The University of Vermont Board of Trustees has approved Dr. Marlene Tromp as sole finalist for the position of university president. Dr. Tromp will take part in on-campus interviews at UVM on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 and 19.

Tromp has served since 2019 as president at Boise State University, where she led the university to historic advances in graduation rate, research awards, and philanthropy. Prior to that, she served as provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She also served as a dean and vice provost at Arizona State University and began her career in academic leadership at Denison University. She is a professor of English and a widely published scholar of Victorian literature and culture.

VT traffic fatalities down – Vermont was a bright spot in highway fatalities last year, compared to the year previous. 

Highway deaths shot up in Vermont and across the country during the Covid era. Preliminary analysis from the National Safety Council shows an estimated 44,680 people died in preventable traffic crashes in the United States during 2024. This represents a slight decrease of less than 1% compared to 2023, with only 82 fewer deaths, indicating the crisis on U.S. roadways continues with little improvement.

The impact of this crisis varies significantly across the country. Six states and the District of Columbia experienced increases of 10% or more in motor vehicle fatalities from the previous year: Maine (+38%), California (+34%), Alaska (+23%), Oklahoma (+21%), Minnesota (+14%), New Jersey (+12%) and District of Columbia (+11%). Meanwhile, ten states experienced decreases of 10% or more: Rhode Island (-26%), Wyoming (-25%), North Dakota (-20%), Vermont (-17%), Idaho (-14%), Kentucky (-14%), Kansas (-14%), Georgia (-12%), Florida (-11%) and Tennessee (-11%).

State grants fund barn roof repair, etc. – Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation (DHP) and the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on Monday announced the 2025 Barn Preservation Grant awards totaling $373,026 in matching grants to 23 preservation projects across eleven Vermont counties.

Grants awarded this year include projects from Arlington to Troy. Grants will support roofing repairs at the historic Phelps Farm (now Health Hero Farm) in South Hero, and a full roof replacement at Sunday Bell Farm, a dairy and diversified livestock farm in Danville. Framing repairs and drainage work will be completed with grant funds at Bagley Farm/Clearfield Farm in Granville, an organic vegetable farm.