Dear Clarendon Residents, On May 18, there will be a special election for a seat on the Mill River School Board.  My experience demonstrates that I will be able to contribute the leadership needed to help the school district move forward. My background in Communication supports an understanding of the barriers that occur between people…

By Brett Yates After a year of limited activities on account of Covid-19 precautions, the Rutland Recreation & Parks Dept. expects to offer a full slate of events and opportunities for fun this summer and fall. “I just think it’s a great time to start announcing that, with the loosening of guidelines, we’re back,” Superintendent…

$285 million spent from 2010-2019, auditor's report finds Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer released a first-ever comprehensive accounting of Vermont state government’s total annual spending in support of Vermont’s dairy industry, Monday, May 10. From state fiscal year 2010-2019, the auditor’s office estimates that Vermont taxpayers spent more than $285 million on programs and policies…

By Katy Savage As the nation’s southern border starts to open after a year-long shutdown, a group in Rutland is preparing to welcome asylum seekers. Bridge to Rutland (B2R), a group of people from several local parishes, has raised about $8,000 to bring asylum seekers to the city. Close to 70 volunteers have offered services,…

By Curt Peterson On Tuesday, May 4, the Killington Select Board considered a request by the Killington Softball League (KSL) to utilize the town’s baseball fields this summer.   Dave Hoffenberg, the league’s commissioner since 2006, said the league would like to return to Killington. Last year the season was  interrupted in July after a…

Depot Park hosted over 50 food, craft and plant vendors last Saturday By Krista Johnston Last Saturday was the first day back outdoors for the Vermont Farmers' Market.  Over 50 vendors, both new and returning, set themselves up in the Rutland City Depot Park, just adjacent to the Wal-Mart parking lot. According to The Vermont…

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) visited five locations in Addison County and Rutland County on Wednesday, May 6: two federally qualified health centers, a parent child center, a high school, and a medical center. “I have looked forward to traveling around the state and speaking with Vermonters in person again for a very long time. This…

Civil Rights leader and Rutland native was nation’s first black college president  By Victoria Gaither The sculpture honoring Rutland native and leading abolitionist Martin Henry Freeman will be formally dedicated May 13 at noon in the Center Street Marketplace – 195 years after his birth. The Martin Henry Freeman sculpture took its place on the…

Spotlights Vermont’s leading role with visit to Sharon Elementary School U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) visited Sharon Elementary School Thursday, May 6, to highlight new federal Farm to School legislation. The Farm to School Act, introduced by Leahy on April 22, seeks to reauthorize and expand the popular federal Farm to School program. Sharon Elementary…

The Vermont Dept. of Taxes reminds Vermonters of the upcoming May 17 due date for federal and Vermont personal income taxes. Earlier this year, the federal and state filing due dates were extended to provide taxpayers additional time to navigate challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic or manage extra complexity in their tax returns this…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger New England Newspapers Inc. is selling three newspapers in southern Vermont to Guilford resident Paul Belogour.  Company president Fredric Rutberg announced Tuesday, May 4, that the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal, Brattleboro Reformer and UpCountry Magazine will split off from the Berkshire Eagle, which is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where Rutberg is based. The…

By Rep. Jim Harrison A clear sign we are entering the final days of the 2021 session was the initial meeting on Friday, May 7, of the House-Senate budget conference committee. When the budget is done, the Legislature is done.  A conference committee is made up of three House and three Senate members, whose job…

At a Vermont State House press conference Thursday, May 6, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that Vermont will receive $12 million in Covid relief funds that will help communities strengthen their responses to substance use disorders and address new challenges brought on by the pandemic. Leahy was joined…

Gov.  Phil Scott proclaimed May 9-15, 2021 Inclusion Week in Vermont and reiterated Vermont’s commitment to welcoming all people. The governor also established a proclamation of inclusion, which makes clear the state of Vermont condemns discrimination in all forms, and welcomes all people who want to live, work and visit Vermont. Both proclamations acknowledge the work…

By Bill Schubart Editor’s Note: Bill Schubart is the author of nine books of fiction, a former VPR radio commentator, and a regular columnist for VTDigger. He has served on many non-profit boards and several legislative commissions. He grew up in Morrisville and lives in Hinesburg. This commentary is part eight in a 10-part series in…