The Vermont Transportation Board held a public hearing Tuesday in Newport City to consider renaming a section of Interstate 91 as the David “Chris” Maland Memorial Highway. Maland, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, was killed in the line of duty on I-91 in Coventry on Jan. 20, 2025.
The hearing is part of the process required for the name change. The American Legion Newport Post #21 submitted a petition in November 2025 with 97 signatures and letters of support from the U.S. Border Patrol, Newport Mayor Rick Ufford-Chase, Maland’s fiancée Rosanne Frechette, the Vermont Police Association, and the United Federation of Police Officers. Post commander Jim Crowe later amended the petition to specify the stretch between Exits 26 and 28.
The board took testimony from supporters before making any decision.
Originally reported by Newport Daily Express.
Photo: Ekaterina Belinskaya via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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