This charming red cape-style home in St. Albans Town has two bedrooms and a versatile den The living and dining area are situated conveniently around a fireplace with a wood stove insert Get a selection of the Messenger's best reporting direct to your inbox each and every morning St Albans Messenger is a weekly newspaper established in 1861 covering Franklin County Samessenger.com publishes new content daily Our beat reporters are on the ground covering local government Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Debbie Heath returns to the Abbey Theatre for Company of Ten’s simply extraordinary take on Martin McDonagh’s comedy drama… I must say that I had really been looking forward to the ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ I already liked Martin McDonagh’s writing and although I was unfamiliar with this particular play I knew I could probably expect a some well-observed character comedy whilst exploring the highly emotive issue of the perception of disability in a closed-minded community Martin McDonagh is of Irish parentage but grew up in London This slight removal combined with heritage would surely give him a fascinating perspective on Irish village life I’ll admit I’m quite the ‘Father Ted’ fan and was hoping for a play that recreated some of that vibe amidst the serious themes Ali Pagan’s beautifully realised set combined the outside with the in I mused with another audience member how on earth she had been able to create such realistic stone walls The inside of the shop was gorgeously quaint and these combined and the boat in the corner gave us three distinct playing areas Mial Pagan’s thoughtful sound design was another contributing factor in creating the atmosphere The nature soundscape had been well researched and range of Irish music was super Director Jenny Kilcast used her cast effectively in this pre-play section Three of them occupied the set and interacted with the audience – a strategy I rate highly if done as well as this These factors all combined to transport the audience in the Abbey Studio theatre straight to Inishmaan before the play even began Each of the nine roles are well-rounded and must have been a joy to get to grips with by the talented company had clearly focussed hard on character realisation in her cast and the results were superb The overall mastery of accents was equally impressive I was pleased to see some strong physicalisation which is sometimes harder to master – every little gesture mattered For example Kasia Bambridge as Helen and Jonathan Snelling as Bartley both played these teen roles with youthful energy and a physicality that was not their own Their moments of sibling banter were high points of the show for me All works of art need light and shade and the contrast between this energy and that of the “cripple” himself was well marked Benedict Gaskin as Billy mastered the limp convincingly throughout and had a sad but tolerant vibe which worked so well Here is a character who has spent his orphaned life shuffling between the doctor’s surgery and local shop of his two old maid guardians to the cries of “Hello there Cripple Billy.” As a disabled person myself I found his plight very touching and well realised I cannot mention every cast member by name but please be assured that they can all be proud not only of their individual performances but the way they worked together as a team trapped by a closed-minded home town and harder still Billy wants to escape and enlists Babbybobby (expertly played by Thomas Fink-Jenson) to row him to see an American talent scout who is filming in the area I won’t spoil the play by telling you the outcome but it’s a good understated plot that feels appropriate for the characters and setting So did I get the feel of ‘Father Ted’ that I had hoped for This is a really outstanding script that causes the audience to consider whether we have really moved on in our perceptions and treatment of people who are different It also gets us thinking about how we show love and that it has the potential to make our children feel claustrophobic and trapped The power of this production is due to everything working together sublimely from script ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ is simply one of the finest plays I have ever seen the Company of Ten produce and I only wish I could go again You can help keep quality local journalism alive by making a one-off donation or set up a regular direct debit Any contributions will help ensure the long-term future of the St Albans Times ©2025 St Albans Times. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Website by Moxie (WCHS) — One person is in custody following an alleged burglary that led to multiple police chases in Kanawha County has been charged with felony fleeing with reckless indifference according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court Albans Police Department said officers were called to the area of Kincaid Driver and Lakeview Drive just before 1 p.m A witness told police they saw three people pull up to a residence climb over a retaining wall and enter the home through a back door the three people were allegedly seen exiting from a front door and leaving in a Mercedes SUV they said they spotted the SUV traveling north on Pennsylvania Avenue at which point the driver is accused of swerving as if to try to strike an officer’s cruiser a witness reported that an SUV matching the description almost struck their vehicle while driving recklessly on Highland Drive Police said they then found the vehicle near Smith Creek Road which turned into a pursuit that spanned the Kanawha Turnpike in South Charleston "During the pursuit the suspect's vehicle reached speed in excess of 120 mph despite moderate rain wet road conditions and traffic," court records said The SUV eventually crashed one mile north of the Mink Shoals exit on I-79 and Torres was taken into custody while allegedly attempting to run No other passengers were in the vehicle at the time Albans police said an investigation into the incident is ongoing and could result in more arrests We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Alice Fay Ferguson created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity in St ALBANS — Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a renter at an upcoming workshop series from Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity each workshop has a different focus and will be located at Franklin Grand Isle Community Action at 5 Lemnah Drive "Tenant Skills" includes the fundamentals of tenant rights and responsibilities as well as fair housing and disability law "Finding Housing" focuses on strategies for overcoming barriers to finding housing (such as a past eviction no landlord references or a criminal record) and skills for conducting an organized housing search "Sustaining the Rent" shares strategies to financially prepare for renting including understanding how credit affects the ability to pay rent and skills needed to track spending build a budget and find resources to help meet housing and basic needs All three workshops are also offered as live Zoom sessions once a month, and as fully online, self-paced courses, accessible whenever suits your schedule. Click here for more information If you have questions or would like to schedule an interpreted class, please email classcoord@cvoeo.org or call 802-660-3455 ext It’s Hedgehog Awareness Week between May 4-10 and probably everyone is aware of how Britain’s favourite mammal is in trouble The hedgehog was red-listed as ‘Vulnerable to Extinction’ in 2020 In the 1950s there were estimated to be around 50 million hedgehogs in Britain The number of hedgehogs in the