Hank Dimuzio and Rhonda Roberts of LedgEnd Farm worked with the Vermont Land Trust to conserve 132 acres of their deer farm on Munger Street. Theirs is the largest deer farm in the state with over 400 animals. Dimuzio didn’t follow a typical path to become a farmer. For over 20 years he built up…

Family encourages blood donations in Rutland man’s memory The family of Pete Giancola, a well-known local musician, is urging the greater-Rutland community to donate blood in his memory at the 2020 Mini Gift-of-Life Marathon (GOLM) blood drive. Giancola died in March after a 10-year battle with cancer, and relied on hundreds of blood donors who…

By Sawyer Loftus and Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger More than 200 community members gathered on Saturday, June 13, to help paint “Black Lives Matter” in massive yellow letters in front of the State House. The project had been in the works for just under a week and was a collaboration between Noel Riby-Williams, a Montpelier resident, and City Councilor Conor Casey. The week prior,…

By Katy Savage Eric Mallette caught the “theater bug” when he was 19 and working as a college intern at the Paramount Theatre. “I remember the magic I felt walking through the doors,” Mallette said. It’s where he realized the power theater has. “I remember thinking how exciting it was to be part of something…

Demonstrators call for an end to systemic racism in Rutland and beyond By Aliya Schneider Protestors were met with honking, cheering, and gestures of support as they protested along Main Street in Rutland on Sunday, June 7. “Black lives matter!”; “No Justice! No Peace!”; “Say his name. George Floyd” and  “Say her name. Breonna Taylor”…

By Mikie Perkins, Albany Recruiting Battalion When the first Continental Congress founded the army in 1775, it was done to protect the original 13 colonies against invasion by the British. The U.S. Army continues to fight to protect Americans from aggressors 245 years later. It does so successfully because of soldiers who are dedicated and…

By Curt Peterson Following a short presentation by Jim Haff (Killington), chairman of the Windsor Central Unified School District buildings and grounds committee, the district board approved investing up to $130,000 to install a “super” dehumidifying system, complete some related electrical work and do some deep cleaning to get the Prosper Valley School in Pomfret…

By Virginia Dean Recent news reports indicate that one of the major industries in Vermont that has been hit the hardest by the pandemic is the dairy farm. According to the state Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts, 14 small to medium farms (out of a total of 677 as of January 2020) have stopped milking.…

By Katy Savage Tracy Kardys started planning her wedding a year ago. She envisioned a boho-style wedding on an 88-acre family-owned farm in Proctorsville that has a pond and vineyard. She wanted her 130 guests to dance under  Vermont stars. Kardys has done most of the planning and made most of the decorations herself to save…

Program aids local businesses, addresses food insecurity Killington Resort announced Monday, June 8, a newly launched employee and community-centric philanthropic platform called Play It Forward designed to support the local community during Covid-19 and beyond. As part of Killington Resort’s Play Forever corporate responsibility commitment to protecting the environment and enabling participation, Play It Forward engages charitable…

‘Jaws’ kicks off the season on July 3 RUTLAND—The Paramount Theatre and Vermont State Fair are partnering to open a drive-in theater on the fairgrounds in Rutland. The summer movie series will kick off on July 3 with the original summer blockbuster, “Jaws.” Covid19 has made it impossible for Paramount to host shows in its…

Staff report WOODSTOCK—“We have lost something that we have loved. We have lost someone precious and we are grieving. We will either allow our souls to grow from this or we won’t. And at this point, one question remains: What will be our loving choice?” said the Reverend Dr. Leon Dunkley, minister of the North…

By Polly Mikula On Friday, June 5, Gov. Phil Scott outlined a series of orders that open the door to indoor restaurant dining, out-of-state travel, and expanded lodging. All gatherings, indoor and outdoor, continue to be limited to 25 people. Scott said he felt confident that expanding the use of restaurants and lodging and allowing…

By Katy Savage As summer approaches, thousands of families would usually be marking their calendars to attend overnight summer camps in the Green Mountain state, but, for many, that won’t happen this year. Camp Sangamon, a camp for boys in Pittsford, won’t operate for the first time in its 99-year history. “We weren’t comfortable with…

By Mike Dougherty, Grace Elletson and Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger Vermonters rallied Saturday, May 30, as protests against police brutality erupted across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. In Burlington, signs and speeches escalated to a verbal confrontation with city police officials as demonstrators marched on the Burlington Police…