By Stephen Seitz The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has adopted a new plan to improve water quality and aquatic habitat in a number of central Vermont watersheds, as well as tributaries emptying into the Connecticut River. The area is known as Basin 14, and it covers central Vermont through Orange, Caledonia, Washington, and…

Figure. 1. Vermonters’ views on the most important issue facing their state. The economy makes up fully one third of responses. Figure. 2. Importance of three major issue areas, by age Figure 3. Illustrates the relative differences in name recognition among the candidates and potential candidates that were included in our poll as a percent…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin A year and a half ago, I stood up before Vermonters and devoted my State of the State address to speaking about the opiate and heroin crisis affecting our state. Despite our best efforts since, this is not a battle we are winning. Now the Food and Drug Administration is recklessly…

By Brian Dubie What do you think of when you think of an industrial wind project? Wind developers want you to think of free, green electricity. People who live near industrial wind turbines think of noise. Let’s see why. An industrial wind project in Swanton proposes to install seven 499-foot tall wind turbines along 6,000…

Dear Editor, The Gayle Sheldon Memorial Foundation for Brain Cancer, Inc. held its seventh annual benefit ride on Aug. 30. The ride left from the Back Country Cafe in Killington and ended at TPW Vacation Rentals for a barbeque. The ride was 120 miles. This year’s ride was in honor of James (Jimmy) Jones, who…

By Dom Cioffi On Feb. 11, 2013, in speech before the most important cardinals in the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world by becoming the first pontiff to resign the papal leadership position in nearly 600 years. There was no scandal; there was conspiracy. Pope Benedict was simply tired and of sound enough…

KILLINGTON — On Sunday, Sept. 27, 120 runners and walkers competed in the annual Bootcampers for Breast Cancer 5K on River Road in Killington. “We had a lot more families from the school communities participate this year,” said Danyelle Joaquin, event organizer, adding that the town recreation department offered to take on the kids activities this…

By Tim Buttner and Jerry LeBlond On Sunday Sept. 27 stargazers witnessed a rare super moon eclipse not seen since 1982, and not to be seen again until 2033. The moon’s red hue occurs once the moon is completely in the earth’s shadow, the eclipse is then dubbed to be a “blood moon.”

Courtesy of Southern Vermont Arts and Living and Vermont Crafts Council Photo One: Adelaide Tyrol is the artist of “Prey and Predator,” acrylic on canvas, a piece on display at the Great Hall, a studio in Springfield, #64 on the 2015 Fall Open Studio map. Tyrol is also the artist for the column “The Outside Story”…

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. — POMFRET — The newly-formed Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at the Prosper Valley School in Pomfret has decided to continue a long-running tradition of hosting an annual PTO fundraiser, the Harvest Supper, and will expand the community to not only include the Pomfret community but also Bridgewater families, parents, students, and…

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) announces the 21st annual Share the Harvest event, to be held at more than 52 food businesses around the state on Oct. 1. Up to 15 percent of sales on this day at participating restaurants, co-ops, and stores will be donated to NOFA-VT’s Farm Share Program, which…

Courtesy of Proctor Free Library Stephanie LeQuier shares her learning of birds and the forest in a program at Proctor Free Library, Oct. 7. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. — PROCTOR — Proctor Free Library holds a program with Stephanie LeQuier called “Bottomland Hardwood Forests of Arkansas” on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at  6:30 p.m. LeQuier will…

Submitted LOGAN BROYLES MENDON – 14-year-old Logan Broyles doesn’t leave much time for relaxing during his summer vacation. The Rutland High School freshman competed in a dozen golf tournaments, journeying to Quebec, Canada; North Carolina, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and his home state of Vermont for top junior and adult events. The Mendon teenager capped…

Courtesy CSJ Edson Ferrer The Fighting Saints had another successful week in sports, led by the dominant baseball team that was able to go 4-1 over a long road trip weekend. This puts them at an impressive 12-1 for the fall season. They have shown no signs of weakness this year, and seem to be…

Submitted The cover of the newest edition of the Ski + Ride magazine.  Vermont Ski and Ride, the only independent publication that serves New England’s winter sports community, has relaunched for 2015 as a free glossy, quarterly publication printed on heavy stock, high-quality paper, along with a new website and social media presence. In 2015,…