Last Saturday, the Winterfest Chili Cookoff and Snow Sculpting events took place in Main Street Park in Rutland. Top honors in Chili went to Keith Farrell, while Tony Perham and  Riley Marsan won the snow sculpture contest with their lion head design. The dragon (above) by the Kelly Family took third place.

Five years ago, Karen Correll and her husband David were already on the path to make their Rutland home net zero, but they didn’t know it at the time. (Net zero is the balance between the power a home needs and the renewable energy you can generate to match the need). With new heating technology…

The organization filed an Act 250 permit to build a $2 million sports facility The Killington-based Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is expanding. The organization filed an Act 250 permit to build a new, $2 million adaptive sports facility at Sugarbush Resort’s Mt. Ellen. The application states that Vermont Adaptive is the applicant and Sugarbush…

By Lee J. Kahrs BRANDON — The number of animals relocated from a troubled farm in Brandon has risen to 400. Police executing a warrant on Jan. 31 initially seized 125 animals on the farm owned by William M. Hegarty, 54, and cited him for animal abuse. Animal welfare officials, including Erika and Mark Gutel…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger The Vermont House on Tuesday, Feb. 25, voted to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a bill that would raise the minimum wage from $10.96 to $12.55 by 2022. In a 100-49 vote, Democrats were able to just meet the two-thirds majority needed to counteract Scott’s veto pen. The Senate successfully voted to…

By Noreen McGill For a moment, I knew. I was graceful. I was all beauty in movement, at last, a ballerina, light transcendent. The 50 years slipped away when I pulled on my pink tights. The spider veins, bumps and sunspots from my legs and the grand bunion disappeared as my foot slipped daintily into the…

By Katy Savage Voters in the Slate Valley Union Unified School District (SVUUSD) are being asked to approve a $59.5 million 30-year bond on Town Meeting Day to build a new middle school, make a number of capital improvements and address infrastructure needs. The SVUUSD serves children in Orwell, Castleton, Benson, Hubbardton, West Haven and…

By Merisa Sherman The morning started with freshies. Road crew was working so hard, but had yet to plow my road. It was just gorgeous — an untouched ribbon of white, so inviting as the snow reached from treeline to a not-quite-hidden guard rail. The lights from the condos were glowing through the  5 a.m. darkness…

New England teams sweep podium for the first time with Vermont in first, New Hampshire second and Maine third By Polly Mikula A team of three snow sculptors from the Woodstock area have won the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Jan. 29-Feb. 1. The competition attracted the most talented snow…

KILLINGTON—Residents and visitors to Killington were greeted with a Valentine’s Day surprise — hundreds of paper hearts affixed to windows, doors and signs all over town on Friday morning. This cheerful display was made possible by a team of volunteers assembled by the Sherburne Memorial Library. The idea was inspired by a group of people…

By Katy Savage Presidents’ Week is the last major holiday week of the ski season and resorts are expecting the numbers will be strong, with fresh snow and mild temperatures attracting people to the mountains. The overall season so far has seen highs and lows. Early season snow and cold temperatures allowed resorts to open…

Cedar Circle Family Adventure Package East Thetford All genders, ages approximately 6 - 11 At-home Camp Kit with optional on-farm visit days 1 week sessions https://cedarcirclefarm.org/familyadventurepackage In response to the pandemic, Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center is offering an alternative, screen-free summer camp experience for family units. The Cedar Circle Family Adventure Package is a week-long…

By Merisa Sherman Some trails just seem to possess a surreal quantity, taking you away to another world completely. Just like stepping through a magical wardrobe, these trails become worlds of their own, places that can cleanse your soul and remind you who you truly are. Like a siren, these trails call to you, luring you in…

By Polly Mikula To land a career at Killington Resort, there is no surer path than to attend Castleton University’s School of Resort & Hospitality Management. The school acts like a pipeline of qualified workers for Killington. There are currently 37 alums employed at the mountain, 12 of whom are employed in management roles in…

By Lee J. Kahrs/The Reporter BRANDON — More than 100 animals were seized from a farm on Kimball Road  and the property owner has been charged with animal abuse. The farm has been the subject of animal abuse investigations in the past, and neighbors said the most recent raid was a relief. On Friday, Jan.…