Utility & Reliability: Green Mountain Power is inviting customers to an in-person open house Sept. 1 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) at its Westminster service center, with a Facebook Live virtual open house Sept. 2 at noon, as part of its Multi-Year Regulation Plan. Higher Education Leadership: Vermont Law and Graduate School named Melissa Hoffer as its next president, starting Dec. 1, 2026, bringing Massachusetts climate leadership and prior EPA experience. Housing & Construction: Claremont approved 27 affordable apartments via adaptive reuse of a historic mill building, while Greenville, Maine broke ground on a $12.5M, 24-unit affordable project through the Northern Forest Center. Energy & Grid: Maine regulators approved an 800-MW northern Maine onshore wind project and a 1,200-MW transmission line to connect into the New England grid, with Vermont in the shared footprint. Food & Safety: USDA issued a Class I recall of about 24,900 pounds of frozen buffalo chicken products after a lapse in inspection, with shipments reaching Vermont food-service locations. Trade & Local Industry: Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Brad Schneider introduced the BAD DEAL Act to repeal a tariff authority tied to the Canada trade fight, warning Vermont businesses depend heavily on Canadian trade. Local Food Systems: Welch highlighted Vermont’s farm-to-school model, including incentives for local purchasing and the ongoing challenge of “brown box” commodities in school meals. Urban Forestry: Montpelier is shifting toward the Stockholm planting method after reporting that most downtown trees are in decline and many face high risk from pests like emerald ash borer. Digital Privacy Policy: Vermont lawmakers and the AG’s office are weighing the meaning of the Meta settlement for youth protections, including limits on minors’ use and changes tied to Vermont’s age-appropriate design code.