By Habib Sabet/VTDigger Rutland teachers and the city’s school board reached a tentative agreement last Tuesday night, May 13, averting a strike planned to begin Wednesday morning. It would have been the first teachers’ strike in Vermont in eight years.  At a marathon school board meeting, the Rutland Education Association — the local union representing the…

By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger Twenty new citizens originally from 11 different countries took an Oath of Allegiance to the United States at a naturalization ceremony Tuesday, May 13, held in the gymnasium of Barstow Memorial School in Chittenden.  Among those naturalized in the ceremony was Steeve Valcourt, a musician originally from Haiti. Valcourt, 42, said he toured…

Data shows first sustained annual decrease in opioid overdose deaths since 2019 New data from the Vermont Dept. of Health shows a significant decline in opioid overdose deaths last year. According to the newly-released Fatal Opioid Overdoses Among Vermonters report, 183 Vermonters died from an opioid-related overdose in 2024, a 22% decrease from 2023 when 236…

Dear Editor, I read the Select Board candidates’ answers in the latest issue of the Mountain Times, and I’d like to address the conflict-of-interest question further. My comments are not specifically directed at any particular candidate or candidates or even the current Select Board or other town board or commission members. Each current candidate has…

Downtown Rutland Partnership’s popular Spring Sip &  Shop pairs local beverage and food producers with downtown Rutland businesses. Ticket holders will visit up to 20 stops where they can shop, enjoy sales and raffles, taste something new, meet up with friends and enjoy an evening downtown together. Tickets are on sale at downtownrutland.com/sipandshop.  Ticket options…

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION,  MENDON — Two area students were among this year’s winners in the Growing Works of Art contest, a statewide program encouraging Vermont students to explore their connection to trees through art and writing. The 2025 theme, “Tree Tales from A to Z,” invited students in grades K–8 to select a letter of…

KILLINGTON — The snow may be gone, but the action is just heating up at Killington Resort as it unveils a packed summer schedule for 2025. From mountain biking and music to races and family fun, “The Beast” delivers non-stop excitement across its expansive terrain, with new additions and returning favorites lined up throughout the…

Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.—WOODSTOCK — Billings Farm & Museum will celebrate Vermont’s long-standing sheep farming tradition on Saturday, with its annual family Sheep & Wool Day. This hands-on event highlights the journey of wool from fleece to fiber. This family-friendly event invites visitors of all ages to explore the rich history and…

May 24-25—VARIOUS LOCATIONS—Throughout Vermont, artists are preparing to welcome the public into their creative spaces for the annual Spring Open Studio Weekend. This statewide event invites visitors to explore studios, galleries, and art centers on scenic drives through town centers and rural backroads alike. The event, organized by the Vermont Crafts Council, runs from 10…

By Shelby BarsalouEditor’s note: Shelby Barsalou is the owner of Cobra Gymnastics. Cobra Gymnastics of Rutland City has brought their 13th competitive season to a strong close with an impressive showing at the USA Gymnastics Region 6 Championships in Westford, Massachusetts on May 17-18.  During the Vermont State Championships on March 22-23, 409 athletes from…

Total Archery Challenge returns to Pico for three days of competition May 23 through 25—KILLINGTON — Archers, outdoor enthusiasts, and families will gather at Pico Mountain Resort for a one-of-a-kind event this Memorial Day weekend as the Jack Link's Total Archery Challenge returns for three days of world-class 3D archery action, Friday through Sunday. Billed…

By Karen D. Lorentz Editors’ Note: This is part 11 of a series on the factors that enabled Killington to become The Beast of the East. Quotations are from author interviews in the 1980s for her book “Killington, A Story of Mountains and Men.” From 1954 to 1963, the focus was on getting Killington open,…

KILLINGTON—Casella is closing East Mountain Road to all traffic Wednesday, May 21 starting at 7 a.m. in the area noted below for placement of waterline pipe. The road will not reopen for the evening of Wednesday, May 21, and will remain closed until Casella has completed installation of the waterline pipe in the roadway. The road will…

Dear editor, During his first campaign, Donald Trump complained that people were mounting a “witch hunt” against him, relying on the conventional implication that the quarry doesn’t exist and the hunt is futile and fruitless. But those were conventional times. Who was prepared for the ways that Donald Trump stands reality on its head? Trump’s…

By Sen. Nader Hashim and Rep. Martin LaLonde Editor’s note: Senator Hashim is the chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee and Rep. LaLonde is chair of the state House Judiciary Committee. When floodwaters tore through Vermont in July 2023 and again exactly a year later, they left more than physical destruction in their wake.…