Vermont

Kids and the \

Published

12 months ago

March 29, 2025

$Kids and the \$

Republican Gov. Phil Scott has signed an executive order allowing families with children under age 19 and “medically vulnerable” Vermonters who face eviction from hotel and motel rooms on April 1 to remain in the state’s General Assistance program through June 30.

Pregnant women in their third trimester or who will enter their third trimester between April 1 and June 30 are among those who qualify as “medically vulnerable.”

Scott’s executive order comes after weeks of squabbling between his administration and Democratic lawmakers about whether to extend emergency shelter services for all 1,439 households in the “Hotel-Motel” program until the end of June. Without additional funding, the program re-instates its summer weather 1,100 room, 80-day cap and begins exiting hundreds of Vermont households from hotels and motels on Monday.

“While I’ve been opposed to the Hotel-Motel program because it doesn’t serve those in the program well, I have also been clear that we have an obligation to protect children and Vermonters who are most vulnerable,” Scott said in a press release about on Friday afternoon. “This executive order does just that without unwinding the important progress we’ve made.”

Democrats, however, have argued that Vermont’s other “vulnerable” populations — including all pregnant women, veterans and victims of domestic violence — at risk of eviction this spring should be allowed to stay in the program for the next three months as well.

But Scott says Vermont needs to begin transitioning away from the “failed” hotel-motel program, which he has repeatedly criticized as both expensive for taxpayers and detrimental for clients. Scott has pointed to the 135 deaths that occurred between 2020 and 2024 in hotels and motels, lack of wrap around services for people struggling with substance use or mental illness and the housing of both “vulnerable and predatory populations” under the same roof as evidence for the program’s failure.

Additionally, Scott says he’s wants to conserve money in case the Trump administration pulls significant federal dollars from the state.

Republican senators backed Scott when they unanimously blocked Democrats’ attempt earlier on Friday to expedite a vote on the most recent version of this year’s budget adjustment act, which allocates “existing” money from the Department of Children and Families to extend emergency housing eligibility for every client through the summer. Scott is expected to veto the bill should the senate pass the budget adjustment act as it currently stands.

Where will exited hotel-motel clients go?

According to Beck, Scott’s administration is helping ensure available shelter at the following congregate shelters:

Williston family shelter, which will continue to operate the rest of the year with help from a local provider assistance
Waterbury family shelter, which will continue to provide shelter through mid-June to ensure stability for school children

Beck also the administration plans to expand “family shelter capacity with plans for permanent family shelters in Burlington, Rutland, Bennington, and Central Vermont,” extend and expand “Medical Respite capacity in the central Vermont and Chittenden County regions” and add an “an intensive recovery housing site for those who need an integrated model of housing and substance use treatment.”

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

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Vermont

Louisville Advances Over Vermont 72-52

Published

5 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

At the end of the first half the score was 32-28 in Louisville’s favor. Two players on Vermont’s team, Keira Hanson and Nikola Priede, combined for 24 of those 28 points. In the third quarter the Cards held those two players to a total of 6 points. There’s your ballgame.

Mackenly Randolph did it all for the Cards today. She had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists. After the game she said, “I feel very comfortable. It’s March and tournament. It’s my favorite time of the year. I’m just glad we pulled out this win. And my team, we played really good.” Laura Ziegler had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Imari Berry had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Coach Walz credited the defense for the win. “I thought eventually it wore them down some. And like I said, in the first half we got the lead to 9, I think, at one point in time, and just couldn’t put the put-way punch or however you want to say it. You’ve got to credit them because they made the shots when they needed to when we got some momentum going.”

Tajianna Roberts said, “We’re a great offensive team. Like, we can score anytime. But our biggest thing is we have to figure out how to come up with stops. I think in certain games, we’re scoring the ball, but we’re just going back and forth. Us as a Louisville team, we have to figure out how we can get a stop. I think that’s just the intentionality and the focus that we have been working on.”

Coach Walz praised Mackenly’s play: “She’s as good as there is being able to use her body. You kind of call it bully ball. She likes to put her shoulder down and will create some contact and does a really nice job of it. And then she finishes. She had six offensive rebounds in the game. I think three of them were her own on that one shot. But she ended up with a double-double, but she’s always around the ball. It’s not like she’s out-jumping everybody.”

He said, “It’s just one game at a time. You’re trying to make sure that they understand the importance and the honor to play in this tournament. Not everybody gets to do it. And when you get the opportunity, don’t take it for granted. That’s really what we’re trying to make sure we show our kids. And I was proud.”

Louisville will take on the winner of Alabama/Rhode Island on Monday.

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Vermont

Louisville vs. Vermont – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

17 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Louisville vs. Vermont – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Women’s Basketball

March 21, 2026

Louisville vs. Vermont – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 21, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 3 Louisville and No. 14 Vermont’s matchup in the first round of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament.

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Vermont

Why travelers still flock to Vermont’s oldest hotel after 250 years

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Why travelers still flock to Vermont’s oldest hotel after 250 years

10 best eco-friendly hotels

Explore the best eco-friendly hotels in the United States, as chosen by USA TODAY readers. Discover where you can stay green during your travels.

Planning a vacation to Vermont? Whether it’s a charming small-town inn or a top-rated ski resort, there are plenty of highly-regarded hotels in the state to choose from.

If you want historical New England vibes, there are also lots of Vermont hotels with colonial ties. In fact, the state’s very first hotel opened in Manchester over 250 years ago. While it has undergone many changes in ownership and name, The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa has been a staple in Vermont lodging for thousands of visitors since it opened in 1769.

Here’s everything to know about the history and lodging at the state’s oldest inn.

History of The Equinox

The Equinox first opened as The Marsh Tavern under owner William Marsh in 1769, according to the hotel’s website. The original inn played an important role in the country’s revolutionary history, hosting the meeting of the Council of Safety where Ira Allen proposed confiscating Torie property to raise money for the Green Mountain Boys during the Revolutionary War.

The hotel continued to attract historical figures in the years that followed, hosting former presidents William Taft, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, along with the family of Abraham Lincoln.

Marsh Tavern changed owners and names multiple times until 1853, when the Orvis brothers established the hotel as The Equinox. In 1972, The Equinox closed for 13 years, re-opening as the restored resort hotel it is known as today in the 1980s.

Today, the 200-room Equinox provides a resort experience for all four seasons, offering activities like tennis, pickleball, golf, ice skating and shuttles to nearby ski slopes, as well as amenities like a spa, a fitness center, live music and four on-site restaurants.

How to stay at The Equinox

Guests at The Equinox can choose between elegant, historical rooms in the Main Inn and rustic rooms in the Orvis Inn, with accommodations ranging one-bed rooms to multi-room suites.

Reservations can be made online, and the hotel is located at 3567 Main St. in Manchester Village.

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