Housing & Health: Rutland celebrated the ribbon cutting of Maplewood Commons Apartments, adding 30 permanently affordable homes near downtown, with services for residents including people at risk of homelessness. Veterans Care Expansion: The VA signed a lease for a new South Burlington outpatient clinic, targeting first care in spring 2029 and adding integrated primary, mental health, and specialty services for more than 56,000 area veterans. Manufacturing & Design: Burlington’s Pacto Medical won a Red Dot Design Concept for Slimshot, a compact prefilled syringe platform aimed at cutting packaging and supply-chain burden. Local Business & Shipping: Gardener’s Supply in Fairfax is shipping cedar planter boxes nationwide, producing hundreds of packages a day during peak season. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Fair Haven is waiting on next steps after a roof collapse left an apartment building structurally unsound; Williston commuters are still stuck in major delays from Route 2A construction. AI Oversight: Gov. Phil Scott updated progress on Vermont’s AI Task Force, while Sen. Bernie Sanders pressed OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta to pause AI development and face sworn testimony demands. Food Safety: Taylor Farms recalled jalapeño-linked products amid a Salmonella Javiana outbreak tied to peppers from Mexico. Cybersecurity for Utilities: DEF CON Franklin and the National Rural Water Association launched the Water Watch Center to help small water systems defend against cyberattacks.