By Angelo Lynn PROCTOR — A half dozen Proctor residents spoke out against a renewable energy project slated for Grandpa’s Knob that would seek to place a single 450-foot-tall wind turbine on the ridgeline there. Sam Carlson, who works in community relations for Grandpa’s Knob Community Wind, presented the project to the Proctor Select Board…

Five detained in suspected human trafficking By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger Law enforcement personnel swarmed in armored tactical vehicles and a helicopter early Friday morning, Oct. 22, as they raided two apartment buildings in Rutland as part of an investigation into illegal drugs and human trafficking. Police said at one of the locations, 146 Maple St.,…

By Steve Costello Four orphaned opossums, raised for the past seven weeks by a licensed Starksboro wildlife rehabber, were released back into the wild Saturday — but not before helping to provide four interesting lessons. My wife and I rescued them Sept. 4 after their mom got hit by a car, and they’ve been under…

By Ethan Weinstein On Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., Plymouth will hold a special town meeting to discuss a proposed $950,000 renovation to the town office and garage. A vote to approve that renovation will be held by Australian ballot the following day. Select Board member Rick Kaminsky said that if the Dec. 6 vote…

By Katy Savage Woodstock voters approved a $2.8 million expense to upgrade the South Woodstock wastewater system last spring, but now town leaders are at odds over who should pay for the upgrades. Some residents believe the ballot clearly stated all residents should pay, while others said only those connected to the wastewater system should…

By Curt Peterson Hartland resident Ana Mejia, attending the Hartland Select Board meeting via Zoom, calmly laid out a list of reasons why the town might consider using the Australian ballot system and other changes for deciding town issues, to increase inclusivity. Election of town officials, she suggested, could continue, and only budget and other…

By Brooke Geery A ski resort’s terrain parks and halfpipe features can vary greatly from season-to-season and even day-to-day, but the deciding factor in their quality is definitely the brains that decide what they’ll look like in the first place. Less than a month ago, Joey Leppien, 27, took the reins at Okemo as terrain…

KILLINGTON—On Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 10:12 a.m. troopers from the Vermont state police Rutland barracks responded to a crash on Route 4 in Killington, in the area known as the Killington Flats by the Turn of the River Lodge. Three vehicles were involved: Patrick F. Conlon, 64 of Methuen, Massachussetts, was driving a 2018 Honda…

By Brett Yates New Chittenden resident Nicole Vachon Hanlon has taken the reins at Barstow Helping Hands, a club that connects students at the local pre-K-8 school to charitable endeavors and community involvement. On Oct. 25, she visited the Chittenden Select Board to solicit ideas for new projects for the kids to take on. Under…

By Brett Yates On Oct. 21, the Pittsfield Select Board appointed Anne Muller to fill a vacancy on the town’s board of auditors until a vote at next year’s Town Meeting. Select Board member Ann Kuendig identified Muller as a retiree with a background in marketing. “It just seems like the people who are retiring…

By Angelo Lynn PROCTOR — Michael Ramsey, Proctor’s new town manager, said the best part of the job over these first two months has been “getting to know everyone around town who takes an active role in serving the community. I could go on and on with names, but let me just say that there…

Semi-annual community meeting focuses on future growth, return of events By Polly Mikula KILLINGTON — On Tuesday, Oct. 19, community members gathered at Killington’s Grand Hotel for the semi-annual update from the resort, town and Killington Pico Areas Association (KPAA) — part of the One Killington initiative to bring the community together. Attending such a…

UPDATE: Oct. 31 "After a thorough process the parade organizers announce the City of Rutland’s Halloween Parade has been canceled tonight due to multiple factors," Rutland Rec stated on their website, on Oct. 31, Halloween. "We have had a large number of our entries pull out because of the weather prior to this email. The…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann For Come Alive Outside, the nonprofit whose mission is to “…connect folks back to nature to increase health and wellness,” it would be difficult to find an ambassador more upbeat, empathetic, and creative about enjoying nature than the organization’s executive director, Arwen Turner. Growing up in rural northern California, in a…

Staff report On Friday, Oct. 22, at about 11 a.m. parents of the pre-Kindergarten class at Killington Elementary School were asked to pick up their children from school and quarantine as all were considered to be a close contacts of someone known to have Covid-19. No other classes were known to be affected as of…