By Todd McLeish In 2006, I joined a team of biologists to trap bats in Vermont’s Chittenden County. We were searching for North America’s rarest bat, the Indiana bat, which had recently been discovered breeding in a forest in Middlebury. The biologists hoped to identify additional populations of this endangered species and develop a better…

When I was a little girl back in the 1950s this was a very exciting time of year. It was fair time! The fairgrounds have been located at 175 South Main Street in Rutland since 1856. The Vermont State Fair acquired its name in 1972. But my guess is that most people have always referred…

What is it with people who claim that breakfast is their favorite meal of the day? Stop saying this, people. In fact, it’s come to my attention that the phrase “favorite meal of the day” is employed solely in the context of breakfast: no one ever uses it to describe lunch or dinner. Yet both…

Courtesy of  Sierra Club South Woodstock’s Roger Payne received the Sierra Club’s Earth Care Award. He discovered that whales sing songs! Retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Alan Rusbridger, who recently retired as editor of The Guardian newspaper in London, are among those who received awards from the Sierra Club this year. Most of…

Submitted This wooden lion went missing from Bentley’s in 2012. WOODSTOCK — Stonewall of Woodstock, Corp., operator of Bentley’s Restaurant, announced a substantial increase to the reward being offered for the safe return of a (30-40 pound) wooden carousel lion that went missing in April 2012. A treasured artifact of great sentimental and historical value,…

RUTLAND —Rutland Veterinary Clinic and Surgical Center has once again achieved the highest level of veterinary excellence following a thorough evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).  The clinic became accredited in 1963 and has continued to remain accredited for over 50 years. Only the top small animal hospitals in the United States and…

RUTLAND–Washington Monthly magazine has named College of St. Joseph as a top 100 “Best Bang for the Buck” college in the Northeast region. The list placed CSJ at 57 out of 402 schools in the Northeast, and CSJ was one of just two Vermont colleges to make the top 100. The University of Vermont was…

RUTLAND–The start of a new school year can be a difficult transition for many students. For those in College of St. Joseph’s STEPS program, it goes beyond missing familiar faces from home and getting to class on time. For them, it includes how they can access necessary school supplies, and more. The Vermont Student Assistance…

In October, the Community College of Vermont will begin offering several free workforce development courses and workshops at five of the College’s academic centers across the state. These new training programs are designed to equip students with technical skills and industry certifications in high-demand sectors, with a focus on manufacturing, technology, business applications, and health…

Vermont State Fair trimming debt? There will probably be a sizable time lag before we know how successful the Vermont State Fair was this year. Rutland County Agricultural Society Vice President Don Chioffi told fair-goers they could expect $150,000 of entertainment for $12. Whether they did depends on what they expected to do at the…

WEST RUTLAND—On Thursday, Sept. 10, state troopers responded to a mid-afternoon multi-vehicle crash on Business Route 4 in front of the Sunoco station in West Rutland. Upon arrival police found two vehicles in the lane of travel: a 2005 Nissan Maxima, driven by Kim Simons, age 21, of Poultney, and a 2008 Subaru Outback, driven…

KILLINGTON — Green Mountain Power line crews need to interrupt electric service to 55 customers in a residential area of Killington Thursday morning, Sept. 17, so they can safely remove trees that have overgrown the power lines. The outage is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will last approximately one hour. It will affect…

Community renewal PAWLET—As part of a package of nearly $40 million in Vermont downtown and village center designation projects, Mach’s General Store and Flower Brook Brewery in Pawlet received a $146,431 tax credit allocation. Damaged by flood in 2011, fire in 2014, the 1804 brick structure faces a $1.3 million dollar complete restoration. Police chief…

CHITTENDEN — On Monday, Sept. 14, between 11 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. fly fishing equipment was stolen from a vehicle parked at the Leffert’s Pond Access area located off Wildcat Road in the Town of Chittenden, Vt. The equipment belongs to Patrick Norton, age 51 of Rutland, who reported it missing. All of the equipment…

Submitted The Wiggles perform a colorful, musical show much to the delight of young children. Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Paramount Theatre welcomes The Wiggles and their “Rock & Roll Preschool Tour” to the stage on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets ($28.50-44.50) are available at the venue box office located…