever comes through.

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“I like taking care of people, I like helping people,” Phelps said.

Living out a childhood dream

It’s also a childhood dream.

Phelps wanted to be a nurse, but college wasn’t possible, so she found another route into care and has been showing up year after year at the fair.

Aging Untold expert Amy O’Rourke said living out your purpose can improve mental and spiritual well-being.

“When you tap into that, you’re tapping in on a place that’s a risk, that’s a challenge that inevitably creates growth inside you, gives you confidence so that if you’re in another situation you can build on that,” O’Rourke said. “Or, if you’re in an everyday situation where you’re a little anxious, it’ll help create stabilization in that place as well.”

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Saving lives at the fair

Sometimes it’s bigger than a bandage.

“Over on there near the swings way over there is Gustovo, and we saved his life,” Phelps said.

Gustovo had gone into cardiac arrest at the fair a few years ago.

“I mean he was gone,” Phelps said.

Now he’s back and working the rides.

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“Came for my hug, Gustovo,” Phelps said.

O’Rourke said stories like this are also why some people keep working past retirement age. Purpose isn’t a number, it’s a role.

“I’ve seen a 92-year-old still working as a nurse’s aid. I’ve seen people in my neighborhood chilling out and loving it,” O’Rourke said. “So, I think it’s being really self-aware of what you need and making sure that you’re getting those needs met.”

Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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Vermont lawmakers reject digital lottery initiative – Valley News

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Vermont lawmakers reject digital lottery initiative – Valley News


A plan by Gov. Phil Scott’s administration to make all of the state’s lottery games, including scratch-off tickets, available on a person’s phone never got off the ground at the Statehouse this year.

Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight told lawmakers in January that the plan was a way to modernize the lottery “because you need to keep pace with technology — you need to meet your players where they are.”

Fifteen states have created a “digital” lottery system, and many have discovered there’s a distinct market of people who don’t buy lottery tickets at retail outlets but will do so on their phones, according to Knight. “We’re trying to ensure the future of the Vermont Lottery, ” the commissioner said.

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But state lawmakers have not been persuaded.

Vergennes Rep. Matt Birong, the Democratic chair of the House government operations committee, said members of the panel felt this year was not the time to move forward with this plan, especially given the recent legalization of sports betting.

“It is digitizing a current system and after moving forward with the sports wagering — people just wanted to take their time with it — so my committee decided to tap the brakes on further testimony.”

The administration estimated that the plan would have raised roughly $5 million a year for the state’s education fund after two years of implementation.

The prospect of that additional revenue is appealing to lawmakers, and Birong said they may reconsider the plan next year.

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