The 2022 tax season officially opened Monday, Jan. 24 at both the federal and state levels. This is the date that the IRS and Vermont begin accepting and processing personal income tax returns for tax year 2021. The Vermont Dept. of Taxes offers the following tips to make filing and getting your refund easier and…

Staff report, VTDigger PAWLET—A Supreme Court decision has confirmed that Slate Ridge must permanently shut down and pay the town of Pawlet $46,603. Neighbors have long expressed concerns and fear about the operations at the controversial paramilitary training facility, owned by Daniel Banyai, which has hosted local militia groups. Slate Ridge has garnered national attention;…

By Curt Peterson Keri Bristow, Windsor Central Unified Union School District board member of Woodstock chaired the second official Zoom meeting of the board’s recently created district renaming committee on Jan. 24. Unlike some school district rebranding projects, WCUUSD doesn’t have any controversial ethnic or racial issues with either the district name or its athletic…

Broken water line, asbestos displace students until March most likely By Katy Savage Castleton Village School abruptly closed for two months starting Tuesday, Jan. 18 after a broken water pipe and an asbestos problem damaged half the building. About 100 middle school students and 20 teachers from Castleton Village School moved to Castleton Elementary to…

By Curt Peterson Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCSD) Superintendent Sherry Sousa told the Mountain Times she understands the rationale behind the Agency of Education’s abandonment of the in-school “Test to Stay” program this week. “Surveillance testing didn’t address the Omicron proliferation,” she said. “A few weeks ago 500 tests netted only four positive…

By Brett Yates The Pittsfield Select Board voted last Thursday, Jan. 20, to delay its annual Town Meeting until May 3, 2022. On Jan. 14, Gov. Scott signed Act 77, which temporarily suspends the state law requiring town meetings to take place on the first Tuesday in March, citing Covid-19’s “potential to jeopardize the health,…

Newcomer adapts to Vermont life By Victoria Gaither Rutland, Vermont, is one of those cities that can make you or break you! Just ask newcomer Stella Shalem, who traded in the beaches of Miami, Florida, for the cold of Rutland. “I had to learn everything about how to dress for the cold,” Shalem said. “Not…

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) has been informed that Executive Director Ed Bove will be stepping down from his position in the coming year. Bove has been with the commission for 14 years and has served as executive director for the last eight. Under his steady leadership the RRPC has received membership contributions from…

Do you know an individual or community group that has demonstrated a strong commitment to conserving, restoring or celebrating Vermont’s forests and trees? If so, consider nominating them for a 2022 Vermont Tree Steward Award. The awards are presented annually by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) to promote the importance of…

On a recent weekend with threatening storms and frigid temperatures, Ludlow Rotarian Kim Benson Lampert and her husband, Jon headed south to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to deliver a truck and trailer loaded with goods for storm-ravaged Kentuckians who had lost everything. Lampert said, “I am overwhelmed by the support of our club and community members as…

If approved, 2.34% increase becomes effective Sept. 30, 2023 Green Mountain Power (GMP) filed is seeking a 2.34% increase in base rates starting Oct. 1, 2022. If approved by the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC), the new rates would be in effect until Sept. 30, 2023. “This allows us to invest in our people and…

Chris Ettori has been named regional director of Vermont Adult Learning’s Rutland office. He previously worked as assistant director at CCV for over twelve years as well as a faculty member teaching classes in foundational math, computer applications, customer service, and effective workplace communications. Ettori is very active in the Rutland community, having served on…

By Angelo Lynn Mei Mei Brown, one of Brandon’s best known and prolific volunteers needs a kidney, but the message she wants to convey is to broaden the awareness of the process around organ transplants and the vital importance it has to those in need. “It’s very touching and humbling” to be in the position…

By Katy Savage The Rutland High School’s mascot is back to the Rutland Raiders following a 6-5 school board vote on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The controversial Raiders mascot, deemed racist by some, was changed to the Ravens in October 2020, but the move widely divided the town and led to a year’s worth of contentious…

After 22 months of training and only a couple quiet competitions, Rutland's Cobra gymnastics team attended a traditional gymnastics meet (while masked) at the Royal Regal Classic in Essex Jan. 15-16. The 2021-22 team consists of 53 girls competing under the USA Gymnastics Xcel Program. The team is divided into five levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold,…