By Lola Duffort/VTDigger With Vermont seeing one of the country’s slowest rates of growth for coronavirus infections, K-12 officials have said they intend to have students back in classrooms come fall. But schools will look starkly different, they warn. And all plans are subject to change. “The best thing about it is the whole nation’s in…

By Curt Peterson Following a short presentation by Jim Haff (Killington), chairman of the Windsor Central Unified School District buildings and grounds committee, the district board approved investing up to $130,000 to install a “super” dehumidifying system, complete some related electrical work and do some deep cleaning to get the Prosper Valley School in Pomfret…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson This week’s New Yorker magazine cover ,“This Side Up,” illustrates an upside down world, capturing an aspect of how many are feeling right now. Our U.S. government has failed to adequately prepare and protect its citizens from a global pandemic — and our public safety officers, whose job is to protect…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Vermont has a proud tradition of a citizen legislature. Its 180 members (150 House and 30 Senate), are part time and in my opinion, most serve as public servants in the truest sense of the word. The typical legislative session adjourns in early to mid-May. However, this year is like no…

By Virginia Dean Recent news reports indicate that one of the major industries in Vermont that has been hit the hardest by the pandemic is the dairy farm. According to the state Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts, 14 small to medium farms (out of a total of 677 as of January 2020) have stopped milking.…

By Brooke Geery There were 300 bags of groceries at the Castleton Lodge in Killington on Tuesday, June 9, as vehicles began to arrive for the town’s latest grocery giveaway event in partnership with the resort and local fundraisers.  The event was live-streamed by local Internet celebrity Brian Hughes. Killington President and GM Mike Solimano…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger The popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been reworked to make it more useful for businesses in sectors like hospitality Changes to the PPP loan program, originally passed in March as lawmakers and other officials sought to quickly address the needs of businesses closed by the Covid-19 pandemic, were signed into law…

By Katy Savage Tracy Kardys started planning her wedding a year ago. She envisioned a boho-style wedding on an 88-acre family-owned farm in Proctorsville that has a pond and vineyard. She wanted her 130 guests to dance under  Vermont stars. Kardys has done most of the planning and made most of the decorations herself to save…

CHESTER — A body discovered Thursday, June 4, in a creek near Wymans Falls Road in Chester has been identified as Joshua A. Webster, 39, of Springfield, according to a report released June 6.  Webster had been reported missing in March, according to the Hartford Police Department. Subsequent investigation into his disappearance included the Chester…

BETHEL—On June 7 at 2:30 p.m., troopers from the state police responded to a two vehicle fatal crash on Interstate 89 northbound in Bethel. Initial investigation shows that both vehicles were traveling northbound on I-89 when a Kia Optima, operated by Jakim Brewster Hopkins, 32, from Brooklyn, New York, hit the rear of a Toyota…

WOODSTOCK—On June 4, at 2:45 p.m. Woodstock Fire & Rescue was dispatched for a report of black smoke in the Dunham Hill area that was called in from Church Hill. Another call was made at 3 p.m. by a neighbor for a fully involved structure fire located at 1274 Dunham Hill road, owned by Richard Terwelp.…

By Polly Mikula On Friday, June 5, Gov. Phil Scott outlined a series of orders that open the door to indoor restaurant dining, out-of-state travel, and expanded lodging and dining capacity. On Monday, he gave low contact recreational sports the green light. All gatherings, indoor and outdoor, continue to be limited to 25 people. Scott…

Program aids local businesses, addresses food insecurity Killington Resort announced Monday, June 8, a newly launched employee and community-centric philanthropic platform called Play It Forward designed to support the local community during Covid-19 and beyond. As part of Killington Resort’s Play Forever corporate responsibility commitment to protecting the environment and enabling participation, Play It Forward engages charitable…

If you happen to be driving through Ludlow and spot a triangular purple box hanging from the branch of an ash tree, it’s not the result of a Covid-19 regulation. It was placed there by Bob Brandt, a member of the Regional EAB Resource Committee (REREC). EAB stands for the emerald ash borer. These traps…

Wednesday, June 1- at 5 p.m—RUTLAND— The Pine Hill Partnership has a couple of community work nights coming up. The first is Wednesday, June 10 from 5-7 p.m. and another Thursday, June 18 from 5-7 p.m. To participate, meet in the Giorgetti parking lot (Oak St. Ext in Rutland) next to the tool trailer at…