Saturday, June 22 at 10 a.m.—QUECHEE—Join us at the VINS Nature Center for a day celebrating all things reptile! From turtle shells to snake smells, you will discover the amazing world of reptile adaptations through close encounters, hands-on activities, crafts and more! Recount the history and current status of the iconic Timber Rattlesnake here in…

Dear Editor, A broad cross section of Vermonters gathered in the State House cafeteria to express their displeasure with the direction the state’s political leadership is taking them. (And that was April 25; things have not improved since.) Feeling ignored or otherwise discounted and marginalized, and in some cases, even mocked, the diverse group chose…

By Teddy Waszazak Editor’s note: Teddy Waszazak is a resident of Barre and the Legislative Policy Lead at Hunger Free Vermont, a statewide advocacy and education nonprofit working to end hunger in Vermont. As another school year comes to a close, all of us in Vermont have two exciting milestones to celebrate: the start of…

Dear Editor, In the summer of 2020, the nation watched 8 minutes and 46 seconds of video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of a detained man named George Floyd until Floyd was asphyxiated to death. It was horrific, and Floyd was only one of several people of color who died at…

Dear Editor, Our state Legislature is meeting this week to vote on overriding Governor Scott’s vetoes of legislation introduced during the latest session. One of the bills for consideration is H. 887, the annual “yield bill,” which funds our public education system through property taxes. Governor Scott has rightly vetoed this bill because, according to…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is publisher of the Addison Independent, a sister paper to the Mountain Times. On a few notable foreign policy issues, President Joe Biden, along with fellow Democrats and Progressives, need to reset their politics to match today’s reality. Specifically, how America manages immigration on its southern border needs…

By Cecilia Larson/Community News Service Editor’s note: The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost. Forged by the American Forest Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, a program that pays people to set aside forest to store carbon…

Governor Scott signed both into law By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger New legislation signed by Gov. Phil Scott May 30 will help patients afford prescription drugs, as rising pharmaceutical prices push up health care costs across the state.  As legislators scrambled to wrap up the legislative session earlier this month, they passed two bills that aim to reform…

On Monday, June 3, Governor Scott and Vermont Emergency Management announced $90 million of federal funding is now available to Vermont municipalities to implement hazard mitigation measures that reduce future flood risk. These funds are available to all Vermont towns with no local match requirement. The federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funds to…

Few birding experiences rival hearing the haunting call of the loon or seeing them glide by in protected coves on a lake. However, for the birds’ protection, Vermont Fish & Wildlife (VTF&W) is asking boaters and anglers to enjoy loons from a safe distance this summer. “Loons were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in…

The Vermont Women’s Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation announced the recipients of its 2024 annual grant round, June 17. A total of $365,180 was awarded to 36 organizations across Vermont; five of which went to organizations in Rutland or Windsor County.  “The work these organizations do improves the lives of women and girls across…

Castleton Elementary School’s Carl Cougar has been crowned champion of the first Slate Valley Mascot Madness competition for the 2023-24 school year. Superintendent Brooke Olsen-Farrell presented the honors to Carl on Friday morning, June 14. The awarded trophy was designed and created by Middle School student, Deshawn Ingram, who used both the 3D printer and…

The winners of two local scholarship awards, sponsored by the Greater Killington Women’s Club, were recently presented at the Woodstock Union High School Senior Awards Night ceremony. The Club disburses two $1,000 awards to graduating seniors each year.  The Sherburne Academic Award is presented to a Killington or Pittsfield resident with the highest weighted GPA…

The grand opening of New England Cider Donuts at 29 Main St. in Ludlow was recently celebrated with a ribbon cutting. The new shop will offer local coffee, breakfast sandwiches, assorted baked goods, in addition to delicious cider and specialty donuts. In the summer it’ll also offer ice cream sundaes. Pictured: David Bennett, owner, cuts…

The Diagnostic Imagining team at Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) recently celebrated the installation of a second computed tomography (CT) scanner with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new machine, according to a news release, June 13.  The state-of-the-art CT scanner is a Revolution Ascend model manufactured by GE Healthcare. This new CT Scanner doubles…