Cal Garrison (a.k.a Mother of the Skye) writes weekly horoscopes for The Mountain Times. If you would like an emailed notification sent to you weekly, sign up for the newsletter, below.         Horoscopes for November 27 - December 3, 2014 Aries March 21 - April 20 You're going through one of those…

Friday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Paramount Theatre is happy to bring country music superstar, LeAnn Rimes to the stage with her “One Christmas” tour on Friday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m., with special guest Levi Hummon. LeAnn Rimes has sold more than 40 million albums, won two Grammy® Awards, three Academy of…

Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. — BRANDON — Brandon Music is delighted to welcome, all the way from Russia, the vocal group, the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The Ensemble offers a program that helps introduce audiences to Russian spiritual music, as well as to get acquainted with the unforgettable…

Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. — KILLINGTON — Ted Arbo’s 28th Annual Toys for Tots (Not Tears) Holiday Party will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, from 4 - 8 p.m. at The Foundry at Summit Pond in Killington. Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy as a donation. In addition to the toy drive, the…

Dec. 5 & 6 — KILLINGTON — The Vermont Holiday Festival returns to Killington on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6 with its glittering Festival of Trees, the magic of Santa’s Workshop, and a bustling schedule of activities and musical performances. The Grand Ballroom at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel will be transformed into a winter wonderland…

Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Paramount Theatre will host its 12th annual Festival of Trees – the theatre’s annual benefit auction - on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the historic theater. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is $10. A cash bar will be offered and catering will be expertly handled by…

Monday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. — KILLINGTON  — Killington’s Annual Holiday Party to benefit the Rutland County Humane Society is set for Monday, Dec. 8 at JAX Food & Games in Killington. As is tradition, bar manager and animal lover Kevin Olaynack is hosting the event and will be collecting donations of non-perishable pet treats and toys…

By Hilary Niles, VTDigger.org Vermont’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.4 percent in October, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Labor. The leveling follows four consecutive months of increases in the seasonally adjusted jobless rate. Nationwide, Vermont tied with Kansas for ninth place among states with the lowest unemployment rates. The…

By Hilary Niles, VTDigger.org On Wednesday, Nov. 26, state agencies were directed to find another $17 million in cuts for the current budget year. That news comes on top of $31.3 million in summer rescissions after the state’s revenue forecast was downgraded. Now, four months into fiscal year 2015, revenues are another $12 million short,…

By Laura Krantz, VTDigger.org The Department for Children and Families failed to follow its own policies and moved too quickly to reunify two children with their families when it was not safe, an outside report released Friday, Nov. 21, found. That push to reunify, along with other system failures, contributed to those children’s deaths this…

By Tom Brown, VTDigger.org State Auditor Doug Hoffer is questioning why the state is in the business of selling liquor, a substance that it also regulates. Hoffer’s office issued a report Monday that examines the impact of privatizing the state’s liquor distribution system. The auditor’s report also suggested ways the Department of Liquor Control could…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org The Affordable Care Act’s so-called “Cadillac tax” on high-value health insurance plans will cost some Vermonters an estimated $9 million when it’s implemented in 2018, according to a draft report released Monday by the Legislative Joint Fiscal Office (JFO). That tax bill is expected to grow to $40 million by 2023.…

By Laura Krantz, VTDigger.org The state this year abruptly shut down a program that helps low-income Vermonters spay and neuter their pets, documents show, leaving pet owners without an affordable way to have their animals fixed and inundating local shelters with calls for help. The Department for Children and Families says the Vermont Spay and…

By Hilary Niles, VTDigger.org The implementation of Vermont’s universal pre-kindergarten mandate, signed into law with much fanfare in May, will be delayed for a year. State officials made the announcement Wednesday, Nov. 26, citing challenges with rule-making and school budget processes. Act 166 requires publicly funded pre-kindergarten education to be offered for a minimum of…

By Laura Krantz, VTDigger.org The state will not appeal a court decision that deemed it unconstitutional to send male, but not female, inmates out of state, state officials say. In a lower court ruling this summer, Judge Helen Toor ordered the Department of Corrections to return Michael Carpenter, a prisoner sent to Kentucky, to Vermont.…