State Sen. Brian Campion, who helms the chamber’s education committee, is not running for reelection.

The Bennington County Democrat announced his departure from the Legislature, where he has served for the last 14 years, in a press release Monday. He was first elected to the Vermont House in 2010, and the Senate in 2014.

“Serving in the legislature for the last 14 years has been the honor of my life,” Campion said in a statement. “I’m proud to have made a real difference for the people from Bennington County and look forward to continuing to be involved in my community.”

A sea change is underway in the Vermont Senate. In the last election cycle, 10 senators opted not to run for reelection. And this year, Campion is the fifth longtime senator to announce his departure from the 30-member body.

Democratic Sens. Jane Kitchel, Dick Mazza, Bobby Starr and Dick McCormack have all recently announced they will not run for reelection. Like Campion, Kitchel, Mazza and Starr were all committee chairs, and generally considered to inhabit the more moderate wing of the party.

“Being an effective legislator requires working well with all of your colleagues, no matter their party, and I’m proud of having a reputation for doing this,” Campion wrote.

Campion took over the Senate Committee on Education in 2021, and in this role often clashed with public education advocates, particularly on matters relating to the state’s voucher system. He played a key role in the contentious confirmation process for now-interim Education Secretary Zoie Saunders — voting against most in his party to endorse her selection.

But he is also well known for his work on environmental issues. In a press release, Campion said he was particularly proud of his work on chemical contaminants, including addressing PFAs in Bennington’s drinking water. The lawmaker is also the architect of Vermont’s first-in-the-nation mandate to test every school for PCBs, another toxic chemical.

Sen. Phil Baruth, who leads the Senate as president pro tempore, in a statement highlighted Campion’s work on the environment.

“I happened to be with him when test results came back showing serious chemical contamination in Bennington’s drinking water,” Baruth wrote. “Brian rushed out of the room — and he and his district-mate Dick Sears didn’t slow down until the state of Vermont had helped connect affected well owners to the municipal water system. And mandated testing of private wells for contaminants. And pushed for the strictest lead standard for school drinking water in the nation — now Vermont law.”

Outside the Statehouse, Campion is the Director of Public Policy at the Elizabeth Coleman Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College and a trustee of the Bennington Museum.

Another well-known southern Vermont Democrat has already announced his intention to run for Campion’s seat. The Manchester Journal reported Monday that Rep. Seth Bongartz, of Manchester, had thrown his hat in the ring.

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Nature-centric lodging company Outbound Hotels has unveiled its latest addition in the picturesque landscape of Stowe, Vermont.

Following the success of its predecessors in Jackson Hole and Mammoth Lakes, the 73-key Outbound Stowe is situated on an expansive property that comprises the region’s largest outdoor pool. Accommodations range from suites and cabins to an eight-person cottage and a loft suite that transforms into an event barn.

Outbound Stowe celebrates New England design

Designed by One Union Studio, the hotel draws from New England design heritage, featuring a minimal exterior ornamentation and simple, utilitarian lines, complemented by Vermont woodworking traditions.

Evoking a wholesome, playful ambiance, interiors boast a vibrant-yet-balanced color palette, with primary colors like red, blue, and yellow paired with secondary greens and oranges.

Spaces also showcase the work of local artisans, with pieces rooted in the region’s heritage that lean into a cheerful, unexpected palette.

The hotel’s signature restaurant Eastside

Outbound Stowe also features Eastside, a bar and kitchen concept developed in partnership with Folkart Management. With its soft opening planned for late August, Eastside blends New York’s culinary scene with a laid-back mountain atmosphere.

“The expansion of Outbound Hotels into Stowe signifies the next phase in our mission to redefine alternative lodging, granting access to extraordinary outdoor destinations without compromising comfort or design,” says Matthew Mering, executive vice president, hospitality at Waterton, Outbound Hotels’ ownership group.

The soft opening of Outbound Stowe is scheduled for early July.

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A Vermont university has bestowed the honorary degree of “doctor of litter-ature” on Max the cat, a beloved member of its community, ahead of students’ graduation on Saturday.

Vermont State University’s Castleton campus is honouring the feline not for his mousing or napping, but for his friendliness.

“Max the Cat has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years,” the school said in a Facebook post.

The popular tabby lives in a house with his human family on the street that leads to the main entrance to campus.

“So he decided that he would go up on campus, and he just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him,” owner Ashley Dow said on Thursday.

He’s been socialising on campus for about four years, and students get excited when they see him.

They pick him up and take selfies with him, and he even likes to go on tours with prospective students that meet at a building across from the family’s house, she said.

“I don’t even know how he knows to go, but he does,” Ms Dow said.

“And then he’ll follow them on their tour.”

The students refer to Ms Dow as Max’s mum, and graduates who return to town sometimes ask her how Max is doing.

Max won’t be participating in the graduation, though.

His degree will be delivered to Dow later.

He is not the first cat to receive human credentials. 

In 2020, an eight-year-old therapy dog named Moose received an honorary doctorate in veterinary medicine at Virginia Tech University after he helped thousands of students. 

In 2016, a 19-year-old thoroughbred horse called Dr Teddy received a honorary doctorate form University of California Davis for being a Master Equine Educator.