By Karen D. Lorentz There has been some progress concerning the Killington Village Master Plan and Resort Parking Project permits that were issued by the District #1 Environmental Commission on October 7, 2013 but then appealed. Judge Thomas S. Durkin, who is presiding over the two appeals before the Superior Court’s Environmental Division (aka the…

BROWNINGTON—Curtis Smiley with the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club says a huge bear taken in the 2013 hunting season is the heaviest bear taken in Vermont by bow and arrow since 1898; it is a new record, Vermont Fish and Wildlife announced last week.  Kevin Lamere of Brownington, Vt., shot the bear on Oct. 5,…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org MONTPELIER—A legislative panel has come to an agreement with the Shumlin administration on $31.28 million in cuts to the state budget. Lawmakers approved a rescission that will remove a 1.6 percent increase in Medicaid reimbursements for health care providers, saving the state about $10 million. The 10-member Joint Fiscal Committee initially…

By Anne Galloway and VTDigger staff, VTDigger.org MONTPELIER--Gov. Peter Shumlin on Tuesday, Aug. 12, ousted Agency of Human Services Secretary Doug Racine and replaced him with Health Commissioner Harry Chen. “I felt that Doug Racine had done great things for the agency,” Shumlin said at an unrelated news conference. “It was time for a leadership…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org Sen. Jim Jeffords died Monday morning at the Knollwood Military Retirement Residence in Washington, D.C. He was 80 years old. Jeffords had lived at Knollwood since his wife died of ovarian cancer eight years ago. The Vermont congressman and senator served 32 years in Congress until he retired in 2006 after…

By Dom Cioffi Last week, as I was putting the finishing touches on my column, I faintly overheard a newscaster announce from the television in a nearby room, “Folks, we have a developing story from the West Coast.” His tone suggested a level of alarm normally reserved for major news announcements so I immediately took…

By Susan Shea Perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse in your headlights of a mouse with a very long tail, leaping across the road at night.  Or maybe your cat has deposited a specimen on your doorstep. This is the jumping mouse.  My orange tabby, Marmalade, seems to specialize in catching them.  The two jumping mice…

By Scott Funk It isn’t so much that I hate this phone as it is that I miss its predecessor. I’d just gotten where I was comfortable with it when they took it away. The guy at the phone store said it wasn’t compatible with the new 4G network. “No problem” he said, “you’re overdue…

By Cindy Phillips Robin Williams was one of us. He was a Boomer. He shared our era in all its wonderment and maybe even more. In fact, I am sure it was more. He grew up with Shari Lewis, Lambchop and Charlie Horse. I am sure he watched the Mickey Mouse Club and had a…

Aug. 21-24  — RANDOLPH — “It’s all about community,” smiles Peter Sanders, cellist and founder of the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival. He has brought his music and his professional New York friends and colleagues back once again to the Central Vermont and Upper Valley communities for what he is proud to say is his 22nd consecutive…

Thursday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. — KILLINGTON — The Friends of the Sherburne Memorial Library will meet on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. in the Ann Wallen Room of the library for a preview of the programs and events coming this fall and into 2015. Get an early look at the new design for the front…

Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. — CHITTENDEN — The Mountain Top Inn & Resort will offer a special celebration and menu surrounding their Long Trail Brewers Dinner. Taking place on Thursday, Aug. 21, this is the third in a series of four “Meet The Brewers” dinners held at The Mountain Top Tavern this summer. Each dinner,…

Thursday, Aug. 21 — WEST PAWLET — The West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department auction is here! Thursday, Aug. 21 everyone is invited to the West Pawlet Firehouse, located on Route 153, in West Pawlet. The auction event begins at 6 p.m. and it does not end until all items are gone! Chriss Mars will be the…

Friday, Aug. 22 at 11:30 a.m. — RUTLAND — Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will host its second Stone Soup Celebration event on Friday, Aug. 22 from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. as Lutheran Bishop James Hazelwood of the ELCA New England Synod rides into Rutland on his “Bike For Bread” World Hunger Appeal Ride. The Bishop’s motorcycle…

Friday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. — LUDLOW — Okemo Mountain Resort will host a free concert on Friday, Aug. 22 featuring the Kenny Mehler Band as part of the Jackson Gore Summer Music Series presented by Vermont Properties and Development, Inc. Concerts are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday evenings in the courtyard at…