By Curt Peterson Killington Select Board’s amendments resulted in an estimated municipal property tax rate of $.5569 per $100 of assessed value. “This is an increase of about 1.8 cents over last year’s rate,” Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth said at the meeting on Jan. 4. “But remember, the final tax rate isn’t decided until about…

By Brooke Geery Mini Shred Madness took over Red’s Backyard at Killington Resort on Sunday, Jan. 9. The sickness was real, in the best way possible, as groms ages 4-13 got the chance to session the hike park with a little help from the Woodward Killington park crew, Killington Mountain School and Killington Snow Sports…

By Brett Yates Aiming to reduce the town’s reliance on contractors, the Chittenden Select Board authorized the purchase of an excavator for use by the municipal road crew on Jan. 10. The town expects to spend $75,850 on the Volvo ECR50F, plus $10,900 on a trailer, manufactured by Kaufman Trailers, to transport it. Road Commissioner…

By Curt Peterson and Polly Mikula Thirty-eight people on Zoom joined at least three dozen others in person on Tuesday evening, Jan. 4, when the Killington Select Board approved the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District plan and financing plan and the state application. The application now goes to Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) who will…

A woman and her boyfriend were arrested after they broke into a Bridgewater residence around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, struck a man with a hammer, slashed his tires, and stole multiple items. Police said Edwin O’Neil, 64, was hit “multiple times” with a hammer inside his home by Orlando Cruz, 37. Cruz and his…

On Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. the Rochester Fire Department was dispatched to 233 Bindrum Lane in Rochester for a report of a structure fire. When firefighters arrived, they found the single family log home owned by Jeremiah Bindrum, 48, fully involved with fire. Firefighters from Rochester, Hancock and Granville Fire Departments fought…

By Karen D. Lorentz The ski industry is rife with workers who began as ski-area “lifties” during their high school or college years and eventually became managers of various ski-area departments or even the mountains themselves. This is very true of males who have long dominated the industry in leadership roles, but we rarely see…

By Curt Peterson Near the end of a 2 -hour meeting Monday, Jan. 3, the Windsor Central Unified Union School District board passed a proposed $24.3 million budget for fiscal year 2023, reflecting 6.5% increase over last year’s budget. Two dissenting votes were cast by Bill Overbay (Pomfret) and Gwen Hagenbarth (Killington). Based on the…

Staff report Ernie Fernandez of Taftsville is seeking a two-year Woodstock Select Board seat, currently held by Mary Riley, who is not expected to run again. Fernandez, 33, said he hopes to improve quality of life for Woodstock’s year-round residents and address the town’s ongoing economic and infrastructure challenges. Fernandez moved to Taftsville in September…

By Katy Savage After some speculation, Woodstock Rep. Charlie Kimbell announced he’s running for lieutenant governor. Kimbell, 57, is the only candidate to officially announce his campaign for lieutenant governor. He said he made the decision to run after current Lt. Gov. Molly Gray announced her bid to succeed Rep. Peter Welch in Congress. Welch,…

RUTLAND — The newest Vermonter to join the Rutland community was born New Year’s Day, Jan. 1 at 2:47 p.m. The healthy 6-pound, 13 ounce baby girl, Journee Jade Moore, was born to Amber Holcomb and Ethan Moore. “Both mom and baby are doing extremely well,” said Rebecca Allen, a nurse who was present for…

By Mike Dougherty/VTDigger and Polly Mikula To safely return to child care while Covid-19 cases surge, Billie Slade asked all the families she works with to rapid-test their children. Slade runs Wonder in the Woods, an in-home child care program in Dummerston that serves six preschoolers and four school-aged children. She hoped that if each…

The Beast promotes from within, moving Kayla Sarajian into management Killington Resort announced Jan. 4 the advancement of Kayla Sarajian as the first female lift operations manager at the resort. “Kayla has a strong focus on customer service, staff well-being and retention,” said Tait Germon, director of mountain operations at Killington Resort and Pico Mountain.…

By Brett Yates The Chittenden Select Board discovered on Dec. 27 that five town road segments did not undergo proper review before having their speed limits reduced from 35 to 25 miles per hour. In September, aiming to improve traffic safety, the board approved a proposal to reconfigure the intersection of Holden Road and Dam…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann As many of us look forward to a happier 2022, Covid is still ruling our world, and we are facing the most sunlight-challenged months of the year. No wonder many of us want to hunker down under a weighted blanket in front of a merry movie marathon, swilling gallons of cocoa,…