By Grace Benninghoff/VTDigger Vermont’s legislative leadership has called off plans to reconvene this October due to substantial delays to President Biden’s federal infrastructure bill. The decision likely forecloses the possibility that the Legislature could seek to enact more stringent Covid-19 protocols this fall, as some Democrats have urged. As the 2021 session wound down in…

Vermonters 65+ and 18+ with underlying medical conditions or who work in certain occupational settings are eligible Staff report Vermonters 75 years of age and older are now eligible to schedule and receive Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster doses. Registration started Monday, Sept. 27. Beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 29, that eligibility expands to any Vermonters 70…

By Katy Savage WOODSTOCK—The Woodstock Economic Development Commission might provide funding and incentives for those wanting to add an accessory dwelling unit to their home after a survey posted on the town listserv saw a strong interest. EDC chair Jon Spector said about 40 residents responded to the survey — 30 of whom were interested…

Vermont hunters will be able to report turkeys and some deer they harvest this fall online through the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept’s website: vtfishandwildlife.com. Turkeys may be reported online or in-person at a regional big game reporting station. Deer may be reported online or in-person during the archery and muzzleloader seasons, but deer must…

A celebration of life for Bob Buttner will take place on Oct. 7. The Buttner family is hosting a celebration of life for Bob Buttner. Bob was a member of the Killington community for most of his adult life having moved here after graduating from New York Maritime Academy. He loved golf and made many…

By Marvin Klikunas, M.D. Editor’s note: Kilkunas practices medicine in Williston. As I write this commentary, the seven-day rolling average of daily Covid cases in Vermont is 209. Even during the depths of last winter, before a vaccine was available, the daily average as plotted in VTDigger never reached 200. Forty-eight people were hospitalized with…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. is monitoring the spread of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in the region and investigating possible cases in Vermont. New York has documented cases in several counties in the Hudson Valley, including counties bordering Vermont. EHD has never been confirmed in Vermont but may occur here this fall. Vermont Fish…

On Sept. 25, at 10:13 a.m., troopers from the State Police — Rutland Barracks responded to a two-vehicle crash on Route 7 at the intersection with Middle Road in Clarendon. Shortly prior to the report of the crash, several 911 calls were made to state police dispatch to report erratic operation of a black minivan…

By Madeleine May Kunin Editor’s note: This commentary is by former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, a Democrat and the first woman to serve as the governor of the state of Vermont. I was driving home on a September evening when the air started to turn cool. I glanced out my side window and caught a pink,…

By Karl Meyer Editor's note: This commentary is by Karl Meyer of Greenfield, Mass., a member of the Fish and Aquatics Studies Team in this FERC relicensing process since 2012. He did not sign a confidentiality agreement with FirstLight. Meyer is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.   No river should die in the…

By Rep. Emilie Kornheiser Editor’s Note: Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, is vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, co-chair of the task force on the implementation of the pupil weighting factors report, and a state legislator since 2019. Vermont’s commitment to equitable access to education is enshrined in our constitution, which established the…

Dear Editor, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back and share to a time in my youth that I have such fond memories living for a couple years in Killington. The year was I believe 1972, give or take, I was in third or fourth grade. My family had made a move to…

By Jackie O’Brien/VTDigger Authorities are investigating why a Stowe Mountain Resort employee crashed and died while riding a zip line on Thursday. Scott Lewis, 53, of Stowe crashed into the anchoring platform that holds up a zip line at the resort just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, police said. Lewis was working at…

By Liz Dimarco Weinmann For most of my four decades in Vermont, I worked for large marketing agencies and nonprofits based in New York City and Washington, traveling from Rutland throughout the country. For most of 2020 and 2021, I hunkered down here, a Zoomer Boomer working remotely, and I have had more opportunities to…

Linnea Saunders Minard died Sunday, Sept. 19, at the age of 77 in her home in Killington with family by her side. She was born on July 5, 1944, in Queens, New York, daughter of Ray and Anna Saunders. She married David Minard on Aug. 13, 1966. Linn was a loving member of her community.…