By Lisa Lynn/VT Ski & Ride Ian Forgays was a backcountry skier: "Skiin’ Ian" as he was known and, on social media, “Lincoln Lynx.” He wasn’t the type of guy you would see on chairlifts, unless it was the single chair at Mad River Glen where he worked as a liftie, manning the summit station.…

This winter, Vermont law enforcement is cracking down on unlawful off-trail riding for snowmobilers. And they're ticketing violators. "So spread the word," Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (V.A.S.T.) stated in a recent news release. In Vermont 80% of land is privately owned and those landowners get no compensation for allowing recreational trails and access to…

On Feb. 6, at 6:58 p.m., police responded to Lake Dunmore in the area of Rustic Lane in the town of Salisbury (near Songadeewin camp) for a snowmobile crash. While enroute troopers were notified of an unresponsive female. Amanda Warren,43, of Salisbury, had been operating a snowmobile on Lake Dunmore with passenger/victim Kristle Humiston, 39,…

Vermont State Game Wardens have charged Christopher Thomas, 29, of Springfield, in connection with a snowmobile violation that occurred Friday, Feb.5. A Fish & Wildlife warden was conducting a snowmobile safety checkpoint at the CCC Camp in Grafton. At about 8 p.m. the warden was approached by three snowmobiles while displaying his flashing blue light…

By Brooke Geery On Feb. 6 at 11:06 a.m. a 911 call was received regarding a snowmobile fire on the River Road Covered Bridge on Veilleux Road in Troy, a small town on the Vermont/Quebec border. Several local fire departments responded, and the Troy Fire Chief, Robert Jacobs, contacted the Dept. of Public Safety Fire…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson Given all that the Vermont Dept. of Labor (VDOL) has experienced with processing the vast numbers of Covid Unemployment claims, it was very discouraging to have the VDOL face a significant data security breach early last week. VDOL had mailed out about half of the 1099G tax forms only to discover…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Under Vermont law, the governor can make certain changes to how the executive branch is structured through an executive order by Jan. 15 in the first year in a new term. The Legislature then has 90 days to intervene if it chooses. If the Legislature takes no action, then the restructuring…

Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets announced on Feb. 8 they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that creates an alliance between the two storied independent grocery chains, as it nearly doubles their collective footprint in the Northeast. This transaction unites two New York-based grocery chains with deep ties to local communities and shared…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger School and youth leagues will be able to resume competitions Feb. 12, state officials said at a press conference Friday, Feb. 5. The games will have some restrictions, such as limiting the teams to two games a week and forcing competitions to be spaced three days apart, said Julie Moore, head of the…

Wendy A. Witherell Hill, 87, died peacefully in her sleep on Feb. 3, 2021, following the effects of a stroke. Born Oct. 7, 1933, in Troy, New York, Wendy Witherell Hill graduated from Emma Willard School in 1951, and Cornell University in 1955. She and her husband Robert wed in 1955 and enjoyed 65 years…

By Curt Peterson Killington Police Chief  Whit Montgomery told the Mountain Times the department has obtained an arrest warrant for “theft of services” from North Star Lodge on Weathervane Drive in Killington. The warrant names Katie L. Safford, 30, who maintains a Rutland address. “I feel pretty confident [Safford] will be located and cited,” Montgomery…

By Karen D. Lorentz Killington is a massive mountain — its variety of terrain is its most distinctive and renowned feature. Part of that is the variety of trails, but for freestyle skiers  and riders, it is the dedication to providing terrain parks that makes the mountain their favorite winter playground. That dedication was rewarded…

By Karen D. Lorentz Okemo opened Vermont’s first-of-the-season halfpipe on Sunday, Feb. 7. The superpipe was the first to open in New England (the only other one open by Feb. 7 was in Pennsylvania). One of the factors that has delayed halfpipe builds was the need to make snow on ski trails first so more…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger Four and a half years ago, a single mom moved to Rutland and started her life over from scratch. After breaking away from domestic violence, she found herself in a new city with a few bags of clothes, two hours away from anyone she knew, with no job or connections and two kids…

By Victoria Gaither At 3 years old, Harley Ruffle, known locally as “Lil Homie,” is a snowboard sensation. His mother, Jill Ruffle, just laughs. “I’m amazed he is so good. He can barely talk,” she said. Harley started walking and skateboarding at the same time, explained his father, Gary. “He has good balance, and Tucker…