Eighth different winner in eight races Walter J. Hammond was on his game for one of the year’s biggest events at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, stealing the victory in the Firecracker 50 on Saturday, July 1, before a packed Independence Day grandstand.  Hammond led the charge on a busy holiday night that saw eight different…

  Braintree, Ridgeline Outdoor Collective board president shares insight, tips and tricks to enjoying the Rochester Trails full potential What makes the trails in Rochester unique to the area? The Rochester Trails offer a broad range of trail types from mellow double track, to rugged downhill, old school singletrack to machine built flow trail. There…

  Thursday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m.—KILLINGTON—The town of Killington is holding a local concerns meeting on the Killington connecting trails scoping study on Thursday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sherburne Memorial Library or remotely via Zoom (us06web.zoom.us/j/88964644941). The purpose of the scoping study is to identify opportunities to improve connections to and…

UPDATE: The Rutland shows have been canceled.   The circus comes to town Circus Smirkus brings a vibrant show to the Vermont State Fairgrounds By Sarah Calvin July 15-16—RUTLAND— On Saturday and Sunday, Circus Smirkus will come to the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland with two shows each day, on Saturday at 1 and 6…

  July 15-16—BRANDON—SolarFest aims to create a platform for like-minded individuals to connect, learn new skills, and enjoy music in a beautiful setting. The festival will take place on July 15 and 16  at 144 Steinberg Road just north of Brandon village. It is a unique opportunity to experience the power of community and learn…

   By Jacob Knipes Local theatergoers may soon follow the Yellow Brick Road to this year’s Paramount Players summer musical. The company, partnering  alongside Grace Congregational Church, will return for its third production with ; "The Wizard of Oz," running from July 14-16 at the Paramount Theatre. “We wanted a show that was something recognizable,…

   By John McClaughry Editor’s note: John McClaughry is the vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute, a conservate-leaning think tank focused on free-market solutions. The Legislature’s enactment of the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act is another troubling example of how massive changes in Vermont are being engineered these days, whether the democratically elected…

  Dear Editor, Prior to Gov. Phil Scott vetoing the bill concerning legislative salary increases and related matters (S.39: An act relating to compensation and benefits for members of the Vermont General Assembly); and, with the Legislature not having overridden the governor’s veto, is a bill that is more than likely to be revisited, yet…

  DaMore Law is forming a new division, Green Mountain Lawyers. Attorney Daniel Ewald and his staff are joining forces with Attorney Peter DaMore and his firm, DaMore Law. With the support of DaMore Law, Green Mountain Lawyers will be part of a team with 18 paralegals, law clerks, legal assistants and support staff along…

  Dear Editor, In its recent decision under 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, which opens the door for U.S. businesses to refuse services to LGBTQ+ people, conservative activists on the U.S. Supreme Court added another notch in their belts by which recent rulings have further weakened the 14th Amendment’s guarantee that no person shall be…

  By Charity Clark, Vermont attorney general Like many Vermonters, I have a deep connection to Vermont’s forests, clean water and green landscape. I grew up hiking and skiing in our beautiful Green Mountains, swimming in our rivers and ponds, and watching sunsets over Lake Champlain.  I believe that when bad actors poison our natural…

Hartland town manager search begins By Curt Peterson Following a brief public interview and an executive session on July 5, the Hartland Selectboard voted unanimously to contract with Tom Yennerell of Municipal Management Services in Springfield to assist the board in its town manager search.  David Ormiston, the previous town manager for six years, was…

  By Katy Savage The city or Rutland is gaining five new employees. The Board of Aldermen voted 7-3 on July 3 to allocate about half of an expected $1.1 million surplus, which typically goes to taxpayer relief, to fund the new positions.  City officials said the creation of the new positions is a proactive…

  The Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF) has awarded 31 grants totaling $270,000 to Northeast area nonprofits in nine states for the upcoming ski season (23/24). Grant amounts ranged  $1,500-$18,000, and all recipients are registered nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor.  The KWCF grants were created with the aim of promoting winter sports and…

  By Emma Cotton/VTDigger More than a year of public protest over a plan to use herbicides to control an invasive weed in Lake Bomoseen has come to an unexpected and, in some ways, anticlimactic end: The state is poised to deny the permit.  The application and full draft decision can be viewed at bit.ly/0317App. The decision…