By Fred Thys/VTDigger Vermont’s affordable housing advocates kicked off an expected legislative debate over the state’s housing crisis earlier this month by putting a $175 million price tag on what they say it will take next year for Vermont to build the homes needed to keep and retain workers. “We’re seeing employers really struggling to…

By Karen D. Lorentz Editor’s note: This is part two in a three-part series about the Rutland Region’s “lost” ski areas. The formation of early ski areas was significant for driving the popularity of skiing and contributed to the post World War II ski boom of the 1950s and 1960s and the ensuing economic boost…

By Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger Three years after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the doors for states to legalize sports betting, Vermonters may soon be able to join their New Hampshire and New York neighbors in their gambling endeavors. That is, as long as a new proposal makes it through the Legislature. In a newly…

Kathleen (Kathy) Ann Judge (née Garahan) passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 11 in Dallas, Texas.  She was predeceased by her husband of 52 years, James (Jim) J. Judge, in August 2020.  Kathy was born at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina on July 20, 1943, the first child of Tom and Kate Garahan.  During…

By Tom Evslin This commentary is by Tom Evslin of Stowe, an entrepreneur, author and former Douglas administration official.  The Trumpenfinger to the elite wasn’t meant to be pretty. I’m being optimistic in using the past tense about the former president. I do hope he’s fading from the political scene. However, there are important reasons…

Dear Editor, New England businesses, both large and small, offer charitable support to the many projects and programs that enrich the lives of all New Englanders and therefore play a vital philanthropic role in maintaining the region’s quality of life. In return, many businesses reap enormous benefits, such as enhanced image, better customer relations and…

Dear Editor, National weather services have been calling the latest storm to strike the Northeast a “Nor’easter.” But it wasn’t. The term Nor’easter has been used by generations along the coast of the far northeastern U.S. to describe a coastal storm swirling counterclockwise in a westerly direction from the north Atlantic Ocean, with the winds…

By Narain Batra Editor’s note: Narain Batra is a media and First Amendment scholar affiliated with the diplomacy and international program in the graduate college at Norwich University. He lives in Hartford. Joy to the world! Freedom is rising. On Dec. 6, we saw another embodiment of what the American dream is made of: A…

Sunday, Jan. 1 — RUTLAND — Walleye fishing restrictions on Chittenden Reservoir have been modified to help improve fishing opportunities and natural reproduction of the walleye population, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Starting Jan. 1, walleye fishing on Chittenden Reservoir will be as follows: Legal Length Limit: 18 to 20 inches. All…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Joe Wiah grew up in the African republic of Liberia, fled its civil war at age 21 and has gone on to help the Ethiopian Community Development Council resettle refugees from Afghanistan. That’s why Wiah is now an award-winning Vermonter. The 49-year-old director of the ECDC’s branch office in Brattleboro — the…

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) will forgo a contract with OneCare Vermont (OCV) for the 2023 plan year. Despite having collaborated with OCV every year since its inception, Blue Cross is unable to reach an agreement this year due to the lack of tangible quality outcomes, inability to bend the cost…

Once the foliage photos started flooding the Killington Locals+ page on Facebook this fall, so did the queries for seasonal housing. Securing one of the approximately 1,800 jobs on the mountain isn’t the challenge. Finding a place to rest one’s head is the chore. While Killington Resort, with the recent purchase of the Hillside Inn…

By Alan Sculley, Last Word Features Whoever says the full-length album is a dying art form hasn’t been watching the Christmas music. This year brings another sleigh full of full-length albums. Here’s my take on this year’s albums vying for your Christmas music dollars. Lindsey Stirling: “Snow Waltz” — Stirling brings her unique signature mix…

RUTLAND — Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) in partnership with the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) are finishing up the last few weeks of a new meal kit program, Eat At Home (EAH), with older adults in Rutland County. Over 15 participants, identified and referred by SVCOA, are older adults, living at home and…

Long-time snow sports manager recognized for excellence by PSIA  Killington Resort announced Tuesday, Dec. 13, that Killington/Pico Snow Sports Operations Manager Dan Bergeron has been named the recipient of the prestigious Einar Aas Award from the Eastern Division of the Professional Ski Instructors of America for 2022. This award recognizes dynamic leadership within a snow sports…