countryside has declined significantly in the last couple of decades Intensive mono-culture farming has seen both the removal of hedgerows and the increased use of insecticides which means no food or habitat for hedgehogs The hedgehog’s last safe haven is our own gardens but even in suburbia their numbers are going down In St Albans it is noticeable that you don’t even see as many hedgehog casualties on the roads which is in itself an indication that there are fewer of them around Roads are of course one of the biggest killers of hedgehogs with hundreds of thousands killed every year in the UK But there are many other reasons that hedgehogs are struggling Hedgehogs can travel over a kilometre a night visiting 20-30 gardens to find food (and mates!) which means having to travel further and cross more roads caterpillars and worms is also becoming more difficult to find slug pellets and rat poisons contributes to hedgehog fatalities And then there is the contentious issue of injuries to hedgehogs by suburban foxes whose numbers locally have increased in recent years Over half of the admissions to the London Colney Hedgehog Rescue last year were due to fox attacks but they are hard-wired to hunt small mammals and although not all foxes will attempt it many can’t resist snapping at a hedgehog’s spindly back legs as it runs there are very simple steps we can all take to help the hogs: Make a gap of a couple of inches under existing fencing If you are replacing a fence with one with concrete running boards ask the contractor to put in a hedgehog hole Leave a couple of metres at the end of your garden to go wild: don’t cut the grass An old pallet piled with your garden cuttings is a great place for a hog to nest and find food slug pellets or leave rat poison at ground level or in the open They are lethal to birds and amphibians as well as hedgehogs make sure there is a ramp or shallow edge to enable a hedgehog to get out They are apex predators that do not need human intervention as it artificially increases the fox population and leads to territorial shrinkage offer dry cat biscuits with high animal protein inside a hedgehog house that can’t be accessed by foxes or cats Clear rubbish and netting from your gardens If there’s anything a hedgehog can fall in or get stuck in grassroots wildlife organisation ‘Wilderhood Watch’ runs various initiatives to help boost biodiversity at the local level encourages neighbours to get together to make their gardens accessible and hedgehog friendly while alerting motorists to the presence of hedgehogs in that area with hedgehog traffic signs More information can be found at https://wilderhoodwatch.org/projects/hedgehog-street/ Hedgehogs first evolved 15 million years ago Jill Stevens is a volunteer at London Colney Hedgehog Rescue and a member of Wilderhood Watch You can help keep quality local journalism alive by making a one-off donation or set up a regular direct debit. Any contributions will help ensure the long-term future of the St Albans Times. President Donald Trump makes a major sports announcement. The announcement comes amid reports Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft. WATCHMan on trial for St Albans double murder takes the stand in his own defenseby ANNA SAUNDERS including Guy's ex-girlfriend along with law enforcement and forensic specialists defense attorneys brought forward their one and only witness: Markus Guy Guy testified in his own defense on Wednesday afternoon telling the judge that he gave up his right to not testify because he wanted to "speak his truth." Albans home with his girlfriend at the time They were both staying with Frazier's 39-year-old mother Alisha Brooke Carnefix and Frazier's 14-year-old brother He said the plan for the day was to check in at the Hampton Inn in Southridge to celebrate Frazier's birthday went to see his friends and then picked up one of Frazier's friends Frazier and her friend later left Guy in the hotel room by himself to purchase alcohol from Walmart Guy said the two were gone for about an hour and he became upset feeling like he had been ditched after planning something nice for Frazier "I get a little upset that she decided to leave," Guy said "I tried to like make like a nice evening for your birthday I just decided to leave and go get my belongings." Frazier testified previously that Guy was controlling and also took issue with who she spent time with and where she went Guy said he then drove from the Hampton Inn to Carnefix's home on Sapphire Road in St He said he could come and go in the house as he pleased so he walked in and began packing his stuff in the room he and Frazier shared and that is when Carnefix came into the room and when he responded that he did not know he said Carnefix then jumped on his back and began choking him Guy testified she wrapped something around his neck and continued to ask where Frazier was and that is when he said he pulled his gun from a cross-body satchel and shot Carnefix over his shoulder He said he did not remember shooting her twice even though the evidence and medical examiner's report showed two gunshot wounds with the help of one of his defense attorneys demonstrated to the jury his narrative that Jarrett tried to take the gun from him and a struggle began worried that Jarrett was trying to avenge his mother's death He said he then left in a frantic state and drove around not sure of what to do but scared to call police and Frazier previously testified that he told her he "f***** up." Guy said they "cried all night" in the hotel and that it was his idea to turn himself into police the next day He said he went and confessed to his mother and then drove to the Charleston Police headquarters to turn himself in He said he never intended to kill Carnefix and Jarrett and had no issues with them Kanawha County assistant prosecutor Ken Bannon referred back to previous testimony from investigators the medical examiner and DNA and forensic experts from the West Virginia State Police that the jury heard earlier in the day which did not match Guy's story with the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed autopsies for both Carnefix and Jarrett He said one gunshot entered the top of Carnefix's head and exited toward the beginning of the back of her neck He said the other gunshot entered into her upper back and a bullet was found in her mid-back area with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office testified later that it would be impossible for these injuries to happen if someone shot over their shoulder at someone significantly taller than them Previous evidence based on bullet injury and blood splatter also told investigators that Jarrett was shot while he was on the ground and Guy was standing over him Savasman said none of the four shots were done in contact or close range He also noted that even though Carnefix did have a blood alcohol level of .196 corroborating the defense's story that Carnefix was under the influence the medical examiner found no serious injuries on either victim consistent with any kind of struggle "The defensive wounds should be much more significant The things that I found is small contusion or abrasion," Savasman said Middleton also showed pictures of Guy from the next day He said in his cases he has worked where someone has been choked or strangled close to unconsciousness Middleton said the only thing he saw on Guy was a faint red mark on his neck In DNA testing at the West Virginia State Police forensic lab forensic scientists were able to determine that the blood on Guy's shoes and clothes matched Carnefix's They also tested under Carenfix's fingernails for DNA and did not find a trace of Guy's