Opportunities, challenges identified for workforce development The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. released a study this week that examines postsecondary enrollment and completion patterns among Vermont students at two-year schools. This follow-up study of the Vermont high school class of 2012 examines such themes as preparedness for college, full-time versus part-time enrollment, and barriers to degree…

By Meghan Brown, CCV Kyle Wolfe refused to let his past dictate his future. In 2007, he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He took two classes at CCV but failed both due to his substance use disorder and criminal deviance. After years of substance abuse and a…

By Ellie French/VTDigger For 30 years, Susan Stoutes worked for Tuttle Printing and Engraving in Rutland. But in March, along with thousands of other Vermonters, she was laid off as the pandemic hammered businesses across the state. Armed with an art degree from the 1970s and 40 hours a week of newly found free time, Stoutes…

The Covid-19 Local Support and Community Action Team appointed by Governor Scott released its final report on Nov. 16 for economic and community recovery, praising the hard work and dedication of community leaders and local volunteers who have led Covid response and recovery efforts throughout Vermont. The report celebrates the “commitment [of Vermonters] to each…

Governor Phil Scott announced on Nov. 19, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has relaunched the state’s Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Incentive Program with a new round of $950,000 in incentive funding available to income-qualified applicants to purchase or lease new PEVs. The program was first proposed by Governor Phil Scott in his FY2020 budget,…

An 18-year-old from Barre has been charged with multiple offenses in connection with an incident involving deer decoys. Three Vermont Fish & Wildlife state game wardens were conducting a deer decoy operation in Plainfield in the early morning of Nov. 12, in response to multiple complaints of poaching activity in the area. At 12:57 a.m.,…

Use of force analyzed under both current Vermont law and new statute The Attorney General’s Office is declining to prosecute Rutland City Police Department Officer Tyler Billings, who was responsible for the non-fatal shooting of Michael Goodnough, 45, of Rutland. Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced Nov. 24 that his office concluded its review of the…

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, many families and individuals are struggling financially. Isolation and fear can increase as well, creating a feeling of worry or even desperation in some people. Such circumstances are highly conducive to criminals trying to take advantage of people in a variety of ways, including financial scams. Efforts to separate people…

Powdr, owner of Killington and Pico Resorts, and Nokian Tyres announced results for the "Buy a Pass. Plant a Tree. Play Forever." program that launched in August and pledged to plant a tree for every season pass sold during the promotional period at Nokian Tyres’ partner resorts. Nokian Tyres, the official tire partner at Copper…

Okemo, Mount Snow, Stowe and Hunter open for the season with a focus on safety A combination of superlative snowmaking technology and a dedicated operations staff allowed for Vail Resorts’ Vermont and New York ski areas to open for the 2020/2021 ski and snowboard season. Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow in Vermont, as well as…

Michael Edward Kenney, 72, of Rutland, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020 at home with his family after a four-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia. Michael Kenney was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1967-1969 as a damage controlman on the U.S.S. Jonas Ingram. His…

Old friends, new neighbors, huge opportunity For years, the Mettawee Community School (MCS) took advantage of its proximity to the magical Merck Forest & Farmland Center (MFFC). A few days each fall, students in grades 4-6 made the 20-minute pilgrimage by bus to Merck’s 3,200-acre campus for outdoor science classes taught by the inspiring MFFC…

By John Flowers In the fall of 2022 the Slate Valley Unified Union School District (SVUUSD) board is considering a move to send its 7th- and 8th-grade students to Fair Haven Union High School. The plan that’s being considered is part of a major reorganization proposal within the district aimed at saving taxpayer dollars amid…

By Katie Jickling/VTDigger Tom Canavan lived alone in his Rutland home, defiantly independent, until Sept. 24. It was only when Canavan’s memory started faltering and he wandered from the house that his family persuaded the 94-year-old to move into Rutland Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, where his wife Mary spent her final years. His children dropped him off…

Staff report The state will continue to add more testing sites this week. Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services, said on-demand testing sites opened last week in Rutland, Brattleboro, Burlington, Middlebury, and Waterbury. The Rutland site is located at Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Additional testing sites are being opened…