By Julia Purdy WEST RUTLAND—Lemuel Haynes was the first ordained African-American minister in America, and he preached for 30 years in Rutland’s West Parish, now incorporated as West Rutland. On Sept. 8, the 247th state historic marker was dedicated at the tiny Protestant cemetery on Pleasant Street in West Rutland. Although Rev. Haynes’ life and…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND—Lisa Mancini was bored with the the mystery novels she was reading, so she wrote her own. Mancini, 50, who grew up in Rutland, wrote two books in 18 months. She recently self published her second book in a mystery series, called “Murder on Main Street,” which will be available in October.…

Saturday, Sept. 22—KILLINGTON—Vikings are coming to Killington, Saturday, Sept. 22, for the Vermont Viking Invasion held at the Sherburne Memorial Library. Come enjoy authentic encampments, hands-on workshops, storytelling, food, games, and a mead tent, to name a few things. There will be fun for all ages! The event is open to the public, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.…

Saturday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m.—QUECHEE—All are invited to VINS to celebrate the Sport of Kings — falconry! Experience the history, language, and traditions of this 3000-year old practice of hunting alongside a trained raptor. Witness flighted raptor demonstrations, learn about animal tracking on a forest hike, explore the medicinal plants growing in the meadow, and…

By Stephen Seitz BRANDON — Late in August, Gov. Phil Scott announced $4 million in grants so that Vermont schools could upgrade their security. Among them was the Otter Valley Middle and High School in Brandon. Principal Jim Avery said the school received $25,000. “What we’re going to do is have interactive classroom doors which…

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Thursday, Sept. 13, that Vermont will receive $3 million from the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) to build, preserve and rehabilitate affordable rental housing for extremely low-income families. This is the third year in a row that Vermont will receive a $3 million allocation from the Trust Fund, which…

By Julia Purdy The latest push in the state’s concerted campaign to put more all-electric or hybrid cars on Vermont’s highways was unveiled Tuesday, Sept. 11 by Gov. Phil Scott. The new Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment program will provide funding to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), necessary to operate mid-level- and fast-charging EV outlets.…

High-speed showdown Staff report Sept. 21-23—KILLINGTON—Skateboard and luge racers will bring top talent to the region for the Killington IDF World Cup, Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 23. The track down East Mountain Road in Killington is the fastest race course in the world with speeds reaching upwards of 70 mph on skateboard and 83 mph on…

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON— The town of Killington is cracking down on at least one short-term rental. Town Planning and Zoning Administrator Dick Horner sent a letter to the owner of a property listed on website, Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO), Aug. 2, explaining the owner is violating town zoning bylaws. The property, located at…

Sept. 20, 22—RUTLAND—On Thursday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Thea Lewis for a talk on her new book, “Wicked Vermont.” Vermont is a picturesque landscape, but the idyllic setting hides a sometimes dark and desperate past. H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer, may have been the University of Vermont’s deadliest student. A…

Cal Garrison (a.k.a Mother of the Skye) writes weekly horoscopes for The Mountain Times. If you would like an emailed notification sent to you weekly, sign up for the newsletter, below. Want to hear more from Mother of the Skye? Check out Mother's Celestial Inspirations for a deeper look into this weeks horoscopes Mother of the Skye has…

By Alan Sculley Grammy Award-winning musician Michael McDonald will make an appearance at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Monday, Sept. 17 for a 7:30 p.m. show. As McDonald tours this summer to promote the recent release of “Wide Open,” his first album of new original material in 17 years, he is getting a boost of…

GAYSVILLE— Janis Albrecht, 60, a long time resident of Gaysville, passed away peacefully May 10th 2018. She was born December 22, 1957, raised in Fairfield CT and graduated from Andrew Warde High School in 1975. Janis moved to Vermont shortly thereafter. A Nationally Registered EMT since 1989, Janis served on the Stockbridge First Response Team…

By Dom Cioffi I spent this past week in Boston. I was there with a couple of my coworkers attending a marketing conference. Our goal was to pick up some valuable knowledge concerning the future of online marketing, which is changing rapidly. It was unseasonably hot and humid in the city, with each day we…