Snowmobilers from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border gathered Saturday, March 8 for the dedication of a new warming hut honoring fallen Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland, the Newport Dispatch reports.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) Trail 105A in Holland, just feet from the international border.

Maland, 44, was killed on January 20 while conducting a traffic stop in Vermont. He pulled over a car, believing one of the passengers had an expired visa, when one occupant opened fire.

Roger Gosselin of the Drift Dusters Snowmobile Club, which built the hut said, Maland was very active in patrolling this trail and nearby and came by several times while they were building the hut.

The ceremony brought together American snowmobilers and members of Club Montoneiges Les Trois Village from Canada.

Local businesses funded the project, with Horse Drawn Maple constructing the hut using milled wood from Holland.

Score a win for Vermont news media – A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court decision that Vermont Judiciary’s traditional practice of blacking out newly filed state court civil complaints is unconstitutional, reports Courthouse News via the Journal-Opinion.

The Vermont Press Association, Courthouse News and several other media organizations are the plaintiffs in the case.

The decision means that public access to state civil case filings will not be delayed as court staff conduct clerical work in Vermont. The federal courts and several other states already follow a similar protocol.

Courthouse News: “In other words, the federal courts do not delay access to public filings for clerical work or any other reason. The new complaints and later filings such as motions for summary judgment are automatically pushed into the public sphere by the federal court software used in electronic filing.”

The Vermont Judiciary began to transition away from its practice of redacting information in 2021.

Casella, UVM launch ‘circular economy’ research center – Casella Waste Systems, a regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company with headquarters in Rutland, and the University of Vermont are partnering to launch the Casella Center for Circular Economy and Sustainability at UVM. A UVM statement says “many governments, non-profits, scholars, and industry leaders are now focused on transitioning to a more circular economy where materials are recycled to reduce pollution and create further value. However, this transition presents several challenges that require innovative solutions.” Thus, the need for a research center…..

Ed, General Fund revenues up, Transportation down – The Scott administration reports that General Fund and Education Fund in January exceeded their respective monthly consensus cash flow target, corresponding to the annual consensus forecasts as adopted by the Emergency Board at its July 2024 meeting, while the Transportation Fund failed to meet its target. According to Administration Secretary Susan Clark: “The second half of the fiscal year appears to be off to a strong start with both the General Fund and Education Fund exceeding expectations. Even though the Transportation Fund did not achieve its monthly target, its cumulative performance to date is still less than one percent below anticipated.”

Thetford Academy state champs – The Panthers coached by Jason Gray won their second straight title by beating Hazen 58-44 at the Barre Auditorium Saturday, the Journal-Opinion reports. 

Campaign for Vermont says savings are in reducing supervisory unions, not school districts – Non-partisan policy advocate Campaign for Vermont has issued its own recommendations for reforming Vermont school governance and funding. One key conclusion: reduce supervisory union spending, and don’t sweat cutting the number or governance of school districts. CFV proposes to consolidate Vermont’s 52 Supervisory Unions (SUs) around the 17 Career and Technical Education Regions. 

“School districts, at their core, really only require a volunteer school board to operate,” CFV spokesperson Ben Kinsley said. “There are no meaningful cost savings to be had there. The major opportunity is our 52 supervisory unions.

Musk a SunCommon creditor – an analysis of bankrupt ISun/SunCommon creditors reveals a certain high-profile Trump administration leader is among them. A reader sent us this sourced information: “Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc., associated with Tesla’s clean energy division, listed as a creditor in iSun’s bankruptcy filings. An unexpected detail is Tesla’s involvement as a creditor, highlighting the interconnected nature of the solar energy industry, with Tesla’s clean energy division playing a financial role beyond its product offerings.”