Dear Editor, There was good news from Covid-19 for this past Memorial Day weekend and beyond. We didn’t get stuck in traffic jams. And, the meat shortage kept us safe from our outdoor grills. Folks who grill hamburgers and hot dogs face a nasty choice. The U.S. Meat and Poultry Hotline advises grilling at high…

Dear Editor, Forget “government takeovers” of health care. It was taken over long ago by insurance companies and other commercial interests. Now it’s just a money pit. Insurance premiums are tied to how much insurers have to pay out to doctors and hospitals. The fees doctors and hospitals charge include money to compensate for the enormous…

Dear Editor, The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented public health and economic challenges for the people of Vermont. Vermonters have lost their lives, many have lost access to healthcare services, one in four are now unemployed, and too many families are struggling with hunger and food shortage. The true extent of this devastation will only…

By Jack Hoffman Vermont’s April revenue collections highlight the absurdity of federal rules restricting the use of the Coronavirus Relief Fund—the $150 billion that Congress appropriated in the CARES Act to help the states. The state’s personal income taax receipts dropped by two-thirds last month. Instead of taking in $184 million, as forecast, the tax…

By Aliya Schneider On May 20, 2020, I was officially awarded my college degree. I am now an alumna of Barnard College, the women’s college affiliated with Columbia University. The Barnard-Columbia dynamic is complicated, but basically, Barnard students have two graduation ceremonies. On Monday, May 18, we would have had Barnard’s Class Day at Radio…

On May 22, Vermont Senate passed legislation (S.295) to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals from certain products. The bill is supported by firefighters, business groups, educators, public health and children’s advocates, and environmental groups. It now heads to the Vermont House for consideration. Lauren Hierl, executive director of Vermont Conservation Voters, noted: “S.295 takes…

By Rep. Jim Harrison I must say that the potential reopening of barbers and hair salons on May 29 got my attention. As we were recently sorting through some old books, we came across our college yearbook. I couldn’t help thinking that the longer hair I had then was indeed making a comeback! Last week,…

By Curt Peterson With fewer than 900 permanent residents, the town of Killington’s economic activity is generated by visitors to the Killington Resort — sometimes tens of thousands of them in a weekend. And those visitors bring their children, requiring structured activities, such as Killington’s Summer Camp program to keep them busy and safe. But…

On Sunday, May 24, at 4 a.m. Robert Withington, a nearby neighbor, saw the exterior of the house at 32 Lincoln Ave. in Rutland on fire. Withington ran to the house and alerted the occupants about the fire. Seth Howard, 37, was listed as the owner of the house with Colleen Bellamy, 42, Noah Dunne, 21, Tyra…

By Aliya Schneider The Rutland County Farmers’ Market reopened on May 16, 2020, in Depot Park in downtown Rutland with restrictions set in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The state Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets released a statement last month with rules for Vermont Farmers markets, which they updated on May 6.…

Thomas George Rabeck, affectionately known as “Beck” unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Born in Fairview, New Jersey, Dec. 11, 1945, the son of Rudy and Mary Rabeck, he attended Cliffside Park High School where he played basketball. While growing up, Tom Rabeck, his family and childhood friends spent time during the year…

RUTLAND —Rutland County Solid Waste District received a grant of $43,319.01 from the Department of Environmental Conservation to assist with the costs associated with the collection, management and disposal of hazardous waste and household hazardous waste, according to a news release May 20. Household hazardous waste includes any household products labelled “caution, toxic, danger, hazard,…

By Virginia Dean “All shall be well. We are a people of hope. We are the church. Do not be afraid. Love your neighbor as yourself. Respect the dignity of every human being. God loves you. And so do I. All shall be well.” Last Sunday, these words by the Reverend Canon Lee Alison Crawford,…

Gov. Scott gears up for June 1 when remaining business sectors can open with consistent, capacity and health requirements On Friday, May 22, Governor Phil Scott announced the resumption of additional business operations, including outdoor seating at restaurants and bars just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Hair salons, barber shops and some additional…

By Katy Savage A test on Rutland City’s sewer system has detected no cases of Covid-19 in the community. The test results, delivered last week by Biobot, a start-up company in Massachusetts, showed the number of Covid-19 cases in Rutland were too low for the technology to detect. The results didn’t surprise Jeff Wennberg, the…