Vermont
Vermont basketball squeezes out America East win behind freshman Sean Blake

UVM soccer: NCAA championship parade on Burlington’s Church Street
Fans flocked Church Street to celebrate UVM men’s soccer’s historic national championship with a parade and rally.
Vermont basketball found itself in another tight America East Conference game on Saturday afternoon.
And the Catamounts nearly gave the game away with some late turnovers. Maine’s Quion Burns hit back-to-back shots to tie the game with under a minute left.
Then, in stepped the dynamic duo of senior Shamir Bogues and freshman Sean Blake. Blake drove toward the basket before kicking the ball out to Bogues. The senior drilled a deep 3-pointer giving the Catamounts the lead with 33 seconds left.
Blake followed up on the next possession with a pair of free throws to seal the game and give the Catamounts a much-needed, 55-49 victory over the Black Bears in front of 2,760 at Patrick Gym. The Catamounts (12-11, 5-3) avoided their first three-game losing streak vs conference foes in 15 years.
“I was really trying to clear my mind, just focus on getting that shot high and soft,” Blake said.
The Catamounts continued their dominance against Maine (14-9, 6-2), winning their 29th consecutive game against the Black Bears.
Vermont entered Saturday’s matchup with its most losses in America East play, three, since it had four in the 2020-2021 season. Maine has become much improved having won six straight prior to its trip to Burlington under former Catamounts assistant coach Chris Markwood.
“It’s nice to be the hunter for the first time in a long time, the underdog,” coach John Becker said.
While the Catamounts remain third in the America East standings, they do now own a head-to-head win over the current second-place team.
Maine’s only double digit scorers were Burns (11 points) and Christopher Mantis (12 points). Mantis was a thorn in Vermont’s side hitting four 3-pointers including three in the first half to keep the Black Bears in the game.
While TJ Hurley (15 points), Nick Fiorillo (11 points) and Bogues (12 points) provided the bulk of the offense, Blake played one of his best games of his young Catamounts career. The freshman was the next man up for the Catamounts and was the only bench player that saw action in the second half.
Blake finished the game with five points, seven rebounds (led the team), three assists and one steal. All of his assists came on critical plays. Blake connected with Bogues twice, a no-look pass for a layup early in the second half and the game winning 3-pointer, which pushed Vermont to a 52-49 lead. His other assist came on Hurley’s 3-pointer with four minutes left in the game.
“He played a really good game on both sides of the ball,” Becker said. “He just brings a really nice dimension to our offense and he played defense well.”
Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

Vermont
VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for May 23, 2025
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule. Here’s a look at May 23, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Vermont Mega Millions numbers from May 23 drawing
07-18-40-55-68, Mega Ball: 18
Check Vermont Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from May 23 drawing
04-08-12-19-27
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life VT numbers from May 23 drawing
04-11-15-19-38, Lucky Ball: 04
Check Lucky For Life VT payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 23 drawing
Day: 4-1-7
Evening: 5-8-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 23 drawing
Day: 4-1-1-5
Evening: 7-2-0-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Vermont
Vermont’s state parks are offering free entry for income-eligible residents in 2025 – VTDigger

More than 100,000 income-eligible residents are going to have free access to Vermont’s state parks this year, thanks to a first-in-the-nation pilot program.
The Park Access Fund Pilot Program will give people who receive benefits through the state’s Economic Services Division or the Women, Infants and Children program free entrance to any of Vermont’s 55 state parks during the season, which runs from May through October.
To participate in the program, residents can show their EBT or WIC cards at the park entrance. Those who are eligible but do not have an EBT card can visit their local Economic Services Division District Office to request a card that can be used for state park entrance in 2025, according to the Park Access Fund website.
Once inside, all guests have the option to participate in free park-led activities, such as bird walks, concerts and evening campfires. The state parks events and programs page contains information on upcoming programming.
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The initiative originated from an idea to bring park accessibility to Vermonters experiencing food insecurity, according to Sarah Alberghini Winters, the executive director of Vermont Parks Forever, which runs the program.
This new program is an extension of the Parks Access Fund, which grants free park passes to 55 nonprofit community partners to help their clients get outside, according to Winters.
Winters said she hopes this year’s expansion of the program is well-utilized. Depending on its success and donors’ willingness to support future efforts, the pilot program could continue in 2026 and beyond, she said.
“It really takes a village,” Winters said. “We’re so thankful to have support from local and national foundations.”
Vermonters not eligible for this pilot program can also receive assistance accessing state parks through library passes and the Green Mountain Passport.
Financial barriers are not the only thing preventing some Vermonters from getting outside, Winters said, but this program is a starting point. She said her hope is that Vermont will set an example for other states to consider expanding programs for outdoor accessibility.
“We’ll continue to learn about how we can help with other barriers that exist,” she said.
Vermont
Gov. Phil Scott signs Vermont lawmakers’ 2026 state budget proposal into law – VTDigger

MONTPELIER — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed lawmakers’ state budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year into law Wednesday. The plan lays out $9.01 billion in state spending for the yearlong period starting July 1 — and includes a handful of new measures designed to limit the impacts of potential cuts to the state’s federal funding.
Scott, a Republican, was notably complimentary of the House and Senate’s budget bill in a letter to legislators that accompanied his signature. Democratic leadership in both chambers, knowing they almost certainly could not override a budget veto this year, trimmed tens of millions of dollars in proposed “base” spending — money expected to be appropriated year-over-year — from the legislation after Scott insisted on cuts.
The governor had proposed an $8.99 billion state budget in January.
“I appreciate that this budget makes important affordability investments,” Scott wrote, pointing to lawmakers’ use of about $75 million from the state’s general fund that’s expected to help reduce the property tax bills people pay to support education.
Scott also complimented how lawmakers set aside about $13 million in the budget to offset a slate of proposed tax credits that would benefit low-income families, workers and veterans, as well as retirees and people receiving military pensions.
The credits are included in a separate bill, S.51, over which House and Senate leaders still need to work out their differences in a joint conference committee.
While the state budget is typically lawmakers’ last act before adjournment every year, this year, there are still several major bills working their way through the Statehouse that deal with some of the headline issues from last fall’s election.
In his letter, the governor urged legislators to pass a version of this year’s landmark education reform bill, H.454. The bill is being debated on the Senate floor Thursday as school district leaders — and a number of senators themselves — have panned the language that several of the chamber’s committees drafted in recent weeks.
Senators were weighing to what extent they should revise their version of the bill to be more in line with what passed out of the House last month. That version appeared to have more support among the members of the Senate’s Democratic majority.
Scott has threatened to use his power to summon lawmakers back to the Statehouse if they adjourn for the year without reaching agreement on an education bill.
“While not perfect, (the budget bill) makes critical investments in affordability, housing, education and public safety,” the governor wrote Wednesday. “But we must focus on the policy bills that fix what’s broken so the funding can have its intended impact.”
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