Kanawha County assistant prosecutor Madison Tuck brought in Middleton for more rebuttal but also brought in a woman who had a child with Guy and had been involved in two violent altercations with him noting that she had gotten a domestic violence petition and had been to family court several times over custody issues with him who testified that Guy had broken a window on her door once to get his keys locked inside His mother said she has had to call the police on her son before When asked if Guy confessed to killing the two before turning himself in the jury will receive instructions and then closing arguments from both sides can begin Cigarette butt receptacles are now located in four locations throughout the city ALBANS CITY — Community partnerships helped add four cigarette butt receptacles to downtown St Albans and Downtown Saint Albans has been a partner with the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition to address cigarette butt litter since 2016 Through annual cigarette butt litter clean up events volunteers have cleaned up over 94,000 butts throughout the downtown area The Butt Litter Clean Ups have been successful in both cleaning up butts and raising awareness of the scope of the problem thanks to the City and Downtown’s collaboration with the Rotary Club of St new butt litter receptacles are being placed in a variety of downtown locations increasing the opportunity where folks can safely and appropriately dispose of their butts Cigarette butts (filters) are the #1 most-littered items in the world Not only do they take away from the beauty of our community Cigarette filters trap the toxic chemicals from the cigarette when it is smoked and then release those toxic chemicals back into our environment when they are littered Littered butts are regularly blown or washed into sewer drains or nearby streams and lakes where those toxins enter waterways or soils birds and small mammals have also been known to eat cigarette butts causing harm Thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club and Med Associates the City has four butt receptacles located at the top and bottom of the walkway from the parking garage and also on Kingman Street near Nelly’s Pub & Grill and City Side Pub but there are spots already lined up for them The state's second witness on Tuesday was Shelby Frazier Markus Guy's girlfriend at the time of the shooting deaths of her mother and brother in February 2024 Prosecutors first questioned Frazier about the events of February 6 the day of the shootings that left Koda Bryson Jarrett Frazier said the couple woke up and went to the Hampton Inn at Southridge to celebrate her birthday and Valentine's Day she said she walked with a friend to Walmart to purchase alcohol but Guy did not come with them She testified that Guy was upset with her at the time She eventually returned to the hotel room to discover Guy was no longer there he took me to the parking lot that was by the hotel," Frazier said "Markus had dropped a gun at my feet and started crying He said that my mom had attacked him." Frazier was overcome with emotion while explaining that she soon realized her brother was also dead "Markus just kind of looked at me and I kinda knew that my brother was gone too," she said She said Guy told her that her brother tried to take his gun from him She and Guy then drove around to several gas stations before eventually returning to the hotel to spend the night She testified that she drove Guy to the Charleston Police Department the following day to turn himself in and I would just say that he was very upset," Frazier responded when defense attorney Mark Plants asked her about Guy's mental state following the shooting The trial for a man accused of killing his girlfriend's mother and brother at their home in St of Charleston is on trial for the February 2024 murder of Koda Bryson Jarrett Guy is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony A jury was selected Monday afternoon and opening statements were given Tuesday morning Guy is being represented by defense attorneys Ed Bullman and Mark Plants Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Ken Bannon and Madison Tuck represent the state Bannon and Tuck began presenting the state's case that started with Frazier and continued with investigators The jury heard from the Charleston Police officer who first encountered Guy at Charleston Police headquarters where he told the officer he had killed his girlfriend's mother and brother Jeff Eary of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office He made the initial discovery of the two and helped secure the scene A forensic scientist and detective with Kanawha County helped the state start presenting the more than fifty pieces of physical evidence they collected from the scene The jury saw photos and a crime scene reconstruction as well as the gun Guy is accused of using and a piece of drywall cut out from the home that shows blood splatter and bullet damage Bannon also showed the jury the clothes they took from Guy that showed blood splatter and showed the jury the sweatshirt worn by the teen boy when he died Judge Maryclaire Akers is presiding over the trial she denied a request from the defense to continue the trial to a later date Investigators previously said Guy and his girlfriend walked into the Charleston Police Department around 11:30 a.m Police said he told them a boy and woman were dead inside the home on Sapphire Road in St they found the home unlocked and both of the victims dead from gunshot wounds "The identity of the killer is not in question," Bannon told the jury during opening statements Bannon said both victims were shot multiple times Attorneys said Frazier will testify she was with Guy for most of the day on February 6 prosecutors told the jury he drove from the Hampton Inn in Southridge to Carnefix’s house Bannon said Guy later met back up with Frazier dropped a gun at her feet and said he killed her mother and brother Bullman told the jury a much different story and said his client was not a "cold blooded killer who drove to kill people." Bullman said Guy was upset that his girlfriend was spending time with a friend drinking instead of being at the hotel with him where they were celebrating Valentine's Day Bullman told the jury that Guy left the hotel and drove to the home in St Albans to get his belongings from the house Bullman said Carnefix asked where her daughter was and he said he didn't know Bullman also claims Carnefix was intoxicated at the time Bullman said Carnefix jumped on Guy's back and was choking him from behind leading him to pull a gun and shoot her off of his back Jarrett entered the room and started wrestling Guy for the gun before Guy fired two rounds at the teenage boy Bullman said the shootings were in self-defense and not planned on the drive to the home He also said the jury will see a video confession from Guy after he turned himself in The state's first witness was called around 10 a.m The trial is expected to last the entire week NBC5 meteorologist Marissa Vigevani hosted a tour of the television station for Girl Scout Brownies in Troop 30456 of St They got a first-hand experience in the TV studio SOUTH BURLINGTON — Girl Scouts in Troop 30456 experienced the magic of television production as they toured WPTZ-TV NBC5 with meteorologist Marissa Vigevani watching a live broadcast from inside the studio and even testing out the green-screen technology said they met Vigevani when she visited them to discuss the solar eclipse last year “Marissa discussed the behind-the-scenes work in the control room with the producer and director,” she said which is their van that travels and can do live broadcast