By Katy Savage If you see someone in a bright green jacket at Killington Resort, you’re likely looking at one of the resort’s ambassadors. This dedicated volunteer group is there to solve problems, reunite lost children with their parents, help people who are injured, and answer questions.  They are a group of about 200 people,…

Do you have your tickets yet for the hottest heavy metal concert of the season? VSO bad boy Matt LaRocca has assembled the formidable foursome, the Jukebox Quartet, for another go-around of rock-inspired musical entertainment. Who said classical music wasn’t kick ass? Well, it is, and if you find yourself in downtown Rutland on Friday,…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday, March 20, calling for dismantling the U.S. Dept. of Education. What that means for the country — and Vermont — is an open question. The U.S. Congress created the Dept. of Education, and its dissolution requires the body’s approval. The courts have blocked or…

This winter, Rutland’s Northwest and Northeast Elementary School students traded snowball fights for ski poles, thanks to the Nordic Rocks program. Administered by the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), the initiative introduces children in grades K-2 to cross-country skiing during physical education classes—often for the very first time. Funded by a Killington World Cup…

By Karen D. Lorentz Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill was the first person to see the potential of developing a ski area on Killington Mountain and what it could mean for recreation and the state’s economy. Pres Smith was the second. Smith’s uncle, Preston Leete, who had become an avid skier while at Dartmouth College…

By Polly Mikula The days of Killington’s Superstar quad are limited. On Sunday, April 13, the resort will hold a final farewell party and removal will begin thereafter. The resort plans to replace the lift with a six-pack high-speed lift, which is scheduled to open in early December.  Killington will celebrate the lift’s 38 years…

By James Kent No adult enjoys hitting those milestone birthdays, and when Emmy-Award-winning actor Hank Azaria saw his 60th birthday approaching last year, he opted to do something to cheer himself up. Calling it a “gift of joy” to himself and his friends, Azaria decided to throw a birthday celebration. As part of this occasion,…

Saturday, March 22, from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.—POULTNEY—Poultney MapleFest returns with a full day of maple-themed activities, community events, and family fun. The festival kicks off with a free pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m. at the Poultney United Methodist Church, 108 Main St., followed by the Fifth Season Ride & Race at 9 a.m. from Analog…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger A short new section to a 22-page bill focused on retargeting energy efficiency goals has given Senate Republicans what they have been seeking — with increasing insistence — for weeks: the end of any mention of a clean heat standard in Vermont law. “30 V.S.A. chapter 94 is repealed” was the key…

By James Kent In a region better known for its mountains than its machines, a team of high school students is proving that rural Vermont is embracing STEM in a major way. Team 2370, known as The IBOTS, is part of Rutland Area Robotics, and this past weekend, they headed to Springfield, Massachusetts, for their…

By Karen D. Lorentz Having observed the development of skiing in Sweden, Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill envisioned similar recreational and economic possibilities for skiing in Vermont.  During 37 years on the job, he oversaw the purchase of 170,000 acres of forestland in 27 state forests and 32 state parks. He negotiated many long-term leases…

By Polly Mikula David Atherton will be Killington’s new town manager, the Select Board announced at a special meeting Tuesday, March 18. The 4:30 p.m. meeting took only 14 minutes as the confirmation of Atherton new town manager and his contract signing was the only thing on the agenda.  Chair of the Select Board Jim…

By Karen D. Lorentz Before their use as recreation destinations, the mountains in Vermont presented formidable barriers to travel and trade, especially in the southern half of the state. The unbroken ridge was not as penetrable as the northern half where river valleys traversed the higher peaks. The Green Mountain range cut off the eastern…

By Polly Mikula Rutland re-elects Doenges as mayor, ousts three incumbent aldermen Incumbent Mayor Mike Doenges beat challenger Alderman Henry Heck 2,075 to 1,581. The mayor’s race saw about a 20% bump in turnout compared to 2023 but Doenges took about the same percentage of the total vote in each election: 56.5% in 2023 and…

By Habib Sabet/VTDigger State lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Institutions advanced a bill late last month that would put up guard rails for social media platforms designed to keep teens hooked. The bill, S.69 — known as the “Kids Code” by proponents — will land on the Senate floor for a vote this week after the week-long…