Vermont
How CVU boys, girls soccer teams controlled the 2025 Division I semifinals
SOUTH BURLINGTON – The teams in red drew first blood in the Division I high school soccer semifinals on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
And their opponents couldn’t strike back.
The Champlain Valley boys and girls stormed to two-goal halftime leads and cruised into their championship games, both aiming for repeat crowns. The third-seeded and two-time reigning champion Redhawk boys toppled No. 10 Burlington 3-0, while the No. 1 and defending champion Redhawk girls dropped fifth-seeded St. Johnsbury, also in a 3-0 result, at Munson Field.
The CVU girls will meet No. 7 Colchester in the D-I title game, and the CVU boys will take on No. 1 Burr and Burton in the other final at Virtue Field in a championship doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 1. The girls game is set for 5 p.m., with the boys to follow at 7:30.
For more on CVU’s twin semifinal triumphs, read on below:
Gavin Prada scores with 1 second left before break for first-half brace
CVU coach Shane Bufano made a tactical change late in the first half. Bufano and his assistant coaches thought midfielder Gavin Prada might provide an impact at forward. After BHS made a late substitution, Bufano pulled the trigger.
Prada rewarded his coaches with a pair of goals in the final 8 minutes of the first half, the latter coming with 1 second on the clock for a 2-0 halftime margin.
“We saw something that we could exploit from direct play to possession-oriented play,” Bufano said.
On the first goal, Sebastian Bronk sent a restart deep into the box, where Will Wallace flipped over his shoulder — as he was falling to the turf — toward Prada. The senior pounced on the loose-ball chance, slotting inside the right post on a low shot for a 1-0 lead.
Then as the game neared halftime, Bronk booted the ball from midfield down the middle of the BHS defense. The pass took a deflection off a defender, freeing Prada for a breakaway. Prada beat BHS goalie Ben Koh and the halftime horn with a high toe poke.
“I had no idea,” how much time was left, Prada said. “I just knew I had to get to the ball and put it into the back of the net.”
Bufano on Prada’s second goal: “It totally changed the momentum of the game.”
In the second half, Wallace set up another goal. The senior midfielder sent an over-the-top ball for Lincoln Ricketts, who fended off a BHS defender and coolly scored on a low shot from a tight angle in the 44th minute for a 3-0 edge.
“We knew what we had in us and we went out there and showed them what we could do,” Prada said.
CVU (11-5-1) will play for a three-peat in its 36th championship-game appearance. But the Redhawks slumped down the stretch, losing to Mount Mansfield, BHS and Burr and Burton over a five-day stretch in the final week of the regular season.
“These guys just need to get a goal first to start believing. There was a lot of doubt, especially in that three-game (skid) when we could not score goals,” Bufano said.
The Seahorses, who close at 7-10, put together a surprise playoff run, highlighted by knocking off No. 2 Essex 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
“The boys have made me proud all season. This was the most fun I’ve had as a coach. Out of the last three semifinals we’ve lost, this one hurts the most,” fourth-year BHS coach Mukhtar Abdullahi said. “We were very grateful to be here. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
No drama needed for CVU girls soccer in semifinal rout
A loss in the finale to Mount Mansfield halted a 56-game regular-season unbeaten streak and provided a “wake-up call,” according to star midfielder Elsa Klein. A near-unthinkable comeback against Essex in the quarterfinals — three goals over a two-minute span in the game’s final 5-plus minutes — turned what appeared to be nightmare finish to the season into a dreamy result.
“A lot of things have come to easy for us at times. It’s good to have some adversity,” first-year CVU coach Kelly Knudsen said.
But in the semifinals vs. St. Johnsbury, the Redhawks avoided the drama. They played their game, with their full-steam-ahead attack on complete display to book the program’s 31st title-game appearance and 14th since 2009.
Reese Kingsbury, the hero of the quarterfinals, opened the scoring with another long-range effort and Elsa Klein set up the second goal of the first half while completing the dominant 80-minute performance with a second-half strike to lead the Redhawks (14-1-1).
