By Juan Vega de Soto/VTDigger On July 10 last year, heavy rains that had begun the night before unleashed catastrophic floods across Vermont.  This Wednesday, exactly a year later, torrential downpours may once again threaten the state with flooding, according to a forecast issued Monday, July 8, by the National Weather Service.  The culprit? The collision of Tropical…

By Bruce Bouchard and john Turchiano Editor’s note: Bruce Bouchard is former executive director of The Paramount Theatre. John Turchiano, his friend for 52 years, was formerly the editor of Hotel Voice, a weekly newspaper on the New York Hotel Trades Council. They are co-authoring this column to tell short stories on a wide range…

The state of Vermont is reminding all Vermonters to boat safely this Fourth of July weekend. Recently released 2023 U.S. Coast Guard data show that alcohol use remains the primary known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. In addition, 85% of people who drowned in a recreational boating incident were not wearing a life jacket. The…

Sunday, July 7 at 4 p.m. - ROCHESTER - After thirty years as artistic director of the Rochester Chamber Music Society, Cynthia Huard will perform her final concert on Sunday, July 7, at 4 p.m. in the Federated Church. She will be accompanied by the newly appointed artistic director, violinist Adda Kridler, violinist Mary Rowell…

By Dr. Vern Grubinger, UVM extension Insect pests get a lot of attention because we see the damage they cause. Less obvious are beneficial insects that provide “biocontrol” of insect pests. These include predators that kill or disable their prey quickly and parasitoids that kill pests more slowly.  Predators include lady beetles, ground beetles, lacewings…

Saturday, July 6 at 10 a.m. - BRANDON - Celebrate Independence Day in Brandon with free events all day on Saturday, July 6. There will be a parade, contests, children’s activities, beer garden, auctions, street dance, fireworks and much more. One of the parade highlights this year will be the 40th Army Band from the…

Thursday, July 4 at 10 a.m. - POULTNEY - The highlight of the celebration is the town parade, kicking off on Thursday, July 4 at 10 a.m. in East Poultney. Before the parade, fuel up with a delicious pancake breakfast at the Methodist Church on Main St., starting at 8 a.m. An afternoon packed with…

Wednesday, July 3—RUTLAND—Northwood Park on Post Road in Rutland Town. Duration: 1 hr 30 min. There is plenty of parking inside Northwood Park. There will be no parking along Post Road. The fireworks will off start when it's dark.

Thursday, July 4—RUTLAND—There will be a  live demo derby at The Vermont State Fairgrounds, 175 So. Main St., Rutland, followed by Fireworks to 9:45 p.m. Ticket prices are  $12 + for grandstand general amission plus tax.  Trackside general admission tickets are  $25  + tax. A boxes are  $140 + tax, with the B boxes going…

Wednesday, July 3 at 6 p.m.—BROWNSVILLE—Starting at 6 p.m. on July 3, enjoy an array of tasty delights by four diverse food vendors. The local Moonlighters will be serving up their favorite hot dogs, hamburgers and fries; and Wicked Awesome BBQ will provide barbeque and sides. The perennial AJ’s Fried Dough and Lazy Cow Ice…

Thursday, July 4—KILLINGTON—Calling all Killington residents, visitors, and businesses.Killington's Independence Day celebration is back. There will be a parade, fireman's BBQ, games, fireworks and more. This event is sponsored by the Killington Fire Department, Killington Parks and Recreation, and the Killington Transfer Station. Please check the Killington Rec website for any updates regarding this event.…

Staff report The relatively dry spring and early summer has meant trails across the region are in great shape — very few washouts, debris, or “bones” (rocks and roots exposed after washout) are evident anywhere — and riders are rejoicing!  “Trails are in great shape!” riders echo in the reports from Woodstock, to Killington, to…

Dear Editor, The Vermont Legislature has passed a 13.8% increase in Vermonters’ property tax to fund our public education system. Now that we are paying more, what educational outcomes are we getting for our money? According to Forbes Magazine, Feb. 7, 2024: “Which states have the highest standardized test scores,” Vermont ranks 10th in the nation…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This letter is authored by 15 child care program directors and owners from across the state. They are listed at the end of the letter. Last year, we came together as child care program owners and early childhood educators from around Vermont to sound the alarm on the dire state of Vermont’s…

By Don Tinney Editor’s note: Don Tinney is a longtime high school English teacher at BFA-St. Albans and now represents 13,000 educators as president of Vermont-NEA. No political insiders in Montpelier were surprised when Sen. Jane Kitchel condemned the Scott administration’s proposal to zero out the education fund reserves to provide short-term property tax relief,…