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SOUTHERN VERMONT — Vermont News & Media will embark on a new content-sharing partnership with Thruhike (thruhike.io), an up-and-coming online travel curation companion seeking to promote Southern Vermont to visitors. Thruhike, now in its second year, helps businesses in smaller towns, villages, and cities build local community through their directory and marketplace for local travel. Thruhike seeks to restore balance to local markets by giving exceptional local spots in Southern Vermont a platform to share their story and product to traditional large-scale tourism markets. In the new partnership, Vermont News & Media will be sharing curated content focusing on local businesses, farms, restaurants, and other staff-selected locations for Thruhike to promote online. "The point is to not over-tourist things like how foliage impacts the state," says Thruhike CEO Katherine van Hengel. "We want to give travelers a well-rounded picture of what the community is, the places and products it offers, how to contribute to the local ecosystem in terms of purchasing or experiences, and how to attract weekend or day trippers coming from the larger cities in a sustainable way." Thruhike's promotion of locations and businesses in Southern Vermont will stray away from traditional and costly forms of promotion with Google or Meta advertising; instead, Thruhike seeks to foster a community of local establishments, publications, and vendors that will promote each other online in a digitized format, convenient for visitors to access. "It's all location-based; we start by collecting business listings and community voices. Publications like Vermont News & Media are already promoting businesses and local attractions, but our website is focused on a wider domestic range," continued van Hengel. Van Hengel said travel destinations and local establishments would primarily be promoted within a five-hour driving radius to tap into the day-trip and weekend-tripping audience. Thruhike has several published guides for themed self-guided tours and specialized interests online, including oyster farms and outdoor activities. Currently, the company is primarily based out of Maine but seeks to expand into Vermont to tap into underappreciated and often unnoticed markets. Another appeal Thruhike has over other advising agencies is that their content is hand-picked and curated by locals, businesses themselves, and publications like Vermont News & Media, which are deeply involved with the local environment. Vermont News & Media will share content from several publications on Thruhike's online directory, including the Vermont Country , Maturity and Homesteader magazines and the GreenMountain newsletter. Whitney Lawson, Thruhike's CMO, says that the partnership will give travelers a "trusted voice" when planning their trips to Southern Vermont. "Users come to our site because we're not just aggregating what anyone says online. We are curating the best voices in the area so everyone knows they can come to us and get trusted information from people who actually know what they're talking about in the area. There will be voice listings on the website where each of Vermont News and Media’s publications will have their own page to host content and build their community," said van Hengel. "Vermont News & Media's digital portfolio has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, with the addition of curated newsletters like GreenMountain Cannabis News, launching New England Homesteader, as well as the ongoing development of Vermont Maturity since its acquisition. The new partnership with Thruhike is an exciting addition that not only expands our reach but also enables us to generate dynamic visual and interactive content focused on Southern Vermont. This collaboration brings fresh opportunities for content sharing while integrating Thruhike's innovative technology to enhance our publications and improve the overall user experience," said Ahmad Yassir, Vermont News & Media's marketing manager. Right now, articles and business features are being selected from Vermont News & Media's content pool, which Thruhike will translate into lists and guides visitors to Vermont can readily access online. "For example, Vermont Country Magazine featured an article early this year about Stratton's diverse offerings around Stratton Mountain. It showed all the best places to eat and shop. It’s a great article, but on Thruhike, we bring it to life as an interactive digital guide . With just a few clicks, you can discover insider recommendations, view locations, reserve a table, or shop online—creating a seamless, curated experience. This transformation benefits everyone: Vermont News provides trusted local insights, while we enhance it with easy access and interactivity to make your exploration more engaging and convenient. Plus, we always link back to the original article, so you’re connected to the source while enjoying an enhanced experience on Thruhike,” explained Lawson. Thruhike has utilized social media outlets to promote local content. Lawson said that the website has started to find a lot of success by using Instagram and TikTok to understand what people want to see in the local area. A part of the reason why the Thruhike team is focusing its operations on Southern Vermont is because of the high search demand for things to do in the local area that is not matched by official outlets trying to promote the area. "Inbound traffic through search is a big reason we chose Vermont. We found that there was a lot of appetite for content and things to do in the area. The search queries were really high, but there wasn't a ton of