VERMONT—From June 1 to Sept. 1, 118 Vermont public and academic libraries will be handing out passports in the third annual Passport to Vermont Libraries program, encouraging Vermonters and visitors alike to visit some of Vermont’s unique, beautiful and creative libraries. Did you know? The Isle La Motte Library, a lovely stone building, boasts their…

Dollar General stores planned for western Rutland County CASTLETON—While Poultney waits to learn whether a Dollar General store will move in, one is under construction in Castleton. The steel will be placed in July and the store will have a soft opening in early September with an official opening celebration Sept. 24, according to Dan…

By Stephen Seitz LUDLOW—A Green Mountain Union High School senior is under house arrest following his arraignment in Windsor County criminal court on June 20. According to court documents, Chester resident Ryan Stocker is accused of having sexually assaulting two of his fellow students in October of last year and this past May. The earlier…

By Dom Cioffi It’s one of those memories that will be forever burned into my psyche. It was a summer night right after my high school graduation and I was ready to make a major bad decision (although it didn’t feel that way at the time). I had met a girl a few weeks prior…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Leo moon with aspects that are keeping us cradled in a state of equilibrium just long enough to keep all Hell from breaking loose. There are a million things we could speculate on, but none of…

By Lee Hamilton Back when I was in Congress, I got a call from a constituent one day. I’d recently voted to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, and the man was more than irate. “Don’t you understand that we’ve got a serious spending and debt problem in this country?” he asked. “Why did you cast…

Dear Editor, Old River Road, Woodstock … fabled with antiquity … with love laughing water her companion attacked for a view along with the out of turn bull frogs, singing peepers, trout, foxes, raccoon, deer … with birds, lightning bugs on and on … Where are the Amazon warriors to protect her? Where is Woodstock…

Dear Editor, I am urging the Select Board (for the second time) not to spend $290,000 of taxpayers’ money to repair/replace the Killington library roof. If the current roof project goes through as planned, it will cost approximately six times the amount of a traditional asphalt shingle roof. I don’t see how anybody can justify…

Dear Editor: Here are the eight best reasons for barbecuing veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs at this year’s Independence Day gatherings, rather than ground-up animal body parts: Focusing on traffic and fireworks safety, rather than food safety. Giving your eyes a break from reading food warning labels. Not sweating cancer-causing compounds if barbecue temperature…

By Jack Hoffman The Equal Educational Opportunity Act, better known as Act 60, is 20 years old on Monday. On June 26, 1997, at an outdoor ceremony in Whiting, Gov. Howard Dean signed into law Vermont’s unique and groundbreaking education funding system. As we face tensions over school consolidation and who should determine teachers’ health…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger The new teacher health insurance deal passed by the Legislature last week gives school boards little choice but to require teachers and support staff to pay 20 percent of premiums. The premiums on these new health insurance plans range from $523 per month for a single plan to $1,450 per month…

By Alan Keays, VTDigger Former Mayor Christopher Louras said as more Syrian refugees arrive in Rutland as part of a resettlement program, more people will see the human side of the initiative. “For a full year I was the face of refugee resettlement here in the city of Rutland. I was proud to be that…

The Vermont Department of Labor announced that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May was 3.1 percent. This reflects no change from the revised April rate. The national rate in May was 4.3 percent. As of the prior month’s preliminary data, the Burlington-South Burlington Metropolitan area was tied for the 12th lowest unemployment rate in…

Work on local roads and bridges continues this week, causing some delays for travelers. Here is the latest travel update: Route 4 Crews are scheduled to continue paving on milled surfaces and shoulder work  throughout this week. Crews have also begun to pave driveway aprons on the Rutland Town/Mendon side of the project. This operation…