🌱 Omicron In Burlington Wastewater + Christmas Toy Giveaway

Morning, Burlington! Here's everything you need to know to get this Saturday started off right.

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First, today's weather:

Colder; p.m. snow, up to 1". High: 29 Low: 22.

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Here are the top 4 stories in Burlington today:

1. The wastewater monitoring program in Burlington has detected evidence of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Mayor Miro Weinberger said the results received late Thursday showed a very limited amount of the mutation signatures associated with omicron. The city says the finding is not definitive until it has been confirmed by genomic sequencing of a positive PCR test, but the results indicate omicron may be present in Burlington at a low level. (WCAX)
2. Hundreds of families in the Burlington area will have a much brighter Christmas, thanks to gifts from charitable donors. Thursday was the first day of the Burlington Salvation Army's annual toy giveaway, based out of a former grocery store space in South Burlington. The storefront is temporarily the charity's "Christmas castle."(NECN)
3. The Burlington Greenway, also known as the Burlington Bike Path, officially reopened Thursday. The 8.3-mile path connects the south end of Burlington to downtown, reaching from Oakledge Park to Roundhouse Park. The construction project started back in 2014 but was delayed because of the 2019 Halloween storm that swept through the area. (WCAX)

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From my notebook:

• Kiss 2021 goodbye and ring in 2022 with Highlight, Burlington's "hybrid happening" New Year's Eve celebration. (Facebook)
• The Vermont Mountain Bike Association spoke out against misinformation and bullying against trans women in women's sports. (Facebook)
• Thanks to the Vermont Department of Health's 3-4-50 initiative and RiseVT, residents can check out snowshoes from libraries across the state. (Instagram)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon

About me: Danielle Fallon is a writer who loves using her creativity to fuel her passion for communication. She is an employee of content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.