BRADFORD—It looks like next year’s town meeting in Bradford will be on a Tuesday.
Earlier this year, residents were asked to consider alternatives to the traditional meeting date and time—the first Tuesday in March at 9 a.m. In an Australian ballot vote, held in conjunction with Vermont’s presidential primary, voters opted to hold the 2021 town meeting on the first Saturday in March.
But shortly after the vote, town officials learned that state law mandates that the deliberative be held on the first Tuesday in March or one of the preceding three days. In 2021, the first Saturday in March occurs only after the first Tuesday of the month, nullifying the 2020 town meeting day vote.

WOODSVILLE—The leader of the local hospital for the last 10 years will step aside early next year.
A spokesperson for Cottage Hospital confirmed on Monday morning that Dr. Maria Ryan had resigned.
“Dr. Maria Ryan surprised the Board of Trustees and the hospital staff with her resignation, with the last day being Jan. 30, 2021,” wrote Dhaniele Duffy. “The outpouring of love and respect from the staff was immediate. Dr. Ryan has great business sense, but more importantly she was known as the People’s CEO. The letters from her staff are filled with stories about how Dr. Ryan positively touched their lives.”

NEWBURY—The Vermont Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee has approved a plan for the Becket Family of Services to operate a new state juvenile detention center in Newbury. The six-bed, residential treatment program for youth involved in the state criminal justice system would undergo a $3.1 million renovation to transform the former bed and breakfast into a secure facility.
The committee voted unanimously on Nov. 20 to approve the plan, as previously recommended by the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee and the Joint Legislative Child Protection Oversight Committee. The Becket-run site would replace the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Essex, which closed in October

PIERMONT—The Piermont Zoning Board of Adjustment will consult town counsel about whether a small firewood processing mill that started operating earlier this year needs a permit.
The ZBA held a hearing on the matter on the evening of Nov. 16.
The mill is located at the intersection of Route 25 and River Road on the former Gould’s Store parcel. The property is owned by FAS Holdings and Mike Olsen of North Haverhill, but the mill has been operated by tenant Jackson Mitchell.

MONTPELIER—The Vermont Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling rejecting an inmate’s request for a lighter sentence in connection with the 2003 death of Vermont State Police Sgt. Michael Johnson of Bradford.
Johnson was struck and killed by a Toyota Camry driven by Eric Daley, 23, of Lebanon during a high-speed chase on I-91 south on June 15, 2003. Daley had just been pulled over by VSP for speeding. But after being notified that police were calling for a canine unit to check for illegal substances, Daley drove off reaching speeds up to 120 mph.