Analysis plunged state’s healthcare system into anxiety, uncertainty By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger Last month, a consultant released a sweeping report recommending significant changes for Vermont’s healthcare system, including “major restructuring” at four community hospitals. The 144-page state-commissioned document details a series of steps that Vermont’s hospitals should take to stay afloat, including repurposing inpatient units and downgrading emergency departments…

 By Katy Savage  Woodstock residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of acquiring the Woodstock Aqueduct Company on Tuesday, Oct. 30. The private utility, which dates back to the 1800s, will become a public utility for the first time. Residents voted 382-103 from the floor to acquire the company for $920,000, about half of which was offset…

By James Kent By the time comedian Nurse Blake arrives in Rutland for his Nov. 21 performance at the Paramount Theatre, he’ll have performed nearly 180 shows of his “Shock Advised Comedy Tour.” The tour, which began in 2023 and has taken Nurse Blake around the country and to places as far away as Australia…

By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger In Vermont’s race for lieutenant governor a single label has been front and center. Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat and produce farmer from Hinesburg, is facing a challenge from John Rodgers of Glover, a former state lawmaker who owns a stone excavation business and also runs a hemp and cannabis business, who…

By Mike Mrowicki Editor’s note: Mike Mrowicki is a state Representative for the Windham 4 District of Putney and Dummerston. For those experiencing sticker shock from viewing their property tax bills this year, you’re not alone. I get it. Or, I got it, as our tax bill soared on a 1,000-square-foot house on 2 acres,…

Killington Resort wrapped up the 2024 mountain bike season on Sunday, Oct. 27 after more than 80 days of lift-accessed downhill action. Then two days later, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, the resort announced plans for a trail expansion in summer 2025 as part of the $30 million investments from its new independent ownership. The permitting…

People listen during a press conference held by Downstream Vermonters, a coalition of people opposed to higher taxes and more regulations coming from the state government, at the State House in Montpelier on Thursday, May 9. By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger On the campaign trail, state legislative candidates say affordability dominates conversations with constituents. Property taxes — and…

By James Kent It was a gorgeous late October evening. The temperature was unseasonably warm, still a comfortable 72 degrees, not a breeze blowing on Evelyn Street, at 6:35 p.m. on that hidden corner of downtown Rutland. You know, the one just a knee scrape away from the train station, where the social interactions of…

By Polly Mikula The Agency of Education (AoE) announced Oct. 15 the next phase of its 2024 Listen and Learn Tour, which now invites the public to participate in community conversations to inform how the Agency delivers services and supports to Vermont’s education system.  The first stop on this new public engagement phase of the…

By Adam Davis Housing continues to be an unmet need in most areas of Vermont, and local and state governments are taking measures to resolve the issue.  State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Rutland City Mayor Michael Doenges, and Heritage Family Credit Union CEO Chris Gomez came together on Oct. 16 to announce an $8 million investment…

Killington Resort announced details on the the forthcoming replacement of the Superstar Express chairlift during the summer of 2025, in a news release Tuesday, Oct. 22. The current high-speed quad will be replaced with a Doppelmayr UNI-G six-person chairlift. The new chair will be the first for the resort from that manufacturer. With this new…

By James Kent Perhaps all of the recent construction in Killington is to blame for stirring up nearby spooky spirits because this past weekend, more than a few of these seasonal haunters had taken up residence in the basement of the Killington Welcome Center.  The frights began last Thursday, Oct. 17, when the spirits leaned…

By John Vogel Editor’s note: John Vogel of Williston is a retired professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. The shortage and cost of housing in Vermont is a problem we can solve. Other states are showing us how.  In Minneapolis, apartment rents have declined by 4% over the last five years,…

The biggest Halloween events across the region take place this weekend, the most famous and well-attended of which is Rutland’s Halloween Parade, Saturday, Oct. 26, starting at 6:30 p.m. It’s one of the largest and longest running Halloween parades in the U.S., this being its 63rd year!   This weekend in Rutland it’s the Running…

By Polly Mikula The Agency of Education (AoE) announced Oct. 15 the next phase of its 2024 Listen and Learn Tour, which now invites the public to participate in community conversations to inform how the Agency delivers services and supports to Vermont’s education system.  The first stop on this new public engagement phase of the…