By Ethan Weinstein  Lt. Gov. Molly Gray kicked off her Recover Stronger tour in Rutland on Wednesday, June 16. Her goal: learn what Vermonters learned from the pandemic, and what the state should do as it eases back to pre-pandemic life. Stopping at Rutland Intermediate School, RRMC, and the Village Snack Bar, Gray chatted with…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — The pandemic has exacerbated an existing shortage of foster homes in Rutland and throughout the state as an increased number of kids need a safe place to live. In Rutland County, 153 kids and teens are in the foster care system, marking a 39% increase from the yearly average of 110.…

By Ethan Weinstein Critical Race Theory (CRT) has sparked partisan fury across the nation in recent months. Now, those debates have come to Rutland. Roughly 70 people met at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland Wednesday night, June 16, to discuss the presence of CRT in school curricula and what they perceive as the theory’s…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — After a decade of population decline, Rutland City officials are beginning a conversation about redrawing the lines of its political districts, which would change voting locations for many city residents.  “Some serious adjustments are going to have to be made,” said state Rep. William Notte, D-Rutland, who represents Ward 4.  The…

On June 22, Celia Ryker of Bridgewater Corners will release "Walking Home: Trail Stories," a memoir of thru-hiking Vermont’s Long Trail at age 60. "Walking Home" is “a fascinating narrative,” said Jennifer Belton, former White House Library director. The memoir weaves stories of Ryker’s childhood and lost family members alongside luscious descriptions of the Long…

RUTLAND—The United Way of Rutland County (UWRC), the largest non-governmental fundraiser for local services in the community, announced June 9 that the search team has appointed Kathleen Taft as associate director. She joins Ashley Bride, who assumed the UWRC executive director role in March 2021. The board of directors partners with the community and the…

By Ethan Weinstein Tuesday, June 22 through Thursday, June 24 Green Mountain National Golf Course (GMNGC) is hosting the American Junior Golf Association’s (AJGA) Killington Junior Golf Championship, presented by Junior Golf Hub. Cancelled last year due to Covid, the Killington Junior Golf Championship, now in its 11th year, features some of the country’s best…

Family encourages blood donations to combat severe shortage In hopes of drawing friends, colleagues and fans, one of Rutland’s iconic blood drives has been renamed for local musician and businessman Peter Giancola. The move comes at a time when the American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage as hospital demand — due to…

RUTLAND—The Regional Partners for Prevention (RPP), a program of Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC), will join with Farrell Distributing for their third annual Sticker Shock campaign, which will take place on June 28. Sticker Shock is a national campaign to reduce underage drinking by limiting youth access to alcohol. The campaign is designed to discourage…

Future funds will pay for more creative, customized elements aimed to inspire and bring ‘magic’ into the play space By Polly Mikula Soon after Killington Elementary School students departed for summer break on June 11, excavators showed up. A week later, the community-built wooden playground that had welcomed students to school for over 30 years…

State provides update on Delta variant, emergency housing program and veto session By Hannah Laga Abram It’s been a week since Vermont lifted all Covid-19 restrictions — and the skies didn’t fall. On the contrary, as Gov. Phil Scott emphasized in Tuesday’s press conference, new case numbers continue to decrease throughout the state, Vermonters continue…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger Though they adjourned last month, Vermont lawmakers are preparing to log back on to Zoom once again next week.  Legislators will return June 23 for a remote veto session, during which Democratic leaders will attempt to revive the three bills that Gov. Phil Scott killed this year. They also plan to pass a housing reform…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger Vermont ranks fourth in the nation for overall child wellbeing, according to Kids Count, an annual 50-state report produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an influential national child welfare nonprofit. The foundation used 16 indicators across four domains — economic wellbeing, education, health, and family and community context — to come up with…

By Kit Norton/VTDigger The administrative costs of running OneCare Vermont, the company that enacts statewide health care reforms, are greater than the Medicaid savings that are credited to its efforts, according to a report issued Monday by State Auditor Doug Hoffer. The 38-page document, which looks at the operating expenses associated with the state’s all-payer health…

By Angelo Lynn It’s worth pondering what’s in Vermont’s DNA that makes us so agreeable? Why would Vermonters be the first to surmount an 80% vaccination rate? Why would the state legislature and a Republican governor lead the nation in adopting some of the most generous elections laws to promote easy access to as many…