By Anne Galloway, www.VTDigger.org Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott led a mini fact-finding mission on Monday to learn more about components of the Connecticut health care exchange that could help Vermont save money. The cost of fixing the dysfunctional Vermont Health Connect website will be roughly $200 million and maintaining it on an annual basis will…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org As the Shumlin administration and the Vermont State Employees’ Association debate how the state will manage $10.8 million in personnel and labor cost reductions, the impact of those cuts remains unclear. Late last month, the House approved a $1.48 billion general fund budget package that includes a $10.8 million reduction in…

KILLINGTON—Killington Mountain School trustees have approved bonds for the four-season bag jump project, thereby allowing the school to move forward with construction of the facility. The airbag project is still considered a component of the Trails Initiative, but the decision was made to finance the bag via a separate funding source with the goal to…

RUTLAND–Students in kindergarten through second grade at the Northeast and Northwest elementary schools are not only recycling, but also sorting any uneaten food from breakfast and lunch for composting. Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) will phase in over the next five years, and schools will need to have composting programs in place. The University…

On April 9, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Senate Budget Committee ranking member, issued the following statement on new data showing the extent to which some American companies are avoiding taxes: “I applaud Citizens for Tax Justice for releasing new data today revealing the unfairness of our tax system and the fact that a number of the…

By Anthony Cotter WEST RUTLAND — Just past the Carving Studio’s main building in West Rutland  majestic sculpures lie among pieces of discarded marble and old machinery. Some were polished pieces with price tags, others were in various stages of completion. The Carving Studio and the nearby Vermont Marble Museum, which will open for its…

By Governor Peter Shumlin A young woman suffering from an opiate overdose was recently brought to the Howard Center, an addiction recovery center in Chittenden County. The young woman had blue lips, was unresponsive, and was not breathing. Luckily, an opiate overdose reversal drug called naloxone was on hand. After receiving three doses of the…

By Debby Haskins Scientifically speaking, why does one feel “high” from marijuana? As Vermont contemplates legalizing marijuana and increasing the access to it and acceptance of it, it’s worth learning about what marijuana does to the brain. Arguably there is still much scientific study to do on the subject, but research on pot and its effects…

H.361 tries to address the school conundrum By Dave Sharpe Do we have small schools and small school districts or tiny schools and tiny school districts? Will expanding the size of school districts and getting rid of supervisory unions increase or decrease democracy? Can we embrace a new sense of our local community? Does H.361…

Dear Editor, I read something in a local paper a few weeks ago about the struggle of nonprofits to accommodate sporadic droves of corporate volunteers. The story said that while well intended, volunteers often show up to perform a photo-op-worthy task that’s already well-covered and not necessarily what truly needs to be done. Nonprofits rarely…

By Dom Cioffi Many years ago, just prior to my wedding day, I engaged in a ceremonial act that I assumed would bring closure to the preceding chapters of my life. The ceremony was of my own creation – a spur-of-the-moment act that was done initially to lighten the load of an impending residential move.…

This Saturday, April 18, do not miss the first annual Dazed and Defrosted concert outside the Umbrella Bars at Killington Resort featuring Max Creek, who are celebrating their 44th year in the music business. I first saw Creek in 1985 at Trinity College and I’ve been a fan ever since. Mark Mercier plays keyboard and…

By Tom Joyce Sugar on Snow martini is a seasonal favorite! Gallipo’s farm on Grove Street in Rutland Town is where I first experienced the magic of the sugarhouse. It was just a short walk across the fields of Gerdon’s farm and over two rock walls to the sugar shack. There was nothing quite like…

Courtesy of KMS Ultra runner Nikki Kimball stands stop a log on a hike. The Chittenden native, who set speed record running Long Trail, shares experience KILLINGTON—Ultra athlete Nikki Kimball spoke to the entire KMS community Monday, March 30, about her career, challenges she’s faced along the way, and how she’s risen above difficulty and…

Courtesy of KMS GRACIE WEINBERG Takes a stab at doubles luge KILLINGTON—Killington Mountain School luge athlete Gracie Weinberg has just returned to Vermont from Park City, Utah, where she competed in Junior Nationals. Weinberg reports that she took the second place spot, thereby securing her spot on the National Team. Once back in Lake Placid,…