Then we went into the studio where she discussed the cameras let the girls go in front of the green screen and showed them how they make the weather graphics Watching the live broadcast from inside the studio was great and the girls got involved with watching the timers for on air and off air times throughout There was lots of room for questions and the girls loved it.” We got to learn how the news works.,” she said “In the control room there are many news videos going on at once and the girl working there was moving from screen to screen and telling reporters when they are live." Vigevani said it was great to work with the Girl Scouts "It was truly amazing to reunite with Saint Albans Girl Scout Troop 30456,” she said “Having the girls visit the studio and show genuine interest in my work both in the studio and in the First Warning Weather lab There's nothing I love more than when young girls ask scientific questions and want to connect with me personally and their enthusiasm made the visit memorable It's vital to inspire the next generation of female scientists and their curiosity motivates me to continue my work." provided by Vermont’s Hazardous Materials Response Team ALBANS BAY — After residents saw the tell-tale sheen of oil in St Vermont’s Hazardous Materials Response team deployed Tuesday morning Team Chief Patrick McLaughlin said the state group received a report that oil had been seen in the water late on Monday the leak was identified and stopped after a fractured fuel line was discovered at the bay marina McLaughlin said the oil would have stayed concentrated in the area prompting the team to wait a few more hours until Tuesday morning to coordinate a response The team then deployed a harbor boom to effectively trap the oil and later skim it off the top to collect as much as possible “Most of it will evaporate or kind of get absorbed We’re talking less than an ounce in scattered locations,” McLaughlin said with most of the escaping oil being what had been sitting in the pipe thanks to the marina’s safety features Emergency leaks in Lake Champlain’s water supply don’t happen very often but the state is still prepared just in case Its emergency response team consists of 35 members with four stations established across Vermont The coordinated response on April 29 included a Hazmat spill trailer and three vehicles in order to deploy 1,100 feet of harbor boom to contain the spill McLaughlin explained that oil will float on the top of the water without mixing making it possible to keep any spills contained with a physical barrier Republic Services was then responsible for cleanup efforts The little that ends up escaping is then usually broken down over time “Mother nature will do its thing as the water turns and breaks up against the shoreline for the rocks,” McLaughlin said still might notice some effects in the meantime McLaughlin said a single molecule of oil is thick enough for people to notice the rainbow sheen and some oil will also likely find its way onto some items submerged in the bay any effects from Monday’s leak will largely dissipate over time as the large majority of the chemical was caught and removed before Lake Champlain was able to mix the material across a wider area “We’re lucky leaks don’t happen very often but we have a team ready when they do,” McLaughlin said Email notifications are only sent once a day Protesters gathered outside the Northwest State Correctional Facility Wednesday Mohsen Mahdawi is being held inside after his detainment by federal agents on Monday Speaker Crystal Cole said everyone in Vermont can agree freedom of speech should be protected ALBANS – Dozens of cars lined the left side of Lower Newton Road Wednesday on the way to protest the detainment of Mohsen Mahdawi at Northwest State Correctional Facility Holding signs saying “Free Mohsen” and Palestinian flags – Mahdawi was born and raised in Palestine – protesters sang for his freedom and chanted “no justice No ICE or police.” Organizers asked for those in attendance to be loud enough for Mahdawi to hear from inside the facility Mahdawi was detained Monday in Colchester by masked and hooded men in plain clothes placed in an unmarked van and taken to NSCF Citizenship and Immigration Services office for a citizenship interview Mahdawi’s lawyers filed a petition in the U.S District court of Vermont alleging unlawful detention A temporary restraining order then issued by Judge William Sessions III requires that Mahdawi cannot be removed from Vermont or the U.S President Donald Trump’s administration has used an obscure statute from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to deport anyone they believe is a threat to the country Several of the protesters on Wednesday live in Franklin County and repeatedly pointed out the county does indeed care about Mahdawi and other immigrants held in similar facilities around the country they’ll act like people here in Franklin County don’t actually care about this issue They’ll say ‘Oh this is for people down in Chittenden Enosburg and Fairfield showed up outside the correctional facility “So all that is to say people are going to try and spin this as something that people here in Franklin County or outside of Chittenden don’t care about Mahdawi is a legal resident of the Upper Valley and a Palestinian born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank in 2014 and went on to attend Columbia University where he was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military action in Gaza Mahdawi helped organize student protests on campus until March 2024 when he stopped being involved in the organizing President Trump made numerous executive orders after his inauguration targeting student protestors for deportation “We know that free speech is an absolute right for them to be kidnapped as they're legally applying for citizenship.” The defining point to her speech was that Franklin County does not want to be the holding location for these actions This statement elicited cheers and shouts of “yeah” from the crowd Democrat or anyone else can agree that freedom of speech is a fundamental right “Regardless of whether or not we agree with what the person's saying “And so if we're going to say that we believe in the Constitution it's our right to say people can speak to them and speak without fear of the government saying you can no longer be here.” Vermont’s Congressional delegation and the Governor went into motion Vermont’s Democratic senate leadership called on Republican Gov Phil Scott to void an agreement with the federal government allowing immigration agencies to hold detainees in state-owned prisons The state has a memorandum of understanding it signed last August with U.S. Customs and Border Protection alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement, VTDigger reported he’s unsure it would be helpful to those detained in the state by immigration authorities if Vermont ended the agreement which would force detainees to be moved to other states “We have a system of detaining people that’s been in place but is that in the best interest of those who are being detained to just ship them off to somewhere else?” he said “I don't think it's as easy as just saying we should end the contract that will end what ICE is doing I think we need to discuss this further but it shouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction.” Vermont’s congressional delegation — including Rep Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch – released a statement condemning the actions taken by immigration authorities must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention,” the delegation wrote The newly re-formed Friends