News & Information

News and information sections, from near to far

Burn Ban in Effect – Town of Brattleboro

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

Due to current weather conditions and an elevated risk of wildfires, a burn ban is now in effect for the Town of Brattleboro until further notice.

Relative humidity is expected to remain low, with no measurable precipitation in the forecast for the coming days. These conditions create a high wildfire risk, where even a small spark could ignite a fast-moving, dangerous fire.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes April 7, 2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom.  Prior to the regular meeting at 5:15pm, the Board will convene and is expected to move directly into executive session to discuss contracts and real estate. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town website by the end of the day.

Brattleboro Annual Town Meeting Informational Forum

by Not Signed In | Town News

Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Brattleboro Union High School gymnasium at 8:30am.

Prior to this meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an informational forum on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the Brattleboro Area Middle School (109 Sunny Acres Road) in the Multipurpose Room at 7:00pm. Below are more details about the informational forum.

Windham County Conservation and Housing Projects Funded

by Not Signed In | State News

At its March 26, 2026 meeting, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) committed $4,544,575 in state, federal, and philanthropic funding to strengthen both — approving investments to conserve 2,420 acres of Vermont’s most ecologically significant lands and support 27 new affordable homes across the state.

These investments address Vermont’s most urgent needs: expanding affordable homeownership in high-demand areas, innovative financing strategies to preserve housing for extremely low-income households in the face of federal rental assistance reductions, protecting critical wetland systems and water quality corridors linked to Lake Champlain, expanding town forest holdings, and conserving high-priority interior forest blocks connecting major conservation areas across the state.

Brattleboro Committee Vacancies

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:

ADA Committee
Conservation Commission
Design Review Board (Alternate)
Development Review Board (Alternate)
Energy Committee – 1 year term

Town of Brattleboro Honors Chief Norma Hardy, Appoints Chief Evans and Assistant Chief Petlock

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

The Town of Brattleboro today marked the retirement of Police Chief Norma Hardy, whose remarkable four and a half years of leadership transformed the Brattleboro Police Department and leaves an enduring legacy of community-centered policing. Chief Hardy officially stepped down on March 30, 2026, after more than 30 years in law enforcement, a career defined by compassion, courage, and an unwavering commitment to the people she served. Hardy’s retirement coincided with the swearing in of Brattleboro’s next Police Chief, Jeremy Evans, whose career with the department began in 1998, and the new Assistant Police Chief, Adam Petlock.

Under Chief Hardy’s leadership, the Brattleboro Police Department pursued an ambitious and forward-thinking agenda to make the community safer and more connected. Her hallmark initiative, the Brattleboro Resource Assistance Team (BRAT), placed additional unarmed officers on regular foot patrol throughout downtown, based at the newly built police substation at the Transportation Center. In its first year alone, the unit responded to more than 530 incidents, and business owners credited the increased visibility with revitalizing the downtown experience for residents and visitors.

Traffic Advisory – No Kings March in Downtown Brattleboro on Saturday

by Not Signed In | Town News

Travelers to Brattleboro should be advised that on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., an organization plans to conduct a march in the downtown area.

The march will begin at the Preston Lot and continue north along Main Street before looping around and concluding at the Preston Lot. Event organizers are anticipating approximately 3,000 participants.

Brattleboro DRB April 15 Agenda

by bbannon@brattleboro.org | Town Plan

AGENDA

Call to Order
Review and Approve Minutes of previous meeting.
Review of Cases/Public Hearings to be reviewed under the Brattleboro Land Use Regulations.
2026-22                 Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center for Earth Bridge Community Land Trust; Rural District; request for Site Plan approval to upgrade overflow parking area with grass paver bays with gravel travel lane with new access; construct new patio; improve walkways; plant new gardens; install trail kiosk, minor lighting, and trail signage at 1221 Bonnyvale Road; Tax Map Parcel #100248.000

Brattleboro-Putney U.S. 5 Paving Project Construction Update 3/25/2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

Construction is scheduled to resume on U.S. Route 5 from Brattleboro to Putney on Monday, April 6th during daytime hours.

Crews will begin to mobilize anticipating their start of work on the U.S. 5 portion of the project from north of the Interstate 91 overpass (just south of the intersection with Bennet Drive) and progressing north to Putney. Restricted shoulders and single-lane closures with alternating traffic patterns controlled by flaggers will be in place as needed.

Noticed Around Brattleboro – Spring 2026

by cgrotke | Town News

Time for another “Noticed…” – it’s the place where you can write just  sentence or two about something you’ve seen around town that caught your eye. Such as:

The ice fishing huts have been removed from Retreat meadows ; the benches used for skating have seemingly sunk in a bit and will be extricated when things free up, I’m guessing.
Not so much noticed, but remembered – work on Putney Road will happen once the weather stabilizes.

Guilford Street Closure March 24, 2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

Brattleboro, VT – The Department of Public Works will be conducting an emergency repair to a failed culvert on Guilford Street on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

As a result, Guilford Street will be completely closed to all traffic between house numbers #773 and #821 between 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM. The road may reopen earlier if work is completed ahead of schedule.

Residents and motorists traveling beyond house #773 will not have access through Brattleboro and will need to detour through Guilford to reach their destinations.

Brattleboro Water Main Break on Main Street

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is currently responding to a water main break on Main Street between High Street and Grove Street.

Crews are on-site assessing the situation and beginning necessary repairs. As a result of this break, residents and businesses in the immediate area may experience:
• Temporary loss of water service
• Reduced water pressure
• Discolored water

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – March 24, 2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom.  Prior to the regular meeting at 5:15pm, the Board will convene and is expected to move directly into executive session to discuss contracts and labor relations agreements with employees. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town website by the end of the day.

How Can Landlords Who Pay For Heat Afford To Continue To Rent?

by Cris Ericson | Business

If a landlord has a legally binding Tennant agreement where the landlord pays for a reasonable amount of heat in an apartment or rented house or duplex, and if the landlord can not afford to pay for home heating fuel anymore because of the high prices, then what?

I was researching the lowest priced multi-family homes in Vermont, there’s one for $99K in Brattleboro and other low priced homes in Springfield and Rutland.   I was trying to convince my 41 year old niece in California, with her seven year old daughter, who recently got divorced, to move to Vermont.  I showed her ads for Teachers wanted, she has her Masters degree in special education from a University in Massachusetts.  She has no blood relatives in California, other than her own daughter.  She has relatives in Vermont, including her cousins, and Aunt in Rutland who was a Teacher for many years.    I showed her online information about how Teachers in Vermont can apply for a Grant for a downpayment for a house.  I told her about the housing shortage, and how she could buy a multi-family house and  rent rooms to teaching assistants or other lower income hard working Vermonters, in order to meet all the costs of owning a home.