Hidden history
Know the ropes
Meet three Vermonters whose histories are lesser known
Weekend winds favor annual Diamond Island Regatta on the lake
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August 27, 2026
Champlain Valley to study merger with Mount Mansfield
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
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Fresh water calls
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The Champlain Valley School District is beginning to tackle tasks set out by last year’s statewide education reforms. The district will study the possibility of a merger with another district and collaborate with a larger regional network, called a cooperative education service area, to consider sharing some services and resources. The legislation — Act 170 — has paired Champlain Valley with the Mount Mansfield Union Unified School District to study a merger between the two. The two districts have been named to the broader “Champlain Valley South,” service area, which also includes the majority of Addison County’s school districts, including the Hannaford Technical Center in Middlebury. The merger studies and the creation of the service area groups are mandated by law. Whether or not the districts actually merge, and what services end up being shared, will be decided later by voters. See MERGER on page 15
PHOTO BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
A couple kids on a raft are pulled by a small boat on Lake Iroquois — before the water gets too cold.
Hinesburg’s water worries going down the drain BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
As Hinesburg prepares to connect another well to the town’s water system this fall, concerns about the system’s sustainability are easing. While new water allocations are
still on hold, that is likely to change in the coming months. Over the last couple of years, Hinesburg’s town water, which has relied on a single well, has faced some difficulties. A large leak at the Sunset Lake Cooperative trailer park last year saw the system almost maxing out its
capacity and a drought last summer brought worries about the water table. A year ago, the selectboard put a halt to any new water allocations.
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See WATER on page 15