Audrey Blair of Essex has won the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association (VRGA) Best Bagging Competition, earning the title of “2014 Vermont Best Bagger.” The bagging competition is much more than stuffing foodstuffs into bags. Three judges rate contestants on four criteria: Speed Time, Distribution of Weight Between Bags, Proper Bag Building Technique, and Style, Attitude, and Appearance.

Members of the Vermont Air National Guard volunteered their time this past drill weekend, along with their blood at the American Red Cross blood drive on base.

"We've been planning this since last December," said David Carmichael, the Red Cross program coordinator. "We frequently have military members donate at our local clinics, but we want to be able to provide as many people as possible the chance to contribute. This is a critical time of year, so having such a large drive is a great help to us."

Every person, no matter how young, can contribute to making the world a better place. The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes announces its 2014 winners, who are inspiring examples of public-spirited kids and teens taking action. Each year, the Barron Prize honors twenty-five outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 from all across America who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. The top fifteen winners each receive $5,000 to support their service work or higher education.