Eighteen-year-old Derek Hodgdon grew up in Swanton in a typical Franklin County family. Hard work was expected, college wasn’t, and pretty much everyone assumed that he would go right to work in the metal recycling business that bore his last name. But while Swanton would always be home, Derek wasn…

One summer day a little over two years ago, a small backpack was delivered to Aero Brunell’s house in Newport. When the rising seventh grader went to get the mail, she was excited to find that the mystery bag had her name on it, and she was even more intrigued when she discovered what was inside.…