On Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 12:17 a.m. a 911 call was received regarding a fire at 91 Lent Road in Sharon. The Sharon Fire Dept.along with Strafford Fire Dept.and several surrounding fire departments responded. Upon their arrival at 12:28 a.m. the entire house was engulfed in flames and the roof had already collapsed. The house, owned…

The day Lincoln Fenn chose to travel was a perfect summer’s day. He always was a smart man as well as a decent, gentle and humble man. He set a high bar for what it means to be a truly “good man,” a phrase tossed around too lightly at times. He wasn’t trying to rule…

John F. Cooke, a world traveler who lived in Whiting, passed away on the morning of Friday, July 31, listening to reggae at Helen Porter Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Middlebury. He was recently on vacation in Negril, Jamaica, a place he loved. Negril and his cottage in Prince Edward Island were his homes away…

Bethel, Royalton facilities expect few changes By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger A Swedish company has agreed to buy the Bethel-based GW Plastics in a deal that is expected to be final in September. The publicly traded Nolato develops and produces polymer products such as plastic and silicone for health care, automotive, and consumer electronics companies. The 65-year-old…

Students K-2 will have five half-days of in-person instruction each week; students in grades 3-8 will attend school remotely By Lee J. Kahrs The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union is planning to begin school this fall using a hybrid of in-person and remote learning strategies, as have several other districts. However, RNeSU’s plan differs in that…

To help businesses enforce Vermont’s mask mandate, Rutland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) and Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce are distributing a free box of 50 masks to customer-facing businesses across Rutland County. RRMC president and CEO Claudio Fort, Casella Waste Systems director of community engagement Jeff Weld, Heritage Family Credit Union’s senior vice president of…

By Polly Mikula Andrew Gieda, a Killington resident and business owner, was desperate to hear from his wife, Maria, on Monday to know that she and their 2-year-old son Robert were safe after violent protests erupted in Belarus, Sunday. Internet and phone access was cut off throughout Belarus during and after a contentious election. But…

By Katy Savage Gov. Phil Scott announced earlier this month that fall sports can resume starting Sept. 8, but many teams have been practicing all summer. When Scott lifted restrictions on recreational activities and group gatherings in June, school teams started holding voluntary practices and conditioning sessions, with notably high attendance. The Woodstock Union High…

By Curt Peterson Is support for the proposed new Woodstock middle/high school fraying? Or do a growing number of questions merely indicate increasingly careful consideration of the $60-plus million building? Either way, project proponents seem stalwartly committed to seeing it through and the board voted to support the current design plan voting this last Tuesday…

By Curt Peterson The Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCUUSD) Buildings and Grounds Committee met July 28 in “hybrid” fashion. Committee members Jim Haff, Matt Hough, Keri Bristow as well as buildings and grounds director Joe Rigoli and Dean Angeledes from Johnson Controls met in person, while WCUUSD board chair Bryce Sammel (Barnard) and…

Here is a list of road construction projects happening in Rutland and Windsor counties. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. Rutland and Windsor Bethel – The bridge replacement along VT 12 continues. The traffic pattern will require vehicles to navigate different lanes to get around the work zone. Expect…

The Cavendish Community Fund’s president, Doug McBride, announced Aug. 7 that the Fund awarded three grants this summer to local organizations for community-based projects. The first award was to fund the summer music series on Proctorsville’s Svec Memorial Green. Each year the town engages several local bands to entertain residents on Wednesday evenings. Small local…

By Ed Larson A spokesman for the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) confirmed Monday, Aug. 3, that an investigation was commenced on Friday, July 30 following a report by Westminster Cracker Company of an accident in the plant on July 29. Rutland City Fire, Rutland City Police and Regional Ambulance responded to the…

STOCKBRIDGE—At 12:27 p.m. on Aug. 3, Vermont State Police received a 911 call from an individual who reported finding a co-worker unresponsive following a logging accident off River Road in Stockbridge. The Vermont State Police, Bethel Fire Department, and White River Valley Ambulance responded to the scene and determined the individual was deceased. The victim…

By Katy Savage Rutland City Police are investigating an apparent shooting on Strongs Avenue. Chief Brian Kilcullen said police were called after multiple gun shots were fired from a vehicle near Avellino Bakery and Catering around 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3. He said they believe no one was injured and the dept. had no…