Free Press Staff
 |  Burlington Free Press

Feeling financially fortunate? If you like to give back, there are 14 Vermont nonprofits and municipal organizations that could use a donation as they raise money to for projects aimed at building local communities.

The organizations, grouped below by the geographic regions they serve, have until Oct. 16 to meet their fundraising goals, which earns them the opportunity to be awarded additional funding through the 2020 A Community Thrives program, which is sponsored by the Burlington Free Press’ parent company, Gannett. 

Chittenden County nonprofits

Aunt Dots Place, Inc. was started by a passionate, dedicated team of volunteers that joined forces to create a local food shelf for the residents in the Essex Community...

Elizabeth Murray
 
| Burlington Free Press

Recent abnormally dry conditions are causing Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation officials to urge caution to those thinking about open burning. 

The North American Drought Monitor, which tracks drought conditions across the continent, recently classified 51% of Vermont as experiencing moderate drought conditions, and the rest of the state as abnormally dry, the Forests, Parks and Recreation Department stated in a news release. 

“The weather forecast over the next few weeks does not indicate any signs of relief, with little to no precipitation forecasted,” the department wrote in its news release. “The dry conditions call for extra attention when open burning—particularly with campfires—to reduce the risk of wildland fires.”

Open burnin...

Associated Press
 |  Burlington Free Press

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — A New York City man is dead after he fell into the water at a well-known Stowe waterfall, Stowe police said.

Rescue crews were called to Bingham Falls around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports a person had fallen into the water and not resurfaced.

A second person who had fallen into the water was rescued by a bystander.

Emergency crews later recovered the body of Daniel Davis, 36, in about 10 feet of water. He was visiting Vermont with his family, police said.

Davis was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation continues.

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Alex Abrami
 
| Burlington Free Press

After conversations, texts and email messages with coaches and media colleagues throughout Vermont, here are the state’s top returning boys soccer players.

More: Vermont high school football: Players to watch in 2020

More: The 2020 fall schedule for northern Vermont high school sports

File: Vermont H.S. boys soccer: Players to watch in 2019

2020 Free Press boys soccer watchlist

(Note: Players listed in alphabetical order)

Hayden Adams, Harwood, senior

Adolphe Alfani, Colchester, senior

Jett Barbic, Champlain Valley, senior

Riley Barton, Leland & Gray, senior

Henry Bijur, Champlain Valley, senior

Jayden Bloom, Burr and Burton, senior

Tyler Corey, Mill River, junior

Tabor Crary, Mount Mansfield, senior

AJ Debois, Rivendell, senior

Stefan Digangi, Ess...

Ethan Bakuli
 
| Burlington Free Press

Are the walls around your home looking bare these days? You might be able to purchase an art piece to add some color.

Burlington City Arts (BCA) is collaborating with local artists to hold its first virtual art auction. The annual event was typically held within a private house, but art enthusiasts and amateur collectors will now have the opportunity to browse and bid on photographs, paintings, jewelry and ceramics from the comforts of their own home. 

Proceeds from the art sold will be split between exhibited artists and the BCA’s education and scholarship fund, which supports art classes and workshops for community members.

For more: Catch these online and in-person Vermont arts events

“Anyone in the country—or even the world—will be able to vi...

Daniella Medina
 
| Burlington Free Press

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The first reminder that fall is almost here: the leaves are changing from green to red, yellow and gold. 

Color change in Vermont begins in mid-September and continues through the first two or three weeks in October.  

Leaf peepers have already spotted some color changes.

The premature shift in color can be attributed to chilly temperatures across Vermont, adding to a bright display of color spreading in the higher elevations and in some valleys, according to Vermont.com, a website that breaks down all the state has to offer to visitors. 

The interactive maps below show the shift in col...

Alex Abrami
 
| Burlington Free Press

University of Vermont swimmer Kendall Ware says she was raped by a fellow student, a men’s basketball player, and the school mishandled the ensuing Title IX investigation process in the fall of 2019.

In interviews with the Free Press this summer, Ware detailed her account of the alleged incident with the player, a former boyfriend, and said UVM fed her misleading information during the process and pressured her to resolve the complaint in a way she regrets.

Prior to revealing her and her school’s identity, Ware joined a group of women who are suing the NCAA, alleging a failure to protect them from sexual assault. The lawsuit is pending in a Michigan court system.

The school declined multiple Free Press requests for interviews and documents relevan...

April Barton
 
| Burlington Free Press

Construction is well underway to expand the Winooski Schools complex. Crews have been buzzing right along through the summer and continue to make progress erecting a new middle school wing right alongside the existing structure.

See for yourself the progress made in this time-lapse footage from July through September, shared by the district on social media Sept. 23.

About 45 seconds into the video beams go up and the project really takes shape.

The building expansion will “add much-needed space to adequately serve our students’ complex needs and reflect the 21st-century learning taking place within our walls,” information on the district’s capital campaign site says.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 2022, expands the middle and...

Maleeha Syed
 
| Burlington Free Press

Breezy temperatures and vibrant leaves are making Vermont feel like a classic Hallmark haven, even when the world feels quite the opposite. 

The state got a jumpstart on its blazing foliage thanks to cooler weather, according to Vermont.com, a website that gives breaks down all the state has to offer to visitors. Vermont leaves typically change first in colder spots positioned at higher elevations before following suit in other parts of the state. 

“Thanks to chilly temperatures over the past few days, the display of bright color is spreading nicely in the higher elevations and in some of the valleys,” a Monday, Sept. 21, update stated. 

Vermont...

Joel Banner Baird
 
| Burlington Free Press

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It could be a work of art — or a graphic reminder to wear a face covering — but the towering, billowing canvas shroud near University of Vermont Medical Center was erected to help restore a water tank.

As weather permits, crews are sandblasting the 1954-vintage storage tank and preparing to repaint it.

A mesh of cables support the curtain, and debris is ducted into a noisy filtration system at the tower’s base.

Location: UVM campus; south of hospital, north of Jeffords Hall.

Expected completion: Wea...