Warren
Warren, VT · Events
The Burlington Free Press
Vermonters invited to shape future of Okemo State Forest
Vermonters can weigh in through Dec. 10 on a proposed 20-year management plan for nearly 8,000 acres of Okemo State Forest. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is seeking public feedback on the draft Long-Range Management Plan, according to a community announcement. The plan would guide decisions involving forest management, wildlife habitat, recreation and conservation across the 7,983-acre state forest. Public comments opened Oct. 26 and can be submitted through Dec. 10. The agency also will hold an in-person meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Ludlow Town Hall, 37 S. Depot St. What the Okemo State Forest plan covers Okemo State Forest spans Andover, Ludlow, Mount Holly and Weston in the southern Green Mountains. The forest includes the Healdville Trail, Buttermilk Falls, Okemo Mountain Resort and the Terrible Mountain Natural Area. It also provides a link in the Southern Vermont Wildlife Corridor for species including black bear, moose and bobcat, according to the announcement. Long-range management plans are intended to guide management of state-owned public lands for 20 years while balancing ecological, recreational, cultural and economic considerations. An earlier public scoping meeting was held in December 2025 to provide information about Okemo State Forest and collect initial
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WCAX
Three Middlebury teams to open D-III NCAA Tournaments on Saturday
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (WCAX) - Middlebury is sending three of its Fall sports teams to their respective NCAA Tournaments, with field hockey and men’s soccer set to play Saturday at home while women’s soccer heads to Erie, Pennsylvania. The field hockey squad is very familiar with the concept of national titles, having captured eight national championships since 2015 including seven straight between 2017-24. Midd is the second overall seed in this year’s bracket as well, as they look to regain the crown after falling in the national quarterfinals a year ago. “We want to win very bad,” said senior goalkeeper Izzy Redzic. “And we have that drive under us. And it’s super important to have that drive in order to play our best field hockey. And I think that not having that kind of pressure behind you is nice because there’s not the expectation to keep a seven-year streak going.” The Midd field hockey team faces Union at 11 a.m. on Satuday at Peter Kohn Field. The Middlebury women’s soccer team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Panthers reached the round of 16 before falling to Tufts on home turf a year ago. This year, Midd is venturing out on the road to Erie, Pennsylvania for a date with NYU at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Panthers are one of five NESCAC teams to make the field, and they say that grind during the regular season should help this weekend. “I think one of the things about the NESCAC is, as much as we all play really good soccer, a lot of it does also come down to how much grit and heart and how much you can really dig in as a team,” said senior midfielder Olivia Irwin-Pokorny. “And I think we’ve really proved that to ourselves in some really crucial games this season. And I think we’re really excited to bring that type of energy into a really big tournament.” Midd men’s soccer knows how tough NESCAC is as well: they were unbeaten and ranked #1 in the country before dropping their last two games to Williams and Amherst. The Panthers still earned hosting duties this weekend for the opening rounds, and with two weeks since that conference quarterfinal defeat, they’re champing at the bit to get on the pitch against St. Joe’s (Maine) Saturday morning at 11 a.m. “It was a good week,” said senior forward Hugo Horwitz. “We took a couple days off to reset our mentality and kind of went at it as a clean slate. Right now it’s win or go home, so we had a mental reset and ready to attack this weekend.”
Middlebury Campus
Middlebury Campus
Porter nurses strike new labor deal
On Oct. 23, Porter Medical Center nurses signed a new labor contract with the hospital’s administration, securing wage increases along with other shift and benefit improvements. This agreement, which will last for three years, comes after months of negotiations between the hospital and the Porter Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, PFNHP Local 5753, the union representing the hospital’s employees.