By Lyle Jepson and Mary Cohen Imagine a future for Rutland County in which young families move into efficient new homes close to high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs … recent college graduates shop downtown for “first day of work” wardrobes before starting jobs with local companies where they worked as student interns. … construction workers in…

Called on out-of-state employers to “pardon” employees for a snow day to take advantage of weekend storm, extend their stay in Vermont With Vermont’s biggest snow storm of the year rolling across the region Sunday through Monday morning, Feb. 12-13, Governor Phil Scott declared Monday a “Powder Day” and urged regional winter enthusiasts to take…

Feb. 17-25—RUTLAND—The 15th annual Winter Fest will take place Feb. 17-25 with many activities and opportunities to be part of the community. The event starts off on Friday, Feb. 17 with a community skate at Giorgetti Arena and concludes on Feb. 25 with a Wonderfeet Winter Dance at The Palms Restaurant. During the week there…

WOODSTOCK—Yankee Bookshop first opened in November 1935, making it Vermont’s oldest continuously operated independent bookshop. This month, the owners of Phoenix Books, a Vermont-owned bookstore with locations in Essex, Burlington, Rutland and Chester, purchased Woodstock’s Yankee Bookshop. Michael DeSanto and Renee Reiner met with Susan Morgan, who bought the shop in 2001, for the closing…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Killington Select Board unanimously approved a measure to sell a 229-acre parcel of forest to the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). Kate Wanner, a project manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), and Chris Mattrick, district manager for the Rochester Ranger District, presented a plan…

By Evan Johnson PROCTOR—Cyclists and pedestrians in the town of Proctor are looking for a safe way to get around, and in the coming months, a new bike path may become a reality. Last year, the town received a $27,000 VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Program grant to perform a scoping/feasibility study for shared use bicycle…

By Adam Federman, VTDigger CASTLETON—The owner of an e-cigarette store in Castleton says he will close his business rather than pay a $50,000 civil penalty the attorney general’s office is seeking. Adam Tredwell, owner and president of Vermont Vapor, said claims that he violated the Consumer Protection Act’s prohibition against “unfair or deceptive acts and…

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Killington loyalist Jackie Nimal and Rob Kovalesky (center of photo in red and pink jackets) celebrated their 100th day on the slopes with family and friends. The day marked personal milestones for them  in the Killington Resort’s 100 Ski Day Club for the fifth consecutive ski season, Kovalesky said. “I was…

RUTLAND—The Boys and Girls Club of Rutland celebrated the launch of the book, “We Are One Rutland,” a book created by Rutland Youth, exploring diversity in Rutland and how it enriches the community. Many youngsters at the Boys and Girls Club of Rutland were interviewed, photographed and wrote stories for the newly released book. The…

By Evan Johnson For 17 years, visitors picking up a morning coffee on the way to the mountain or a sandwich for the long drive home could count on a friendly face at the Killington Market. According to her friends and co-workers, Ann Seibert was reliable, friendly and hardworking. In 2011, when Tropical Storm Irene…

Workers and businesses split By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger Workers say raising the minimum wage will help them spend money at local businesses, but local businesses say paying workers more will cause them to raise prices. Those were the competing messages of witnesses who spoke at a public hearing on the minimum wage Thursday, Feb. 9,…

By Lani Duke The four candidates for Rutland City’s mayor outlined their qualifications for the job on PEGTV Feb. 9. Mayor Christopher Louras touted his record, while Alderman David Allaire opposed that record and Rutland Downtown Partnership Executive Director Michael Coppinger presented himself as the candidate most likely to make change; the final contestent Kam…

By Adam Federman, VTDigger A ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding a Seattle judge’s decision reversing nearly all of the provisions of the Trump administration’s executive order on immigration means that refugee resettlement will continue in Vermont. However, the program is still operating under a cloud of uncertainty and it remains unclear…

Feb. 18-20—QUECHEE—Join the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) for the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Nature Center campus Saturday, Feb. 18 through Monday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Become a citizen scientist for a day, and help VINS count the wild birds that visit their feeders. VINS invites birding novices and experts…

Make sure you head to the Wobbly Barn this Friday night for an awesome new band, Men of Horses. It’s one night only, but they’ll be back there March 10-11. They are so good that you’ll want to see them all three nights. Expect something different, said drummer/singer Eric Pensa. “We’re not going to play…