By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger Vermont’s leading candidates for governor agreed at a VTDigger debate Thursday evening that Vermont is worse off today than it has been in the recent past. But they disagreed, in many ways, on who exactly was to blame.  For incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who is seeking his fifth term in the state’s highest office,…

As General Election ballots begin arriving in Vermont mailboxes, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas urged voters to make a voting plan. The General Election, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, will determine officeholders for the U.S. president, vice president, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, and several state offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, and state legislators.…

On Oct. 2, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced his office will distribute $1.7 million to the University of Vermont (UVM), the Vermont State Colleges (VSC), and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) to support Vermonters seeking a higher education degree. The funds come from investment earnings on the state’s Higher Education Trust Fund, which is managed…

By Wendy Sorrell, UVM Extension 4-H livestock educator For the seven 4-H teens selected to attend the 2024 National 4-H Dairy Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, four days of dairy-focused activities and opportunities to connect with like-minded peers from 20 states and three Canadian provinces were a whirlwind.  The Vermont delegates who took part in the…

Towns just north of Rutland County are on watch list, health officials urge continued caution until the first hard frost On Oct. 11, the Department of Health announced the first confirmed death this year caused by infection with Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. The Chittenden County resident, a male in his 70s, was hospitalized in late…

Staff report “It’s not every day that a middle or high school student—and their school and family—get to participate in a study that contributes to academic research on both a national and global scale,” wrote interim principal of Woodstock Union High School/Middle School (WUHSMS) Aaron Cinquemani. “In partnership with the University of North Carolina (UNC) and the Winston…

Peter Conlon, chair of the Vermont House Education Committee, and Emilie Kornheiser, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, will lead a public discussion on education financing on Thursday, Oct.17 at 6 p.m., at the Woodstock Town Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The discussion, organized by Woodstock resident…

Staff report The Killington Community Update last Wednesday, Oct. 9, also doubled as the Killington Pico Area Association’s (KPAA) annual meeting. KPAA president Beth Sarandrea presented key financials of the year as well as the Business Member of the Year award to Robert “Sal” Salmeri of Moguls Sports Bar.  “Sal’s incredible work for the community over the past…

The Guidon, Norwich’s student-run newspaper, has been barred from publishingfor the fall semester, raising concerns about censorship on campus By Peter D’Auria, VTDigger In May, at the end of the spring semester, Norwich University’s student newspaper pledged to its readers that it would resume publishing after the summer break.  “The Guidon, your trusted student-run newspaper,…

By James Kent The journey from Kyoto, Japan, to Rutland, Vermont, is 10,794 km or 6,707 miles distance. That is a long way to travel for a pilgrimage. For 30 dignitaries from Doshisha University in Kyoto, the opportunity to experience the history of their university’s founder, Joseph Hardy Neesima, and connect with the church that…

Staff report When attendees of the July 20 season finale of the Killington Music Festival 2024 Classical Concert Series watched and listened to Daniel Andail, Calvin Falwell, Janet Jacobson, and Reed Tetzloff perform works by Dvorak and Somervell, they could not have known they were witnessing the final performance in the festival’s storied 42-year run.…

Killington Resort announced a massive investment in new energy efficient snow guns totaling 1,000 new pieces of equipment over the next two seasons and clarified exactly how that investment would be allocated at the community meeting Wednesday, Oct. 9.  For the 2024 season, Killington and Pico will be adding 36 HKD Snowmakers Phazer portable snowmaking guns…

By James Kent In a lawsuit filed Oct. 8 by Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark against TikTok, Inc., Vermont  hopes to hold the popular social media platform accountable for what it deems addictive & exploitative features, such as its TikTok LIVE feature, which Vermont believes allows the company to profit from the financial and exploitation…

By Meira Droznah  Woolly on your way To being Isabella Are you aware of Your transformation or Are you only looking, now,  For a snuggly place  Maybe Mossy We crossed paths at the Intersection of October and September  The fall came and I missed The day The Equinox Is a mountain and a celestial Event…

The great annual movements of fall include monarch butterflies winging toward Mexico, whales heading to the Caribbean to give birth, and multitudes of birds in the autumn skies. There’s another migration this season that often goes unnoticed by casual observers: that of dragonflies. Given that dragonflies (or something closely resembling them) have been on this…