Police are investigating the death of a student at Vermont’s Norwich University on Wednesday.

WPTZ reports that Northfield police are investigating the death of Norwich University Cadet Daniel Bermudez, with assistance from Vermont State Police. Details about Bermudez’s death have not yet been released. NBC10 Boston has reached out to Northfield police and state police requesting information.

Norwich University President John Broadmeadow confirmed Bermudez’s death in a statement to the school community on Thursday.

“We are heartbroken to confirm the sudden passing of our student, Cadet Daniel Bermudez ‘28 on January 15, 2025. The loss has deeply affected our entire campus community, and we are united in our grief. Our thoughts and condolences are with Daniel’s family, friends, and all those who were close to him,” the statement said.

Broadmeadow added that resources are being made available to support students, faculty and staff.

“The bonds that unite us at Norwich are strong, and we will continue to provide care and comfort to one another in the coming days and weeks,” he said. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Daniel’s loved ones and ask the community to keep his family and those closest to him in their thoughts and prayers. We are profoundly grateful for the support of our extended Norwich family and ask for space and understanding as we navigate this heartbreaking loss together.”

Bermudez was a member of the class of 2028, according to WPTZ. He was a second-semester freshman who had previously attended Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was a criminal justice major and a member of Bravo Company.

A candlelight vigil for Bermudez was held Thursday night on the school’s campus. Details on his funeral services have not yet been released.

Shamir Bogues was pesky all night. He intercepted a bounce pass intended for Binghamton’s Tymu Chenery, for his seventh steal of the night.

On the ensuing offensive possession, TJ Hurley found Bogues cutting towards the basket and the senior guard converted a backdoor layup with two minutes left to seal the game.

“That’s the whole Shamir we know,” Hurley said. “I mean seven steals is crazy.”

Hurley and Bogues combined for 42 points as Vermont basketball sent its fans home happy earning a 72-64 win over Binghamton in the Catamounts’ America East home opener.

For much of the first half there appeared to not be a hangover from Vermont largest America East loss in 20 years.

Bogues got the Catamounts started with a pair of layups and a steal to set the tone. He wasn’t the only player to find a groove offensively.

Nick Fiorillo helped Vermont (10-9, 3-1) build a double-digit lead hitting three 3-pointers on four possessions as the Catamounts found quality looks to start the game 9 of 13 from the field.

More: Anna Olson’s legacy continues to grow for Vermont women’s basketball

Binghamton (9-10, 1-3) was also efficient to start the game converting on 7 of its first 8 shots, but the team’s 10 turnovers caused problems.

Binghamton got into a rut, failing to score for over 5 minutes allowing Vermont to swell its lead to 30-16. Yet the Catamounts let up on the gas. Binghamton closed out the half on a 15-7 run to trim Vermont’s lead down to 37-31.

In the second half, Vermont struggled to pull away as Binghamton shrunk the Catamounts lead down to one possession several times. The Bearcats’ hot 3-point shooting (7 of 13) kept them within the game after trailing by as much as 14 points in the first half.

“That would have been a big swing if Binghamton was able to get the lead there,” Hurley said. “Our moto is we want to win every possession.”

Yet every time, Vermont had an answer.

First it was Bogues grabbing his fourth steal of the game and dunking the ball on the other end. Other times it was Hurley hitting 3-pointers or tough jumpers as he set a new career-high with 26 points.

“TJ is kind of understanding that he needs to be that guy,” coach John Becker said. “I know he was frustrated after a great game against UMass Lowell and then being shut out against Bryant.”

More: A parade of champions: Burlington to celebrate UVM men’s soccer team’s national title

Vermont led Thursday’s game wire-to-wire and have now defeated Binghamton 22 consecutive times.

Despite some poor free-throw shooting down the stretch, Vermont sealed the game with an 8-4 run before a well deserved weekend break.

UVM women’s basketball win fourth straight game

The Vermont women’s basketball team was also in action on Thursday traveling to play Binghamton. The Catamounts (9-10, 4-1) left Vestal with a 55-46 win, extending their winning streak to four.

Keira Hanson led the Catamounts with 14 points off the bench while Nikola Priede added 13 points. The Catamounts pulled away in the third quarter after shooting 50% from the field while converting eight field goals.

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

Whether it’s chiming in on Front Porch Forum or casting a vote on Town Meeting Day, Vermont has a rich tradition of community engagement. But just how involved is its citizenry? 

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas unveiled the state’s new civic health index, a tool designed to evaluate how Vermonters engage with their communities and participate in democratic processes.

As the 36th state to adopt a civic health metric, Vermont joins a growing national effort to better understand the dynamics of community involvement in the state. The report sheds light on strengths and weaknesses in volunteerism, political engagement, and social interactions, such as attending public meetings and connecting with neighbors. 

The secretary of state’s office, in partnership with the National Conference of Citizenship and other educational institutions, assessed how the state performs on these indicators through surveys, advisory boards, and panel discussions with residents and organizations.

The index revealed that Vermonters are deeply engaged in their communities, excelling in areas such as volunteering and charitable contributions, with 21.4% of residents reporting they volunteer frequently and 50% reporting they’ve donated more than $25 to a religious or charitable organization.

The state also ranks second nationwide for public meeting attendance, with 17% of residents reporting they have ever attended a public meeting, which is significantly above the national average of 10%. It also ranks second for collaborating with neighbors and discussing political, social or local issues. 

While the report rated Vermont favorably across most indicators, Copeland Hanzas cautioned that performing well compared with other states doesn’t automatically indicate the state is excelling overall.

“Vermont may rank high in so many of these indicators, relative to other parts of the country, but they may still be very low in percentage of people who actually engage in whatever that activity that question was based on,” Copeland Hanzas said. The index found that 1 in 5 Vermont residents have felt uncomfortable or out of place in their community. 

“The best way to tackle that is to be very mindful about that while talking about the report and what’s in the report and making sure that we are adapting our language when we go to talk to folks who are maybe among that 22%,” she said.

According to Copeland Hanzas, one of the more concerning findings was Vermont’s low level of youth engagement in voter registration. A striking 59% of young people indicated they have no intention of registering to vote when they become eligible.

“I think it’s an indication of a gap or lack in civics education in schools,” Copeland Hanzas said. “If your parents didn’t get a good civics education, they’re not going to talk to you about how the government works and the importance of voting and that compounds itself over generations.”

Copeland Hanzas is hosting a series of community conversations to gather feedback on the findings. They are taking place through the end of February in South Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Barre and Rutland. During these events, attendees will have the opportunity to vote on a list of proposed next step recommendations to help prioritize actions. The first session took place Wednesday at Brattleboro’s Brooks Memorial Library.

“I was really pleased to see that the top vote-getter of all of the next step recommendations is more community conversations,” Copeland Hanzas said. “People are yearning for ways to connect across their community, whether that’s meeting your neighbors or just even connecting with people who you may have nothing in common with.”

Copeland Hanzas also encouraged Vermonters to reach out if they would like to have a conversation about the report but don’t see a meeting in their community.