By Anne Galloway, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott said he was not surprised by President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigrants from certain Muslim countries, but he is “disappointed about the tone and the direction this sets for us.” “I think immigration is part of the path forward for us,” Scott said. “In Vermont, [immigration] would…

By Evan Johnson NORTH CLARENDON—During a visit to Rutland County last week, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch visited General Electric Aviation’s Rutland plant, where he applauded the plant’s collaboration with Efficiency Vermont to reduce energy consumption. “I just came from Washington and we could use a little of your know-how there,” he said at the start…

Immigration, economy, efficiency featured By Evan Johnson RUTLAND—In an address that ranged from President Trump’s recent executive orders barring refugees to economic development to education funding, Governor Phil Scott outlined his plans for Vermont Monday afternoon, Jan. 30, at a luncheon for the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce. Scott’s remarks were the first since presenting…

By Karen Lorentz Many doubted the day would come, but on Jan. 23, 2017, an Act 250 amended permit was issued for Phase I of the Killington Village master plan. Due to an agreement reached Dec. 19, the appeal of the original Act 250 permit for the Killington Village to Vermont’s Supreme Court was dropped,…

By Adam Federman, VTDigger RUTLAND — Hundreds gathered in Rutland on Saturday, Jan. 28, in opposition to President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending refugee resettlement for 120 days and indefinitely barring Syrian refugees from the country. The order, signed late Friday, drew widespread condemnation from legal advocates and spurred an immediate lawsuit by the American…

John J. Hurley, an avid skier, animal lover, and fixture at Killington for the last 40 years, passed away peacefully on Jan. 18. He was 70. John was born on Dec. 31, 1946, in New York City to the late Joseph and Margaret Hurley of Limerick, Ireland. Upon graduation from Saint Helena’s High School in…

Marta M. Thorne, 73 of Wind Gap, Pa., formerly of Killington, Vt., died Jan. 22, 2017, at St. Lukes’s Hospital – Anderson Campus in Easton, Pa. Born Sept. 2, 1943, in Mare Island, Calif. She was the daughter of the late Howard Bankerd. Marta was the loving wife of Douglas A. Thorne for the past…

RUTLAND—Castleton University, in a continuing partnership with MKF Properties and Mark Foley, Jr., will expand its housing options in downtown Rutland to include apartments in the Gryphon Building at the corner of West Street and Merchants Row. The second floor of the building will be renovated to create ten energy-efficient apartments with a capacity for…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—At the Killington Select Board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, the Killington Volunteer Fire Department updated the town on new fire trucks and the opportunity for a new fire station on Killington Road (known locally as the Access Road). Chief Gary Roth said the department was going forward with an option to look…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—The Killington Select Board has warned its 2017 town meeting agenda with a number of elected positions to fill, budgets to approve and additional articles. Voters will elect nine town officers, including a Select Board member, moderator, town clerk, lister, grand juror, town agent, trustee of public funds, cemetery commissioner and library…

SPRINGFIELD—Springfield Humane Society is joining North Shore Animal League America, and more than 100 shelter partners across the country, to celebrate Hallmark Channel’s Kitten Bowl IV game with a kitten bowl party event. The highlight is finding homes for adoptable cats and kittens as well as dogs and puppies. In addition to showing Hallmark Channel’s Kitten…

KILLINGTON—Nearly 30 athletes will come together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the nationally recognized United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Winter Ski Festival with Vermont Adaptive Feb. 10-13 at Pico Mountain in Killington. The event is one of the largest annual gatherings in the U.S. of skiers and snowboarders who are blind or…

Friday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.—BRANDON—From the quiet of winter emerges much energy and excitement as local youth present the annual student art show at Brandon Artists Guild. It is a very special time for students, their families and the community to see the work displayed in a professional gallery setting. The guild invites the…

Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.—BRANDON—Guagua is a Burlington based psychotropical jazz band which performs Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz music. The psychotropical jazz term comes from the euphoric effect of guitar, piano and horn melodies layered over their tropical African, Caribbean, and Brazilian polyrhythms. Their sound is uniquely exuberant and danceable. The group performs…

Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.—RANDOLPH—Critic Jim Lowe of the Times Argus names the Middlebury-based Davydov-Fanning cello/piano duo “One of Vermont’s state treasures.” In April the duo will embark on its eighth concert tour of Europe and will unveil the tour program at Chandler on Saturday evening, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. There will be…