AGP Executive Report

Weekend Sports: U-32’s Raiders rolled past Spaulding 17-5, with Elena Noyes going 5-for-5 and driving in eight runs, while Grace Noyes added a 4-for-5 day as the team scored in every inning. Community & Health: A Vermont woman is working as a “death doula,” offering emotional and physical support to people nearing the end of life and their families, aiming for a “good death.” Local Events: Girls on the Run Vermont is gearing up for two big spring 5Ks—Manchester on June 6 and Essex Junction on May 30—supporting its Every Girl Fund. Border & Immigration: Canada is reportedly rejecting some asylum seekers at the U.S. border and then turning them over to ICE, raising fresh concerns for people caught between asylum systems. Weather/Travel: Memorial Day weekend looks cool and unsettled, with rain likely around the start of the Vermont City Marathon. Energy Costs: Gas prices remain high in Washington County, with the lowest reported regular rate at $4.39 a gallon.

Education Lawsuit: Vermont is among dozens of states suing the U.S. Education Department over new federal student-loan caps for “professional” degrees, arguing the rules leave out programs like nursing, speech therapy, physician assistant training, and physical therapy—potentially tightening borrowing for healthcare workers starting July 1. Immigration at the Border: Refugees rejected at the U.S.-Canada border are facing detention after Canada reportedly handed people over to ICE, according to lawyers describing cases that have surged since Trump’s second term began. Environment & Forests: New England conservation groups are pushing back against a federal move to roll back the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, warning it could open protected forest land in Vermont and New Hampshire to logging roads and timber harvests. Vermont Community: Colchester is set to honor Italian farming families with a historic marker dedication June 13, while Vermont Green FC keeps rolling after a 9-0 home win.

Education Reform Talks: Vermont Senate leaders say they’re close to a deal on education reform that would keep school mergers voluntary, with Gov. Phil Scott’s team reportedly aligned on the change—setting up a possible key Statehouse vote as lawmakers race toward adjournment. Burlington Budget Crunch: Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak laid out a plan to close an $11 million gap in the 2026-27 budget without layoffs, including delaying some vacant positions and using a voter-approved tax increase. PFAS Water Support: Vermont is expanding help for private-well residents in southern Bennington and Shaftsbury after PFAS contamination spread, offering free bottled water and well testing. Sports & Community: Vermont Green’s men sold out their home opener at Virtue Field, and the Green Mountain Club kicks off hiking season Friday. Memorial Day Weather: Forecasts point to a colder-than-usual holiday weekend, with rain possible.

Vermont Politics: Vermont lawmakers have passed a sweeping, first-of-its-kind bill expanding protections for transgender people in prison, requiring gender-responsive training and letting incarcerated trans people request transfers to facilities aligned with their gender identity. Healthcare: States that pay for healthcare for immigrants are scaling back aid as federal Medicaid cuts and the end of Obamacare subsidies squeeze budgets. Public Safety: Vermont State Police marked the one-year anniversary of the suspicious death of Brian Bailey in Brandon and renewed its call for tips. Local Community: Rutland County’s free clinic is hitting the road with a new mobile healthcare vehicle, bringing care to towns including Wells (June 2) and Brandon (June 15). Sports & Community Calendar: Girls on the Run Vermont is gearing up for a June 6 Manchester 5K fundraiser, while Memorial Day weekend forecasts point to increasing clouds and showers in Vermont.

Statehouse Politics: Vermont House lawmakers have tabled childcare licensure reform for now, leaving S.206’s proposed tiered staff licensing in limbo as questions about training, costs, and staffing impacts remain. Public Safety & Community: Montpelier is bracing for a major police leadership shakeup, with Chief Eric Nordenson and Deputy Chief Kevin Moulton departing for Northfield, setting up months-long searches for replacements. Health & Outdoors: Vermont state parks open for the season this weekend, with some early openings already drawing crowds. Local Notes: Essex Junction shut down an alleged illegal gambling operation after neighbor complaints about traffic and parking. Civic Life: A Coventry Planning Commission walk-through highlighted ongoing work and unanswered plans for the former Coventry Congregational Church, now the Elijah Cleveland Community Meeting House. Letters: Readers weigh in on hoarding as both a private struggle and a public concern.

DNC Fallout: Democrats released a 2024 presidential “autopsy” report, but the document’s own annotations raise doubts about its conclusions—setting up fresh infighting as the party tries to explain a narrow loss. Housing & Credit Watch: New data flags where mortgage delinquencies are rising fastest, a sign some households are getting squeezed. Vermont Politics: A Vermont lawmaker sparked backlash after equating transgender identity with bestiality during debate on an animal cruelty bill. Local Service Glitch: USPS acknowledged staffing-driven mail delays in South Burlington, with residents reporting weeks-long disruptions. Caregiving Pressure: InvestigateTV+ spotlights unpaid family caregivers and how the strain can derail health and finances. Community & Culture: Vermont’s Supreme Court Gallery is hosting Elliot Burg’s “Heart & Eye” photo retrospective, while Girls on the Run Vermont gears up for major spring 5Ks in Manchester and Essex.

