Vermont
Vermont Green FC plays Canada’s national soccer team in World Cup tuneup – VTDigger
Vermont Green FC, a semi-professional soccer club based in Burlington, played the Canadian men’s national team in a pre-FIFA World Cup scrimmage Saturday.
The game, held in Montreal, served as one of Canada’s final training sessions before competing in this year’s World Cup, which starts Thursday. Canada’s first game of the tournament is set for Friday against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The tournament, which takes place every four years, is being played this year across 16 cities in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The final is scheduled for July 19.
It’s not uncommon ahead of the World Cup for national soccer teams to play local clubs as warm-ups for the big stage. These matches, known as “friendlies,” give teams a chance to practice key plays and finalize their tactics in a low-stakes setting.
But for Vermont Green, which is made up largely of college-level players and was founded just five years ago, the match was “an enormous opportunity,” said Adam Pfeifer, the team’s sporting director, in a press release announcing the game.
The match was closed to the public and the team declined to share the result.
“It was surreal,” said David Ajagbe, a forward for Vermont Green who plays for the University of Portland during the school year. Ajagbe, a junior, is from Vancouver — a fact he said made the weekend’s game take on another level of significance.
“I want to do whatever I can to help my country be ready for the World Cup,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s like a once in a lifetime opportunity — and it was just a great, great experience.”
Ajagbe said he knew some of the Canadian team’s players personally, including one of its stars: Alphonso Davies, who plays for perennial German league champions FC Bayern Munich. Ajagbe trains with Davies in the winter, he said.
Vermont Green, meanwhile, has a host of other connections to Canada. For the past two seasons, the team has fielded six Canadian players. Several of them, including Ajagbe, played in the national championship game the team won in 2025.
That league, USL League 2, takes place over the summer and is one of the main competitions for collegiate players to showcase their skills for professional scouts.
Vermont also plays an annual match, outside the confines of its league, against semi-professional teams from Quebec that it calls the “Maple Cup.” In the cup’s three iterations so far — two featuring its men’s team, and one with its women’s squad — the Green have won every time.
“What’s sweeter than Vermont maple syrup? Drinking Vermont maple syrup out of the Maple Cup trophy,” the club wrote in a press release about the women’s win last month.
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont schools are still struggling to get students back in the classroom four years after the pandemic.
Chronic absenteeism is defined by students missing 10% or more of the school year, about 20 days of school. In the 2019-2020 school year, before COVID-19 hit, chronic absenteeism was 18% across the state. The number skyrocketed to 42% in the 2021-22 school year, the first full year that schools were back open after the pandemic. The rate has dropped since, but was still at 25% in 2023-24.
Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill this week aimed at reducing those numbers. It is based on actions being taken by the Maple Run Unified School District in St. Albans.
District Superintendent Bill Kimball says learning is a social experience. “That social learning when you’re learning math, science, language arts for the content, actually cements the learning to a deeper level of knowledge,” he said.
Student absences stem from a number of issues, including transportation, health issues, and family issues. Kimball said that since the pandemic and the reliance on remote learning, the shared community expectation that kids show up for school every day has dropped off. “It’s been hard to pull back from that in the pandemic of that… the community expectation is that your kid should be there every day,” Kimball said.
He said chronic absenteeism is directly linked with education outcomes and test scores.
In the 2023-24 school year, 25 percent of the district’s students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 20 days or more of school. The issue is not just kids cutting class. Half of the chronic absences are excused by parents.
To address the problem, the district now sends staff directly to homes to engage with parents and convince them to bring children back into the educational fold. “It’s social service supports, frankly,” Kimball said.
The new law creates a statewide framework for districts to replicate what is happening at Maple Run. Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders said flagging warning signs and bringing families back into the fold before kids miss too much class is key.
“Focus on prevention and support before it comes to the point of a student becoming chronically absent,” Saunders said. She says truancy enforcement continues to be a tool, but is approached as a last resort. “What we’re signaling here is a more comprehensive approach that’s grounded in best practices to address the root cause of why students are not attending school.”
However, the bill also expands the definition of an excused absence, allowing parents to pull students for more reasons, like vacations or private sports leagues.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
How to water plants easily
Don’t kill your plants. Here’s how to make watering easier.
Problem Solved
Have you been craving for some inspiration for your garden?
HGTV ranked the best garden centers (also known as nurseries) in the United States and listed one historic garden center in Charlotte as the best in Vermont.
“From multi-generational mom-and-pop businesses to bigger enterprises that haven’t lost their human touch, you can’t go wrong adding one of these garden centers to your bucket list whether you are traveling cross-country or just to the next county,” the Home and Garden Network said.
HGTV’s pick for the Green Mountain State was first established 133 years ago.
Horsford Gardens and Nursery — Charlotte, Vermont
HGTV highlighted Horsford Gardens and Nursery’s versatility and its wide selection of plants.
“This 133-year-old sprawling garden center on 40 acres does it all: propagation, planting, seeding and overwintering. With 20 acres of growing fields, Horsford offers thousands of plant varieties including native trees, shrubs and perennials,” HGTV said. You can find unique annuals like indigo and heirloom vegetables too and grounds to stroll where you can find inspiration for our own garden.”
Established in 1893, they’re also one of the oldest garden centers in Vermont.
“In 1883 Frederick Hinsdale Horsford and Cyrus G Pringle went into the nursery business together. As botanists they had traveled throughout North America collecting plants,” the garden center’s website said. “In 1893 Horsford bought out Pringle and created F. H. Horsford Nursery in Charlotte, Vermont. The nursery is still in existence on the same acreage.”
What can you buy at Horsford Nursery?
If you’re interested in starting your own herb garden, they have the following starts available, according to their greenhouse webpage:
- Boxwood Basil
- Basil
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Marjoram
- Mints
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Tarragon
- Thyme
You can see all of the different annuals and vegetable starts they have on their “Greenhouse Info and Plants” webpage.
The nursery even has offerings for non-gardeners: you can check out their free display gardens, of which they have many. Their botanical gardens include an annual garden, a rose garden, a spring bulb garden and a peony row.
“Visiting the nursery can be a much-needed break from a hectic day,” the Horsford website said. “If it is muddy, bring boots as there are no paved roads. Be sure to bring a notebook and camera!”
How to visit Horsford Gardens and Nursery
You can find Horsford Gardens and Nursery at 2111 Greenbush Road in Charlotte, Vermont or call them at (802) 425-2811. Its current hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day of the week, except certain holidays, from April 15 – October 31.
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.
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 June 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 8 drawing
03-24-34-43-49, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from June 8 drawing
05-07-08-28-34
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 8 drawing
Day: 7-0-1
Evening: 1-4-7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 8 drawing
Day: 1-6-5-2
Evening: 0-7-1-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from June 8 drawing
05-10-25-27-40, Megaball: 05
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 8 drawing
20-25-40-50-55, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
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.
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