By Curt Peterson Maple Heights resident Jim Rielly was chosen from among four applicants to fill Hartland Select Board member Curtis Atkisson’s recently vacated seat on the five-person Hartland Select Board. The board interviewed four candidates before making their decision. The other applicants were David Singer, Mandi Potter and Jacob Holmes. Rielly, a member of…

By Corey Parent Do you think the most wide-sweeping change to the Vermont Legislature should be rushed through in the first 72 hours of the legislative session? I don’t. Let me back up. Over the few years, we’ve heard about the importance of protecting our democracy—across the nation, and right here in Vermont—from forces that…

Come Alive Outside has winter passports for adults and kids in 2022. The winter passports for kids and adults are chockful of activities to help people have fun outside this winter. This year, Come Alive Outside will distribute over 8,000 winter passports to kids and adults. Come Alive Outside’s winter passport for kids has been…

Governor Phil Scott announced his appointment of three Vermont Superior Court judges: Elizabeth Novotny of Jericho, Heather Gray of Quechee and of Underhill, Dec. 20. “I have often said there are few responsibilities more important than governors making judicial appointments,” said Governor Scott. “The people who are entrusted with interpreting the law and upholding justice…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Here’s a quiz for Harry Potter fans: What kind of owl played Hedwig in the movies? If you guessed a snowy owl, you’re correct. With their bright yellow eyes, bulky-looking bodies, and white feathers that cover everything from their beaks to their large feet, these owls strike an impressive pose. And…

Dear Editor, We, the older Vermonters (including voters and taxpayers), must make it clear to younger Vermonters that our most crucial task and the most urgent job is to fix the broken two-party political system. Why, you ask? Only younger Vermonters can achieve the political transformation in the shortest amount of time to break up…

Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Chaffee Art Center, Your Center for Creativity, invites the community to the opening of a new exhibit, “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” with solo featured galleries of work by photographer Lowell Snowden Klock and fine artist Heather Wilson. There will also be an installation to celebrate Black…

By Katy Savage An attempt to expand the Vermont Farmers Market Food Center on West Street in Rutland has uncovered a contamination problem in the air and soil. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources sent current and former owners of the property a letter on Dec. 30 explaining they need to provide a corrective action…

Students and staff return to school closures, surging cases, expired tests, changing guidance, frustration By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger As students returned from the holiday break, some Vermont schools made it just three days before closing under the weight of Covid-19 cases. There were so many cases in the building which houses JFK Elementary as well as…

By Dom Cioffi There’s a little bar a mile up the road from where I live. It’s part of a strip mall that houses the prerequisite pizza joint, nail salon, drug store, and karate center. There’s also a grocery store sitting on the end that acts as the anchor for the property. The couple who…

By Katy Savage A Hartland dog is being called a hero after leading police officers to a serious crash on Interstate 91 in Hartford, where its owner was badly injured. The New Hampshire State Police and Lebanon Police Department responded to a report of a loose dog on Veterans Memorial Bridge on I-89 above the…

Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.— VIRTUAL — The Henry Sheldon Museum presents a lecture by historian Michelle Smiley via Zoom. This is the fourth talk in the “Elephant in the Room: Exploring the Future of Museums” series convened by the Stewart-Swift Research Center. In this talk, Dr. Smiley will discuss American daguerreotype portraiture, its uses…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann This Monday, Jan. 17, there will be countless commemorations honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the world, who was assassinated in 1968. Across Vermont, several groups working to increase justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, have taken Dr. King’s legacy to heart, and are…

Money could flow in advance of move to incite decision, officials propose By Fred Thys/VTDigger The Scott administration and state senators are considering overhauling Vermont’s programs that pay people to move to the state. “(M)y budget will support the Senate’s worker relocation incentive program — with some changes — to bring in more families who…

On Friday, Jan. 7, Governor Phil Scott announced the launch of the state’s “Tests for Tots” program, which will provide rapid antigen Covid-19 test kits to regulated child care providers across Vermont. Child care providers can enroll in the program effective immediately. Test to Stay has been an important tool in Vermont’s K-12 schools, saving…