Dear Editor, Fellow residents of Bennington and the surrounding area. Calls and emails have been coming into the Vermont Veterans’ Home requesting information on the 2020 Wreaths Across America activities at the Home. As we all know, Covid-19 has temporarily changed the way we work, teach, and gather together; at least for now. On Dec.…

Dear Editor, Unsure how to vote in November?   Here’s a short guide to deciding if Donald Trump is your guy. If your strongest concern as a worker is what Trump says he will do for you, he’s your guy. If your concern is with what he has actually done for workers, Trump should not…

Dear Editor, As we enter another general election season, I encourage my fellow Vermonters to take a hard look at the local and statewide issues that affect our daily lives. In 2015, the education bill called Act 46 was passed with grand promises of efficiency, opportunity, and importantly, a decrease in our property taxes. But just…

Dear Editor, In 2008 I relocated to Brandon from the Boston area for a new job opportunity and change of scenery. I’ve developed roots here by purchasing a home and making friends. One of the first people I met was Stephanie Jerome. We’ve logged many miles together walking and running, talking about work, children, and…

Dear Editor, To be fair, one can’t really write a letter about the upcoming election without referencing the current Covid crisis.  That said, this global pandemic has done more than jeopardize our personal health and well-being.  Covid has also done an efficient job of shining the spotlight on some long-standing economic problems in our region. …

Dear Editor, After serving in the longest legislative session in memory, State Senator Cheryl Hooker is running again to continue working for Rutland County and all Vermonters. I, for one, am glad we have an incumbent who is rock solid and understands Vermont’s strengths and weaknesses. She is poised to reach across the aisle and…

By Angelo Lynn Gov. Phil Scott has long run on a campaign pledge to “make Vermont affordable.” Scott Milne, a Republican running for lieutenant governor, is campaigning as Gov. Scott’s sidekick to get “Vermont back to work.” But has Gov. Scott been able to keep his pledge, and is Milne’s campaign mantra anything more than…

The Vermont Department of Labor announced Thursday, Oct. 1, an increase to the state’s minimum wage. Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the state’s minimum wage will increase $.79, from $10.96 to $11.75 per hour. The calculation for this increase is in accordance with Act 86 of the 2019 Vermont General Assembly. This adjustment also impacts the…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) invites Vermonters to write their own highway safety message to get drivers’ attention and help keep travelers safe. The winning message will appear on the light-up message boards on highways and interstates around the state this fall. The messages must focus on highway safety and be tasteful and non-offensive.…

By Andrew Martin News & Citizen/VTDigger The number of fatal car crashes on Vermont’s roads has risen substantially this year. “We are up significantly from last year, more than double,” said Mandy White, spokesperson for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Though theoretically fewer drivers are on the road because of the pandemic, the number of…

The Vermont Dept. of Labor announced Oct. 5 that the state is set to “trigger off” of the High Extended Benefits program, as of Oct. 10. This determination by the U.S. Dept. of Labor follows Vermont’s unemployment rate decreasing from 8.3% in July to 4.8% in August. A state’s unemployment rate is what drives its…

Dr. Devborah Birx said she was impressed with student, community response to pandemic during campus visit, Saturday By Alek Fleury/Vermont Cynic On a visit to the University of Vermont campus Saturday, Oct. 10, White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx praised UVM and the state for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the…

By Karen D. Lorentz Eb Kinney was born in Rutland, grew up in South Dorset, and learned to ski at age 8 in the after school Junior Ski Instruction Program at Bromley Mountain. Like so many Vermont kids, he worked at the mountain for lift tickets while in school, first in daycare and then as…

VIP Tires & Service celebrated the opening of its new store in Rutland, making it the company’s second store in the Green Mountain State, and its 60th in New England. The new store is located at 133 Strongs Avenue, and officially opened on Wednesday, Oct. 7 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. VIP has numerous store…

Terry John Youngman of Orangeburg, New York, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020 surrounded by his brothers and sisters and his two sons. He was the loving and proud father of Daniel, Patrick and the late Jacklyn Mary. Cherished son of Joyce and the late Frank Youngman. Beloved brother of Frank and wife Jocelyn,…