of Verulamium Park society was formally launched at the Abbey Theatre with a substantial number of new members filling the auditorium the number of members rocketed from the initial 16 members to an impressive 200 or so introduced the event and explained that the society aims to be a voice for users of the park and to provide volunteers to help enhance its environment he gave an overview of the huge variety of wildlife and plants across the park including newly introduced water voles and rare species of butterflies and birds such as yellow-browed warblers and kingfishers Dan Flitton of SADC summarised the work currently being carried out in the park which includes cutting back trees on the banks of the River Ver to enhance wildlife and improve water quality and creating wetlands to support natural flooding with pedestrian bridges to improve accessibility including the drawing up of detailed designs for improvements to the lake This was supported by John Pritchard of the Ver Valley Society who explained the need for chalk streams like the River Ver to have good flow and high quality of water to provide a suitable habitat for indigenous plants and insects John summarised the role of his society and how it could work with and support the Friends Catherine Newley of St Albans Museums gave an overview of the history of the park She described the original Iron Age settlement the creation of the Roman town of Verulamium its destruction by Boudicca and rebuilding by the Romans into a fortified town and the re-use of the Roman bricks in the 1100s to build the Cathedral It was converted into a public park in the 1930s after extensive archaeological excavations Most of the questions after the presentations focussed on current and future works in the park In response Dan Flitton provided an honest assessment of what was and was not possible given the physical and financial constraints The meeting concluded with Bill Free thanking the speakers the Abbey Theatre for hosting the event at no charge and the attendees for such an amazing turnout and interaction Next steps will be the setting up of voluntary groups to help improve the park including the removal of potentially damaging foliage from the Roman wall demonstrating the value the people of St Albans place on Verulamium Park,” said Bill afterwards “Their interest and enthusiasm went beyond our expectations and promises a bright future for the Friends “Verulamium Park is an important part of St Albans and one of the reasons visitors come from far and wide It offers a unique combination of wildlife recreation and history all in one space and needs careful stewardship the Friends of Verulamium Park are keen to contribute to its future.” The Friends welcome more members. Joining instructions can be found here Tanneberger Veterinary Hospital is a full-service animal hospital serving dogs Tanneberger Veterinary Hospital provides quality veterinary care for dogs the hospital serves a wide area including Burlington Tanneberger Veterinary Hospital offers preventive and wellness care The hospital also maintains a Fear Free certification aimed at reducing stress and anxiety for pets during their visits “Our modern and inviting hospital boasts superb veterinarians and caring support staff that are dedicated to our patients clients and community,” said Jazmine Reynolds hospital manager and licensed veterinary technician Tanneberger Veterinary Hospital has implemented changes and improvements in order to ensure it stays up-to-date on advancements in veterinary medicine Reynolds said the team “focuses on providing the highest quality medical and surgical veterinary services for your companion animals.” The hospital is also partnered with Rabies Free Africa supporting efforts to eliminate rabies through vaccination and education programs This partnership reflects the hospital’s commitment to both local and global public health In addition to its broad range of services the hospital emphasizes personalized care and building long-term relationships with clients and their pets “You and your pet will be treated with care which are critical to the friendship we hope to build with you,” Reynolds said For more information, visit tannebergervet.com or call 802-524-2001 Tanneberger Veterinary Hospital is part of the Saint Albans Messenger sponsored content program called Spotlight Albans City Hall Tuesday morning as voters visited the polling place Albans City voters passed the city’s budget and the proposed combined sewer overflow project to construct an underground tank in Houghton Park this Town Meeting Day The three candidates running for the three open seats on St Albans City Council also ended up securing their positions on council (WCHS) — Community members are seeking answers after the St Albans fieldhouse at Crawford Field was broken into on Friday night along with a gaming station and other valuables were stolen during the incident soccer -- there's a lot of teams that use this facility is you control what you can control," St Albans High School Football Coach Derek Stotts said "That doesn't stop us from our ultimate goal." coaches and community members are now left searching for answers They completely came through the vent system," Stotts said "They took some gaming stuff out of the lounge They took a lot of the stuff out of the training facility This break-in comes after an accidental fire that happened months ago at the ticket booth at Crawford Field causing the St Albans girls soccer team to lose all of their equipment Albans high school football player Reece Lilly said Stotts said the fieldhouse is used by the community just really hurtful when you're trying to build something and you have these setbacks that just come out of nowhere,” Stotts said Albans Police Department said officers are following leads and have collected some evidence but this is still an ongoing investigation and her group of supporters outside Collins Perly Sports & Fitness Center outside the Collins Perly Sports & Fitness Center The final tally for the unofficial results are 448 votes to Headley and 447 votes to Cross Town Manager Sean Adkins said a recount would confirm that final tally but the night’s result puts Headley in the lead by the literal slimmest of margins Albans Town Selectboard candidate Amanda Headley might have won the election against candidate Bob Cross Selectboard member Jeff Saunders also won his seat after running unopposed Voters also passed Articles #2 and #3 – primarily concerning the town’s general fund budget – to secure what's needed for the Town of St Article 3: Use up to $300,000 of prior year toward fund balance ALBANS TOWN — A boat ramp or a community center Albans Selectboard got more information about ongoing work to determine the next big project to reform its old public works property But the question still remains: Should the site be a boat ramp or a community center After wrapping construction on its new Department of Public Works building in 2020 the town’s former garage – located on 398 Georgia Shore Road – has mostly sat empty Town planners have been coordinating with engineering firm VHB since October 2023 to collect site information and create possible alternate visions and three potential ideas were rolled out that following March During the selectboard’s meeting held this past Wednesday planners re-introduced the three alternatives with additional details around the expected costs of each project to get guidance before filing their final report After hearing a presentation by Planning Commission Chair Sarah Hadd on the alternative visions for the site the selectboard quickly scrapped the idea of a green space/large playground at that location