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Switchback Brewing goes all-in on barbecue for restaurant on Flynn Avenue in Burlington
Switchback Brewing has gone all-in on barbecue. The Burlington beer maker that began in 2002 and opened the Switchback Tap House & Beer Garden a year ago has rebranded the Flynn Avenue eatery as the Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse. The menu isn't a wholesale switch of the original pub-food lineup but does veer more specifically toward house-smoked meats. 'This side of town has been craving real Southern BBQ for years, it just needed a couple of Southerners to bring it to life,' managing partner Josh Weber is quoted as saying in a news release sent to the Burlington Free Press. '(Chef) Chris Cantrell and I were both born and raised in the South, growing up on the kind of cooking that defines true Southern flavor,' according to Weber. 'We saw an opportunity to evolve our restaurant into a proper Smokehouse, and we're proud to bring that bold, slow-smoked tradition to Burlington's South End.' The expanded menu includes a smash burger and Vermont maple hot chicken sandwich but leans into barbecue with dishes such as brisket and pulled-pork sandwiches; a McKenzie 'Switchbrat' sandwich; and smoked pulled-pork and smoked St. Louis rib platters. Side dishes feature Cabot mac and cheese, braised collard greens and maple cornbread. Lighter fare ranges from black eyed pea hummus to Caesar salad and a Low Country spring rice bowl. The kids menu offers hot dogs, cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse, 160 Flynn Ave., Burlington. 5-9 p.m. Tuesday (limited food menu), noon-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. (802) 540-6965, Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington brewer Switchback goes all-in on barbecue for restaurant
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29-05-2025
- Business
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What's the average hourly pay in Vermont? See how your paycheck compares
Vermont residents are in the top half of hourly earners in the country, reveals data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its total private average hourly earnings by state, along with the average weekly earnings and the average number of hours Americans work per week as of April 2025. It showed that Vermont residents do pretty well for themselves. Here's the average hourly salary for Vermont and how it compares to other states. How does your salary compare? On average, Vermonters earn $34.78 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure is not seasonally adjusted. This means that per week, Vermonters earn $1,182.52 on average. Vermonters work 34 hours per week on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's the highest working hours of the New England states. New England is home to two of the top 10 earning states in the country, Massachusetts and Connecticut. While Vermont is in the top half of earning states in the country, it's the second lowest in New England. Massachusetts, $42.21 Connecticut, $38.43 Rhode Island, $36.01 New Hampshire, $35.68 Vermont, $34.78 Maine, $32.39 Employees in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C., earn the most money with an average hourly pay of $52.25 per hour. This is over $15 per hour more than what workers in Vermont make. Mississippi lands in last place for earnings per hour: average hourly earnings in this Southern state are just $27.88. Washington, D.C., $52.25 Massachusetts, $42.21 Washington, $41.61 California, $40.69 Colorado, $39.10 Minnesota, $39.04 New York, $38.50 Connecticut, $38.43 Hawaii, $37.84 New Jersey, $37.68 Contributing: Alex Perry This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: What's the average hourly pay in VT? How does your paycheck compare? Sign in to access your portfolio
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29-05-2025
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Vermont property taxes are increasing this year, but not by much. Here's why
Property taxes in Vermont are set to increase an average of 1.1% in fiscal year 2026, down from the 5.9% increase the Department of Taxes projected in December 2024 and significantly lower than fiscal year 2025's unprecedented 14% jump. Lawmakers bought down property tax increases for fiscal year 2026 using a one-time $77.2 million allocation from the general fund, a strategy Gov. Phil Scott proposed at the beginning of the legislative session in January. Scott, who originally wanted a zero percent increase or even a property tax decrease, signed the new property tax bill into law on May 20. Scott reiterated that the buydown should be a one-time approach to providing tax relief and reminded lawmakers of their promise to reform the education property tax system. 'After last year's significant property tax increase, we knew it was important to provide Vermonters tax relief," Scott said in a press release. "But I want to be clear, buying down rates year after year isn't good fiscal management and we should only view this as a bridge to the real education transformation our system needs." The legislature's next step, Scott said, is to pass an education transformation bill that creates a more sustainable, affordable and equitable funding structure before the legislative session adjourns. The education transformation bill in question, H.454, is currently in the senate and, if passed, will once again need the approval of the house due to the many edits senators made to the original legislation. Vermont's skyrocketing property taxes, which critics say has made living in Vermont more difficult each year, are widely believed to be the reason Democrats and Progressives lost their supermajority in both chambers in November. All parties agreed to make working on the property tax crisis their top priority this session. Additionally, school districts helped to lower property tax increases for FY26 by making significant budget cuts, Scott reported in December. Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: How much Vermont's property taxes will increase this year
