Dear Editor, Vermont, like many states, is dealing with a budget deficit; this year, legislators are grappling with an estimated $40 million shortfall. New sources of revenue are increasingly hard to come by, so the idea of increasing tax revenues by legalizing recreational marijuana has, for some, a distinct appeal. Proponents like the Marijuana Policy…

By Christopher Biddle Annie Lees, age 74, at Lisa Rumrill’s Wreath Barn, in Cuttingsville, Vt. By Christopher Biddle CUTTINGSVILLE — If you need to find Annie Lees, of Cuttingsville, Vt. any time between the first of November and a week after Christmas, look no further than what’s become known as Lisa Rumrill’s Wreath Barn, where…

By Jasper Craven, VTDigger.org So far this year, Bernie Sanders has been on ABC “World News Tonight” for a total of 20 seconds. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has received 81 minutes of coverage on the same program. During a recent speech here in a crowded college gymnasium, it was unclear who the Vermont senator…

Katie Hunt and Gov. Peter Shumlin were wed on Dec. 15, 2015. By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org Gov. Peter Shumlin, 59, married his longtime girlfriend Katie Hunt, 31, in a small, private ceremony Tuesday night, Dec. 15. The couple made the announcement in an email to friends and family with the subject line “happy and hitched.” The…

Agreement guarantees admission to select Castleton graduates CASTLETON – Castleton University announced Friday, Dec. 18, that an articulation agreement has been reached with Vermont Law School (VLS), home to the country’s top-rated environmental law program. The agreement states that any Castleton University student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher is guaranteed admission into any…

My wife and I have an annual tradition of heading to the largest mall we can find on the final weekend before Christmas. We don’t do this because we need last-minute gifts. We do it because we like to find the calm within the chaos. That may sound strange, so I’ll explain. For as many…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org Three Central Vermont residents are accused of pouring gasoline on a young couple and lighting them on fire in their Northfield, Vt., apartment as part of a plan to rob them of drugs. One victim died, the other was badly burned. The three were arrested following the deadly blaze at the…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week's Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Scorpio Moon, with enough planetary movement to give us something to talk about. For starters, Mercury and Mars have just changed signs and they just so happen to be squaring each other. Mercury, in Aquarius, rules…

Cal Garrison (a.k.a Mother of the Skye) writes weekly horoscopes for The Mountain Times. If you would like an emailed notification sent to you weekly, sign up for the newsletter, below. Want to hear more from Mother of the Skye? Check out Mother's Celestial Inspirations     Horoscopes for December 31 - January 6, 2016…

By Bruce Parker, Vermont Watchdog A limit on education spending is set to force Vermont school districts to reduce staff, but only if lawmakers don’t rush to stop it from happening. As part of Act 46, Vermont’s statewide district consolidation law, lawmakers imposed a new spending threshold to restrict the state’s out-of-control education spending. Called…

Major enforcement effort seeks to save lives Vermont joins the nation in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which began Friday, Dec. 18 and will last through Jan. 3, with a strong law enforcement presence on Vermont highways. Law enforcement agencies across the state include the DUI Task Force, local police, sheriff’s departments, and…

By Mike Polhamus, VTDigger.org Gubernatorial candidates spoke Tuesday, Dec. 15, afternoon to top Vermont manufacturers and businesses at a forum presented by the Associated Industries of Vermont. AIV represents the manufacturing industry and advocates for free-market economics and limited government intervention. The organization brought candidates Bruce Lisman, Matt Dunne, Susan Minter and Phil Scott to…

Courtesy of Human Movement A “Dirty Girl” participant, already covered in mud, scales a large cargo net during a past event. Expanded Bright Pink partnership and new event tour stops for 2016 The Dirty Girl Mud Run series will again join forces with Bright Pink, the longstanding national charity beneficiary, to launch their 2016 integrated marketing…

RUTLAND — College of St. Joseph had a relatively slow week in sports going into Winter Break. They played in just two games on Dec. 19, but against worthy opponents. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to Berkeley College (N.Y.) to play against Knights. The Lady Saints were able to handle Berkeley with…

Engineer, parent and former school teacher crafts novel method for teachable moments In the history of child development, the widespread participation in the use of video games is not only a relatively new phenomenon, but a widespread one, too. The fact is that 97 percent of children and adolescents in the United States play at…