That leaves the boat dock and community center options still in play community development director Megan Sherlund said and the town will be taking a final look at the two alternatives before closing out the bay’s master plan with engineering consultants put them together in a final plan and close out this portion of the project to identify the best uses which was the main goal of this master plan,” Sherlund said The final say on what gets built at the former DPW site will likely be decided by the Town of St Sherlund said the group’s preferred alternative is a boat launch at the site Selectboard Chair Jonathon Giroux said he’s heard from other people in the community who support the idea as an additional access point would help deal with high traffic often seen at Hathaway Point The board also raised concerns about the costs associated with maintaining multiple buildings if it moves forward with turning the former salt shed into a community center especially with the Stone House on the to-do list “We’re obligated to do something with (the Stone House),” Giroux said is engineers still need to figure out if a large-scale one is possible at the proposed site Allowing motor boat access to the lake requires a particular depth near the shoreline although the town has already begun working with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to figure out the plan’s viability it would need to be dredged out so the boats could properly float and take off from the area They’re questions of state permitting and for the Army Corps of Engineers and what kind of mitigation is needed,” Sherlund said Early project estimates put the cost to build the boat launch at $1.6 million although that number could go up depending on what the town would need to do to prepare the ramp As for the second alternative – the community center – the project tended to be preferred by planning committee members the project would also rehabilitate the old salt storage shed on the site Commission member Nakuma Palczewski pointed out that the town residents don’t have a community hub to meet like city residents do at Hard’Ack and the addition could be somewhere where people could meet or hold classes revolved around how much use each asset would get with most agreeing that the boat launch would get a lot of traffic if Hathaway Point’s busyness is any indication She had served on the planning commission before getting appointed to the selectboard this past December “If there’s more people that would use a community center I think we should move forward with that,” she said the town will continue to pull in information about the project Sherlund said the town expects to present the final master plan in May for the selectboard’s consideration “We’ve selected two possibilities for that property to make it more usable by the public and we are diving into the specific expectations and ability for both of those options to happen,” Sherlund said Albans did release a survey in February 2019 regarding the use of the former public works site 53% of the total 469 respondents wanted the town to develop the site for recreational use with roughly 84 people communicating they’d like a boat launch on the site Other high frequency answers include a “park,” “boat/watersport rentals,” “event center/venue,” “picnic area” and “walking paths.” Left to right: Festival co-chairs Cecile Branon and Stephen Tetreault Vermont Sugarmakers' Association executive director Allison Hope and Maple Ambassador Rebecca Tetreault lead the traditional maple and milk toast to kick off the 58th Vermont Maple Festival April 25 Concessions opened Friday afternoon on Main Street This year's Vermont Maple Ambassadors are Rebecca Tetreault and Logan Fournier ALBANS CITY — The Vermont Maple Festival opened for the 58th time Friday afternoon in downtown St community members and state and local officials gathered to celebrate the maple tradition and the festival's legacy hundreds of people roamed Main Street enjoying fair-style concessions and maple treats Smiling kids enjoyed the park's amusement rides Co-chair Stephen Tetreault recognized the festival's hardworking trustees and volunteers who devote hours to planning and facilitating was specifically honored with a plaque from co-chair Cecile Branon She said the family's contributions to the festival extend four generations She passed down that tradition to her daughter-in-law Darlene and Darlene's daughter Brenda "Their spirit lives on in every corner of this sugarhouse," Branon said sugarmakers are feeling optimistic about this year's maple production Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts took the stage to say that while data is still being collected he's hearing encouraging feedback from many maple producers "I'm confident that once again Vermont will lead the nation in maple production," he said 2025's Maple Ambassadors are Rebecca Tetreault of Fairfield and Logan Fournier of Franklin following in the footsteps of her father Stephen "I've been around the maple festival volunteering since I was eight and I've attended since I was like two-weeks-old She was hesitant to apply for ambassador because she doesn't love public speaking but ultimately decided to get involved so she can share not only maple as a product has his hands in everything at his family's sugar operation and dairy farm looking around and seeing what I can improve at ours," he said I love talking to people about sugaring."  they receive scholarships and will represent the industry throughout the year at various events across the region Both Tetreault and Fournier are most looking forward to "The Big E," the largest fair on the East Coast Mayor Smith was honored with the title of parade marshal He'll lead the parade when it kicks off at noon on Sunday on Main Street "He attended the maple festivals in years past surrounded by friends and neighbors who were out making the maple gold," Branon said he understood the value of this industry to Vermont he continues to support the growth and vitality of Franklin County through both his professional role and his service as an elected official."  An engineering rendering of the two proposed buildings Milot Real Estate developer Brett Grabowski explains the details of his proposed multi-unit housing project to St Albans City Council during their Monday night meeting Councilor Tim Hawkins asks developer Brett Grabowski questions about expected housing applicants and building upkeep thanks to a new city deal bringing two apartment buildings ALBANS CITY — More housing is coming to the City of St Albans City Council signed off on the move during its regular meeting held earlier this week following months of deal-making in order to wrap up a decades-long redevelopment effort near the intersection of Lower Newton and Federal streets “If we want to have the whole state grow in terms of population and housing supply this is how we do it,” City Manager Dominic Cloud said Milot Real Estate will build two apartment buildings on the site to bring 87 new units of workforce housing to St The city’s administrative efforts included securing low interest funding for the buildout after preparing the land for redevelopment purposes “If a community doesn’t have any new housing “It’s our job to make sure we have enough housing It’s been a long time coming for the city to bring workforce housing to the Fonda site Albans initially purchased the site in 2007 to redevelop the land after tearing down an old factory initially built there in the 1940s expensive brownfield remediation and soil testing held the project back the effort started to gain some real momentum after the Vermont EPA cleared Fonda for new construction The first