By Victoria Gaither “The celebration is an opportunity to see our friends and neighbors in town. Following the pandemic, we’re excited to be fully open again, share our recently renovated shop and all of the new products we’ve curated,” said Casey McNeil, whose grandfather, James F. McNeil, and his good friend George Reedy, opened the…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger In the latest of a long-running back-and-forth over the Rutland High School mascot, residents addressed the Rutland city board of school commissioners at a forum Tuesday night, June 22.  “We are here at this public forum to address an issue that has been on everybody’s mind,” said board clerk Erin Shimp, who led…

Cost and lead time of supplies as well as lack of workers create obstacles By Ethan Weinstein Here in southern Vermont, contractors are finding themselves busier than ever while lacking the resources they need to complete projects. This spring, lumber prices soared as production declined and demand for construction increased. The price of lumber has…

By Justin Trombly/VTDigger By this point, Robert Congdon would have normally hired half the workers he seeks every year to staff the Vermont State Fair in Rutland.  So far, the fair-runner has only about a third of his usual 30-person crew lined up for the August event.  “Traditionally, we’ve got tons of people contacting us [to work]…

By Katherine Lazarus PITTSFORD—To say that the campers who go to Camp Betsey Cox quite frequently return for a follow-up year, is like saying the sun is lukewarm. It’s such an understatement it’s a story in itself. Take camp staff member Angela “Angie” Willis VanBuskirk, 46. She is not only a former camper and parent…

Eligible and unvaccinated drops below 1,000 By Hannah Laga Abram Covid-19 may have put our lives on hold, but we sure are ahead of schedule getting back to them.  Gov. Phil Scott’s Vermont Forward Plan, which the state has been following since early this spring, looked toward July 4 as an optimistic reopening date. Instead,…

By Neil P. Allen On Monday, the Brandon Sewer Commission approved a $853,660 budget, which includes a potential fixed usage rate increase from $34 per quarter to $68 per quarter. This budget is 3.04% less than last year’s budget. Brandon Town Manager Dave Atherton introduced the budget. “Not a lot has changed. We moved some…

On Friday, June 18, at roughly 9 a.m., troopers from the state police took a report of a vehicle stolen from a residence in the town of Mendon.  During the investigation, troopers learned that the vehicle was last seen 30 days before the report was filed. The vehicle is described as a 1990 Jeep Wrangler…

SHARON—A man performing logging work at a private residence has died following an accident Saturday, June 26.  Initial investigation determined that the victim, John K. Sears, 64, of Sharon, had felled a tree and was cutting it into sections at about 3 p.m. Saturday when an apparent malfunction occurred involving the safety system on a…

Police have arrested a suspect involved in a late May burglary in Barnard. Investigation revealed that Amanda Conant had stolen a number of items, forced entry into the residence and caused property damage.  On June 14, Conant was issued a criminal citation to appear in Windsor County Court for grand larceny, burglary, unlawful mischief and possessing…

WEST HAVEN—On June 23, 11:00 a.m., troopers from the state police — Rutland Barracks were advised of a motor vehicle crash on Vermont Route 22A in West Haven. Upon arrival, they learned the crash was a head-on collision. Initial investigation showed Gary J. Sweeney, of Castleton, was traveling north on VT Route 22A when the…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Flannels Fanatics vs Rock Landscaping It has not been a good early season for Flannels Fanatics (FF) as they are on a two-game losing streak and both of those losses have been by mercy — a 10 run deficit after five innings of play.  In three games this season, they scored…

Rutland to celebrate reopening and honor its first responders A street party, fireworks, and free whoopie pies will be part of a celebration of the end of Covid-19 regulations — highlighted by a parade of health care and other essential-worker heroes in downtown Rutland. The Aug. 28 Parade of Heroes & Community Celebration, from 3:30-9:30…

By Katy Savage As the popular Peppino’s Restaurant on Killington Road closes, a new restaurant is coming to town.  Peppino’s owner Lou Illiano, who opened his authentic Italian restaurant 30 years ago, sold the building in May. “It was just time for me to get out of the restaurant business,” Illiano said.  Kara Tondorf, a…

By Ethan Weinstein  Lt. Gov. Molly Gray kicked off her Recover Stronger tour in Rutland on Wednesday, June 16. Her goal: learn what Vermonters learned from the pandemic, and what the state should do as it eases back to pre-pandemic life. Stopping at Rutland Intermediate School, RRMC, and the Village Snack Bar, Gray chatted with…