RUTLAND—The Grace Congregational United Church of Christ steeple rises high above Main Street Park in Rutland. But as of last Wednesday, July 21, it's 6 feet shorter. Jay Southgate from Southgate Steeplejacks in Barre and Ben Classen from Classen’s Crane Service removed the 6-foot finial from the spire of the 199-foot tall church. Church members…

By Curt Peterson Windsor Central Unified School District superintendent Sherry Sousa told the Mountain Times last week that protocols for reopening are still up in the air, presumably due to the recent upsurge in Covid cases across the country. “The Agency of Education [AoE] and Dept. of Health will be providing us with guidance regarding…

Crowds gather in Rutland and Castleton to celebrate reopening By Polly Mikula At 7:30 a.m. on Monday, July 19, the James M. Jeffords Station in downtown Rutland was packed with passengers eager to board the Ethan Allen Express for the first time in 16 months. Many local officials and residents were there for the celebration. After…

By Brooke Geery Lucas Magoon’s snowboarding career began at Killington Resort, where he was just a little punk who happened to possess more natural talent than just about anyone else. Groomed and trained by the community at the mountain, Magoon went on to international acclaim, and won just about every snowboard rail jam over a…

Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County recently announced that, thanks to the generosity of the Rutland Housing Authority (RHA), that Habitat will be building its next home on Hickory St. in Rutland. Hickory Street is a mixed-income development with 78 apartments for individuals/families in 14 buildings on seven acres on the site of the old…

By Brooke Geery Rutland Rec Superintendent Kim Peters has been working overtime throughout the pandemic. She and her team revamped the College of St. Joseph campus to create a diverse and well-stocked community center. They’ve added a new pool and made other improvements to existing parks in Rutland City. And behind the scenes, the department…

Joseph (Joe) Clarence Jones, age 97, died July 17, 2021 He was preceded by his wife Anne Johnson Jones, who died April 17, 2020, at the age of 90. The Jones' were from Mendon and most recently The Meadows at East Mountain in Rutland Town. Anne was born Aug. 3, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts, the…

Vermont Fish & Wildlife is offering shooting range improvement grants to encourage upgrades of shooting ranges for enhanced safety and operation. The Shooting Range Improvement Grant Program seeks grant applications from clubs and government agencies involved in the operation of shooting ranges, including archery ranges. Grant applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on October…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger LUDLOW — Phish guitarist and lead singer Trey Anastasio and his Divided Sky Foundation have overcome neighbors’ opposition to win municipal approval to convert an Okemo Mountain property into a 40-bed treatment center for Vermonters facing alcoholism or addiction. “I started Divided Sky Foundation to offer people the same help that I was fortunate enough…

BETHEL—State Police is investigating the death of a man whose body was found Thursday, July 15, 2021, outside a private residence in the town of Bethel. Police were notified at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday that a body had been located in a tent at a property on Findley Bridge Road. Troopers responded to the scene…

On July 18, 2021, at approximately 5:20 p.m., troopers from the Rutland Barracks responded to a reported single-vehicle rollover crash on Danby Pawlet Road., in the town of Danby. Upon arrival to the scene,troopers located a maroon Chevrolet trailblazer that came to a position of uncontrolled rest, overturned on the roadway. Driver Scot Rafus was…

The 8th Annual event will be held Sunday Aug. 22, 2021 from 12-5 p.m. Please save the date and plan on joining us — everyone is welcome! The event is moving up a month to have some hopefully warmer weather and still be in summer vacation for the kids. It’s also moving from Mogul’s Sports Pub…

On July 17 at 9:19 p.m. police were notified of a fireworks complaint on Route 2 in Alburg. Complainant Mackenzie Bertsche, 22, called to advise that her neighbor, Joseph Rozwadowski, 46, was setting off fireworks in his driveway, and one struck her residence. Upon arrival, police verified there was a dent in the siding where…

Killington explosions remain a mystery, police continue to pursue leads By Curt Peterson In June, Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery told the Mountain Times his department had received numerous complaints about loud explosions in a particular neighborhood. The explosions occurred for a couple of days, then none for a few days, and then they would resume, Montgomery…

Episode no. 2 of My Side of the Mountain — overlooked stories of everyday life here in the Green Mountain State. 7-minutes.   By Ethan Weinstein Every night, once the sun sets, JoAnne Russo switches on her porch lights. Then, she waits. As the moths emerge from the darkness, Russo is ready with camera in…