By Erin Petenko/VTDigger A new analysis of police budget proposals up for a vote on Town Meeting Day found that, on average, they’re flat — police budgets headed for voters next month have dropped very slightly — on average, by 0.45%. But an average is just an average, and police budgets vary widely from community to community.…

By Victoria Gaither If there was ever a king of snowmaking, Brian Hughes holds the title. Celebrating 28 years at Killington Resort, Hughes started his career with no snowmaking or grooming experience when he landed in Vermont by chance from San Diego, California. “I needed a change of pace, so I took out a map…

Select Board discusses realistic plans for GMNGC debt By Curt Peterson The Killington Select Board called a special meeting on Friday, Feb. 19, to discuss the 2020 audit, which corrected an expected surplus in the town budget. William Hall, of RHR Smith & Co., reported to the board regarding the FY2020 audit for the town…

By Katy Savage Stockbridge voters will decide on Town Meeting Day, March 2, whether to withdraw from the Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District and operate Stockbridge Central School as its own entity. The article is being presented after a group of about 50 Stockbridge residents filed a petition with the Stockbridge Select Board. If approved,…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger In the lead-up to Town Meeting Day, Rutland City lawns have been covered with candidate signs. Two dozen people are competing for seven positions in city leadership, and while Covid-19 has made it easier to file as a candidate, contested races are nothing new in Rutland, particularly for the board of aldermen. In…

By Brett Yates On Feb. 16, the Rutland City Board of Aldermen voted to support a pedestrian infrastructure improvement project that the Department of Public Works (DPW) hopes will ensure students at Northwest Primary School can walk to school safely next fall. The plan, which aims to replace 1,350 linear feet of deteriorated asphalt, targets…

Official green heavy-duty aluminum reflective address (e911) signs are available from the Town of Killington. These signs are 12” x 4” and bear the number of your home or business. Please mail the Official Green Address Sign (E911) Order Form with a check for $10 payable to the Town of Killington for each sign. When ready, signs…

The Timber Inn Motel in Ludlow has received the “Loved by Guests” award for 2021 from hotels.com in recognition of the “superb” reviews from its recent guests. The Timber Inn is owned and operated by Glenn Heitsmith. In making the award, hotels.com cited the “Loved by Guests” award as “an annual program to recognize partners who deliver exceptional service…

Staff report Two 35-foot beams were slid into place under the floor of Pittsfield’s town hall on Feb. 4. A hole was cut into the side of the building and the basement cleared in order to accommodate the necessary supports. In 2018 the 200-year-old structure was deemed unfit to hold crowds (such as typically gathers…

By Karen D. Lorentz Alison “Ali” Bombardier brings a new face and tremendous experience to Okemo’s competitions program this winter as the competitions center manager. She was born and grew up in Canberra Australia, “a short 1.5 hour commute to the Snowy Mountains, where I was lucky enough to spend lots of time exploring and…

As the saying goes, “The show must go on.” And, during a pandemic, “The show must go on with some modifications.” In previous years, Rutland South Rotary Club held its annual fundraising raffle at Spartan Arena with cash and door prize giveaways. This year due to the prohibition on large gatherings, the club had to…

By Katy Savage Two candidates are seeking an open Select Board seat in Woodstock. Jill Davies is running against Woodstock Police Sgt. Joe Swanson for a three-year seat vacated by Butch Sutherland, who is retiring. Davies has served on the board for four years. As her two-year term was up this year, she decided to…

By Brett Yates It’s official: the Rutland Raiders will become the Rutland Ravens. On Feb. 9, a 6-4 vote by the Rutland Board of School Commissioners authorized the new athletic mascot, logo and symbol following a presentation by members of a student advisory committee from Rutland High School (RHS) and Principal Greg Schillinger. The decision…

By Hannah Diction The second annual Vermont snowmobile festival took place Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland. Machinists of all ages attended. Admission was open to the public and free to viewers who delighted in watching as competitors raced around the track, and trophies were handed out. The event was spread…

Sculpture designer honored to see his work for the first time during Black History Month By Victoria Gaither The Martin Henry Freeman sculpture took its place on the Downtown Rutland Sculpture Trail and Vermont African American Heritage Trail on Nov. 20, 2020. But Black artist Mark Burnett made his first trip to see the statue…