By Emma Cotton/VTDigger As of Tuesday, Nov. 17, 26 residents and 12 staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 at Rutland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, according Richard Feifer, the nursing home’s chief medical officer. At Friday’s regular press conference held by Gov. Phil Scott, state officials said four of the 19 residents have been hospitalized.…

National franchise offers vital service during Covid-19 pandemic The Dog Wizard has announced the opening of a new corporate location in Rutland, providing pet owners throughout the region with its innovative dog training service that has garnered a national reputation for transforming pet and pet owner relationships. "Our philosophy is simple. It takes a balanced…

Staff report Rutland residents will not vote on whether or not to change the Rutland High School’s nickname “Raiders” and arrowhead logo, after a motion to put the question to a non-binding vote at Town Meeting in March failed 5-5 at the Board of Aldermen’s meeting Monday. The measure needed seven votes to get on…

On Nov. 11, at 8:51 p.m., troopers from the Vermont State Police -Rutland Barracks, responded to an armed robbery at the Stewart's Shop located at 116 Main St. in West Rutland. Upon meeting with store employees and reviewing video footage, it was learned that at 8:45 p.m., a lone white male described as approximately 5’9”…

On Nov. 10 at about 5 a.m., troopers from the Vermont State Police were dispatched to a burglary reported at Kamuda’s Country Market in Pittsford. During the investigation, it was determined a female made forced entry into the market, causing damage. During the investigation, a second burglary was discovered across the street at Maclure Library.…

By Lee J. Kahrs BRANDON — The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union wants as many kids in the schools as possible, but is poised to turn to all remote learning if necessary. The bigger concern right now is the holiday season. Rumors have been flying that Otter Valley Union High School is planning to send all…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger The Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee has steered an additional $75 million into grants intended to help Vermont’s hospitality businesses survive the winter. The committee, meeting Saturday, Nov. 14, approved many of the items on a proposal the Scott administration issued earlier this month to reallocate some of the state’s $1.25 billion share of the…

By Katy Savage Rep. Charlie Kimbell, D-Woodstock, is campaigning to be the next speaker of the House after Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, lost her bid for reelection on Nov. 3. Kimbell is a ranking member of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee and represents Woodstock, Reading and Plymouth, which make up Winsor-5. He was…

K-12 schools grapple with holiday exposure risks to Covid-19, potential outbreaks, staffing By Curt Peterson An explosive increase in Covid-19 cases across the U.S. and now Vermont are inspiring many reactive decisions — perhaps none more consequential than those regarding education. Education Secretary Dan French said at the Nov. 13 pandemic press conference the state…

Contact tracer keeps advice simple: stay 6 feet apart or keep contact to less than 15 minutes By Polly Mikula The recent surge of Covid-19 case growth in Vermont has led to new mitigation measures to slow the spread. Among those announced Friday, Nov. 13, were a prohibition on multi-family gatherings and the closure of…

By Brooke Geery If you grew up in Rutland in the 90s, you likely have a memory of the Sound Barrier and its brightly colored banner on Center Street. Whether you were after music, clothing or skate and snowboard supplies, the store provided anything and everything an alt-teen could desire. Owner Jeff Sanborn helped rural…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger Home prices rose sharply this summer as out-of-staters moved into Vermont and market conditions deterred the construction of new houses, tightening the supply. The median sales price paid in September hit $348,000 — 23% more than the median sales price of $281,335 in September 2019, the Vermont Association of Realtors said…

By Merisa Sherman We pulled into an empty parking lot and raced down to the water, amazed that we are even still paddling this late in November. The BF unstrapped the canoe in record time while I grabbed our dry bags and paddles from the back seat. We could see the sky begin to hint…

By Kevin Theissen According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, productivity losses linked to employees not showing up for work cost employers approximately $225 billion annually, or over $1,600 per worker. Business owners and managers understand very well the rising cost of health care and the loss of productivity associated with absenteeism and…

By Dom Cioffi This is an actual group text I received a few days ago from a college friend: “Yo whoz goin 2 the re-union” I scanned those words two or three times, cringing progressively worse upon each reading. Forget the fact that zero punctuation was used or that the grammar was bastardized nearly beyond…