Vermont travel, homes, and services

1+ hour, 13+ min ago (371+ words) In a Bennington workshop, a handful of high school students are engaged in an unconventional afterschool activity: building a small airplane.Their mentor is Jim Sharkey, a recently retired aerospace engineer who launched Bennington STEMworks, a new nonprofit aimed at sparking young people's interest in aviation through hands-on learning. Sharkey, an amateur pilot, is originally from Scotland but has lived in southern Vermont for three decades. In the early 2000s, he built a small plane from a kit and thought it would be fun and educational to embark on a similar project with teens. Southwest Tech, the region's career and technical center, offered to host the program, which officially got off the ground in September. Students and community volunteers are fabricating plane parts from sheet metal and will eventually delve into more advanced work in electrical systems. Sharkey estimates it will…...

8+ hour, 29+ min ago (633+ words) Dreaming of those picture-perfect vistas but totally dreading a grueling, steep climb? Good news! You don't need to be a seasoned hiker to get a bucket list view in Vermont. I've rounded up five easy-rated trails'each one under three miles'that deliver jaw-dropping panoramas. I'm talking everything from dramatic quarries to rushing waterfalls, all tucked into state forests or parks that are perfect for a relaxed day out. All you need are sturdy shoes and a little curiosity. Imagine strolling through Barre Town Forest's cool, shady woods'maybe hearing a disc golf game nearby'until, suddenly, massive quarry pits appear like a historic granite graveyard. This 2.2-mile out-and-back in the Millstone Trails area is truly unique. You'll see carved stone faces and sweeping overlooks of rugged excavations'a real up-close look at Vermont's mining past. Near Burlington, Niquette Bay State Park offers views that…...

8+ hour, 38+ min ago (149+ words) Those kids would be lucky if it is. Overall, The Vermont Farm Project is a purehearted, impressive work that blends storytelling, current events and history to offer perspective on a disappearing way of life. It examines what we've lost and what we still have " and offers an inkling of how we might keep it. The Vermont Farm Project: A Farm-to-Stage Musical is available at northernstage.org and on major streaming services. Stores such as Bristol Discount Beverage and Five Corner Variety show how sales from 802Spirits stores support businesses and communities. This article appears in Dec 10-16 2025. Jordan Adams joined Seven Days as music editor in 2016. In 2021, he became an arts and culture staff writer. He's won awards from the Vermont Press Association and the New England Newspaper and Press Association. In 2022, he became a freelance contributor. More by Jordan Adams...

14+ hour, 25+ min ago (333+ words) The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel held its last regular meeting of the year Monday evening. Members heard an update on the decommissioning of the former plant and discussed possible groundwater PFAS levels on the site. NorthStar Vermont Yankee began decommissioning and deconstructing the former Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon six years ago - in January 2019. Senior Manager Corey Daniels told the panel NorthStar is on schedule and confident they will complete the decommissioning ahead of the 2030 deadline. Panel member State Representative Laura Sibilia asked Daniels if there had been any evidence of PFAS on the former nuclear site or in materials they have shipped for out-of-state disposal. "I have asked a number of questions about the groundwater that is being moved. With relation to the PFAS, do we have any sense if any of that groundwater was…...

16+ hour, 25+ min ago (49+ words) Notre Dame missed out on the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, as the 10-2 Fighting Irish were jumped by 10-2 Miami in the final rankings. The Fighting Irish are not happy about it. Notre Dame feels ... Few inches of elevation snow Wednesday, drier but breezy on Thursday....

1+ day, 7+ hour ago (351+ words) Flying Somalia's light blue and white flag was meant to show Somali students at Winooski School District in Vermont that their families were valued members of the community, even as President Trump has called Somali immigrants "garbage." But the decision to raise the flag at the district's main Pre K-12 school drew a barrage of racist emails, phone calls, and social media posts, a spokesperson said. While the flag remains up, websites for the Winooski School District were down on Tuesday after being flooded with the messages, spokesperson Miriam Greenfield said. "We did receive a significant number of racist and hateful messages, many of which specifically referenced the Somali flag and Somali community members," Greenfield said. The flag was raised on Dec. 5, and school officials said they'll keep it up outside the main entrance through Friday. The Vermont state flag flies…...

1+ day, 12+ hour ago (69+ words) Respondents said that pesticide exposure and Varroa mites were the top causes of colony loss, while nutrition and disease were other common factors. Respondents said that pesticide exposure and Varroa mites were the top causes of colony loss, while nutrition and disease were other common factors. Respondents said that pesticide exposure and Varroa mites were the top causes of colony loss, while nutrition and disease were other common factors....

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (384+ words) A wintry mix is likely. Snowfall accumulations will be low, but slick spots are likely.. The vault area of WhistlePig's The Vault features bottles of the distillery's rarest expressions. (Stephen P. Schmidt/Louisville Business First) The exterior of WhistlePig's The Vault on East Market Street in Louisville. (Courtesy of WhistlePig via Louisville Business First) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Vermont-based distillery is offering up a new taste in Louisville. WhistlePig's new The Vault tasting room opened to the public on Friday, Dec. 5, according to our partners at Louisville Business First. The 5,000-square-foot space with a 30-foot ceiling is located inside the former German Security Bank on East Market Street, which was built in 1911. At the time, the bank was home to the largest vault in the state and the largest outside of New York City, LBF reported. Tasting experiences inside The Vault…...

2+ day, 2+ hour ago (118+ words) A new report from the University of Vermont Bee Lab shows unprecedented colony losses for honeybees during this past season. Survey finds Vermont honeybee colonies suffering major losses Federal grants bring millions for Vt. housing, welcome center study Welch tours Vt. school as Senate passes bill to bring whole milk back to cafeterias Car crashes into Milton restaurant, no injuries reported Expert offers heating safety tips as temperatures drop Survey finds Vermont honeybee colonies suffering major losses Federal grants bring millions for Vt. housing, welcome center study Welch tours Vt. school as Senate passes bill to bring whole milk back to cafeterias Car crashes into Milton restaurant, no injuries reported Expert offers heating safety tips as temperatures drop...

2+ day, 4+ hour ago (1767+ words) A Bristol small business owner said she hoped she and her 15-year-old daughter would be treated respectfully when they pursued a criminal complaint against the teenager who sexually assaulted her daughter." Instead, the business owner says she was sworn at by Eva Vekos, the embattled state's attorney in Addison County. State's attorneys are elected in every county in Vermont to lead the office that works with police and sheriffs departments to prosecute cases in court." "Her general attitude toward victims is so derogatory," the business owner said of Vekos. She filed a formal ethics complaint against Vekos, whose troubles have piled up since she was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol nearly two years ago." Martha Bowdish, a victim advocate at Addison County Unit for Special Investigations, which investigates sex crimes, has also filed a formal ethics complaint…...