Sunday Sept. 1 at Noon— Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler Center for the Arts, 71 N.Main St., Randolph will host the 32nd annual New World Festival, Vermont’s premier Celtic and Quebecois music and dance festival.  Main St. is shut down each Labor Day Sunday performances are held on four stages, featuring over a dozen…

Saturday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m.—BARNARD— The second annual Imagine Zero Music Festival will take place Saturday at Fable Farm Farm, 22 Orchard Hill Road in Barnard from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. at Fable Farm in Barnard with a unique vision for a future free of carbon emissions and single use waste. The festival organizers have…

Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept.1, from 2-5 p.m. —PLYMOUTH—During Labor Day Weekend the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, comes alive with authentic Folk and Blues music with the Plymouth Folk and Blues Festival 2024 The Festival will take place at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, 3780 VT-100A, Plymouth.  Last…

Rutland High School solidifies formal policy, Woodstock High School considers bell-to-bell ban Staff report There’s a growing movement across the county for schools, particularly high schools, to go phone free. The issue of cellphone distraction is universal and problematic in a classroom setting. While the problem is not a new, formulating a campus-wide policy restricting…

LUDLOW—With the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 28, the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) has announced several new updates.  There’ll be a new head of school, Michael Kell, at the helm this year to guide the vision of ESBR. Kell has an extensive educational background and he is always eager…

Staff report Otter Valley Union Middle and High School in Leicester is one of a few Vermont schools that has had to scramble ahead of the first day of school — rearranging classes, or in some cases have delaying the start of the school year begins due to mold. Otter Valley Union Middle and High…

Editor’s note: This commentary was written collaboratively by Vermont Natural Resources Council, Conservation Law Foundation, Connecticut River Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and Lake Champlain Committee.  This commentary was written in response to concerns from Vermont community members, our own observations as landowners, and road crews cleaning up post-flooding damage. What we have heard and witnessed…

Dear Editor, Labor Day often brings to mind long weekends, barbecues, and the close of summer. But it’s also an opportunity to make compassionate choices. Each day, over 23 million land animals and 150 million sea animals are killed in the U.S. for food.  The worldwide numbers are even more staggering. Choosing to eat animals,…

Dear Editor, I am delighted to share some wonderful news with the Rutland community. The Winter Farmers’ Market is officially returning to Farmers’ Hall at the Vermont Farmers’ Food Center, starting Nov. 2!  Once the Summer Farmers’ Market at Depot Park wraps up at the end of October, we are excited to invite everyone to…

Dear Editor, Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech showed she is capable of being firm in her convictions when it comes to ensuring “safety, dignity, and justice” for rising American generations. However, she came off as much less firm about ensuring “hope,” “joy,” and “love” for Muslim women and children living in Gaza. She said, “I will…

By Karen Horn Editor’s note: This commentary is by Karen Horn of Moretown, where she serves on the planning commission. She retired as director of advocacy for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns in 2023. As for so many others, our property taxes went up by 26% this year, an appalling and unsustainable amount.…

Staff report When embarking on a new sport, one of the many intimidating obstacles to overcome is the terminology associated. From trail features to riding styles to bike parts, it can be complicated to even keep up with the conversation, let alone on the trails. Here’s a quick list to get you started (or freshen…

The Dept. of Housing and Community Development and the Natural Resources Board announced Aug. 22 the release of the Act 250 Interim Exemption Map to help developers and investors create and improve housing that is more affordable. The new interactive map is an exceptional planning tool and shows potential areas where housing may be built without triggering Act 250 review.…

U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, celebrated major investments by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs to support public safety and rehabilitation community projects in Vermont, totaling over $3.1 million, Aug. 22.  The announcements include funding from the Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice…

On Aug. 17, at approximately 2:20 a.m. the Rochester Fire Dept. was dispatched to a report of a vehicle fire at 398 S. Main St. in Rochester. The Rochester Fire Dept. responded to the scene and found the vehicle fully involved. Fire suppression efforts were conducted and immediately put the fire out.  Unfortunately, the fire destroyed…