competition out there trying to vie for that traffic. So that's where we really want to win, and we're creating bespoke experiences for each community in Southern Vermont so that when people are searching, we will have some of the content from Vermont News & Media reflected where they search," said Lawson. The partnership will allow local content to be promoted to a wider audience and will allow people to read Vermont News & Media's content when visiting Southern Vermont. "We are thrilled to partner with the dynamic team over at Thruhike. They offer a unique, curated experience that is really exciting to us," said Jordan Brechenser, publisher of Vermont News & Media. "It's really a smart strategic partnership between our two companies," said Brechenser. "Thruhike offers a unique experience for folks looking to learn more about travel and leisure in Vermont. Vermont News & Media has many products and platforms that make sense for Thruhike users. This will put Vermont News and Media's publications in front of a sizable audience who is seeking information about visiting our region." Explore the best local businesses and experiences in Southern Vermont and the surrounding communities at www.thruhike.io .Silent Air Gun Market Driven by Demand for Immersive Technologies Across IndustriesAnd today, through madame’s Instagram account, we learn that the Gallagher family is growing. They are expecting their first child this winter. Congratulations to Brendan Gallagher and his wife, Emma Fortin, who are expecting their first child! ( : IG/emmafortin14) — RDS (@RDSca) One can say that this child will be showered with gifts during the holidays. Not only does his father have an excellent salary, but the proximity of Christmas and his birthday will promise a rather exciting time for him. And he can count himself lucky to see his father around as he grows up. Indeed, Gally is still only 32 years old and has just two and a half years left on his contract with the CH. Let’s expect him to miss one or two games soon when baby Gallagher finally arrives. – Well done. 50 YEARS OF CARRIERE FOR BERG Michel Bergeron had no idea that a special tribute awaited him when he appeared on the JiC set for his segment. His reaction... — TVA Sports (@TVASports) – To watch. Kirill Kaprizov has entered the early MVP conversation as he quickly climbs the Wild’s all-time scoring charts. Don’t miss this one from : — Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) – A new challenge for the legend. The experienced coach is back in action. — TVA Sports (@TVASports)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks . Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn't improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. This will be the first time Purdy has missed a start because of an injury since taking over as the 49ers’ quarterback in December 2022. Brandon Allen will start in his place. The Niners (5-5) are currently in a three-way tie for second in the NFC West, a game behind first-place Arizona, and have little margin for error if they want to get back to the playoffs after making it to the Super Bowl last season. Purdy has completed 66% of his passes this season for 2,613 yards, 13 TDs, eight interceptions and a 95.9 passer rating that is down significantly from his league-leading mark of 113 in 2023. Allen has been mostly a backup since being drafted by Jacksonville in 2016. Allen last started a game in Week 18 of the 2021 season for Cincinnati and has thrown just three passes the last three seasons — including none since joining San Francisco in 2023. Joshua Dobbs will be the backup on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSan Rafael Schools to Form AI Committee for Recommendations

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The military's tradition of tracking Santa Claus on his gravity-defying sweep across the globe will carry on this Christmas Eve, even if the U.S. government shuts down , officials said Friday. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online . “We fully expect for Santa to take flight on Dec. 24 and NORAD will track him," the U.S.-Canadian agency said in a statement. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year's Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” The endeavor is supported by local and corporate sponsors, who also help shield the tradition from Washington dysfunction. Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer, told The Associated Press that there are "screams and giggles and laughter” when families call in, usually on speakerphone. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, "Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early." NORAD's annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . Here's how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child's accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy's mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80-foot (18-by-24-meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from "those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup's story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy's call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child's call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. "When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,'" Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. "People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD's tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa's story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada — known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That's when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.