News

New Jersey man charged in two-state CSAM investigation

Police say Merrick had 1,000 or more child sexual abuse images
BRATTLEBORO—A New Jersey resident pleaded not guilty to possession of child sexual abuse materials in Windham Criminal Court, following an arrest at his second home in Wilmington.
Frank B. Merrick, 83,...

Administration tentatively supports tax rate buy-down

MONTPELIER—Gov. Phil Scott said his administration was considering a proposed plan to buy down a projected 12% property tax increase in fiscal year 2027, but warned that such fiscal intervention is not a long-term solution to the state’s education funding problems.
At the beginning of the...

Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria was stopped and his electronic devices were searched as he reentered the US from a visit to Nicaragua.

Winooski superintendent sues DHS, testing legality of device seizure at border

WINOOSKI—A former Readsboro school principal has filed a lawsuit against federal immigration agencies, claiming his constitutional rights were violated when officials temporarily seized his electronic devices during a search at a Houston airport last summer.
Wilmer Chavarria, now...

Gov. Scott reads a Hanukkah story to children

Governor calls out violence, antisemitism as nation reels

Scott: “We have an obligation to turn that around by being decent human beings.”
MONTPELIER—In his opening remarks at his regular press conference last week, Gov. Phil Scott called on Vermonters to maintain their civility, and reject the violence that has rocked the world...

Tracy Dolan, director of the state’s refugee office: “The purpose of a lot of this is to scare people, and to try to convince them to self-deport.” Vermont Department of Health

Immigration activists seek advice on responding to new Trump crackdown

BRATTLEBORO—About three dozen people crowded into a meeting room in downtown Brattleboro on Thursday, December 11, to talk about whether their efforts to help newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers could or should change in response to a new immigration crackdown by the Trump administration....

Afghan family stays mostly at home out of fear of ICE raids

Editor’s note: The Deerfield Valley News is withholding the names and exact location of the family interviewed for this article out of concern for their safety and the safety of others in the region.
By Jon Hurdle
SOUTHERN VERMONT—A family of Afghan refugees now thinks harder about...

Whitingham man sentenced in child sex abuse materials case

Windham Court Judge orders suspended sentence of 1 to 9 years and 10 years of probation
BRATTLEBORO—A Whitingham resident was sentenced to probation last week for possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.
...

Immigrants in region live in a climate of fear

US government halts asylum process for applicants from 19 countries after attack on National Guard in the nation’s capital
SOUTHERN VERMONT—The intensifying crackdown on immigrants by the administration of President Donald Trump has deepened a climate of fear among...

Photo courtesy of The White House Inn Trees with tags sharing the wishes of children throughout the valley are hosted by businesses each year in a program called The Giving Tree. The local tradition was started approximately 30 years ago by Rhea Clark and has been coordinated by Mary Jane Finnegan for the past several decades.

Holiday gifts will reach 80 families through this year’s Giving Tree

WILMINGTON—Next week, Mary Jane Finnegan and her troop of “elves” will deliver packages containing warm clothing and toys for children throughout the valley. The deliveries are part of the annual “Giving Tree” program, a tradition that began approximately 30 years ago and has been carried forth...

WSWSU 2027 budget includes 2024 deficit payback

Board will seek southeastern Vermont BOCES membership
WILMINGTON—The Windham Southwest Supervisory Union board got their first look at a draft fiscal year 2027 budget at their regular meeting on Wednesday, December 3. The budget includes the cost of more than $400,000 in...