Local News

By Curt Peterson Hartland resident Charles Bestard was splitting firewood for seniors when he mentioned a brand new school in Lebanon that’s focused on students yearning for exposure to and learning about visual and performing arts. “During the pandemic, arts programs lost out,” principal and founder of the New England School of the Arts (NESA)…

By Brett Yates Starting next year, Pittsfield may have a chance to draw from an additional source of municipal revenue. First, voters will have to approve a new “local option” tax at Town Meeting Day. Some Vermont municipalities require restaurants, bars, hotels, and/or shops within town limits to add a 1% surcharge to each customer’s…

By Brett Yates The Vermont Dept. of Buildings and General Services will deliver $157,899 to Pittsfield to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency at the town office. Projects may include a heat pump, programmable thermostats, an energy recovery ventilator, a solar array, a tankless water heater, electric vehicle chargers, LED lighting, window replacements, and other…

Staff Report Skiology Ski and Sports and Darkside Snowboards have received recognition in a USA Today readers’ poll of the 10 best ski shops in the U.S.  Skiology Ski and Sports landed at an impressive No. 2 on the list. “This local shop offers a wide range of high-performance recreational and racing skis, from all-mountain…

In a quest to further enhance its support for student-athletes at their world-class training venue, Killington Mountain School (KMS) announced Monday, Nov. 25, the establishment of an in-house World Cup-level ski service, providing elite-level equipment preparation for its ski racers. Through a new partnership with Mike Beers, owner of Race Tech Ski Service, KMS athletes…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Developers of a proposed 450-acre retail and residential village at the base of the Killington Resort — the biggest ski area in eastern North America — say design changes will postpone the project for at least a year. Announced last winter, the Great Gulf plans include a new lodge, some 32,000 square feet of commercial space,…

Brenda Hathaway, formerly of Rutland, died Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Mesa, Arizona. She was born June 22, 1963, to Robert Milne Hathaway and Suzanne (Dexter) Hathaway, in Rutland. She attended Lincoln Elementary, Rutland Junior, and Rutland Senior High Schools. In 1983, Hathaway earned her degree in business administration from Castleton College — now Vermont…

By Curt Peterson Long-time employee BJ Mattson is the recently appointed new permanent highway department road foreman. Mattson, 44, has worked for the department for 18 years. He replaces 20-year road foreman Bill Barrows, who retired in June.  Mattson has been “acting” road foreman since Barrows’ departure, so it’s just an official title change. Town…

By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger Vermont Castings, a well-known manufacturer of stoves and fireplace inserts, plans to furlough most of the workers at its facilities in Randolph and Bethel around the start of next week. Hearth & Home Technologies, the parent company, plans to furlough 78 employees in Vermont starting on Nov. 25, said Sarah Wellcome, the firm’s…

By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger On Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 20, more than 75 local residents from Wells, Poultney and other nearby towns packed into the town of Wells town clerk’s office or joined online for a meeting held by the Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The crowd had gathered to learn more about a draft decision by the…

By Polly Mikula Mikaela Shiffrin, 29, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time Stifel Killington Cup slalom winner and the winningest Alpine skier in history is set to crack another milestone:  a historic 100th World Cup win, and it could happen this weekend at Killington Resort. The milestone is monumental. Two years ago in January 2023…

By Noah Diedrich, Community News Service Editor’s note: This article is provided by Community News Service, which provides local reporting from the University of Vermont. For this story, Diedrich, along with photographer Catherine Morrissey, braved the dark depths of Wilson Castle to follow ghost hunters. If the assembly of tents outside Wilson Castle on a mid-October…

Rutland County Head Start (RCHS) and Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, two of the Rutland area’s leading play-based early childhood education organizations, announced a new partnership to enhance learning opportunities for the youngest Rutlanders. The new partnership will include free monthly playdates for the community with children under the age of 5 and Wonderfeet memberships for all…

By Victoria Gaither On Friday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m., the Killington Cafe and Wine Bar opened its doors to the community for an invite-only tasting opportunity. Owner/General Manager Joe Cuozzo and partners James Sherman and Howard Levin welcomed guests into the cafe and bar and sought feedback. It was a packed house, with guests…

WOODSTOCK—Nov. 28 at 10 a.m. The Zack’s Place 2024 Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving race returns, bringing together runners and walkers of all ages for a cherished holiday tradition. This annual event, now a staple in the Woodstock community, kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. with the starting line at Woodstock Elementary School.…