WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – Top marks for a teacher in Winooski. Winooski high school teacher Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver is Vermont’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

The Vermont Agency of Education says the history and English teacher is also a reading specialist who creates responsive learning environments where students feel respected and valued.

She’s been at Winooski High for six years and has been a teacher for 14.

In addition to teaching, MacLeod-Bluver is an instructional coach and part-time lecturer at the University of Vermont.

Her role as teacher of the year will begin in January 2025.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

CAVENDISH, Vt. (WCAX) – Two people on a motorcycle were injured– one of them critically– when they hit a bear in Cavendish.

It happened at about 6 p.m. Sunday on Route 131.

EMTs arrived minutes later to provide aid to the two victims. A helicopter was requested to airlift the person with critical injuries.

The Proctorsville Fire Department says the bear was seen running away into the nearby woods.

First responders remind drivers to travel with caution as many different species of wildlife are on the move this time of year.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

Cathedral Square Corporation has been selected as a Top Workplace in Vermont for 2024.

The organization was founded in 1977 by St. Paul’s Cathedral in Burlington to address a shortage of affordable senior housing, a situation that Cathedral Square Chief Executive Officer Kim Fitzgerald said still exists today. Still, Cathedral Square has been doing its part to solve the problem for the past 47 years.

“We now have 28 properties in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties,” Fitzgerald said. “We serve just over 1,300 people. Of those 28 properties, 26 are for independent living and two of them are long-term care communities.”

One of those long-term care communities is Memory Care at Allen Brook, with 14 residents, which Fitzgerald said is “truly affordable.”

“We are 100% Medicaid and 100% Section 8 for the rent,” she said. “Truly affordable and memory care don’t usually go together. You can spend $12,000 to $15,000 a month (on memory care). We have a wait list. We could build 10 more of those communities if we could afford it and had the staff.”

Cathedral Square wants to care for its staff as well as its residents

Speaking of staff, Fitzgerald said her mission is to care for Cathedral Square’s employees just like the organization cares for its elderly residents.

“People who come to work for Cathedral Square want to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “We are making a difference in peoples’ lives. It’s also about supporting each other.”

Fitzgerald said she cultivates a culture of family and togetherness on her staff.

“Living that work-life balance is important to us,” she said. “We have an active wellness committee that makes sure people are supporting each other from a health perspective. I’m also proud of the fact that we have a 20-plus club of people who have worked with the organization for more than 20 years.”

The 20-plus club as six members, including Fitzgerald, who takes everyone out to lunch every year.

“It’s a time for me to connect with them and find out what they see has changed over 20 years that they like and don’t like,” Fitzgerald said. “I value them so much for their longevity.”

Fitzgerald will celebrate 25 years with Cathedral Square Corporation this fall. She has been CEO for 10 of those years.

“I feel very honored and blessed,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve all had difficult times. Being there for each other, supporting each other and caring for each other is what we do for residents and the people we serve. It’s important to do that within our staff as well.”

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.