Submitted Peter Austin Hike Peter Austin Hike, 67, of Pittsfield, died Sunday Aug. 9, 2015 at his home. He was born March 27, 1948 in Roslyn Heights, Long Island, N.Y., the son of Harold and Shirley (Stockwell) Hike. He graduated from Darien High School and went on to attend The University of Miami in Coral…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org The Department for Children and Families is reaching out to mandated reporters of child abuse across the state to inform them of policy changes related to the implementation of Act 60. The new law took effect July 1, and DCF is raising awareness about how the policy changes affect mandatory reporters…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org A report from the Department for Children and Families shows more Vermonters are relying on emergency housing vouchers. According to the report submitted to the Legislature last week, the department received 15,431 applications for emergency housing between January and June, up from 9,503 during the same period in 2014. The report…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger.org A legislative study committee held its first meeting Tuesday, July 28, to explore how to write a law to guide where solar farms can be built in Vermont. The Solar Siting Task Force was formed as part of H.40, the renewable energy bill signed into law as Act 56. The 10-person…

By Mary Reczek, World War II Memorial Committee On Aug. 15, 1945 church bells and sirens all over America rang joyously to announce the end of our conflict with Japan–VJ Day. This year, in West Rutland, church bells will again ring to commemorate the 70th anniversary of V-J Day and to mark the dedication of…

By Lee H. Hamilton The most important function Congress serves is to debate and pass the federal budget. I know—it also levies taxes, imposes or relaxes regulations, and once in a while nudges our social, economic or political order in a meaningful way. But the budget tells the government what to do and makes it…

Dear Editor, Earlier in July, Mr. Haff asked why the Town Report doesn’t show a deficit with flood funding and FEMA in the Town Report like the auditor’s report does? I answered his question in my July 29th letter to the Mountain Times (see “Killington Selectboard Chair addresses flood financing plans, transparency” on their website). Since,…

Dear Editor, I was disappointed when I learned that solar wasn’t a fit for my home. Here in Montpelier, the city has launched a Net Zero initiative—meaning we will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by investing in renewable energy. I wanted to be a part of that movement. I wanted to do my part…

Dear Editor, The inexorable march towards eliminating the West Hill Road slip lane advanced further at the Aug. 4, 2015, Select Board meeting wherein Chet Hagenbarth, town facilities and road manager, introduced his "West Hill Road signage package," which included removing the West Hill Road street sign from the top of the slip lane and…

Dear Editor, My second question about transparency in Killington was what are the town’s plans to fix the issue that the auditor pointed out about not having enough funds to sustain government operations for approximately two months? The response we received back from Killington Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath in her letter in last week’s edition…

By Dom Cioffi Forty years ago this summer, on a Friday night in June, Universal Pictures released the film “Jaws” to curious audiences across the country. Within days it would become a monumental hit and a cultural phenomenon. The film is now regarded as the very first summer blockbuster because Universal took a unique approach…

Courtesy of Billings Farm & Museum Lynne Croswell of Ludlow won the Jurors’ Choice Award for her quilt, “Leaf Skelton 2/Leaf Skelton 3.” WOODSTOCK — Billings Farm & Museum announces the Billings Farm & Museum Staff Choice Award and the Juror’s Choice Awards, for the 29th Annual Quilt Exhibition, open daily through Sept. 20. Christy Thomas…

Submitted Peg Flory, Brian Collamore, and Kevin Mullin RUTLAND — “Rutland County Matters” debuts on PEGTV Channel 21 and will run Mondays at 5:30 p.m. The new monthly show features Rutland County Republican Senators Peg Flory, Brian Collamore, and Kevin Mullin as they discuss county issues. Residents are encouraged to email questions for discussion to [email protected].

RUTLAND — Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that affects millions of people. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately 473,000 people age 65 or older will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the United State in 2015. Rutland Regional invites the community to attend two free seminars that provide information on detection, causes, risk factors, and research on the…

CASTLETON—Joining other leaders in the field of survey research, the Castleton Polling Institute (CPI) was recently admitted as a charter member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Transparency Initiative. By joining the Transparency Initiative, the institute is supporting the mutual goal of more effective disclosure of research methods by all organizations. “The…