RAISE grant adds to $19.1 million received to date for municipal water and the reconstruction of Killington Road By Polly Mikula The town of Killington was awarded $25 million by the federal government to engineer and construct Phase 2-4 of its Killington Forward development. The town received the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity…

Slate Valley passes budget after $524,000 cut Staff report Slate Valley Unified Union School district successfully passed its budget, Tuesday, June 18. It was the district’s fifth attempt. The $30.5 million budget was approved 930-794 after roughly $524,000 was cut since it was first put out to voters on Town Meeting Day in March. The…

Killington Resort’s 10-week concert series kicks off this Saturday, June 29 with Ben Goldsmith, from 3-5:30 p.m. This summer, the Cooler in the Mountains free concert series returns to the K-1 base area at Killington Resort. The move from Snowshed base area will enable the resort to expand its learn-to-mountain bike area on Snowshed.  The new venue is…

By Curt Peterson The Mountain View Supervisory Union FY2025 budget passed with 60% of the vote on Town Meeting Day. But the district’s $99 million bond for a replacement of the aging Woodstock Middle and High School complex, failed by about 10%. Ben Ford, MSVU board vice-chair and chair of the finance committee, told the…

By Curt Peterson Introduced as “America’s most popular governor,” Phil Scott addressed the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) Legislative Breakfast Monday, June 24.  Fresh from a record-making veto override session — both the most vetoes and most overrides — Scott sounded a lot like the fifth-term re-election candidate he is. “I…

“With the second drill on site, expect two blasts a day,” wrote Markowski Excavating, Inc. in a news release before the week began. “First one will be around 10:30-12 noon and the second will be around 1:30-3 p.m.”  Traffic will be stopped on Route 4 during the blasts. Markowski will continue to haul blasted rock…

The legislation funds Vermont’s schools, increasing the average property tax bill by 13.8% By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger The Vermont Legislature overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of the annual property tax legislation that funds the state’s public school districts, solidifying an average projected property tax increase of 13.8%. The vote passed 103-42 in the House, and 22-7 in…

Bill is hailed as a compromise between advocatesfor housing and environmentalists By Carly Berlin Lawmakers have voted to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a marquee housing and land-use bill that makes broad reforms to Act 250, Vermont’s signature development review law.  That means H.687, a bill that seeks to balance promoting housing growth and environmental conservation,…

By Shaun Robinson and Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger Of Gov. Phil Scott’s seven vetoes only a sweeping data privacy bill was sustained by the Senate. The six vetoes set a new record for the Vermont Legislature, beating the record they set last year with five vetos  in a single day. But Scott made his own record, since he took office…

Despite facing many weather challenges Vermont’s Alpine ski areas reported 4.1 million skier visits for 2023-24, reported the Vermont Ski Areas Association June 12. That’s down less than half a percentage point from the 2022-23 season. Visitation this season remains 4% above Vermont’s 10-year average and outpaces a 6.2% decrease in Northeast region visits (12.4…

By Polly Mikula Killington Mountain School kicked off local graduation ceremonies on June 2; other area schools followed shortly after with Rutland High School celebrating at Spartan Arena on June 13 and Woodstock Union High School at Union Arena, June 14. Inherent in most all graduation speeches is the send-off of a new generation of…

Hartford Area Chamber Prepares for Balloon Festival Friday, June 14 at 3 p.m. to Sunday, June 16 at 6 a.m. ­—QUECHEE —The Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival, Village Green, Quechee, the longest running hot air balloon festival in New England, will celebrate its 44th anniversary in 2024 when thousands are expected to…

Slate Valley to vote for fifth time, Tuesday June 18 By Polly Mikula Editor's note: The story first published as "Many area school districts are still working to pass budgets" has been updated to reflect the passage of school bonds June 11 and 12 for Barstow, Otter Valley and Hartland. While voters in at least…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the annual property tax bill on Thursday, setting up a veto session showdown on a piece of legislation that must pass for schools to be funded as usual.  “We must provide property tax relief now. This can’t wait for another study before implementing cost containment strategies,” Scott said in…

This weekend, June 14-16, the skies over the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire will be filled with hot air balloons during the longest running hot air balloon festival in New England. See page 14  for a full schedule of events for the weekend.