By Ethan Weinstein Despite Gov. Phil Scott signing a legislation on Nov. 23 allowing cities and towns to create their own mask mandates, few municipalities seem keen to use the new power. The town of Rutland is one exception. On Nov. 24, the Rutland Town Select Board, which also serves as the board of health,…

U.S. Superstar claims fifth straight Slalom title, delighting fans By Polly Mikula The rivalry between Vermont-schooled Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin and Slovakia’s Petra Vhlova continues to be strong with the two superstar ski racers vying for the top spot on the Slalom podium. While Vhlova had secured the top spot the first two FIS…

Tips for the best spectator experience The HomeLight Killington Cup brings approximately 100 athletes representing over 20 countries to compete in Slalom and Giant Slalom events — as well as crowds of spectators to watch them. Additionally, the event is broadcast to an audience of 2.1 million people in 60 countries. In addition to Superstar…

Kara Tondorf opens The Rivershed Restaurant By Ethan Weinstein It started as a getaway. Kara Tondorf and her family wanted out of Massachusetts during the pandemic, so they started spending more time at their condo in Killington. Now, what started as an escape has become something permanent. Tondorf opened a new restaurant on Killington Road,…

By Katy Savage Since the pandemic started, an influx of people from cities have come to small Vermont towns, and while housing inventory is low, the short-term rental market is busier than ever. Guests are staying longer, they’re booking further ahead of time and coming more often. “It’s absolutely, unbelievably fabulous,” said June Buttner, the…

Demand pushes prices up, particularly in Killington By Polly Mikula “Over $70 million year-to-date is more than the last three years combined,” Heidi Bomengen, owner of Prestige Real Estate, which sells real estate exclusively in Killington, wrote in the company’s quarterly newsletter published in October.  Last year, Killington real estate sales topped $46 million —…

Can Shiffrin defend her Slalom title amongst the fastest women technical ski racers? By Polly Mikula This weekend, Nov. 27-28, the Women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup returns to Killington for Giant Slalom and Slalom races. Last year, all North American FIS Alpine ski races were canceled due to the pandemic. “Returning from a pandemic-induced…

By Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger The long-suspected rumors are true: Vermont’s U.S. Rep. Peter Welch is launching his campaign for the U.S. Senate. The Democrat announced early Monday, Nov. 22, that after 14 years in the 435-member House of Representatives, he wants to jump to the more senior chamber, vying for the seat soon to be vacated…

Killington receives positive snow control for Audi FIS Ski World Cup races to be held Nov. 27-28 On Nov. 17,  Killington Resort announced that it had received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (International Ski Federation), the governing body of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. According to FIS: “This is to inform you…

By Ethan Weinstein BRANDON—About 150 people — some from hours away — weathered the cold and rain on the Brandon town green to support Paul Dame, the newly elected Vermont Republican party chair, and to protest the Biden presidency at Saturday’s “Let’s Go Brandon” rally. “Everybody here today, are you guys ready to make a…

This fall schools from around Vermont came up with names for VTrans snowplows in their local maintenance district. From creative and clever, to cute and silly, here are the new names of VTrans plows that will be serving their communities this winter. Each school will be visited by their newly-named plow on Wednesday, Nov. 17…

State answers frequently asked questions about program designed to spur development through investment in public infrastructure What is a tax increment financing district? Geographically, it is a district, created by a municipality, where public infrastructure is required to encourage private property development. Financially, incremental tax revenues generated by the private property development within the district…

By Ethan Weinstein Kovalesky has skied over 100 days at Killington for the last nine years, and this season he hopes to make it an even 10. The Mountain Times talked with him about his history at Killington, some of the stand-out memories at the Beast, and what skiing means to him. Mountain Times (MT):…

By Katy Savage After much anticipation, the state rolled out Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 on Monday, Nov. 8. More than 200 students traveled from around the state to attend one of the first clinics at Riverside Middle School in Springfield that Monday. Most of the children and parents who attended said…

By Lola Duffort and Sarah Mearhoff/VTDigger After eight terms and nearly five decades in office, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is retiring. He announced his decision during a press conference at the Statehouse Monday morning that was attended by members of the media and his supporters, including his wife, Marcelle. “While I will continue to serve…