State Police Overhaul: Massachusetts State Police Academy will pause new recruit training to fix management, culture and safety problems tied to a trainee’s death, with reforms including new instructor training, better injury tracking and a civilian training director. Local Water Watch: Barton Village says it’s fully staffed again after hiring a new public works foreman and cross-training utility workers to test drinking water, following past high total trihalomethanes readings that officials now say are back below EPA thresholds. Pride Weekend Plans: Essex Pride returns May 29-31 with drag story hour, family events, and free movie screenings Sunday at Essex Cinemas. Politics in the Spotlight: In Colorado’s governor race, dueling political ads target attorney general Phil Weiser and Michael Bennet over lawsuits against President Trump, while Trump also escalates pressure on Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. Vermont Community Calendar: Burlington-area readers get a steady stream of local happenings, from Downtown Montpelier’s Thursday Ramble to upcoming Girls on the Run 5Ks supporting the Every Girl Fund.

Student Loan Lawsuit: Vermont Attorney General Jay Jones joined a growing coalition suing the U.S. Department of Education over a new rule that narrows which “professional degree” programs qualify for federal student loans—aimed at healthcare and other critical workforce fields, with states arguing it will worsen shortages. Cybersecurity & Scams: 7-Eleven disclosed a spring data breach that exposed some franchisee information, while a Vermont AARP Fraud Watch volunteer warns scammers are getting more sophisticated, including with AI. Local Community Calendar: Girls on the Run Vermont is gearing up for two big 5Ks—Manchester on June 6 and Essex Junction on May 30—raising money for its Every Girl Fund. Public Safety: I-89 southbound at Exit 16 in Williston is back open after a wrong-way crash that briefly forced traffic into a single lane. Sports & Weather: The U.S. is also dealing with wildfires, flooding storms, and a record heatwave, while Vermont sports coverage continues through the spring season.

Student Loans Fight: Vermont is joining a growing lawsuit against the Trump administration’s new student-loan limits for nurses and other healthcare professionals, arguing the Education Department illegally narrowed what counts as a “professional degree,” threatening access to training and worsening workforce shortages. Vermont Politics: Gov. Phil Scott’s AI Economic Task Force is set to recommend how state government can adopt AI within 90 days, while Burlington City Council rejected an Abenaki-linked sculpture for Battery Park after backlash. Local Elections: Milton voters head to the polls for a school budget revote, and Northfield is welcoming a new police chief and deputy chief from Montpelier. Weather Watch: Record-breaking heat hit New England Tuesday, with Boston topping out at 96 degrees and many Vermont communities also setting highs. Community Calendar: Girls on the Run Vermont is gearing up for major spring 5Ks, including events in Essex Junction and Manchester, with proceeds supporting scholarships for participants.

Public Safety Ranking: A new U.S. News & World Report study puts Louisiana near the bottom for public safety, citing high overall crime and weak corrections outcomes—while New Hampshire tops the list. Higher Ed Pressure: UNH and the wider University System of New Hampshire are feeling budget cuts, with tuition and mission changes tied to chronic underfunding. Student Loans Fight: Vermont’s Attorney General William Tong is joining a coalition suing the U.S. Department of Education over a rule that could narrow access to federal student loans for many professional degree programs. Tick Season Warning: Tick bites are sending more people to ERs, with CDC reporting the highest levels for this time of year since 2017. Local Life & Community: Smugglers’ Notch used a chairlift to move about 400 brook trout to Sterling Pond, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife is asking drivers to watch for turtles as nesting season ramps up. Tech Nostalgia: Amazon is ending support for older Kindle models, pushing longtime users to scramble for workarounds.

VA Housing Update: Veterans Affairs Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans averaged $302,589 in Arkansas, $441,027 in Montana, $536,550 in Utah, $366,505 in North Carolina, $405,454 in Connecticut, and $521,666 in Maryland for Q1 2026, with most states showing quarter-to-quarter increases. Burlington & Community: Burlington City Council approved $3,000 for new signs to steer people to the right public safety service, aiming to ease pressure on dispatch and reduce delays. Local Safety: Milton held a simulated fatal DUI crash for students, and a separate Hobbs Road fire injured a resident and killed four pets. Health & Environment: Lake Champlain remains dangerously cold despite warm air, and Vermont is continuing PFAS testing and support for southern Bennington and Shaftsbury after contamination concerns. Business & Culture: Burlington hosts the New England Society for Healthcare Communications conference May 27-29, bringing regional healthcare marketing and strategy leaders to town.

