The recent arrival of cold temperature has formed early-season ice on Vermont ponds, lakes and rivers. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reminds winter enthusiasts that ice should never be considered safe and ice conditions vary. “We are urging all outdoor enthusiasts – people going ice fishing, cross-country skiers, hikers, and snowmobilers -- to be extremely…

By Lani Duke Winter parking warning City winter parking rules went in effect Dec. 1, and will continue in place until April 1. Downtown parking is prohibited between 3 and 6 a.m., and on other city streets between midnight and 6 a.m. Cars interfering with snow removal may be towed and owners fined $75 or…

By Lani Duke Castleton Float Bridge contract approved, credit union permitting questioned CASTLETON—Blair Enman of Enman Kesselring Consulting Engineering told the Castleton Select Board Nov. 27 that his company has been involved in the Float Bridge rework since about 2014. The east side is finished and Enman Kesselring is working on the proposal to build…

By Lani Duke School back in session at Castleton CASTLETON—Castleton Elementary students returned to school Oct 31 after evacuating the school the day before. A small fire in a ceiling junction box caused officials to move students by bus to Castleton Village School to assure they would be warm and safe. Noticing a smoky odor…

By Lani Duke Wastewater release traced to a 50¢ fuse More than 1 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Otter and East creeks Aug. 5. At the time, Department of Public Works Commissioner Jeffrey Wennberg attributed the release to operator error, but the real culprit was a 50-cent fuse, the Rutland Herald reported. When…

Killington Police responded to 12 incidents between the dates of Oct. 28 and Nov. 3, including traffic stops, a drunk driver and a telephone scam, or almost two per day. At around 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, police responded with Killington Fire to a fire alarm activation on Barrows Towne Road. At around 6 p.m.…

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is getting back to basics, and that includes a return to Sunday night racing in 2018. As the historic Vermont stock car racing facility coverts its half-mile track from asphalt surface to natural clay, management is working diligently on the format for the 52nd season next summer. The decision to race on…

Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum is pleased to announce it has received a $102,000 grant to be disbursed over three years from The Canaday Family Charitable Trust to provide elementary school teachers with educational resources and programs in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in Rutland County. The grant allows Wonderfeet personnel to deliver the…

Over 270 members of the Vermont Farm to Plate Network convened Oct. 26-27, 2017 at the seventh annual Farm to Plate Network Gathering in Killington to address workforce development and business succession challenges in Vermont’s farm and food economy. The local food economy is growing and gross local food sales currently account for approximately 7…

By Lani Duke Chamber annual meeting looking at Rutland positives RUTLAND—Good things are happening in Rutland, Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Cohen told the Rutland Herald. The Chamber’s annual meeting Oct. 19 in the Paramount Theatre features the details of a regional marketing initiative and keynote speaker Bill Shouldice. It honors 2017…

By Lani Duke New regulation keeps second-year students in dorms CASTLETON—Castleton University’s recent expansion of dorm units in downtown Rutland has added 75 more rooms and 45 more singles to the college’s student housing, according to the Castleton Spartan, even though the castleton.edu website states there are 1,000 on-campus beds available. In previous years, the…

By Lani Duke National Night Out More than 1,000 people came to the Giorgetti Athletic Complex to celebrate National Night Out, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont announced in its recent newsletter. More than 35 organizations came to inform the community about their services and take part in the fun. The 15th annual National Night Out is…

By Lani Duke Act 46: Rupert, Pawlet approach the 11th hour Saying that students with low financial resources would be at a disadvantage compared to their peers from higher-income families, the Vermont State Board of Education rejected the Act 46 merger that would have Rupert and Pawlet sending middle and high school students to two…

A recent mix of cool nights and unseasonably warm days has created optimal conditions for fall fishing, and anglers throughout Vermont are reporting that the action is beginning to pick up for both warm and cold-water fish species. “Summertime conditions seemed to delay the fall bite a little bit, but cooler nights in the past…

By Alan Keays, VTDigger Several victims of crime spoke out Tuesday, Sept. 19, at a “listening” forum in Rutland hosted by the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, Waterbury. They talked of feeling guilty for coming forward, not getting justice and the impacts of what happened to them that they live with every day. “This…