RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph Basketball was back in action this past week after a full month off from competition due to winter break. Men’s and Women’s basketball each played against the SUNY Canton Kangaroos on Sunday, Jan. 8. The Lady Saints were able to edge out a victory against the Kangaroos with a final score…

By Karen D. Lorentz Karen Dalury was bit by the “ski bug” at an early age. Born and raised in Springfield, Mass., where she graduated from Cathedral High School in 1973, her dad had taught her to ski when she was 5 years old and the entire family — seven kids and parents — skied…

PITTSFORD—An internet startup seeks to increase life expectancy with health coaching. Health Coach Connect, LLC, has launched a web-based platform, Health Coach Connect, to help people interested in making sustainable lifestyle changes to connect with professional health coaches of varying specialties, according to a recent news release. The company was founded by two sisters and…

A new University of Vermont study reveals notable disparities in how police officers from 29 departments across Vermont treat drivers by race, according to a Jan. 9 news release. The research finds racial disparities in traffic stops, searches, arrests and outcomes – which vary by police agency. It is the first study of statewide traffic…

New program debuts Jan. 23 in Rutland RUTLAND—This spring, Community College of Vermont (CCV) will expand workforce opportunities with its new Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) program, which provides a nationally-recognized credential in the field of accounting, according to a Jan. 6 news release. The CPB program can be completed in one 15-week semester. The college…

By Marguerite Jill Dye It is such a blessing to spend time with friends from near and afar. I especially love getting together after months or years and picking up conversations where we left off as if no time has passed. Friends bring out our very best and know and understand us well enough to…

This was a week for reconnecting with old friends and people who have assisted me in some pretty thunderous ways. Last week, at the 50th birthday party for a friend of mine, I ran into a bunch of people that I had not seen in a while, fabulous musicians who lived or performed in Killington…

By Kenrick Vezina Not to alarm you, but you’re surrounded. There, buzzing stupidly into the slats of your venetian blinds, is a house fly. Nearby, nestled in a crevice of the window-frame, a ladybug waits out the winter. In a corner overhead, a spindly house spider sits motionless in its haphazard web. Underfoot, bristly little…

By Kyle Finneron There is an old saying: you either win or you learn. Recently, I learned a lot. A few weekends ago I competed in my first grappling competition. I decided that a great place to test my mettle was at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) North East championships in Rhode Island. Go…

Celebrity death: Is it stupid to care? The age-old question struck me again at the end of 2016, as George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds all shuffled off this mortal coil in quick succession. All year long, our popular culture had inhabited a heightened state of bereavement, perhaps on account of a few uncommonly…

ROCHESTER—On Saturday, Jan. 7, at approximately 11:15 p.m. the Rochester Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 354 Brandon Mountain Road in Rochester. The property was later identified as owned by Joseph and Rita Mailhiot. A passerby had seen the fire while driving by the home and called 911. Upon the first arrival…

KILLINGTON—On Friday, Jan. 6, at about 1 p.m., the state police received an Emergency 911 call from a man advising a woman in his ski party had become lost in the woods after snowboarding out of bounds off the North Ridge Triple ski trail located at the Killington Ski Resort. The state police and the…

ARLINGTON—On Wednesday, Jan. 4, at about 10:30 p.m., the Vermont State Police received a 911 call reporting a deceased elderly woman inside a home at 440 Buck Hill Road. The woman was later identified by police as Helen Jones, age 81, and was preliminarily identified as the sole resident at this address. Next of kin…

BENNINGTON—On Jan. 3 at about 6:30 p.m. the Bennington Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Cora B. Whitney Apartments, 814 Gage St. The fire was located in Apt. 20 and the tenant, Charlotte A. Morrill, age 79, was transported by Bennington Rescue Squad to the Southern Vermont Medical Center. Morrill had suffered…

By Lani Duke   Rutland Free Library improvements, accomplishments RUTLAND—As the year closed, the Rutland Free Library totaled up a list of its accomplishments for 2016. They are impressive. Direct support by voters in all five supporting towns enabled the purchase of 10 new PCs for public use. EVoter support and an endowment funded the…