“Our (strategy) was to be a threat to this team. We wanted to go in with full intensity, to scare them a little bit,” Klein said. “We did that right away.
“I’m so proud of our girls. We’ve worked so hard this season to get here. I can’t wait for the (final) vs. Colchester.”
Kingsbury unloaded a 30-yard shot that skipped under SJA goalie Jayden Bunnell’s arms for a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute. From there, CVU worked the wings with Allie Barrett and Lilyanna Mittelstadt to create scoring chances. Center back Elliana Antonucci found a cutting Klein, who unloaded a through-ball down the left sideline for the sophomore Barrett.
Barrett used her speed to break free from a SJA defender, with only the goalie to beat. Bunnell charged off her line, but Barrett used the wider angle to pass the ball into the net for a 2-0 lead with 14:18 to play in the first half.
“I told (Barrett), ‘Those are the type of balls I’m looking for,’” Klein said. “That’s what we’ve been working on. She’s one of our fastest wings. I love playing with her.”
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Mittelstadt lifted a pass down the sideline for Klein, who pushed the ball into space for a clear break opportunity. Klein had options and elected for a cut-back in front of goal with a composed lefty finish for a 3-0 advantage.
Bunnell made eight saves for the Hilltoppers (10-5-1). Antonucci, Sierra Rainey and the CVU defense did not allow a SJA shot on target.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
Vermont
Vermont state employees’ union files labor complaint over Gov. Phil Scott’s return-to-office plan — and sues – VTDigger
The union representing Vermont state employees is turning to two legal venues to challenge Gov. Phil Scott’s order that many of its members return to the office in person.
On Nov. 10, the Vermont State Employees’ Association filed a charge with the state’s Labor Relations Board alleging the Scott administration skirted a union demand to enter formal bargaining over the return-to-work plan, in violation of labor protection laws. The plan will require many employees to come into the office at least three days a week.
The union also filed a separate grievance with the Labor Relations Board arguing that parts of the plan violated the collective bargaining agreement it has in place with the state.
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Then, on Nov. 12, the union filed a lawsuit in Washington County Superior civil court asking a judge to bar the Scott administration from implementing its workplace plan — set to take effect Dec. 1 — until the labor board adjudicates the union’s complaints.
The union wrote in its lawsuit that “neither the unfair labor practice charge nor the grievance is capable of being decided” by the labor board before Dec. 1. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction that allows state employees to continue working remotely.
Steve Howard, the union’s executive director, said in an interview Wednesday that he hoped the suit would at least slow the implementation of the governor’s directive. He said he thought a hearing could be held on the lawsuit as soon as next week.
The legal challenges mark a significant escalation in the monthslong fight between the union and the administration over the plan to have state workers, with some exceptions, return to the office. The union contends that the hybrid work mandate will cause experienced employees to quit, decreasing the quality of state departments’ work.
At the same time, administration officials say that the order will improve government services by boosting collaboration and helping to preserve institutional knowledge. They’ve argued Vermonters want government workers to be present in-person.
In a statement Thursday, Amanda Wheeler, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said the union’s legal challenges had no impact on Scott’s support for the plan.
“The Administration’s decision to implement this standard is well within our authority,” Wheeler wrote. “The Governor’s position on returning to a hybrid work standard has not changed, he continues to believe human connection is an important part of employee engagement, as well as team building and learning from each other.”
According to court filings, after the administration formally announced its return-to-work plans in late August, it wrote to the union in September requesting a meeting to discuss the plans and hear the union’s concerns. In that letter, which is attached to the lawsuit, John Berard, the state’s director of labor relations, said the plan did not need to be the subject of formal bargaining. That’s because the planned hybrid work requirement was permissible under an existing teleworking policy for state employees, he said.
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But the union doesn’t see it that way. In court filings, the union contends state leaders agreed to remote working arrangements for their employees, starting at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, that did not fall under the stipulations of the teleworking policy. Those arrangements “have become an established condition of employment which the State is not free to change” without entering formal bargaining, the union wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to the state. It demanded, in that letter, that bargaining take place.