new building opened in May 2023 as the American Rail Dispatching Center and Cathedral Square kicked-off construction on a senior housing complex soon after with an expected completion date later this year People who drive through the intersection regularly have likely noted the new construction which will provide 33 units of senior housing on the site The last piece of the puzzle for the Fonda site City Manager Dominic Cloud said he started the process of looking for a developer to bring more housing to the remaining plot releasing a request for proposal to interest developers The offer also came with a $9.8 million low interest loan approved via the Vermont Housing Finance Agency as long as the developer could hit the target range of offering apartments at a rate that would fit those earning 80% to 120% of median household income Cloud labeled the income range as the “missing middle” in housing these days While there’s a lack of housing across all of Vermont multi-unit developers typically chase low-income housing projects offset by state funds or they’ll jazz up their builds to create luxury offerings those earning closer to the median wage often struggle to find rental options in their price range police officers and other white collar service workers to commute in-or-out of Chittenden County To help developers acquire the funding stack to build such rental housing the city’s ability to secure low interest rates was crucial “We’re using our strengths as a municipality to make sure the project happens here instead of somewhere else,” he said After two rounds of deliberating with developers – including site visits – the city ended up choosing Milot Real Estate The contract approved by the council tasks Grabowski and his development company with designing permitting and building the new apartments at the site within a quick turnaround time Cloud said he expects construction to begin as early as next June with each building taking roughly a year to complete To answer questions councilors had about the project Grabowski appeared in front of City Council Monday night Most concerns brought forward revolved around the future inhabitants of the building Councilor Tim Hawkins also pushed Grabowski to help define some of the intent behind the building in order to better understand how it would fit within the great housing ecosystem for St Grabowski often emphasized the need for any kind of new housing to push the market forward and I think you need more people living in this area,” he said there’s such a dearth of available housing throughout Vermont that people are often finding suboptimal locations requiring longer commutes should help people making closer to middle-income be able to work and live in the same locations The building is also expected to bring in some Chittenden County professionals pushed out of the rental market further south Grabowski said he’s also seen similar apartment complexes in Middlebury appeal to older residents dealing with aging homes with some choosing the ease and convenience of downtown living it’s expected the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail will be incorporated into the site with additional walking paths coming online further down the line “I think there are a lot of people in Berkshire Hawkins also asked Grabowski for the expected rental rates on the building Grabowski said the apartments will likely be offered for roughly $1,600 to $1,800 per month for a one-bedroom “The perfect solution is you keep rents where you can keep the buildings full and the people happy and they basically stay in the area,” he said “Then you eliminate a lot of problems that you’re alluding to about transients councilors eventually voted unanimously to approve the new contract with Milot Real Estate “What really is exciting for me is just even seeing the improvements that we’ve made… and it’s like I can just see the vision of these two buildings there and the other one kind of behind it with the traffic lights the signals – I think it’s going to be beautiful,” Councilor Marie Bessette said Albans estimates preparing the Fonda site for redevelopment cost roughly $5 million with $1.6 million of that total being covered by city funds Cloud estimates total private/public investment to completely rehabilitate the site and construct the new buildings will clear $40 million Now that this project has been effectively handed off to the development company Cloud said he can now start examining in more detail what can be done with the Bellevue property sitting next door to St The city purchased the property last year with the intent of adding even more apartments downtown (WCHS) — A Kanawha County jury found a man guilty in a St Markus Guy was found guilty of second-degree murder of 39-year-old Alisha Carnefix guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Koda Jarrett – the mother and teenage brother of his girlfriend Guy was also found guilty of use or presentment of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of Jarrett and not guilty of the same charge in the death of Carnefix The jury reached the verdict just after 4 p.m Friday following several hours of deliberation that began Thursday afternoon The state had argued that Guy was upset and angry with his girlfriend so he left the hotel they were staying at the night of Feb Albans where his girlfriend’s mother and brother were and shot them twice There was no dispute from the defense that Guy shot and killed Carnefix and Jarrett defense attorney Mark Plants told the jury that they disagreed that this was done intentionally rather that it was done in self-defense Plants told the jury that Carnefix was the aggressor and that she was upset that Frazier was not with him when he came to the house to pack his belongings The defense also claimed Jarrett tried to wrestle the gun from him The guilty verdict for the lesser second-degree murder charge meant an automatic not guilty for use or presentment of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of Carnefix The jury did convict first-degree murder for Jarrett meaning they believed Guy had time to consider it before he did it The second-degree murder for Carnefix means the jury felt malice and intent was there just not enough evidence for premeditation Since there was a first-degree murder conviction the jury will meet back on Monday to decide if Guy will be granted life without the possibility of parole or life with mercy meaning the possibility of parole after 15 years we mark the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day families and communities of our great nation coming together to unite and celebrate 80 years of peace since the end of Word War II in Europe that so many millions paid the ultimate sacrificed to achieve it If you’re wondering what’s happening locally across the district we’ve put together a simple guide setting out events taking place on Thursday and on other days around the anniversary 9am – The Town Crier will undertake the VE Day Proclamation outside the Clock Tower 9.30am – The Mayor and the Town Crier will pay their respects and lay a wreath to the fallen at the war memorial 9.30am – The Union Flag will fly from the roof 10am – St Albans Museum + Gallery will be marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with the opening of a new display in the Assembly Room which centres on the experiences of individuals from across the district as a way of humanising and personalising the wartime topics we think we know 5pm – Special Choral Evensong sung by the Abbey Singers The Cathedral Change Ringers are also part of the National Ring Out in Celebration which is happening from bell towers across the land at the same