Vermont
Senior leaders power Milton girls soccer to second consecutive D-II championship
Holley MacLellan, already one of Vermont’s best players and a state champion, refused to settle on her past success.
Hannah Smiley, who missed the entire 2023 season due to an ACL injury, returned to the pitch, ready to prove her worth.
One Milton star refined her game, the other regained her swagger. And the Yellowjackets program reaped the benefits during another title run.
Behind MacLellan’s long-distance strikes and Smiley serving as an instrumental figure on the defense’s 11th shutout this fall, top-seeded Milton dispatched No. 7 Mount Abraham 2-0 to retain the Division II high school girls soccer championship at Burlington’s Buck Hard Field on Friday night.
With the win, Milton (17-1) now owns 18 crowns out of 21 championship-game appearances.
“Last year was a hard season to beat. I’ve been a part of four (titles) and I’m happy to say that,” said second-year coach Cait Fogel, a program alum and former Yellowjacket star. “I told them, ‘You are not just the state champs this year, Milton is the CVU of Division II.’ Nobody can argue that.”
And senior co-captains MacLellan and Smiley were at the center of Milton’s 18th banner. A technically gifted and strong-willed midfielder, MacLellan trusted her shot from deep, resulting in a career-high 27 tallies and leading an offense that fired in 90 team goals in 2024. Friday’s efforts arrived in the 15th minute via Savannah Monahan’s directed loose ball and then with 17:36 to play on Cianna Tomasi’s simple, but effective square pass to put away a gritty Mount Abraham side.
“It’s hard to speak about such a talented player and say she’s grown, but she has grown, surprisingly,” Fogel said of MacLellan. “She’s seen what’s working and what’s not. The 40-yard shots that weren’t going in and she finally adjusted and let them rip with a purpose. It obviously paid off and couldn’t have asked for a better night to finally dial it in.”
Smiley solidified Milton’s back line with Marlie Bushey, Taylor Shappy and Avery Turner. Smiley’s return allowed Fogel to put Lila Martin back in net. The group conceded just 12 times in their 18 games.
In Friday’s final, Martin turned back five shots to finish with 73 saves this fall.
“Just having (Smiley) there was the final piece of the puzzle that we were missing a little bit from last year,” Fogel said. “Just that sense of peace to have (Smiley) on the back line right next to (Bushey). It was just indescribable.”
Said MacLellan of Smiley and Bushey: “They were fantastic. They were perfect, a crazy duo back there.”
MacLellan’s opening salvo gave Milton control against Mount Abraham in the teams’ third meeting this season (Milton won the first matchups, 1-0 in overtime in Bristol and then 4-0 at home). Monahan fought off a Mount Abraham defender on a 50-50 ball to spin a pass into inviting space for MacLellan. From there, MacLellan took several dribbles before unloading from 20 yards high into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
“A lot of my goals this season have been from distance. I find some space at the top of the box and just look for the net,” MacLellan said. “I know that I can (score) and I like to take them any time I get them.”
MacLellan’s insurance tally was even more impressive. Tomasi, the other senior co-captain, set up MacLellan from about 25 yards away. MacLellan uncorked a blast that took a short-hop right in front of Mount Abraham goalie Rosemary Behounek (four saves), skipping into the net for the 2-0 margin.
“Those shots that Holley hit, those were bangers,” Mount Abraham coach Dustin Corrigan said. “It wasn’t an unwinnable game. We came here to win and we knew it was going to be a difficult task. Credit to Milton, credit to Holley — those are some incredible finishes.”
The Eagles (12-6) reached their first final in 10 years following their penalty shootout win over Harwood in the semifinals on Wednesday.
“We came into this match with a lot of miles on our legs, but I’m not going to make any excuses. We were excited to play and Milton played a heck of a good game,” Corrigan said. “I’m very proud of the effort our girls put out there. They stuck together and they didn’t quit.”
Although Milton graduates nine seniors, Fogel casted warning for all challengers for the 2025 season: The Yellowjackets are the queens of D-II girls soccer in Vermont until someone else says otherwise.
“People need to recognize that and respecting that instead of overlooking us every season,” Fogel said. “Because we have quite a program that won’t go anywhere anytime soon.”
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
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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