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13-05-2025
- Politics
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Vermont state historic sites will begin opening soon for the 2025 season with new exhibits
Vermont's historic sites are getting ready to open for another season, with Bennington Battlefield Monument leading the way on Friday, May 16, followed by Chimney Point, Hubbardton Battlefield, Mount Independence and President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site the following week, opening on Friday, May 23. The last to open will be the site of Vermont's first U.S. President, the President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site, opening on Saturday, May 24. "The Vermont State Historic Sites present history where it happened, and provide exciting experiences for everyone," Laura Trieschmann, state historic preservation officer, said in a news release. "This year we are honoring the Semiquincentennial with events, exhibits and lectures that highlight the American Revolution, signing of the Declaration of Independence and Vermonters' role in the fight for independence." The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site has a new exhibit in the museum and education center examining how Revolutionary-era ideals shaped Coolidge's presidency. The exhibit will include a display of Revolutionary-era munitions and artefactual remnants unearthed at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Vermont. Mount Independence will have an ornamental plaster frieze and mural depicting significant events in American history by Constantino Brumidi, artist for the U.S. Capitol in the late 19th century. Historian Willard Sterne will speak about his new biography, "John Hancock: First to Sign, First to Invest in America's Independence," at Mount Independence on June 14. On June 29, Hubbardton Battlefield will present a lecture titled "The Strong Women of Western Vermont during the American Revolution." On July 4, there will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Bennington Battle Monument. There will also be a parade at Plymouth Cemetery to lay a commemorative wreath from the White House to honor Calvin Coolidge on his 153rd birthday. There's more. On the weekend of July 12-13, there will be a reenactment of the 1777 Battle of Hubbardton at Hubbardton Battlefield, the only engagement of the American Revolution fought entirely on what would become Vermont soil. Senator Justin Morrill State Historic Site in Strafford and Old Constitution House in Windsor are closed this season for preservation. Bennington Battle Monument will be closed the week of June 9 for routine maintenance on the exterior of the structure. It will reopen to the public for Vermont Days on June 14. Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@ Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Bennington Battlefield Monument, other Vermont historic sites to reopen
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12-05-2025
- Politics
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State librarian now hopes to receive Vermont's full share of federal support for libraries
Vermont libraries got some good news at the end of April when the state Department of Libraries learned it would receive a partial Grants to States Award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the amount of $622,179, according to State Librarian Catherine Delneo. "This is a positive outcome as the Grants to States award from IMLS comprises 1/3 of the Department's total budget and is essential to the services the Department provides statewide," Delneo said in an email to the Burlington Free Press. The Free Press reported on March 27 that federal funding for the state's libraries was threatened by the Trump Administration's slashing of budgets for federal agencies, including IMLS. About two weeks later, Hannah Kirkpatrick, a recent University of Vermont graduate with a master's degree in history, lost her IMLS-funded job helping Vermont's numerous local historical societies get ready for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country by establishing their priorities for their collections and energizing their communities to help ensure the continuing preservation of local history. Please enable Javascript to view this content. Delneo said she received another update from IMLS staff on Wednesday, May 5, saying that while their final appointment has not yet been issued by the Office of Management and Budget, "we do plan to issue the remainder of the FY 2025 awards to the states, which will bring them to levels similar to last year's allotments." "The Department is hopeful that it will ultimately receive the full expected Grants to States allotment from IMLS in the amount of $1.24M, which was Vermont's 2024 Grants to States allotment," Delneo said. Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@ Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont's federal funding for libraries looks like it will come through
