Local News

By Curt Peterson On Saturday, Jan. 11, six Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR) volunteers found a lost hiker deep in the snowy forest. It may have been the luckiest and unluckiest day of his life. According to Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery, the call citing a lost hiker needing rescue came from the Vermont State…

By Polly Mikula Vermont lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban cell phones and other electronic devices in public and independent schools from the start of the school day until dismissal — often called bell-to-bell — and prohibits schools from using social media to communicate with students. The bill, H.54, is intended to reduce the burden on…

By Victoria Gaither Okemo’s Women’s First Fridays series is off to a great start, connecting female skiers and riders. The series kicked off Dec. 6 at Okemo’s Jackson Gore and has since gained popularity among women searching for something different on the slopes. Fran Madson from Ludow attended the first Dec. 6 event and said,…

By Karen D. Lorentz What started out as a fun winter sport on a school trip and a hobby — perhaps inspired by his artistic mother — led to a new vocation and lifestyle for Jerry LeBlond. Born in 1946 and raised in Biddeford, Maine, a coastal French speaking community, until the  6th grade when…

By Staff Report After an injury cut her 2024 season short, Killington native Taylor Dobyns is back on the Freeride World Tour (FWT), ready to reclaim her place among the world’s best freeride skiers. Dobyns, who qualified for the prestigious FWT Pro Circuit last year, received a season wildcard for 2025 and has already made…

Judy O. Findeisen, a longtime Killington resident and avid skier, passed away on Jan. 22 at the age of 92. Born Oct.13, 1932, in Newport, Rhode Island, Judy was the oldest of Dorothy and Arnold Openshaw’s three children. She grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, swimming, horseback riding, and skiing. While attending St. Lawrence University, she…

Robert L. Reilly (“Riles),” 80, of Manahawkin, formerly of Long Beach Island and Belmar, died Wednesday, Jan. 1. Bob was born in South Amboy, New Jersey, and moved to Belmar as a child. He graduated from St. Rose Grammar and High Schools, both in Belmar. He attended Mt. Hood College in Oregon, where he achieved…

By Brett Yates Municipal officials have long wanted to install a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the North Chittenden Grange Hall, and thanks to a recent grant from the Vermont Dept. of Buildings and General Services, they finally have the money to do it. But one last hurdle has emerged. The state’s Municipal Energy Resilience Program intends…

Three leading housing organizations—NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, Shires Housing, and Housing Trust of Rutland County—have merged to form Cornerstone Housing Partners, a new entity dedicated to expanding and maintaining affordable housing and homeownership services across Rutland, Bennington, and Addison counties. The newly combined organization will provide a comprehensive range of housing services, including affordable rental…

By Auditi Guha/VTDigger He was called the N-word. His head was compared to a chimpanzee’s skull. A banana was waved at him with comments about him looking like he needed it. His arm was drawn on with a dark marker with remarks about how it could not be seen on his skin. Comments and memes…

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) announced Friday, Jan. 24, that the Agency of Natural Resources, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Water Quality Division has awarded the RRPC a contract to administer water quality improvement programs in partnership with the 11 Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) across the state of Vermont. Funded through the 604(b) Water Quality…

By Polly Mikula A first look at the Town Meeting Day ballot was presented at the Killington Select Board meeting, Monday, Jan. 27 — and there were some surprises with two contested races, two bonds and an article to change the governing structure of the Select Board.  The first article on the ballot asks voters…

Rutland City police officers Matthiew Razanouski (left) and Sean Olsen (right) stopped by the Last Cup Cafe at 87 State St. in Rutland on Sunday, Jan. 26, for morning coffee.

By Curt Peterson Hartland Winter Trails (HWT) has two 50th birthday events coming up — a concert with refreshments featuring Andrew and Noah Van Norstrand starting at 7:30 this Friday, Jan. 24, at Damon Hall, and a new format tiki-torch night event across from the firehouse from 2-8 p.m. on Feb. 8. In 1974 Henry…

Cobra Gymnastics, in Rutland, is off to a fantastic start for its 13th season as a competitive program. It was voted the 2024 Xcel Vermont Club of the Year under USA Gymnastics for the third year in a row and continues to promote a healthy and quality competitive program for athletes age 6-18 in the…