Dear Editor, The National Congress of American Indians advocates for “ending the legacy of racism and the era of harmful ‘Indian’ mascots.” As the NCAI elaborates, such mascots “have serious psychological, social and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially Native youth.” The caricatures and stereotypes perpetuated by the use of “Indian” mascots spawns a culture…

Dear Editor, The Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF) anticipates that many local residents will be significantly impacted by the lapse of the $600 per week supplemental unemployment income.  If you live in Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, or Reading, WARF can help provide immediate financial assistance of up to $1,000. This is available to anyone…

By Rob Roper A number of public school teachers and administrators have recently raised serious concerns about re-opening schools this fall. Harwood Union Superintendent Brigid Nease, just penned a 2,225 word letter sounding the alarm about the overwhelming challenges facing the system (see letter on page 10). Then on July 30, the House Education Committee held a…

By Betsy Bishop and Aly Richards When we look years ahead, how do we picture Vermont? Where are our workplaces centered, where are our homes in relation to our workplaces, and how do we see working parents in our state thriving? Vermont is in a pivotal moment. Amid the economic and emotional pain caused by the Covid-19…

In response to uncertainties facing the Vermont high school class of 2021 as they plan for the future amid Covid-19, the Community College of Vermont (CCV) is giving students an extra month to enroll in its Early College program. Early College, supported by the Flexible Pathways Initiative created by Act 77, allows high school seniors…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The Mill River Unified Union School District has announced students will not be returning to classrooms in September or October, although officials are leaving open the possibility of opening for in-person learning later in the year. The 900-student Rutland County school district, which serves Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford and Clarendon, appears to be the first in…

RUTLAND – Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced Aug. 6 that Daniel Guyette, 31, of Rutland, has been arraigned on two felony counts of promoting a recording of sexual conduct by a child, and three felony and three misdemeanor counts of voyeurism. The charges brought against Guyette are the result of a criminal investigation—including the execution of…

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 12:17 a.m. a 911 call was received regarding a fire at 91 Lent Road in Sharon. The Sharon Fire Dept.along with Strafford Fire Dept.and several surrounding fire departments responded. Upon their arrival at 12:28 a.m. the entire house was engulfed in flames and the roof had already collapsed. The house, owned…

The day Lincoln Fenn chose to travel was a perfect summer’s day. He always was a smart man as well as a decent, gentle and humble man. He set a high bar for what it means to be a truly “good man,” a phrase tossed around too lightly at times. He wasn’t trying to rule…

John F. Cooke, a world traveler who lived in Whiting, passed away on the morning of Friday, July 31, listening to reggae at Helen Porter Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Middlebury. He was recently on vacation in Negril, Jamaica, a place he loved. Negril and his cottage in Prince Edward Island were his homes away…

Vermont residents support a mask mandate (76%), the Black Lives Matter movement (66%) and the leadership of Governor Phil Scott (83%) and are concerned (93%) over the future of small businesses in the state. Those are four of the big takeaways from a joint statewide poll released Tuesday, Aug. 4, by Vermont PBS and Vermont Public Radio.…

Bethel, Royalton facilities expect few changes By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger A Swedish company has agreed to buy the Bethel-based GW Plastics in a deal that is expected to be final in September. The publicly traded Nolato develops and produces polymer products such as plastic and silicone for health care, automotive, and consumer electronics companies. The 65-year-old…

Students K-2 will have five half-days of in-person instruction each week; students in grades 3-8 will attend school remotely By Lee J. Kahrs The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union is planning to begin school this fall using a hybrid of in-person and remote learning strategies, as have several other districts. However, RNeSU’s plan differs in that…

To help businesses enforce Vermont’s mask mandate, Rutland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) and Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce are distributing a free box of 50 masks to customer-facing businesses across Rutland County. RRMC president and CEO Claudio Fort, Casella Waste Systems director of community engagement Jeff Weld, Heritage Family Credit Union’s senior vice president of…

By Polly Mikula Andrew Gieda, a Killington resident and business owner, was desperate to hear from his wife, Maria, on Monday to know that she and their 2-year-old son Robert were safe after violent protests erupted in Belarus, Sunday. Internet and phone access was cut off throughout Belarus during and after a contentious election. But…