On Monday, July 1, Governor Phil Scott proclaimed July as Lakes Appreciation Month in Vermont. Lakes and ponds are among Vermont’s most valuable natural resources. They offer countless benefits from drinking water and recreation to crucial fish and wildlife habitat. The governor’s proclamation stresses the importance of the state’s 800-plus lakes and ponds for this and future…

On June 25, the Vermont Dept. of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering May 2024. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May was 2.1%. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 65.% in May, an…

Vermont 211, the program hosting Vermont’s one-stop number to call for information about community, health, and human services has announced its hours will return to 24/7/365 service as of July 1. “The restored hours are the result of an appropriation by the Vermont Legislature,” said Vermont 211 Executive Director Elizabeth Gilman.  The hours were cut…

Treasurer Pieciak announced Monday, June 24, that Vermont’s credit ratings were affirmed by the major credit rating agencies, S&P Global Ratings (AA+), Fitch Ratings (AA+), and Moody’s (Aa1). Leveraging this fiscal strength, Pieciak and his office successfully refinanced outstanding higher-interest bonds, resulting in savings of approximately $3.7 million.  The ratings reaffirmed that Vermont’s financial outlook is…

The partnership puts Vermont Saves on track to launch by the end of 2024 Last week, June 26, the Colorado SecureSavings Program announced a partnership with Vermont’s public retirement program, Vermont Saves. The new partnership adds Vermont to the Partnership for a Dignified Retirement, an interstate consortium including Delaware and Maine. With more assets and accounts under management,…

Beginning July 1, 2024, employers and self-employed individuals are required to pay the Vermont Child Care Contribution tax. Act 76 (H.217), an act related to child care and early childhood education, became law on June 20, 2023.  The law makes major investments in Vermont’s child care system, and mandates policy changes that will impact child care…

Members of the Rutland Area Medical Community recently awarded six $3,000 scholarships to local students pursuing or advancing their career in healthcare. The scholarship program has been made possible through the generosity of Rutland area physicians, retired physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, according to a news release Thursday, June 27.  The Rutland Area Medical…

Improving quality of care for birthing has been a laser focus for Rutland Regional Medical Center’s (RRMC) Women and Children’s Unit and Birthing Center. This past January, the steady work to improve maternal health outcomes paid off when the hospital was formally named a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care—the only hospital in Vermont to…

New apartments help address workforce housing challenges in Upper Valley On Wednesday, June 26, the White River Junction community celebrated the official grand opening of 42 new affordable apartments downtown with a ribbon cutting and an apartment tour. The apartments, named Riverwalk Apartments, were developed by DEW Braverman with an agreement to sell the building…

Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) is set to receive a $7,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their lifesaving work for animals in Rutland County, according to a June 26 news release. Petco Love is leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families…

DNA testing has revealed that a human skull discovered four years ago in Cavendish is that of a man who had been reported missing in June 2010. The Dept. of Public safety released that test results, June 10, followed by a news release. The remains were positively identified as Bryan Gomez of Cavendish, who was…

Staff report A Rutland teenager was killed and two others were seriously injured in a crash at 5:52 a.m. Sunday morning, June 30 in Mendon. State Police Corporal Mark Busier from the Rutland barracks issued the report later that day.  The single-vehicle crash occurred on Notch Road near South Mendon Road. The 2000 Volkswagen Jetta…

By Susan Shea Black birds with a greenish sheen and brown heads sometimes visit my yard during spring migration. These are male brown-headed cowbirds, and they often arrive in mixed flocks of red-winged blackbirds and grackles. Cowbirds breed in most of the Northeast and have an unusual reproductive strategy. Instead of building their own nests,…

A Tribute, Part 3  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 of topics. …

Lilacs, All purple and pink, How very beautiful they are, Magical and enchanting, You just want to sit there, Enjoying the scenery, By the sparkly lake, In the crystal clear water, The reflection is wondrous, With petals drifting in the water, The most beautiful scene, You just want to stay there, Enjoying it, The beauty…