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WTSA NEWS FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 20th 2025

Brattleboro, VT, USA / 96.7 WTSA FM
WTSA NEWS FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 20th 2025


On Saturday, October 18, over 3,000 people attended the “No Kings 2.0” rally on the Brattleboro Common to protest the policies of President Donald Trump. The event featured speeches from local figures including State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and State Rep. Emilie Kornheiser. A photo of the Brattleboro protest taken by Kristopher Radder was later picked up by the Associated Press and featured in The Guardian.

 

Sen. Sam Douglass, R-Orleans, said he will resign after bigoted comments he and his wife made in a Young Republicans group chat were leaked this week. In a long statement released Friday afternoon, the first-term state legislator apologized for the “offense” his comments caused and described hateful messages he’d received in recent days. At the bottom, he announced that he would resign effective Monday at noon. He said, “I know that this decision will upset many, and delight others, but in this political climate I must keep my family safe,” he said.

 

Voters in Central Vermont are scheduled to decide on funding the state’s first standalone career center through a proposed $149 million bond. The bond, if approved, would replace the current facility at Barre’s Spaulding High School with a new center in Graniteville capable of doubling capacity and expanding programs. Administrators say that demand for the vocational programs, which range from automotive and plumbing to cosmetology and culinary arts, has long outstripped the available space at the high school.

 

The 24th annual Brattleboro Literary Festival ran from October 17–19, featuring 44 emerging and established authors. The festival, which hosts readings, panels, and special events, was free and open to the public at various downtown locations. The event celebrated the region’s rich history in writing and publishing.

 

The annual Keene Pumpkin Festival, a smaller, community-focused event, took place in downtown Keene on Saturday, October 18, delighting families and showcasing hundreds of creative jack-o’-lanterns. This year’s event continued its evolution toward a family-friendly atmosphere, emphasizing community participation rather than the massive crowds that once defined it. A giant pumpkin, weighing around 500 pounds, displayed prominently in Central Square. After the festival, many of the pumpkins were collected by local farms to be recycled as animal feed. The successful 2025 festival marked another step forward in the event’s new chapter, prioritizing safety and a strong sense of community.

 

The Townshend Pumpkin Festival, held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, on the Townshend Common, was the 37th annual iteration of the event. This year, the festival was notably organized by students from Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School as part of a Project-Based Learning curriculum. The project gave students real-world experience in event management, and they were responsible for organizing many of the festival’s activities.

 

WTSA SPORTS FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 20th 2025

THE PATRIOTS DEFEATED THE TENNESSEE YESTERDAY 31 – 13. THE PATS ARE 5 – 2 AND RECEIVED THEIR 5TH WIN IN A ROW. THE PATS ARE BACK AT GILLETTE NEXT SUNDAY AGAINST THE CLEVELAND BROWNS AT 1PM.

NASCAR CUP SERIES YESTERDAY AT TALLADEGA, CHASE BRISCOE TOOK DOWN THE WIN, FOLLOWED BY TODD GILLILAND 2ND AND TY GIBBS ENDED UP 3RD.

15-time All-Star Kevin Durant agrees to a two-year extension with a player option with the Rockets through the 2027-28 season. The deal could be worth $90 million. If Durant plays both seasons as planned, that $90 million would push his on-court earnings to nearly $600 million — which could be an NBA record, depending on how long LeBron James continues to play.

IN LOCAL BRATTLEBORO BEARS FOOTBALL THIS PAST FRIDAY NIGHT, IN THE ELWELL TROPHY GAME,  RIVAL MT. ANTHONY DEFEATED THE BEARS 9 – 7.