Grants doled out to local schools By Polly Mikula After the $6.5 million that was initially allocated by the state to improve air quality in schools throughout Vermont was quickly claimed, Vermont House approved an increase to $11.5 million then the Senate proposed a further increase to $13.5 million. The program was created to improve…

Rutland family moves into new Habitat for Humanity house By Katy Savage After 9 years of shuffling between different housing situations since fleeing their home country during the Syrian Civil War, Hassam Alhallak and his wife Hazar Mansour finally have a place to call home again. With the help of about 200 volunteers, the family…

The eighth annual Vermont’s Greenest Building awards has recognized a home in Benson for achieving the highest standard of demonstrated building energy performance for residential buildings and documentation of green building strategies including health, transportation, water and affordability. “It is wonderful to recognize the innovation, talent and creativity building professionals are bringing to their projects,”…

National Garden Club (NGC) awards are established to recognize the efforts of its members and associates who contribute to the enhancement of our world. From funding the construction of a children’s garden to forming programs to battle invasive plants, National Garden Club is full of leaders with a desire to improve our world. To acknowledge those…

Can’t find your pet?  Did you find a pet that’s not yours?  Make sure you contact the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) and let them know.  In many cases, stray animals are brought to RCHS.  Additionally, citizens who find stray animals will contact RCHS with the hopes of reuniting them with their owners.  RCHS also…

By Sarah Gibertoni, KMS student For the past three weeks students and staff at Killington Mountain School have been adjusting to a new normal, like every other school in the country. One of the biggest changes has been that our usual communal lunches have been split up by grade and sport, into small, socially-distant “pods”…

Democratic nominee for Vermont lieutenant governor Molly Gray held a community forum in Rutland Saturday, Sept. 19. The event, organized by the Gray campaign and held at Main Street Park, was the third of eight socially-distanced public community forums to take place across Vermont in September. “Our campaign is committed to reaching every corner of…

Rutland County native founded Rotary International and is latest addition to sculpture trail The Rutland Sculpture Trail will expand early next month with the addition of a marble portrait of Paul Harris, a Rutland County resident who founded Rotary International, one of the world’s largest service groups. A larger-than-life bust of Harris, designed by Amanda…

It was a sunny crisp Sunday morning, and Mission Farm Road was alive with celebration of new ministry for Church of Our Saviour at Mission Farm in Killington and for St. Thomas and Grace in Brandon. Sept. 20 was the first in person gathering and service at Mission Farm since the pandemic shut down in-person…

On Monday, Sept. 21, Killington/Pico Area Association president Hannah Abrams announced in an email the selection of its new executive director, Matthew Halik. Matthew hails from Woodstock and is an outdoor enthusiast who is well versed in sales, marketing and customer service. “Our mantra with this search was to ‘select, not settle’ and this is why we…

Artist Rob Mullen of Jericho, Vermont, began the Long Trail Painting Expedition in support of the Vermont Wildlife Coalition on Sept. 16. The expedition will see Mullen hike the 272-mile path over the next four weeks, allowing three weeks to hike and one week to paint (about 10 miles/day, plus painting). No stranger to art…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger and Brooke Geery On the evening of Friday, Sept. 18, Killington Fire Department member Connor McGrath noticed smoke coming from the popular Deer Leap area of Sherburne Pass in Killington. Assuming it was people illegally camping, he took his dogs and hiked up to kick them out. After bushwhacking through the woods,…

By Katy Savage Business owners in the tourism and hospitality industry, the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, are desperately seeking more funding to stay afloat. Perry Armstrong, the owner of Rain or Shine Tent Company in Randolph, said he’s contacted just about everyone he can in the Legislature and he’s testified in front of…

By Ed Larson Dressed in bright garb showing displaying his love of Ronald McDonald House efforts to provide lodging for the families of children undergoing medical treatment, Dwight Barnes of Deerfield, New Hampshire, walked into the South Main Street McDonald’s restaurant Monday, Sept. 21. Barnes showed enthusiasm that his goal will be reached, while taking…

Castleton University will help meet regional healthcare employers’ needs by offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), beginning in the spring 2021 semester. The program offers a Clinical Nurse Leader concentration and a Nurse Educator concentration. It is designed for working nurses with a bachelor’s degree who wish to advance their careers. Castleton is…