WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermonters are gearing up to hit the polls for Tuesday’s primary election. So who can you expect to see on the ballot? And what do you have to have to do to make your voice heard?

The primaries are essentially the semifinals and will determine who makes it onto the November ballot. But unlike last election cycle, it’s expected to be a calmer election.

It’s back to the polls for the lead up to the November election.

If you haven’t requested or turned in an absentee ballot, you have to now vote in person at your local polling place. You will have to fill out and return one of three major party ballots.

“When two different candidates with different ideas about how Republicans should fill this office or how Democrats should fill that office are vying for a spot on the ballot in November,” said Sarah Copeland Hanzas, D-Vt. Secretary of State.

Democrats, who hold almost every statewide office and a supermajority in the House and Senate, will try to maintain their majority to pass a Democratic agenda.

“That protect Vermonters from gun violence, from climate change, that protects students from retrograde cuts and reductions in schools,” said Jim Dandeneau, the executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party.

Where Republicans, who hold the governor’s office and see some contested primaries as a referendum on the Democratic Party’s policies.

“Or whether the parties are going to have some pushback either from within or from outside,” said Paul Dame, the chair of the Vermont Republican Party.

Voters will also contend with contested Democratic and Republican primaries for statewide offices.

Lieutenant governor pits a former moderate Democrat John Rodgers, now running as a Republican, against constitutional conservative Gregory Thayer. And Progressive Democrat David Zuckerman against Democrat Thomas Renner.

Vermonters generally support incumbents, and this year, it’s a quieter primary than in recent years.

Two years ago, Vermont experienced a political earthquake after the retirement of Sen. Patrick Leahy and a ripple effect down the ballot.

“When there’s more contested primaries, there’s more excitement about voting in the primary. But you never know because some people really like voting on Election Day. We’ll see what turnout turns out to be,” Copeland Hanzas said.

So far, just shy of 20,000 voters have returned their absentee ballots.

The polls close Tuesday at 7 p.m. and we should have unofficial results by Tuesday night.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Authorities say quick action and teamwork from the community and emergency first responders saved the life of a woman who collapsed on a Vermont golf course.

State police say it happened on July 3 at the Blush Hill Country Club in Waterbury.

They say a 68-year-old woman was experiencing a medical emergency and several bystanders jumped into action to help, performing CPR. Vermont Tpr. Mae Murdock was among several troopers to reach the scene minutes later and she took over CPR until an ambulance arrived.

The victim, Sue Flynn, was sent to the hospital and later discharged.

Flynn wrote an email to the state police saying, “I will forever be grateful for the Waterbury ambulance service and Vermont state police, I am here today because of them! We are so lucky to have them serving our community!!”

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

The 2024 Vermont high school football season is here.

Preseason practices began Monday, Aug. 12 before the season kicks off on Aug. 29.

Several Vermont high schools hired new head coaches for this upcoming season. Some of these new head coaches received a promotion while others are returning to a school they previously coached at earlier in their careers.

For more on this year’s new hires, read on below.

Andrew Breting, Poultney High School

Down in southern Vermont, Andrew Breting takes over as the head coach for the football-crazed town of Poultney following Dave Capman’s retirement after 42 seasons at the helm.

“Even though it is Division III football in Vermont they [Poultney] takes their football very seriously,” Breting said. “The whole town really gets behind the football team.”

Capman started traditions like hosting a pep rally the night before every game. The whole football team parades down Main Street before culminating the evening with a bonfire. Breting got to experience the Poultney football culture first hand having coached at Poultney for two years in 2019 and 2020.

Breting left Poultney when an opportunity arose to coach the offensive line at his alma mater of Vermont State University Castleton. He coached the Spartans for the last three years where he gained his most valuable coaching experience and now is transitioning back to high school football.

Poultney opens up the 2024 season on the road at Woodstock on Aug. 30.

More: Vermont high school football: Key dates for the 2024 season

Chris Cadorette, U-32 High School

Chris Cadorette, a lifelong Vermonter, fulfilled his dream of being the head coach at his alma mater, U-32. Cadorette was an offensive and defensive lineman in high school and college, playing at Southern Connecticut State University and Norwich University.

Cadorette has been a coach at U-32 since 2015. He has worked his way up from offensive and defensive assistant coaches to assistant varsity coach to now the head coach.

“Football has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Cadorette said. “It’s an honor to give back to my community in this way by helping raise the next group of future leaders in Vermont through football.”

U-32 and North Country will play each other Week 1 as the first game of the 2024 high school sports season on Thursday, Aug. 29.

