By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger.org Proponents of marijuana legalization struck out three times on Tuesday, May 3. The House overwhelmingly defeated a proposal (S.241) from the Senate that would have legalized retail marijuana sales in Vermont by 2018. The House then rejected a proposal to hold a statewide, non-binding referendum on marijuana legalization during the August…

42nd Annual Bridgewater Raft Race held Saturday, May 7, in chilly waters At noon on May 7, the gun went off for the 42nd Annual Bridgewater Raft Race. Participants who were lined up with their homemade rafts, eagerly dashed into the icy waters while spectators cheered on their friends and family. Some rafts were more…

By Mike Faher, VTDigger.org Among the small group waiting to board Amtrak’s southbound Vermonter Friday afternoon, April 29, no one was toting a bicycle. But that changed Sunday, May 1, when Amtrak started a new, carry-on bike service for its train that runs daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. It’s a pilot project spurred…

$10 million TIGER grant extends Ethan Allen line north, Vermont’s link to New York City The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will provide a $10 million TIGER grant to extend Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express passenger train service to Burlington, Vt. Currently, the service begins in New York City and stops in Rutland, Vt. U.S. Transportation…

Sunday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. — ROCHESTER — The BigTown Gallery in Rochester is celebrating its 13th year of exhibits and arts programming, promising an exciting group of accomplished and vibrant artists and writers who will be showing or performing at BigTown. Director of BigTown Anni Mackay is particularly enthusiastic about the lineup of writers in…

Sunday, May 15 at 1 p.m. — RUTLAND — Brian Kilcullen, chief of the Rutland City Police Department, will be the speaker at College of St. Joseph’s commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 15 in the Athletic Center. Kilcullen has more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, having served with the Schenectady, N.Y. police…

Monday, May 16 at 6 p.m. — SHOREHAM — Rutland County Master Gardeners are traveling to Champlain Orchards for a grafting demonstration on Monday, May 16. Bill Suhr will begin the demonstration at 6 p.m. Please arrive a little early so that the demonstration can begin promptly. There are over 50 varieties of apples, as well as…

Downhill Throwdown Thursday, June 16 – Saturday, June 18 2016 Killington’s Downhill Throwdown freeride event is back for a third year, with three days of high-speed action taking place June 16 - 18. The event draws downhill skateboard and street luge competitors from all over the world to ride a thrilling two miles of pavement down…

Captain Richard Phillips set to address largest class in Castleton history. CASTLETON, Vt. - Castleton invites the local community, members of the media and friends of the university to attend the first Commencement ceremony as Castleton University on Saturday, May 7 at 11 a.m. in the Castleton Pavilion, featuring guest speaker Captain Richard Phillips. For…

One of the most difficult parts of assisting an older parent, sibling, or friend is that when you become aware of situations, they may already be full-blown crises. Dealing with these problems can not only be time-consuming and needlessly costly, they can also create friction between you and the loved one you are trying to…

By Laurie Morrissey It’s just a tiny black dot moving very, very slowly. But if you’re interested in astronomy, this is an exciting dot. It is Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system, passing between the earth and the sun. The transit of Mercury is a relatively rare event, so sky-watchers are hoping for…

So far, the Internet-intellectual music criticism addressing the politics of Beyoncé’s new visual album “Lemonade”—an R&B confession of marital discord that attempts to locate, within its narrative of the spiritual-psychological consequences of infidelity, a counterintuitive yet interrelated locus of black feminist empowerment—has coexisted in equal superabundance with apolitical scuttlebutt inquiring as to the real identity…

By Jon Margolis Editor’s note: Jon Margolis is VTDigger’s political columnist. Republicans in the Legislature think state government spends too much. They might be right. For the last several years, state spending has grown faster than the state’s economy. From 2010 to 2013, Vermont’s gross domestic product grew 2.4 percent. Growth since then has been…

By Daris Howard As I stood in the grocery store checking my list, I thought I heard someone call my name. I turned around, but I didn’t see anyone I recognized, so I went back to my list. I heard my name again, but this time there was no mistaking it. I turned to see…

BRANDON—DuBois & King (D&K), a consulting engineering firm founded in Randolph, in 1962, recently opened a new office in Brandon. The 25 Union Street location provides a base of operations for firm engineers living on the western side of the Green Mountains and the location will better serve clients along the Route 7 corridor. The…