This Week’s News
Brandon passes budget on first try
In a marked contrast to last year’s drawn-out budget woes, Brandon voters approved the proposed 2025-2026 budget on the first attempt by almost a 2-to-1 margin.
Ethier, Haylon, and Reniche-Smith prevail in Brandon race
After a particularly crowded race, with six candidates vying for three available seats, Ralph Ethier, Jeff Haylon and Cecil Reniche-Smith will join the Brandon Selectboard this month.
5th officer to leave Brandon PD since December
Another Brandon PD officer, Corporal Michael VonSchleusingen, has tendered his resignation, bringing to 5 the number of officers that have left Brandon PD since December.
Names lost in Vermont, Part 44: Poro, Shoro, Gallipo, and Sharrow
The first three surnames, all ending with “o,” represent modified spellings from their original Québec names. Remarkably, all three families hail with the throng of émigrés from St. Hyacinthe who settled in our area.
An evening of short plays comes to Otter Valley this weekend
This coming weekend, Otter Valley Union High School welcomes Walking Stick Theatre Company’s annual production of short plays (also known as “The One-Acts”).
Photos of the Week
Sports
OV’s Brooke Kimball named Unified Basketball Coach of the Year by Southern VT League
What really matters about sports? 2025 Southern Vermont League Unified Basketball Coach of the Year Brooke Kimball of Otter Valley said, “I love how much joy it brings.”
Nesobe Golf Club is no longer a “Hidden Gem”
Neshobe Golf Club hosted the 96th New England Amateur Championship with the best golfers in New England competing over three days.
A new generation of duckies takes the podium
The last few racing seasons, and all their attendant scandals, have left the local duckie community feeling unsettled.
Nifty Thrifty sponsors swim lessons for July 4th Duckies
Every July, hundreds of rubber duckies from all over the world descend upon Brandon for the Independence Day Duckie Race on the Neshobe River.
Brandon’s Jim Leary finishes his 36th Burlington Marathon
When Jim Leary ran in the first-ever Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Bernie Sanders had finished his fourth (and last) term as mayor.