MENDON—Debra Poplawski-Wilson, 57, a former resident of Rutland, passed away peacefully at her father’s home in Mendon on Dec. 17, 2020. Services were delayed. Funeral services for will now be held Monday, Dec. 27, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Christ The King Church, in Rutland. The family would like to invite you to join them…

Officials say boosters necessary The Vermont Dept. of Health announced Saturday, Dec. 18, that it confirmed the state’s first case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus. Genetic sequencing identified the new variant in a specimen collected on Dec. 8. The individual is a Lamoille County resident in their 30s. The individual was fully…

Dear Editor, A ruling was made last week in the VT Superior Court, WRJ, on the return of German shepherd dogs and their puppies to the owner of the puppy mill from which they were recently rescued by VT state police and local humane societies. While the details of this horrific situation cannot yet be…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Just like Santa, legislators are busy making a list. The legislative list of issues may be seen as presents to some and to others a lump of coal in the stocking. It all depends on one’s perspective… The 2022 Vermont legislative session begins on Jan. 4 and unlike last session, the…

By Karen D. Lorentz When Killington turned 63 on Dec. 13, it was eerily reminiscent of its opening day in 1958, a day without much fanfare. It had been a three-year struggle to get the ski area open — mostly because the state had to build the access road for skiers to get to the…

RUTLAND—Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) recently announced the return of the annual local favorite “Real Rutland Feud” to the Paramount Theatre set for Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. The "Real Rutland Feud" is based on the popular TV game show “Family Feud.” Unable to take place in 2021, this year’s…

By Dom Cioffi Once baptized by John the Baptist and after he had first preached to citizens of Galilee, the man known as Jesus of Nazareth wandered up a mountainside and sat down. Later, legions of his followers approached in anticipation of hearing him speak. In his ensuing speech, Jesus laid out his beliefs and…

By Karen D. Lorentz ‘Tis the season of making snow and the weird weather start to winter 2021-22 with its plentiful ups-and-downs has made the importance of making snow abundantly clear. Perhaps less obvious though is the significance of what is done, or not done, with that snow. A complaint from a little boy to…

By Ethan Weinstein “We’re about to face another challenge,” Governor Scott said Tuesday, preparing Vermonters for the coming dual threat of Omicron and the expected post-Christmas surge. This week, the state detected the first case of the Omicron variant in Lamoille County. As the latest data suggests a booster vaccine dose provides far more protection…

By Tiffany Tan/VTDigger The Rutland Police Dept. has launched a campaign to recruit more police officers, even as eight jobs were recently cut from the force. The recruiting campaign includes a 5 -minute video, which is posted on the department’s Facebook page. The video features a reenactment of a criminal investigation and arrest, and several…

By Sandra Paritz Editor’s note: Sandra Paritz, of Montpelier, directs the Poverty Law Project at Vermont Legal Aid. Years ago, when my 3-year-old son first saw someone sleeping in the doorway of a building in the cold, he asked: Why is he sleeping there? Won’t he be too cold? Why doesn’t he have a home?…

Episcopal Church of Our Saviour at Mission Farm will be leading worship at 4 p.m. via Zoom. Please note that there will be no in-person attendance. All are invited to join Mission Farm’s Zoom Christmas Eve service at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24 for carols, the Christmas Story and a short reflection on the incarnation…

By Katy Savage Local public service departments are busier than ever and some can’t find enough volunteers. Rutland City Fire Chief William Lovett said his department is fully staffed with 27 full-time firefighters, but the volume of calls has increased since the pandemic, putting a strain on public service departments that were already struggling with…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: this was submitted as an open letter to the Killington Select Board on Dec. 10. As the Select Board leads the effort to bring a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District to Killington, it appears obvious that the Board and SP Land are orchestrating an effort to promote this project in the…

February is National Black History Month that started as a method of remembrance with regard to the vital events and people in the history of the African diaspora. Today, it is an important month of both remembrance, recognition, and education. It is a time for people of any color to look at the incredible figures…