Killington's Kent Pond Dam listed as a ‘significant hazard’ By Katy Savage A report from the state auditor found several of Vermont’s dams are in poor condition.   Auditor Doug Hoffer completed the report in February, finding some dams have been in poor condition for 18 years and the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hasn’t…

Staff report Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners, LLC, announced in a letter to staff earlier this week that Covid-19 vaccination would no longer be required for employment. “On behalf of Powdr, I am pleased to announce that we are lifting the vaccine mandate for employment at Killington & Pico…

Staff report Killington Resort has pledged to donate $20,000 to the Red Cross’s Ukraine relief efforts. The proceeds from the virtual silent auction held at the K-1 Base Lodge tear down party, March 20, entirely benefitted the Red Cross’s Ukraine relief efforts. The silent auction raised $9,480 for the efforts and Killington Resort matched it…

By Victoria Gaither Arthritis is usually associated with older people, but a teenager in North Chittenden is on a mission to show another face of the debilitating condition.  Dylan Aker, 16, has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which causes joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness.  “For the first year, I was stiff in the morning. It would be…

By Angelo Lynn & Gene DeLorenzo/Addison County Independent Otter Valley Unified Union School District voters will have another opportunity to decide the fate of their district budget via an Australian ballot vote on Tuesday, April 26. The Brandon-area district will hold an informational hearing on Monday, April 25, before voters in the six-town district cast…

By Liora Engel-Smith/VTDigger Earlier this week, state regulators ordered Vermont’s second-largest hospital to cover a projected multimillion-dollar deficit without raising prices. The dust had barely settled on that decision Friday morning, but already reality was setting in for Rutland Regional Medical Center’s chief executive. Reflecting on the fateful Green Mountain Care Board decision, last Wednesday, March…

Audrey J. Putnam, 83, died Saturday morning April 2, at home surrounded  by her loving family from complications of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Audrey was born September 23, 1938, the daughter of Grove R. and Rena (Scott) Scribner. She grew up in Poultney. After graduating from Poultney High School, she graduated from Sheldon Academy of…

Staff report A man died at a snowmbobile event at Suicide Six in Pomfret around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, according to Vermont State Police. James C. Darrow, Jr., 56, of Moreau, New York crashed into a tree while traveling off course down the mountain and died. It happened during a snowmobile race called…

Staff report The Archytas FIRST Robotics team, out of Bethel, is working on raising money so that it can compete in the New England District Championships April 13-16.  The central Vermont squad has close to 20 members from 10 towns and five different regional schools (The Sharon Academy, Woodstock, Randolph, White River Valley, and VAST). …

By Curt Peterson  Partners Doug Nolet and Meg Carleton were sitting around contemplating the state of the world, particularly the plight of the Ukrainian people under attack by the Russian military, when they decided to do something about it. Nolet, who happens to own the dilapidated old house and a half acre of land,  painted…

The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) is reminding the public that it is mud season and many trails around the state are closed through Memorial Day weekend.  Mud season is the time period (typically the duration of April and May), when hiking and biking trails are extremely wet and muddy due to…

This past winter was especially cold. Recognizing that, along with knowing that people’s finances are strained due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation, a group of area aid organizations decided to collaborate on a campaign to offer home heating aid in late 2021. Barnard Helping Hands, King’s Daughters, Plymouth Memory Tree, Bethany Mennonite Church,…

This spring, Come Alive Outside put the finishing touches on its new mobile application. In April, the nonprofit plans to introduce it to the world.  Available for its 30 Miles, 30 Days program, the Mile-A-Day app is poised to change the way people connect with each other during the challenge. Mile-A-Day is a challenge that…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. reported zero hunting related shooting injuries (HRSIs) in 2021, continuing a multi-year trend of declining HRSIs in Vermont. The department attributes the success in part to a strong culture of safety among Vermont hunters, and the state’s required hunter education program. “Since hunter education became a requirement in Vermont…

The Hammond Cove Shooting Range in Hartland opened on Friday, April 1. The range operates under rules set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.  Range users must sign in with an onsite range safety officer and have a valid Vermont hunting or fishing license or be the guest of someone who does.  Before using…