Contracts Deemed Illegal at Vocational School

Vestfold / Telemark news from the past 48 hours has been dominated by an audit report on contracts deemed illegal at a vocational school run by the Vestfold and Telemark county authorities, a controversial plan for a new school costing 418 million kroner in Telemark, and challenges in adapting transport and businesses ahead of winter. Regional news briefs are collected at the end of the article.

Vestfold / Telemark news: vocational school pinned for illegal contracts

An audit report by an inter-municipal audit office concludes that a vocational school (fagskole) owned by the municipalities of Vestfold and Telemark illegally purchased services from a teacher from 2019 onwards (NRK Vestfold / Telemark). The institution paid nearly 23 million kroner to this teacher and consultant over five years. Last year, the teacher billed the fagskole 4.8 million kroner through his limited liability company, according to NRK.

The report also criticizes the principal for lacking impartiality when she signed a contract with the teacher, with whom she has a family relationship (NRK Vestfold / Telemark). The chair of the school’s board and the head of its supreme body, the representation council, did not wish to comment on the case for the time being. The case concerns the purchase of services and the governance of the institution.

NRK Vestfold / Telemark recalls that the case was already raised earlier in the year, with amounts close to 23 million kroner over five years. The audit report now provides a conclusion on the illegality of the purchases since 2019 and on the role of the management. The chair of the board and the head of the representation council did not wish to comment, according to the same source.

Controversial 418 million NOK new school project in Telemark

In Telemark, the plan for a new large school costing 418 million NOK is facing opposition. According to Telemarksavisa, critics are calling for the case to be halted under the slogan “Stop while you can,” meaning that it should be stopped while there is still time (Telemarksavisa). The regional newspaper places the 418 million NOK cost at the centre of the debate, while the available sources do not detail the project’s next steps.

The issue forms part of local discussions about school investments and the use of public funds in Telemark county. The opponents are not only questioning the amount: they are calling for a pause before the project moves any further (Telemarksavisa). No final decision is reported in the articles published between 11 and 12 November.

Transport: Vestfold’s electric buses and winter tyres under scrutiny

In Vestfold, bus drivers are expressing concern ahead of the first snowfall. According to them, the all-season tyres on the county’s new electric buses perform poorly on ice, while the new winter tyres are delayed even though snow is forecast for Thursday (NRK Vestfold / Telemark). The issue directly concerns passenger safety and drivers’ working conditions.

Tønsbergs Blad is relaying an expert’s assessment of the tyres: on a winter road surface, the tyres in question are compared to a puck on the ice (Tønsbergs Blad). The expression sums up a technical criticism already voiced by the drivers, with no immediate solution announced in the available sources. New winter tyre fittings are reported to be delayed.

Energy: High prices weighing down a bakery in Telemark

Electricity prices remain an economic issue in Vestfold and Telemark. The Nord Pool exchange figures cited by NRK show a daily average of 280.37 øre per kilowatt-hour in the NO2 zone, before network fees and taxes, with high levels also in the NO5 and NO1 zones (NRK Vestfold / Telemark). For household customers with a fixed-price contract such as « Norgespris », the total cost reaches 83.91 øre including taxes, but businesses without a fixed price are affected by the increase.

At Aasmundsen bakeri in Telemark, operations manager Mogens Iversen describes the situation as « spinnvilt » and « koko » (NRK Vestfold / Telemark). The bakery has six outlets in Telemark and two in Kongsberg (Buskerud county). The past few months have been difficult compared with the same period last year, according to NRK. The case illustrates the effect of wholesale prices on a local business, although the sources do not provide a precise figure for the bakery’s bill.

📌 Local briefs

In Holmestrand, a garage fire spread to an adjoining house on Wednesday evening, at around 19:30; residents were evacuated, and one person in the property escaped unharmed after being alerted by neighbours, before the fire was brought under control shortly before 21:00 (NRK Vestfold / Telemark).

In Skien, police are asking for witnesses in the Rikke case; two men are in pretrial detention, including a 39-year-old neighbour charged with murder and a 35-year-old man charged with violating the integrity of the deceased, with no new person implicated (NRK Vestfold / Telemark).

In Tønsberg, a married man who thought he was talking to a young woman was the victim of an extortion of more than 100,000 kroner (Tønsbergs Blad). The parents of the Belmar nursery have also expressed a loss of trust in the owners, fearing a deterioration in conditions (Tønsbergs Blad).

In Telemark, 1,200 people had already registered for a popular festival, according to Telemarksavisa, and the Arbeidstilsynet closed injunctions after finding everything in order (Telemarksavisa).

Sources: NRK Vestfold / Telemark, Tønsbergs Blad, Telemarksavisa, The Local Norway — Period: 11 November 2026 and 12 November 2026