State says Afghan refugees will start to resettle in Rutland over the next few weeks By Ethan Weinstein Several families of Afghan refugees will settle in Rutland next month, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). USCRI has been coordinating with Rutland organizations, such as Rutland Welcomes and the school system, to…

By Polly Mikula New Year’s is a time to reflect on the previous year and celebrate the arrival of a new one. Last year at this time — about nine months into the pandemic when Covid case numbers were reaching (then) record highs — we were hopeful that the end of Covid was around the corner. Vaccines…

By Ethan Weinstein Amidst the year’s pandemic tumult, business is thriving in Rutland’s downtown. “We’re beginning to see a revived vibrancy,” said Lyle Jepson, executive director of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR). “What’s exciting to me as someone who would call himself no longer young, is that there are young…

"In order to ensure that we can keep doing what we do into the New Year, we need to slow down the spread of Covid-19. With cases surging again in the Northeast, we are reinstating our indoor mask mandate," Killington Resort announced Dec. 26. "As of Dec. 27, 2021, masks will be required for everyone…

By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger Jonathan Spiro, interim president of Castleton University, will retire next month, the Vermont State Colleges announced Monday, Dec. 6, but he’ll stay in the position until Jan. 3. Thomas Maughs-Hugh, Castleton’s provost, will take over as interim president at that point. “I offer my sincerest thanks to President Spiro for his many…

Officials say boosters necessary The Vermont Dept. of Health announced Saturday, Dec. 18, that it confirmed the state’s first case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus. Genetic sequencing identified the new variant in a specimen collected on Dec. 8. The individual is a Lamoille County resident in their 30s. The individual was fully…

By Karen D. Lorentz When Killington turned 63 on Dec. 13, it was eerily reminiscent of its opening day in 1958, a day without much fanfare. It had been a three-year struggle to get the ski area open — mostly because the state had to build the access road for skiers to get to the…

Last Thursday, Dec. 9, Rutland Regional Medical Center began restricting visitors in order to protect patients from rising Covid cases in the community. Adult inpatients will not be allowed to have visitors; a few patients, such as mothers in labor, will be allowed one designated essential support person per patient for the duration of the…

By Ethan Weinstein Since its founding nine years ago, the Killington 100 Day Club has garnered hundreds of members. At least 10 are hoping to make this season their 10th straight with at least 100 days on snow — what might yet be called the 1,000 Day Club. Paul Holmes, of Killington, is one of…

By Ethan Weinstein With cases rising country-wide, Governor Phil Scott and his administration focused their weekly Covid press conference on encouraging Vermonters to get their booster shots and faulting the unvaccinated for the state’s current surge. “It’s become clear that this isn’t going away anytime soon,” Scott said. “If you’re still unvaccinated, I want to…

By Frank Kaczmarek Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) lived his entire life in Jericho, Vermont, where he developed a passion for snowflakes at an early age. He started by collecting snowflakes and trying to create detailed drawings of each one, but the snow crystals’ tiny size and the speed at which they melted made this a futile…

By Virginia Dean With her father, Michael, inspiring her love of cooking and her mother, Virginia, a part of the Killington community for 28 years, Lindsay (“Lulu”) Ochman found herself in a perfect position to open up a local restaurant. Yama Ramen offers a unique take on Japanese and other Asian specialties, including bao buns,…

By Virginia Dean Local resident Matt Buck had always dreamed of opening a soup eatery, and this past November, his wish came true. Soup Dog is now open for business and offers a wide selection of soups and a variety of hotdogs and toppings to go with them. “I’ve been a big fan of soups…

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and Governor Phil Scott on Thursday, Dec. 2, announced that Vermont will be receiving $63,041,000 in funding for drinking water systems and wastewater treatment as a result of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden late last month. The funds will go into the state’s revolving loan…

By Curt Peterson On Nov. 18, the Hartland Select Board decided to retract their proposed abandonment of a section of Town Highway 8, a Class 4 road that connects Barron Hill Road and Advent Hill Road. Town manager David Ormiston said at least part of their decision was influenced by an organized public campaign against…