Five detained in suspected human trafficking By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger Law enforcement personnel swarmed in armored tactical vehicles and a helicopter early Friday morning, Oct. 22, as they raided two apartment buildings in Rutland as part of an investigation into illegal drugs and human trafficking. Police said at one of the locations, 146 Maple St.,…

By Steve Costello Four orphaned opossums, raised for the past seven weeks by a licensed Starksboro wildlife rehabber, were released back into the wild Saturday — but not before helping to provide four interesting lessons. My wife and I rescued them Sept. 4 after their mom got hit by a car, and they’ve been under…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: this is an open letter to Gov. Scott and Vermont Fish & Wildlife. My husband and I are hoping to relocate to New England next year. Vermont was our first choice. However, in researching the state’s regulations governing wildlife, we decided, regrettably, Vermont was not for us. My husband and I…

By Ethan Weinstein On Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., Plymouth will hold a special town meeting to discuss a proposed $950,000 renovation to the town office and garage. A vote to approve that renovation will be held by Australian ballot the following day. Select Board member Rick Kaminsky said that if the Dec. 6 vote…

By Katy Savage Woodstock voters approved a $2.8 million expense to upgrade the South Woodstock wastewater system last spring, but now town leaders are at odds over who should pay for the upgrades. Some residents believe the ballot clearly stated all residents should pay, while others said only those connected to the wastewater system should…

By Curt Peterson Hartland resident Ana Mejia, attending the Hartland Select Board meeting via Zoom, calmly laid out a list of reasons why the town might consider using the Australian ballot system and other changes for deciding town issues, to increase inclusivity. Election of town officials, she suggested, could continue, and only budget and other…

By Ali Elwell Zaiac Editor’s note: Ali Elwell Zaiac, of Arlington, holds a master’s degree in theological studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where her thesis focused on repurposing church spaces in Vermont to meet broader community needs. Last week I attended the housing conference hosted by Rep. Seth Bongartz and Rep. Kathleen…

By Brooke Geery A ski resort’s terrain parks and halfpipe features can vary greatly from season-to-season and even day-to-day, but the deciding factor in their quality is definitely the brains that decide what they’ll look like in the first place. Less than a month ago, Joey Leppien, 27, took the reins at Okemo as terrain…

KILLINGTON—On Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 10:12 a.m. troopers from the Vermont state police Rutland barracks responded to a crash on Route 4 in Killington, in the area known as the Killington Flats by the Turn of the River Lodge. Three vehicles were involved: Patrick F. Conlon, 64 of Methuen, Massachussetts, was driving a 2018 Honda…

Reapportionment in Legislature could split up local district By Jim Harrison I want to thank all that took a moment to visit during my recent “Office Hours” a.k.a. “Dump & Donuts” tour through the district recently. It was good to be out and see many of you. And just to be sure that I don’t…

By Brett Yates New Chittenden resident Nicole Vachon Hanlon has taken the reins at Barstow Helping Hands, a club that connects students at the local pre-K-8 school to charitable endeavors and community involvement. On Oct. 25, she visited the Chittenden Select Board to solicit ideas for new projects for the kids to take on. Under…

By Anne Sosin Editor’s note: Anne N. Sosin is a public health researcher and Policy Fellow at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College and the co-lead on research on Covid-19 and rural health equity in northern New England.  Delta, we learn in science, means change. Delta changed the course of the virus in…

Dear Editor, Little scares me about Halloween or trick-or-treating. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons and witches have nothing on all the milk ingredients in candy and the frightening truth about the dairy industry. This is the industry that has spent billions convincing humans that drinking the milk of another species is okay. This is the industry that…

Nov. 21 - May 12 — MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival is bringing back MNFF Selects, its monthly in-person screening series at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. MNFF Selects will kick off its 8-month run this October, spanning through May 2022. For its “comeback” edition, MNFF Selects presents "Humans and Animals: Shared…

By Brett Yates On Oct. 21, the Pittsfield Select Board appointed Anne Muller to fill a vacancy on the town’s board of auditors until a vote at next year’s Town Meeting. Select Board member Ann Kuendig identified Muller as a retiree with a background in marketing. “It just seems like the people who are retiring…