time people across the UK took to the streets to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe join the Cathedral for their own VE Day celebrations and dance the night away in the Nave The evening start with drinks and puddings before dancing to vintage sounds performed by the Fleetville Swing Band A pay bar will be running and tickets to include a pudding are £20 8.30pm – Gathering on the Green at Highfield Park 9.20pm – The Town Crier will read the VE proclamation St Albans Mayor Cllr Jamie Day will make an address and light the beacon Over 1,000 beacons and hundreds of Lamp Lights of Peace will shine throughout the United Kingdom with the flames from them representing the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of war After the Beacon is lit the audience will listen to the immortal words of Winston Churchill From city and town squares to village greens the nation will come together at this special moment in time to sing the hymn ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’ honouring the many sacrifices that secured our freedom 10.30am – Opportunity for veterans to join the Mayor for a coffee morning in the Council Chamber Please contact the Mayoral office to confirm attendance by May 7 either by email at mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk or call 01727 819544 9.15pm – Speech from Mayor of Harpenden Cllr Pip Liver 9.35pm – ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’ singing musical entertainment and a singalong of popular songs from the era May 5 2-4.30pm – WWII themed displays in the church a dance demonstration and music in the hall 10.30am – Community café with WWII themed food 8-10pm – WWII themed displays in church with refreshments including at 9.30pm the lighting of the brazier and a formal tribute by county councillor Sandy Walkington Michael David (Mike) Mamone, 74, of St. Albans, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, January 23, 2025. He was preceded in death by his father, Michael Mamone, his mother, Darlene Mamone, and his very special aunt, Bettie Pitcock.... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Michael David "Mike" Mamone created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories the three-year term seat is being sought by incumbent Jeffrey Sanders The two-year term has two candidates — Harold “Bob” Cross and Amanda Headley Albans Town voters have two selectboard seats to fill this Town Meeting Day has two candidates — Harold “Bob” Cross and Amanda Headley The Messenger interviewed both candidates to help voters make their decisions at the polls Responses have been edited for clarity and length “I’ve been a Vermont resident for all of 67 years — 45 of which in the Town of St Albans — a volunteer firefighter for 48 years — 30 of which as the fire chief — and I’m still serving as an active member I was also employed by the town as public safety administrator and health officer for close to ten years.”  I’m very familiar with the town’s growth and what its future goals are I’ve been a part of the capital budget plan for 30 years… so I’m very familiar after submitting 30 years of affordable budgets to the taxpayers.” Cross said he had been interested in serving on the selectboard in the past but he recused himself from running while as an employee of the town due to the conflict of interest “I hope to get the position and hope to get the same support from the taxpayers of St Why are you interested in being a selectboard member I’ve had the opportunity to serve with a lot of selectboard members It’s helped me learn the ins-and-outs and the good-and-bad and I’d like to continue to be a part of that experience?” but I think that we need to be more transparent in the Town of St “To make sure that we do what we’re elected to do which is to benefit the majority of the taxpayers of St How would you maintain a line of communication between yourself and the people you’re elected to serve I like to make myself available on Facebook and social media so if there’s any questions or concerns that people have “I definitely support having the police department I’m not sure if I’m really in on paying half but if that’s the majority of the selectboard agrees to but I’d like to see what we’re getting exactly for the money.” (NOTE: By the terms of the contract signed by both municipalities Albans agreed to 13 years of police protection — starting in 2022 — with all expenses shared 50/50 Any disagreements around the contract that couldn’t be handled by city/town staff or the joint police board would move towards binding arbitration.) I know they get ARPA grants and they’ve been using that money “I just feel that when we spend a great amount of money it should benefit the majority of the taxpayer and not the minority.”  Do you support the town’s renewed efforts towards public infrastructure It takes a lot more plows and equipment and the people still walk on the roads.” “I’m not sure if (sidewalks are) the things to do and I know that there are sidewalks put there that the town isn’t plowing … but if we drag this sidewalk plow around “I think my real asset is my communication skills and being able to collaborate with people that have different views and maybe I'll change the way I was thinking she currently works as a real estate agent in Franklin County after moving here prior to 2020 she spent a few years working in the facility security field “It was unexpected that I enjoyed the planning commission so much … but it’s really getting to know the town better So these are real concrete things that affect your day-to-day life … And so I was really interested in getting more involved in the community “The things that I think could be improved upon is not just going to the meetings so that's why I've been attending the legislative breakfast and attending the community night that we had about homelessness and addiction and just knowing that there's so many programs out there So I don't mind being that liaison for them “My top priorities are increasing our tax base so that we can keep our taxes as low as possible I’ve been talking to and emailing developers and I want to sit down with them and find out — what does it take What would make more people want to build up here That's why I've been talking with the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain and the clean water fund And if there's grants and things available then I'd like to do that instead of passing it on to the taxpayer.”  “And then I want to support the police so that we have a safe community but I don't want them to think that the selectboard isn't behind them.” “I've been passing out my email address — my personal one not the town one — although I can say contact me if you have questions and by just creating that line of communication so that they know I'm open to it and responding to those emails if I do get one “When you're working with two municipalities that are sharing a police force I do hope we can share the cost in the future there are other things that I'd like to share in the future too there are 90 acres available in the industrial park So that's one of the things about development that it doesn't just have to be households because even though my dad was a general contractor and I definitely don't know the numbers game in St Albans because there's just not the service providers that there are in other states.”  because people here haven't had sidewalks to really even compare the difference in some areas I came from a place where there were sidewalks everywhere and you really do utilize it more because it's there Your kids can walk to a friend's house without being worried that they're walking on the side of a highway.”