More free summer meal sites are open across Vermont this year than ever before, according to anti-poverty advocacy group Hunger Free Vermont.

That’s in large part thanks to a new Vermont law that requires all public schools to offer free lunch during the school year, according to Anore Horton, the executive director for the advocacy group.

Implementing that law has provided schools with a more accurate count of the number of students who are low-income, and allowed more communities to drawn down the federal funding that pays for summer meal programs.

“By passing the universal school meals act in Vermont, our legislature has more than doubled the number of communities in our state that are eligible to provide these free summer meals,” Horton said. “And thank goodness they did.”

Kathy Alexander, the school nutrition director for the Addison Northwest and Mount Abraham school districts in Addison County, said those changes allowed two new summer sites to open in Vergennes and New Haven this year. Every day, both sites each distribute about 250 meal kits to area families.

“It really expanded our reach and is meeting a community need that’s somewhat astounding, actually,” Alexander said.

Meal sites are open at schools, libraries, community centers and churches in all 14 counties. Depending on the program, families can either eat on-site or pick up meal kits to take home.

Information about where to find summer meal sites is available by calling 211 or visiting Hunger Free Vermont’s website.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message.

A Vermont man is facing charges after he threatened a family with a gun during a road rage incident on Cape Cod Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

St. Johnsbury resident Tracy Douse, 42, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and three firearms charges in connection with the incident, Chatham police said in a press release.

Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Chatham police received a call from a driver who reported that he and his family had been involved in a road rage incident, police said. He told police that, while traveling on Route 28, he and his family were threatened by another driver who was armed with a gun.

The caller gave police a description of the driver and his vehicle, and officers soon located the driver, police said. They pulled the vehicle over and arrested the driver — who was later identified as Douse — and found a loaded handgun inside his vehicle.

Douse was arraigned in Orleans District Court on Wednesday and held on $50,000 bail, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The 10-to-12-year-old all-stars from Champlain are headed back to regionals.

The Vermont state champions, who secured back-to-back state titles last weekend, are in Bristol, Connecticut, for the Little League Softball New England Region Tournament.

Champlain, which consists of players from St. Albans and Georgia, blanked Connecticut Valley 10-0 in the winner-take-all Vermont championship game. To open regionals, Champlain will take on the Massachusetts state champion on Sunday, July 21 on ESPN+.

More: Champlain all-stars roll to back-to-back Vermont Little league softball state titles

The full bracket/schedule for the tournament:

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Game 1: Vermont vs. Massachusetts, 4 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

Game 2: Connecticut vs. Rhode Island, 8 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

MONDAY, JULY 22

Game 3: New Hampshire vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

Game 4: Maine vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

TUESDAY, JULY 23

Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 a.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

Game 6: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 4 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 10 a.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m. (ESPN+, subscription required)

THURSDAY, JULY 25

Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon (ESPN)

FRIDAY, JULY 26

Championship game

Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, noon (ESPN)

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.