By Katy Savage Six people are moving away from Woodstock because they can’t find childcare and 27 families are still searching for childcare in Woodstock — the need is particularly acute for kids 3 and under — according to a survey from the Woodstock Economic Development Commission (EDC). Area childcare programs are maxed out and…

By Katy Savage Funding for homeless housing assistance and rental assistance is drying up, leaving thousands of people in search of permanent options in a very tight housing market. And while the need is still high, hotel owners, who have taken in homeless, are questioning if their participation in the program was worth it. “We…

Staff report Woodstock is investing in content development for future marketing campaigns. The Select Board unanimously approved the Economic Development Commission’s (EDC)’s request to spend an additional $42,000 in marketing at a meeting on Sept. 20 to continue funding through February. “The purpose of the platform is to collect names of people and contact information…

Patricia Ann Bick passed away on Oct. 6 with her family by her side. Patty Bick was born on July 29, 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the daughter of George and Juanda (Bonck) Bick and attended school in South Bend, Indiana. She graduated from Tulane with a degree in anthropology, and later received…

By Auditi Guha/VTDigger The Orange Southwest Supervisory District’s website was hacked Saturday and inundated with “hate speech, symbols, and photographs targeting transgender individuals,” Superintendent Layne Millington wrote community members on Saturday, Oct. 1. The incident prompted district leaders to disable its website and social media accounts, Millington wrote, and to refer the matter to local…

By Katy Savage Some members of the Rutland Board of Alderman criticized the Rutland Redevelopment Authority for not being proactive or collaborative enough at the board’s Oct. 3 meeting. Alderman Thomas Franco made a motion to defund the Rutland Redevelopment Authority (RRA) and “use our taxpayers dollars to actually further economic development in very clear…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger After a monthslong assessment into the Chester Police Department, a consultant recommended the town consider creating a police-community advisory board and adding an officer to focus on data and detective work. “I do believe that citizens own your police department — it’s their police department,” James Baker, who led the assessment, said to the…

Community Care Network’s Rutland Mental Health Services has been awarded a multi-year planning, development and implementation grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). The four-year, $3.9 million grant to Rutland Mental Health Services began Oct. 1. The CCBHC-PDI grant program is…

By Marin Howell & John S. McCright Twenty months after Ripton residents decided to leave the Addison Central School District, on Thursday they voted to rejoin the other six towns in the ACSD as a full member. The tally was 148 in favor to 89 against, with three spoiled ballots. Around 56% of the town’s…

By Polly Mikula “There’s a lot to managing a rental property,” said Ryan Flynn, a Pinnacle homeowner and member of the rental committee. “Ultimately we want to ensure that we we are providing our owners and our guests with the very best experience when they come to Killington.” Unlike other condo associations in Killington, Pinnacle…

By Curt Peterson Zanni Lacey and Lindsay Rose hosted a Renaissance Faire-like grand opening event for their ZBotanical business on Sept. 17. Hartlanders wondering what’s happening at the long-vacant Shepherd’s Woodworking location north of Webster Road on the Hartland-Quechee Road, couldn't stop guessing. “We cultivate, plant and wildcraft (harvest in the wild) botanicals which we…

By Tiffany Tan/VTDigger One of Vermont’s biggest employers is poised to buy a portion of the former College of St. Joseph campus, where it’s planning to set up new offices, a training center and employee housing. Casella Waste Systems signed a purchase and sale agreement with Heritage Family Credit Union last week to buy most…

Patrick Cody, executive director of Okemo Valley TV (OVTV) was honored with the presentation of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC)’s annual Ludlow Community Service Award. Rotarian Art Randolph, in presenting the award to Cody, cited the many years of coverage of area town meetings presented by OVTV along with the local programming promoted by the…

By Curt Peterson “Windsor Central Unified Union School District” is confusing (and it’s a mouthful) even for those who’ve written it hundreds of times. That’s only one reason the district’s configuration and enrollment growth working group (CEGW) is trying to find a new district name as part of their rebranding efforts. Why change the WCUUSD…

RUTLAND – More than 120 residents from Rutland and surrounding communities participated in this year’s Rutland Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Main Street Park. Participants raised more than $28,000 towards the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are so grateful to have had so many community members share in…