John Guebara, North Country Union High School

John Guebara, the former offensive coordinator for North Country the last three seasons, got the job after the previous coach Lonnie Wade stepped down after three decades following the program’s first title since 1997.

“I took over just to continue the continuity of the program from the previous coach,” Guebara said.

Guebara is originally from San Diego before playing college football in Dodge City, Kansas. He eventually made his way to Vermont in the early 2000s and was an assistant coach at North Country for five seasons.

Guebara has been a staple in the Northeast Kingdom for the past decade as a coach for the North Country Junior Falcon football program and has been overseeing the organization since 2015. The Junior Falcon team, a member of the Northern Vermont Youth Football League, team serves as the pipeline for the high school team.

Adam Perry, Fair Haven Union High School

A staple of the program for years, Adam Perry gets his turn to lead his alma mater at Fair Haven.

The 1997 Fair Haven graduate has been on the Slaters’ coaching staff since 2011; he took control as the defensive coordinator in 2015.

“I grew up here. I went to school here. My uncle Dennis Perry coached here for 20-plus years,” Perry said. “I’ve been around Fair Haven football since I was a little guy.”

Expectations haven’t dipped despite the loss of five North-South players headlined by Joe Buxton and Trey Lee. The Slaters went undefeated during the 2023 regular season but lost to Colchester in a low-scoring semifinal at home.  

The Slaters do return a strong core of linemen and should have between 35-40 total players at the first week of preseason.

Perry succeeds Jim Hill, who had led Fair Haven since 2019. Fair Haven heads to Windsor for its opener on Aug. 31.

More: How Vermont rallied to beat New Hampshire in the 2024 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl

Reid Rando, Mount Mansfield Union High School

Reid Rando, returns to Vermont for his first head-coaching gig.

Previously, Rando was added to the staff the year after Mount Mansfield won the state championship in 2018 and was the Cougars offensive coordinator for two years. Rando then followed his wife down to Maryland and spent the last three years working as an offensive assistant coach at the Gilman School in Baltimore before returning to the Cougars, this time in the lead role.

“When the previous coach stepped down and the job became open I jumped all over it,” Rando said. “The administration, the students, it feels like a good fit, feels like home.”

Rando is an experienced coach having coached every position except for kicking and punting throughout his career. He spent the first six years of his career coaching the defensive side of the ball, positions he never played.

Rando will seek his first win when Mount Mansfield opens its 2024 season at home against Burlington/South Burlington on Aug. 31.

Dustin Rock, Milton High School

After working under two championship-winning coaches the past two seasons, Dustin Rock is ready to take charge at his alma mater at Milton.

The 26-year-old who graduated from Milton in 2017 and played at Vermont State University Castleton on the defensive line, Rock called his new assignment “a boyhood dream.”

“I do know how valuable the program is because I was part of it,” said Rock, who is a behavioral interventionist at Milton. “I’m very integrated into my players’ life at school. IT was very easy for me to step into it.”

Rock replaces Mike Williams, who resigned due to personal reasons following one season at the helm, according to the Rutland Herald. Previously, Rock was on Jim Provost’s staff at Milton.

“I learned a lot from both of them, it’s been a blessing to work with them,” Rock said.

Rock said he expects around 45 players to show up for the first day of camp. He also has about 10 returning seniors for a Yellowjackets squad that went 2-7 in 2023, losing in the Division II quarterfinals.

While Rock didn’t reveal his planned schemes, he expects to go in his own direction compared to his predecessor.

“It will depend on what fits our personnel,” Rock said.

Milton opens at home vs. Colchester on Aug. 30.

Kris Sabourin, BFA-St. Albans

Kris Sabourin is back on the Bobwhite sidelines.

The 2009 BFA-St. Albans graduate and former Bobwhite assistant was hired to replace his former coach, Geoff Murray, who stepped away after a long, distinguished career.

Sabourin was an all-state quarterback at BFA and then a record-setting signal-caller for  Norwich University. One of Norwich’s most accomplished football players who led the Cadets to a 30-13 record, Sabourin was inducted into the Cadets hall of fame last year. He was twice named co-offensive player of the year of his conference.

Prior to accepting the BFA head gig, Sabourin was in charge of the St. Albans Steelers youth program since 2018, according to the St. Albans Messenger.

BFA plays at Middlebury in Week 1 on Aug. 30.

Note: Otter Valley is working to hire a new head coach following Jordan Tolar’s recent departure, the Rutland Herald reported earlier this month.

Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.