Mud challenges local road crews By Katy Savage Some town officials are calling this mud season the worst ever. Killington Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth said eight roads were “borderline passable” over the weekend. “They were the worst I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Hagenbarth said. ”It was so unusual how bad it was.” Hagenbarth almost…

By Jack Lyons/VTDigger A 30-year effort to reintroduce passenger rail service to Burlington is scheduled to succeed this summer. Rail travelers will be able to board in Rutland and travel to Burlington on the trail, and Burlington residents will be able to travel south — all the way to New York City and points beyond…

Vermont drops guidance for masking indoors, at school By Polly Mikula Starting Monday, March 14, it’s ok to for everyone to unmask in public, including indoors and in K-12 schools, the state announced Thursday, March 3. “As our statewide hospitalization rate is low, and hospitals are no longer facing the Covid-related strains of the recent…

By Victoria Gaither The start of the sugaring season in Central Vermont never gets old for locals. In fact, for Rutland residents Art and Cindy Trevino, warmer temperatures and the end of February is the time to pull out the buckets, lids, drill, hammer, hooks, and spile. “I love sugaring because it gives us something…

By Katy Savage As the threat of Covid-19 apparently dwindles, local towns and organizations are rescinding their face mask policies. The Woodstock Village Trustees and Select Board unanimously voted to no longer require a face mask in public buildings during a joint meeting on Feb. 28. “Individual businesses may still make their own requirements,” Woodstock…

By Curt Peterson Killington Treasurer Lucrecia Wonsor said the town will receive $156,624 from the state as the town’s share of the rooms and meals and alcohol option tax paid during the fourth quarter of 2021, (paid Nov. 13 through Feb. 8, according to Wonsor). The previous record revenue from fourth quarter options taxes, $131,205,…

Five of Vermont’s 14 counties (including Rutland) are considered high risk, per CDC, and should not unmask By Polly Mikula The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its Covid-19 precautions Friday, Feb. 25, by allowing people in areas of low and moderate transmission to remove masks indoors. “This new framework moves beyond just…

By Katy Savage Growing up, Spencer Wood didn’t know he had a disability. Wood, a Pittsfield native, was diagnosed as a baby but his parents didn’t tell him until he was 10 and they didn’t let his disability get in his way. “We didn’t want it to be a crutch,” his mother Barb Wood said.…

Staff report Rutland City’s Town Meeting results are delayed after the city ran out of ballots. Rutland City Clerk Henry Heck ordered about 25% more ballots this year in anticipation of high turnout, likely driven by a large turnover of school board candidates. But, this is the first time in 14 years he ran out.…

 Covid’s risk to students mental health is now greater than physical health, governor says By Polly Mikula Masking in schools — among the last remaining Covid mitigation measures in place for students — will soon be optional for schools with a student vaccination rate of over 80%, Governor Phil Scott announced at his regular press…

From Snowshed to Royal Flush, Killington’s ski trail names contain history, humor By Karen D. Lorentz From Snowshed to Royal Flush to Superstar, the naming of trails at Killington contains interesting histories and, at times, humorous stories. The most historic name is Snowshed. The Snowshed trail was named after the snowsheds built when logging occurred…

By Karen D. Lorentz Greg Cartier, who was born and raised in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was introduced to his calling in life when he attended a Vermont college. “I was a member of Norwich University’s Mountain Cold Weather Rescue Team and it was a turning point in my life. The members of this team were some…

By Katy Savage Hannah Soar didn’t get a medal in her first Olympics on Feb. 6, but that didn’t matter to those who watched her grow up skiing. About 200 people got up before the sun on Sunday to cheer Soar on at Killington’s Snowshed Lodge for a 6 a.m. watch party. The room had…

January saw record ICU visits, hospitalizations By Polly Mikula This week the Covid case numbers appear to be heading back to pre-Omricon levels after hitting record highs last month. The state reported 284 cases on Saturday, 311 on Sunday, 149 on Monday and 206 on Tuesday. The seven-day average was 396 cases per day, a…

By Katy Savage Before the Bengals and Rams take the field for Superbowl LVI on Feb. 13, puppies will compete in the 18th annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet and this year, two local dogs have made the cut. Dumpling and Pudding, two Labrador mixes from the Rutland County Humane Society, are in this year’s…