Reporter completes Burlington City Marathon

By Guy Page

Former Senate Pro Tem John Campbell has an art show in the State House cafeteria.

Also on display are photographs by William Driscoll, lobbyist and executive director of Associated Industries of Vermont. The cafeteria doubles as a citizen art gallery, where photos and paintings depict the art and lives of Vermonters from across the state.

During a visit to the State House Tuesday to set up the show, Campbell said he took up painting during Covid. Campbell, a Democrat from Windsor County, was the Senate Majority Leader from 2003 to January 5, 2011, when he was elected President pro tempore. He was succeeded by Progressive Tim Ashe in 2017, according to Wikipedia. 

Campbell, a former police officer, retired this January from his post as executive director of the Vermont Dept. of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs (SAS), where he had served since May 2016. He is also a cancer survivor in full remission, he said Tuesday. 

Campbell had one more role to play in the State House yesterday – or rather, his late-model, silver-colored sedan did. Parked just outside the rear side entrance of the State House, it was the target of every hitter in an impromptu afternoon Wiffle Ball game. At this point of the session, committee work is slowing down and most of the legislators are (relatively speaking) twiddling their thumbs while the leadership and conference committees work on resolving differences in major legislation.

Ball and bat owner Rep. Gina Galfetti of Barre announced that ‘anyone who hits Campbell’s car gets fifty bucks.’ No-one hit the distant bright and shiny object on the fly, but yours truly did manage to hit a tire on the bounce. Okay, on the roll. Gina, you may donate my earnings to charity. (But not to Charity.)

Reporter runs Burlington marathon – When legislators, lobbyists and other reporters refer to the lengthy 2025 Legislature as a ‘marathon session,’ NBC5 State House reporter Steve Biddix is entitled to roll his eyes. 

There are cliche marathons, and there are real, 26.2 mile marathons. Biddix completed the Burlington City Marathon Sunday, May 25.

“When I first started training, this is the moment I was looking forward to,” Biddix said after crossing the finish line (about 1:31 in the segment). His very respectable time of four hours, 18 minutes and 20 seconds followed two months of committed training.

He credited friends and co-workers for their support. ““It was awesome. It helped a lot,” Biddix said. “That hill coming from Waterfront Park to Church Street was killer. I’ve spent a lot of time on Church Street, but I didn’t realize how hard it was to run until today.”

Biddix was absent from his normal perch in the House gallery yesterday. Like most marathon runners, he needs a few days to recover before returning to the State House to cover the finish line of the legislative session. Those winding staircases….

Defense lawyer, former rep charged in domestic case – Former state representative and criminal defense attorney Janssen Willhoit, 46, of St. Johnsbury, appeared in Caledonia Superior Court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a misdemeanor domestic assault charge involving a 15-year-old member of his household, the Caledonian-Record reported today.

Willhoit is accused of striking the teen during an altercation at his East St. Johnsbury home on Monday. According to Vermont State Police, the incident stemmed from an attempt by Willhoit to intervene in a conflict between the teen and Willhoit’s wife. The teen alleged Willhoit hit him in the head twice. A responding trooper reported seeing a red abrasion on one side of the teen’s head.

The altercation came to police attention after a passerby reported hearing yelling and seeing an adult male pushing a teen out of the house.