Record number of candidates vie for Rutland mayor, every elected position contested By Polly Mikula Rutland City residents are stepping up to lead. At this year’s Town Meeting every elected position is being contested, giving voters many choices. Seven candidates will face off for mayor. Eighteen seek the six seats on the board of aldermen.…

By Brooke Geery Skolf, developed by Airblaster in 2016/2017, is a competitive snowboarding blend of S-K-A-T-E and golf. For the past several seasons, the outerwear brand has held skolf world tours, crowning champions across the globe. But with Covid-19, the world tour was scrapped for a  smaller, localized activation. The Darkside in Killington was one…

By Curt Peterson A sign on the door at BG’s Market in Hartland reads, “Masks required," and just about everyone entering the popular store cooperates within the Vermont-mandated request. There are a few customers, usually young males, who, for one reason or another, either feel the virus-control rule doesn’t apply to them —or they forgot.…

By Brooke Geery On the weekend of Jan. 15-17, The Woodstock Inn and Suicide Six ski area hosted the annual “Flurry” snow sculpting competition, organized by Artistree Vermont. Six teams worked feverishly all weekend to craft incredibly large and detailed sculptures behind the Suicide Six lodge, that started out as 6’x6’x8’ tall solid blocks of…

On January 15, Sheburne Memorial Library in Killington held a stuffed animal sleepover with animals belonging to local residents. The party started out with story time. About 40 animals gathered around Pooh who read the book on a carpet at the Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington. After that, he ordered dinner and iPie delivered! After…

Vermont Everyone Eats has been relaunched through continued partnerships supporting restaurants, farms, and Vermonters seeking help. In the dwindling days of 2020 with CARES Act funding coming to an end, scores of inquiries were made to community organizers: Is Everyone Eats ending? When will it come back? On Monday Jan. 18 it returned, thanks to…

The first round of shots for Vermonters age 75+ begin Monday, Jan. 25 Staff report State officials announced that registration for the Covid-19 vaccine for people who are 75 years and older will begin on Jan. 25. There are estimated to be about 49,000 Vermonters in that age group category. “Now that Vermonters know more about…

  By Victoria Gaither You can look at many things to judge a community; the top of my list is art. Art is a community heartbeat, and I felt the beat strong on a cold morning as I walked through downtown Rutland to view spectacular murals. Sure, most communities have murals, but there is something special…

By Brooke Geery Colleen Wilcox, 30, a Pittsfield-based artist whose hand-lettered designs brighten up Instagram feeds across the globe under the moniker Wander on Words, has always loved language and been drawn to the outdoors. “Growing up, my mom would send me to school with motivational quotes in my lunch box, so you could say…

Vermont businesses team with state to save Vermonters money and cut carbon Vermont’s Statehouse is first in the nation to have clean backup power stored in batteries  —using a GMP program to help lower costs for all Vermonters. State officials, and leaders from Northern Reliability, Dynapower, Virtual Peaker and Green Mountain Power (GMP) were joined…

By Emma Cotton and Katie Jickling/VTDigger Ski patrols count as health care workers. The state is currently distributing the Covid-19 vaccine to “health care workers likely to be exposed/treat Covid-19 patients” and “long-term care facility residents and staff who have patient contact,” as part of group 1a, according to state guidelines. But who qualifies under that definition has evolved,…

Once a student, Elizabeth Frascoia is now the executive director of GIV The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) is excited to announce that this month the nonprofit organization will welcome Elizabeth Frascoia as its new executive director. This is the first time that a graduate of the Institutes has taken this leadership role, and she…

By Brooke Geery The Vermont National Guard is in the midst of its largest foreign deployment in 10 years. On Sunday, Jan. 10, members of the guard shipped out  with bellies full of Texas-style BBQ lovingly crafted by Theresa House and her crew at Mama T’s Country Kitchen in Rutland. House and the crew cooked…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger December’s Project VISION monthly meeting marked the last for Joe Kraus, who has chaired the organization since its inception in 2013. Mark Stockton, CEO and founder of Stockton Security, has succeeded Kraus in leading the coalition. Project VISION was born out of concern about the opioid crisis, which hit Rutland particularly hard in…

Gov. Scott cautions Vermonters: 'Don't be played; don't be used as a pawn' By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Vermont law enforcement officials are preparing for possible armed rallies at the State House. The FBI issued a warning Monday, Jan. 11, that demonstrations by gun-toting protesters are planned at state capitals across the country. ABC…