Staff Report An environmental court judge has ordered Slate Ridge, a firearms training facility in Pawlet that has caused local strife and garnered national attention, to permanently close. The court ruled Friday that the facility’s owner, Daniel Banyai, must dismantle all of the buildings on his property that do not have a zoning permit. He…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — An unprecedented tie for a seat on the Rutland Board of Alderman has been resolved between the two candidates. Thomas Franco got seat on the board after John Atwood, who was making his fourth run for the board, announced that he’d remove himself from the race. Each received 1,122 votes in the…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Stratton Town Clerk D. Kent Young was assembling the annual municipal report when, lacking such past cover photos as a local elder or landscape, he eyed a bulletin-board message that began, “You came here from there because you didn’t like there, and now you want to change here to be like there.” Young…

By Karen D. Lorentz Having grown up next to Mt. Ascutney, where he learned to ski at age 3 and snowboard at 15, C. Michael Bell was part of the first wave of skiers to try riding. “At that time [mid-1980s], snowboarding was just going mainstream and most resorts didn’t allow snowboards on the lifts,…

By Ryan Boeke When trying to open a business during the middle of a pandemic, Digital Surgeons owner Jacob Vincent knew that it would not be an easy challenge. Opening a technology store was something he had always wanted to do, so even with the Covid-19 restrictions in place, he embraced it and knew his…

By Katy Savage A longtime employee of Mountain Sports Inn in Killington was found dead in his onsite apartment unit on Friday, Feb. 26. Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery said Peter S. MacDonald, 55, was found unresponsive by an employee of the inn on Friday morning. Police responded around 11 a.m. and he was pronounced…

By Curt Peterson and Polly Mikula Two local towns, Killington and Woodstock, currently have short-term rental regulations and now the state Legislature seems to be interested in joining the fray. Bill H.200, introduced by Representatives Kornheiser (Brattleboro), Colburn (Burlington) and Pajala (Londonderry), claims four purposes: Protecting the residential rental market, supporting full-time residency, discouraging real…

Demand for luxury homes + low inventory + price appreciation = sellers' market By Karen D. Lorentz A stunning trailside five-bedroom, five-bath, three-level contemporary house set on an almost one-acre lot has set a new record for single-family-home sale price in Killington at a $2.65 million. The previous record was $2.4 million, noted Kyle Kershner,…

Rutland High School students adapted this year’s annual Senior Day festivities due to Covid-19, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating in a modified fashion. "Each year the junior parents put in senior day for the hockey team and their families. In a normal year the boys would be announced before the game and meet…

March 2, 2021 ARTICLE 1: School Board Directors Barnard: Bryce Sammel (3 years) Bridgewater: Matthew Hough (3 years), Sarah Adams: (remaining year of 3 year term) Killington: Gwen Hagenbarth (3 years) Plymouth: Jay Moore (remaining 2 years of 3 year term), Joshua Linton (remaining year of 3 year term) Pomfret: Robert Crean (3 years), Bill…

We get that question a lot these days, especially during Covid when everything seems to have changed. The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) is accepting donation for the animals at the shelter on Stevens Road in Pittsford. There is a large donation bin outside the front door of the Adoption Center so donations can be…

Legitimacy of Sousa’s selection as superintendent questioned By Curt Peterson Monday evening, Feb. 22, the Windsor Central Unified Union School District held a special meeting to address several complaints filed by Catherine Peters, a Pomfret resident and parent of two students in the district. Two letters from Peters listed general complaints and specific objections regarding…

By Curt Peterson Thursday evening, Feb. 25, a Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCUUSD) panel delivered a concise presentation via Zoom regarding the Financial Year 2022 district budget for the seven district towns. The proposed FY22 budget totals $22,755,638.12, which is 2.96% more than the current FY21 budget. The panel included Bryce Sammel (Barnard),…

The following questions were sent to every candidate on the Castleton Ballot by local members of the League of Women Voters of Vermont, a non-partisan organization dedicated to creating an informed electorate. Their responses, transcribed exactly as the candidates wrote them, follow. Town Meeting Day voting will be held at the Castleton Fire Hall on…

Town Meeting Day is one of Vermont's oldest and most treasured traditions. While most towns have cancelled in-person town meetings this year due to Covid-19, Bethel is pioneering a creative alternative. The Bethel Revitalization Initiative is hosting the world’s first virtual “UN-Town Meeting” on Town Meeting Day (Tuesday, March 2, from 5–6:30 p.m. on Zoom).…