Berard then wrote the union back Nov. 10 saying the state’s position had remained unchanged, according to court filings. That’s the same day the union filed its challenges with the state Labor Relations Board.
The legal challenges are set to play out as the state has expanded its workspace ahead of the planned return to office for many employees. On Monday, it signed leases for three new office spaces in the privately owned Pilgrim Park complex in Waterbury, which records show would be used by workers at the state Agency of Human Services.
That agency has been facing a shortage of office space at the nearby Waterbury State Office Complex, where much of its operations are based. The shortage could delay the restart of in-person work for some employees past Dec. 1, officials said previously.
The state is set to pay about $2.3 million to lease the new office space over the next five years, according to the leases.
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ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
One Vermont company was deemed among the “most ethical” in the United States by the financial media company MarketBeat.
MarketBeat said it surveyed more than 3,000 people from different demographics last month to determine which companies they feel best align with their personal ethics and values. The results were then adjusted to reflect national population benchmarks.
The survey found that people value businesses that remain close to their founding towns, prioritize employee ownership and focus on sustainability.
The financial media company pulled together a list of 118 businesses considered to be the “most ethical” across the nation.
See how the Vermont company ranks and how it stacks up against other New England businesses.
MarketBeat’s ‘most ethical’ Vermont company
Here is the Vermont company that made MarketBeat’s “most ethical” list:
King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, which sells flours, mixes, and baking tools, was ranked #24 in the country.
The baking company lists four environmental commitments on its website – regenerative agriculture, emissions reduction, zero waste and sustainable packaging.
King Arthur is employee-owned and is focused on “fostering an inclusive and welcoming baking community, taking meaningful steps to ensure all bakers feel they belong,” it said.
How other New England companies stack up
Here are the New England companies that made MarketBeat’s top 118 list:
- Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts (#4 nationally)
- CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island (#5 nationally)
- L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine (#12 nationally)
- King Arthur Baking Company – Norwich, Vermont (#24 nationally)
- Timberland – Stratham, New Hampshire (#30 nationally)
- Stonyfield Organic – Londonderry, New Hampshire (#34 nationally)
- Taza Chocolate – Somerville, Massachusetts (#56 nationally)
- New Morning Market – Woodbury, Connecticut (#65 nationally)
- Narragansett Beer – Providence, Rhode Island (#86 nationally)
- ReVision Energy – South Portland, Maine (#89 nationally)
- Allagash Brewing Company – Portland, Maine (#109 nationally)
- Cape Air – Hyannis, Massachusetts (#110 nationally)
Top 20 ‘most ethical’ companies in the US
Here are the top 20 “most ethical” companies in the U.S., from a list of 118, according to MarketBeat:
- Hershey Company – Hershey, Pennsylvania
- The Campbell’s Company – Camden, New Jersey
- Burt’s Bees – Durham, North Carolina
- Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts
- CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Publix Super Markets – Lakeland, Florida
- McCormick & Company – Hunt Valley, Maryland
- Hallmark Cards – Kansas City, Kansas
- Tillamook Creamery – Tillamook, Oregon
- Buc-ee’s – Lake Jackson, Texas
- Jack Daniel’s Distillery – Lynchburg, Tennessee
- L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Community Coffee Company – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Zapp’s Potato Chips – Gramercy, Louisiana
- Ozark Natural Foods – Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Clif Bar Baking Company – Twin Falls, Idaho
- Peace Coffee – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Honolulu Coffee Company – Honolulu, Hawaii
- Milo’s Tea Company – Bessemer, Alabama
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – State officials in Vermont and New Hampshire are warning SNAP recipients about phishing scams involving fraudulent phone calls, text messages, and emails.
Officials say scammers are calling and sending messages fraudulently claiming that the client’s EBT card has been “locked” and instructing them to call back to verify their eligibility.
Officials advise recipients not to share personal information with the sender and never give EBT card numbers to an unknown caller.
In Vermont, the scam should be reported to the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424.
Copyright 2025 WCAX. All rights reserved.
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