By Julia Purdy For several months the traveler on Route 4 has had nowhere to take a lunch/coffee break in the 10-mile stretch between the Killington Deli and Mama T’s at the bottom of the pass. The former Bridge’s Country Store on Route 4 in Mendon, vacant and on the market for several months, is…

Editor’s note: At the annual update, March 21, Killington Resort announced that Tracy Taylor and Rob Megnin would both retire. The resort submitted this look back at Taylor’s 32 year career. Look for a story on Megnin in a future edition. Tracy Taylor, Killington’s business development and special projects manager, is retiring June 1 after…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND— After unsuccessfully trying to form a partnership with another institution, the struggling College of St. Joseph is closing this spring. President Jennifer Scott made the announcement to students Wednesday, March 20.  She said the college, which was about to lose accreditation, had an April 1 deadline to show the New England…

Killington Resort is getting a new base lodge. Killington President Mike Solimano announced the new base lodge was coming in addition to a number of other improvements in a Thursday night presentation. The new 58,000 square foot lodge will be constructed in front of the existing 37,000 square-foot lodge. Similar to the Peak Lodge, the building…

The College of St Joseph in Rutland is closing down at the end of the year, joining a number of other Vermont institutions, including nearby Green Mountain College. “It is with heavy heart and great disappointment that I must deliver the news that our potential institutional partner has elected to not move forward with us,”…

By Robin Alberti Over the weekend of March 15-17, Archytas #6933 First Robotics Competition team attended its first meet of the season, bringing home the Spirit Award from New England District Qualifiers in Bedford, New Hampshire. Each year, First Robotics announces the rules/requirements of the current season’s game, including the specifications of the playing field…

Photo courtesy Cobra Gymnastics Eliza Dopkins

Courtesy Liz Patnode Liz Patnode expands yoga business to Rutland.

By Katy Savage Madelyn Trimpi’s eyes welled with tears as she stood to the microphone in front of 100 classmates and community members on Friday, March 15 in protest of climate change. “I’m so proud of everyone who’s here,” she said, holding back tears. The 16-year-old Woodstock Union High School student from Pomfret was overcome…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger RUTLAND— A Rutland child care provider is facing felony manslaughter and child cruelty charges after she allegedly gave a fatal amount of a sedative found in over-the-counter antihistamines to a 6-month-old infant. Stacey Vaillancourt, 53, pleaded not guilty Monday, March 18, in Rutland County Superior criminal court to both charges. If…

By Karen D. Lorentz Surprisingly, both Brad Leabourne and his wife Megan Canty were born and raised in Rutland and also have worked at Killington their entire careers. Both Leabourne and Canty learned to ski as youngsters. [See the March 12 Mountain Times for profile on Canty and more on how they met.] Born in…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger RUTLAND — A Rutland man who told police about a key piece of an investigation that had not been publicly released during a nearly 10-day probe into the slaying of a Rutland woman is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to second-degree murder charges. Shawn LaPlant, 28, told police…

A Vermont state police trooper collapsed after a traffic stop on Friday, March 15. Apparently exposed to an opioid-like drug, according to a State Police news release. He was revived by fellow troopers using Narcan, state police said. State police detectives are investigating the incident to determine the exact nature of the substance. Police said…

By Katy Savage About nine years after Hallmark’s “Moonlight and Mistletoe” was filmed in Chester, a new Christmas movie has come to town. New York City-based Two Touch Productions filmed parts of the holiday comedy, “The Truth about Christmas,” in Chester and Manchester. The movie follows a man who’s afraid of having kids before he…

A Rutland woman has been arrested for manslaughter after an infant was found dead at her childcare facility. Police arrested Stacey Vaillancourt, 53, of Rutland, Monday after 6-month-old Harper Rose Briar of Pittsford was found dead in her care Jan. 24. Toxicology testing determined that Harper Briar had high concentrations of diphenhydramine in her body,…