Cody Ahonen, 28, of Mt. Holly, was arrested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Sept. 20, following the death of his girlfriend, Brittany Bouthiette, by gunshot to the head in a parked vehicle in Killington Sept. 15, according to a press release from the U.S. Dept. of Justice for…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — The Dunklee Pond Dam is gone, bringing relief to safety officials and the local ecosystem. Where a pond once was, a section of the Tenney Brook now trickles through new riverbanks where workers have removed 4,000 cubic yards of sediment — enough to fill 644 dump trucks. Built in the…

By Brett Yates Since July, the Pittsfield Select Board has endeavored to determine how to respond to a townswoman’s complaints about a noisy rooster on Lower Michigan Road, near the corner of Route 100. At the board’s Oct. 7 meeting, first-time testimony by the bird’s owner appeared to reassure elected officials that a neighborly resolution…

Fast Tracks is available beginning Nov. 1 KILLINGTON—Killington Resort announced Tuesday, Oct. 12, the launch of Fast Tracks, a new, daily upgrade that offers exclusive access to 10 dedicated fast access lift lines. Developed by Killington Resort owner and adventure lifestyle company Powdr, Fast Tracks will be available to purchase in advance beginning Nov. 1…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is inviting Vermont elementary schools to name the state’s big orange snowplows. “Many of us saw the news coverage that went viral last year about the tradition in Scotland of naming their snowplows. While keeping Vermont’s roads safe for winter travel is serious business, naming the plows sounded like…

By Brett Yates In 2004, the town of Chittenden purchased the 138-acre Rutland Grammar School woodlot with the hope of using timber revenue to boost municipal finances, but for 17 years, the land has gone untouched. That could soon change. On Oct. 11, Select Board member Bob Baird asked for permission from the rest of…

Rutland Middle School forfeits soccer game after student's racist slur By Ethan Weinstein When Woodstock Middle School’s boys soccer team took on Rutland, Sept. 29, what should have been another day on the pitch devolved into verbal abuse, culminating in a Rutland player using an anti-Black epithet against a Woodstock player. The next day, a…

Policy Committee Chair Lou Piconi resigned after Monday meeting By Curt Peterson The idea of renaming educational facilities or programs that have been named for individuals in recognition of their past service to students of the Windsor Central School District (WCSD), for someone who makes a large financial donation to the district has become, in…

By Karen D. Lorentz With a target opening day of Nov. 20 for Okemo Mountain Resort, skiers and riders can look forward to several changes that will make getting around the mountain faster and easier. But before the snow flies, people can enjoy a final fall foliage weekend this Saturday through Monday Oct. 11, which…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger Lawmakers from across the Northeast are urging U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to strengthen enforcement and close loopholes in the National Organic Program that put regional farms at a disadvantage. A bicameral, bipartisan letter from lawmakers, sent to Vilsack on Wednesday, said that the industry is vital to the region and…

By Karen D. Lorentz While Sarah Forward’s parents met and married in Vermont, they moved to North Carolina before she was born, so Forward grew up away from Vermont. Trips to visit extended family in Vermont provided a “special time” for her while growing up, but it was an aunt in the Rockies who got…

Rutland school board adopts attorney’s report By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — After a contentious year debating the validity of the mascot for the city’s school system, it appears the new “Ravens” moniker will stick — for now. The board last fall voted to abandon the former “Raiders” mascot following concerns from students, faculty and alumni…

By Lindsey Rogers CHITTENDEN —Ms. Leslie Ladabouche’s 3rd grade class at Barstow Memorial School in Chittenden is hosting a Socktober sock drive from Oct. 1-31. This year is the debut of the event, but Ms. Ladabouche plans to make it an annual drive if it is successful. The students decorated 12 boxes, and “are going…

By Curt Peterson HARTLAND—In 2020, 330 million Americans registered 291 million cars and light trucks. Pre-Covid new car sales were about 19 million. Automobile manufacturing provides 190,000 U.S. jobs. A lack of public transportation, sparse population and significant distances between point A and point B make a vehicle necessary in Vermont. But cars wear out,…

By Curt Peterson Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCUUSD) board member Ben Ford, chair of the New Build Committee overseeing a proposed $74 million-plus project to build a new middle/high school in Woodstock, outlined a proposal for fundraising at the March 29 board meeting. One item has set off some powerful reactions. Naming new…