Business Expansion: West Shore Home is opening a new office in Andover, aiming to grow in northern New England after strong demand in Massachusetts. Housing & Costs: A new look at VA refinance loans shows Oregon borrowers averaged $453,819 in Q1 2026, while broader affordability pressures keep showing up—especially with home insurance costs. Politics: A Beacon Insights poll finds moderate Democrat Jared Moskowitz leading Oliver Larkin by 37 points in Florida’s Democratic primary for the newly drawn 25th District. Community Events: Manchester is gearing up for its inaugural Food & Wine Festival, with a VIP preview Friday and a grand tasting Sunday featuring local producers and regional chefs. Public Safety Debate: A stalled surveillance bill highlights the ongoing fight between privacy and public safety, with backers saying the measure won’t move this session. Sports & Local Pride: Vermont State University Castleton held commencement for more than 400 graduates, and Essex is preparing Memorial Day parade changes including new food options and a shorter route.

Crime & Courts: A Massachusetts mother, Janette MacAusland, was charged after it was alleged she killed her two children and then tried to kill herself, with Vermont police called for a wellness check after she reportedly went to a Vermont relative’s home covered in blood. Public Safety: A Windham County man, Joshua P. Bedard, already facing federal drug and gun charges, is now hit with Vermont kidnapping and assault counts that could mean a life sentence. Health Watch: Tick bites are spiking, with ER visits for tick-related issues at their highest levels for this time of year since 2017, pushing Lyme risk higher in the Northeast and Midwest. Local Projects: In Glover, the Shadow Lake dam restoration is moving to the next step after phase three is complete, with engineers reviewing 12 rebuild designs. Community & Culture: Burlington hosts the Winooski Farmers Market kickoff and a Record Fair, while Burlington also gets a regional healthcare communications conference later this month. Lottery: Vermont Pick 3 evening numbers for May 17 were 0-6-9.

Rail Upgrade: Amtrak’s first new Airo trainset has arrived in Seattle, kicking off a nationwide rollout meant to replace aging cars on major routes—including the Amtrak Cascades line that runs through the Pacific Northwest. Northern Lights Watch: A stronger-than-usual aurora may dip farther south than normal this weekend, with Vermont and nearby states in the “maybe you’ll see a faint glow” zone. PFAS Pressure in Bennington County: Vermont officials and residents are responding to ongoing concerns about PFAS/PFOA contamination in South Bennington and Shaftsbury, including state support for well testing and talks tied to the shuttered ChemFab site. Health & Safety: Tick bite ER visits are rising, and Vermont is also moving ahead with a ban on the toxic herbicide paraquat. Local Business Gripes: Vermont small-business owners are speaking out about credit card fees that keep climbing, with some saying they’re forced to pass costs to customers. Weather: Expect summerlike warmth with mostly sunny skies and only brief, isolated shower chances.

Vermont Paraquat Crackdown: Vermont just became the first state to ban the toxic herbicide paraquat, with lawmakers passing a bill that requires licensing to use it by this fall and then phases it out completely by 2030. Weekend Weather: After a damp stretch, the forecast turns warmer for Saturday and mostly dry Sunday, with a few isolated showers possible and highs climbing into the 70s to near 80s. AI Power Strain: A Nevada utility told about 49,000 Lake Tahoe-area residents it’s redirecting most electricity to data centers—another sign of how the AI boom can squeeze everyday power access. Local Sports: West Rutland kept rolling, sweeping Poultney in softball with an 11-3 win, while Montpelier’s boys Ultimate team heads into a big tournament showdown this weekend. Burlington Business: The New England Society for Healthcare Communications is bringing its annual conference to Burlington May 27-29, with a “Craft of Connection” theme.

Public Safety: An 11-acre brush fire in Englewood, Fla. is now fully contained, with crews still knocking down hot spots after neighbors reported smoke. Vermont Arts & Culture: Studio Place Arts is spotlighting Vermont farms in “Milk Cans, Bees, and Maple Trees,” while Opera Vermont brings “La Cenerentola” to Barre Opera House on May 23. Local Business: GlobalFoundries is seeking a buyer for its Williston campus, asking the town to broaden allowed uses to boost sale prospects. Health & Community: Vermont’s Lake Carmi is showing improvement after cyanobacteria treatment, with officials cautiously optimistic about clearer water. Politics: Democrats are trying a new red-state play—backing independents over their own nominees—in hopes of beating Republicans. Human Interest: Funeral services are set for two Wellesley children allegedly killed by their mother, as the case continues to draw national attention.