Friday, Feb. 4 — PERU — Staff of Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center (SVRCC) in Bennington, Rebecca Hewson-Steller, RN; Jenny Coutu, MSN, RN; Mary Weinfurt, RN; Naomi Bolognani; and Matthew Vernon, MD, gathered to invite members of the public to enjoy a fun day of skiing and riding on Friday, Feb. 4. That’s the day…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger A new subvariant of the now-dominant Omicron strain was detected in Vermont last week as part of genomic sequencing, the Department of Health reported Friday, Jan. 28. The Broad Institute identified the subvariant in a sample sent to them as part of Vermont’s “ongoing sequencing efforts,” according to health department spokesperson Ben…

Skiing competition has returned to Killington for the 2021-22 ski season. Last week Killington Resort hosted the Eastern Cup Slalom on Highline. The races took place over four days: about 80 women raced on Saturday and Sunday; and about 100 men raced on Monday and Tuesday. As usual for an Eastern Cup, racers were from…

Warming up on cold days can be a challenge. Bundling up near the fireplace is one way to keep warm, as is dining on hearty meals that have staying power. Chili is a cold-weather staple that is full of delicious, fresh ingredients. A little chili goes a long way, and it can be spiced up…

Randy Crossman, a 62-year-old woodworker and seventh-generation Vermonter from Rutland, has crossed the halfway mark in his goal to summit Pico Mountain 365 times in 365 days, a project he calls “PicoSummit365.” He began the project in summer 2021 and just recently exceeded 200 hikes. Crossman is an avid outdoorsman who committed to this goal…

Staff report Covid-19 cases remain elevated in Vermont, with the daily number of new infections averaging 1,121 cases over the last 7 days. The state reported 8,135 new cases this week, 2,878 fewer cases compared to last week, a decrease of 27%, but it was still the third highest week for case counts ever. During…

By Seton McIlroy, vice-chair of Woodstock Village Board of Trustees Weatherwise, the toughest time in Vermont is not the freezing days of winter, as some out-of-staters think. It’s the Janus-faced month of April. We get a few days, maybe a week, when the snow melts, flowers poke out, and heavy coats stay in the closet.…

By Katy Savage The Vermont Farmer Food Center on West Street in Rutland has been ordered to shut down after failing to submit a work plan to the state to remediate a contamination problem. Kimberly Caldwell, an environmental analyst at the Department of Environmental Conservation, said the owners of the property missed a Jan. 17…

Dear Editor, I’m terrified to go to school. That’s really nothing new — I’m from a generation raised on school shooter drills, told that a strap on a door would protect us and that if all else failed, our books could be shields. Expect the worst-case scenario; any learning environment could be a war zone…

The 2022 tax season officially opened Monday, Jan. 24 at both the federal and state levels. This is the date that the IRS and Vermont begin accepting and processing personal income tax returns for tax year 2021. The Vermont Dept. of Taxes offers the following tips to make filing and getting your refund easier and…

Staff report, VTDigger PAWLET—A Supreme Court decision has confirmed that Slate Ridge must permanently shut down and pay the town of Pawlet $46,603. Neighbors have long expressed concerns and fear about the operations at the controversial paramilitary training facility, owned by Daniel Banyai, which has hosted local militia groups. Slate Ridge has garnered national attention;…

By Curt Peterson Keri Bristow, Windsor Central Unified Union School District board member of Woodstock chaired the second official Zoom meeting of the board’s recently created district renaming committee on Jan. 24. Unlike some school district rebranding projects, WCUUSD doesn’t have any controversial ethnic or racial issues with either the district name or its athletic…

Broken water line, asbestos displace students until March most likely By Katy Savage Castleton Village School abruptly closed for two months starting Tuesday, Jan. 18 after a broken water pipe and an asbestos problem damaged half the building. About 100 middle school students and 20 teachers from Castleton Village School moved to Castleton Elementary to…

By Liora Engel-Smith, Erin Petenko and Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger RUTLAND — Asked what it’s like to do her job right now amid a staffing crisis and surging Covid-19 hospitalizations, a nurse heading home from Rutland Regional Medical Center on Monday, Jan. 17, was moved to tears. “It’s a lot. It’s just a lot. It’s really difficult…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger During his annual budget address on Tuesday, Jan. 18, Gov. Phil Scott proposed taking advantage of federal money pouring into Vermont to encourage more people to move into the state and to train Vermonters to fill thousands of vacant jobs. “We all see the ‘now hiring’ signs, reduced hours at local businesses…