State urges residents to compost with bears in mind Staff report Many people are having problems with bears looking for food near their homes, according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. With the new food scrap ban now in effect the department is providing tips for people who are composting at home so they…

By Katy Savage School Board members are looking for cuts after the proposed $4.39 million Rochester-Stockbridge Unified District budget failed 141-110 on June 30. Rochester residents approved the proposed budget 87-47, but Stockbridge voters widely defeated it, 94-23. “I was disappointed,” said Carl Groppe, who chairs the school board. “We’ll find a way forward.” The…

Learn to appreciate them from a distance Few wildlife encounters rival hearing the haunting call of the loon or seeing them glide by in protected coves on a lake. So, for the birds’ protection, we’re asking boaters and anglers to enjoy loons from a safe distance this summer and adhere to the no-wake zone of…

Everyone knows cats are experts at napping but do you know they’re also hard workers?  They’re natural rodent deterrents and they love their jobs! If you have a farm, stable, warehouse, factory, greenhouse, nursery, winery, distillery, junkyard, storage facility, repair shop, retail store and more and you have a problem with rodents, Rutland County Humane Society’s…

Here is a list of road construction projects happening throughout central Vermont this week. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Rutland and Windsor counties Bethel – The bridge replacement project along Route 12 continues this week. Travelers should expect to encounter gravel roadways, but few delays. Castleton – Ledge stabilization activities continue along Route…

Scott Howard of Bridgewater Corners passed away Thursday, June 25 from lung cancer. “He will always be remembered by the Killington community for skiing hard and every day,” wrote Bruce Kimball, a friend. In fact, Howard skied so hard that he broke records. In 2018 he set the record for vertical feet skied in a…

CLARENDON—On June 22, at 7:55 a.m., troopers from the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks were notified of a burglary at Lucky’s Trailer World in Clarendon that occurred the previous day at 3:35 a.m. Through investigation it was determined a lone male forced entry into the building and damaged property inside. The male appeared to be…

SHREWSBURY—On June 24 at 10:32 a.m. troopers from the Vermont state police responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash in the area of Route 103 south of Spring Lake Road in Shrewsbury. Preliminary investigation indicated that driver Randal Adams, 60, of Cavendish and passenger Katrina Centariczki, 74, of Reading were traveling northbound when Adams’…

On Sunday, June 28, at 2:36 p.m., Troopers from the Royalton Barracks along with Hartford Fire responded to a single vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 91-North in the town of Hartford. The operator was identified as Natausha Smallwood, 22, from Hartland, who sustained non-life threatening injuries from the crash. Investigation revealed that Smallwood was traveling…

Staff report STOCKBRIDGE—The Vermont State Police are investigating the drowning of a child in the White River Wednesday evening, June 24, near the Gaysville post office in the town of Stockbridge. The victim was Gabriel McEachern, 7, of Stockbridge. Investigators learned that Gabriel was with his parents, Kenneth and Danielle McEachern; his two siblings; and…

By Katy Savage Food scraps will be banned from landfills starting July 1 and while some trash haulers aren’t offering residential pick-up services, locals are stepping in. Zach Cavacas, a Stockbridge resident, launched a food scrap hauling business called Music Mountain Compost for people throughout Rutland County this month. Cavacas has about 40 customers so…

Seventh Rutland Sculpture Trail piece to be unveiled in fall RUTLAND—The unveiling of a sculpture honoring a ground-breaking African American Rutland resident, nearly a year in the planning, has been postponed until fall largely due to Covid-19, organizers announced June 25. The sculpture honoring Rutland native Martin Henry Freeman, the first African American president of…

July 4 tips from the Rutland County Humane Society With the Fourth of July comes fireworks. The 5th of July usually brings more stray animals than usual to the shelter. The noise and flash of fireworks scares even pets that are used to being outside. Since fireworks are becoming more common the best advice we have is to keep your pet…

By Brooke Geery Ryan Orabone donned brand new Nikes and made four laps around the Rutland High School track. For a total distance of a mile, the self-proclaimed “non-practicing athlete” gave his all, hoping to break the 7-minute mark. Orabone had more riding on the run than just pride— for every second under seven minutes,…

LUDLOW — Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow in Vermont, plus Hunter Mountain, in New York and Attitash and Wildcat, in New Hampshire announced June 18 that they will open for the summer. The six Northeast resorts will open with a limited summer footprint focusing on mountain access and scenic lift rides. As a part of Vail…