by VDC staff

Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn and Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson will both be retiring from their roles on November 20, the Scott administration announced last week.

Flynn was appointed secretary of the Agency of Transportation (AOT) in 2016. Under Flynn’s leadership, the Department of Motor Vehicles modernized their decades old technology, brought the Middlebury Tunnel from concept to reality, modernized the District 8 garage, are in the process of moving the Central Garage, and successfully balanced the Transportation Fund in 2025 as a result of declining revenue.

Johnson was appointed commissioner of the Department of Public Service (PSD) in 2024, after serving in key leadership roles over the past decade in the energy sector. His tenure included expanding weatherization funding for low- and moderate-income Vermonters, helping to secure an independent Asset Condition Reviewer at ISO New England to bring scrutiny to billions in transmission spending, championing a modernized Highgate Converter, advanced redevelopment of the former Vermont Yankee site, and keeping rate affordability front and center in Green Mountain Power’s rate case.

Museum gets grant for immigrant artists – Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro has received a $20,000 Vilcek Foundation Grant for a solo exhibition of work by Turkish artist Hayal Pozanti, the 2027 “Immigrant Artists in Vermont” symposium, and related programming.

Hearing aid info data breach – According to regulatory filings, an unauthorized party accessed and obtained files from certain Amplifon systems between January 18 and February 8, 2026. Amplifon reported the incident to the Vermont Attorney General on November 5, 2026, identifying 1,027 affected Vermont residents.

According to the filings, the personal information involved may include names, addresses, and dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and other government-issued identification numbers, medical and health-related information, medical record numbers, and health insurance information, and financial account information and Social Security numbers (affecting a limited number of individuals).

Moose hunt harvest abundant in NEK – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department issued 85 moose hunting permits this year, resulting in 51 moose harvested in the October 1-7 archery season and the October 17-25 regular season. Moose hunting was only allowed in Wildlife Management Unit E, in northeastern Vermont.

“Moose are more abundant in WMU-E than in other parts of Vermont,” says Nick Fortin, the department’s moose biologist. “This higher density of moose contributes to high winter tick numbers that negatively impact moose health and survival. This hunt helps to reduce moose density and improve the overall health of WMU-E’s moose population.”

Of the 85 permits available, 79 were issued by lottery, to which nearly 6,000 hunters applied. The department reserves the first five lottery permits for Vermont military veterans. Three non-lottery permits are reserved for persons with life-threatening illnesses, and three more are auctioned as a fundraiser for conservation.