UPDATE: Everett Simpson, the man suspected of abducting a woman and child in New Hampshire and then sexually assaulting the woman at a Vermont hotel, was taken into custody following a car chase Sunday evening outside Philadelphia. HARTFORD— The FBI, the Vermont State Police and the Hartford Police Department are actively searching for a dangerous man…

By Russell Jones/Brandon Reporter BRANDON — The Girl Scouts began in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low organized the first troop of 18 girls in Savannah, Ga. Now, 3.7 million members strong, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America have helped mentor and develop strong female leaders such Lucille Ball, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day…

The Vermont Farmers Market Association has named Jack Crowther as its Person of the Year for 2018. Crowther has been an editor for the Rutland Herald and worked hard to highlight the connection of clean water and food to health. He’s donated countless hours and resources to the Vermont Farmers Market Association farmacy ( VFFC’s…

Vermont dairy farmers could see much needed relief in the 2018 Farm Bill. With the signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, more improvements have been made to the renamed Margin Protection Program, now called the Dairy Margin Coverage program. “Farmers should look at this new program closely.  The early signs indicate it could…

MENDON—George and Marion Wright of Mendon celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 26. In their words, they are woodchucks who settled back in Vermont after having careers in the military and nursing in Ohio for 30 years. Congratulations, George and Marion!

By Xander Landen/VTDigger Sen. President Pro Tem Tim Ashe wants to change Vermont’s Constitution. Among the Democratic Senate leader’s top priorities in upcoming legislative session is a push to pass four constitutional amendments. Ashe and other senators say they want to add an amendment expanding gubernatorial terms from two to four years and other amendments that would protect…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger As chief of the Vermont Department of Labor’s economic and labor market information section, Mathew Barewicz is in charge of collecting and interpreting federal and state employment data for policymakers, job-seekers and the public. Among other things, Barewicz is the researcher on a project partnering with the McClure Foundation aimed at…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger Vermont’s law enforcement agencies would not be able to carry out background checks on private firearms sales, the Department of Public Safety has determined. As part of a sweeping package of gun control measures that became law this year, legislators moved to expand background checks to private gun purchases, in addition to sales at gun…

By Garren Poirier, courtesy Okemo Kids carry skis to the lift at Okemo’s Jackson Gore while catching snowflakes on their tongues. By Kit Norton/VTDigger After a week of public outcry and scrutiny, Vail Resorts has reinstated discounted prices for low-income school children participating in snow sports programs at Okemo Mountain Resort. Vail Resorts told snow…

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development today announced the Remote Worker Grant Program will officially launch on Jan. 1, 2019. The program offers reimbursement grants of up $5,000 per year ($10,000 over two years) to remote workers across the country who move to Vermont. The application process opens on Jan. 1 and will…

Sometimes Jeff Bugay blacked out entirely and woke up to find himself in the emergency room. Sometimes his pain was so bad he couldn’t talk or form words. Bugay, a former executive chef, had 15-20 partial seizures a day, lasting 30 seconds. “It’s a feeling where I have to back into a corner – you…

 Police are warning the public of a scam. The phone caller from the number (802) 242- 2022 is identifing themselves as working for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, and is requesting individuals nto pay a bond or be detained by Law Enforcement. Troopers attempted to call this phone number, and were greeted by an answering…

By Curt Peterson It’s true, a lot of people read the New Yorker, at least in part, for the cartoons, and about 70 of them showed up for Edward Koren’s introduction of his new book, “Koren in the Wild” at the Norman Williams Library in Woodstock Tuesday, Dec. 11. The book consists of 200 Koren…

By Katy Savage Donald Billings doesn’t like to sit still. After relocating his Rutland restaurant, Roots, to Washington Street and reopening Dec. 7 with double the seating, Billings, the owner and chef, opened a market and deli in Killington. Now he’s ready to open another restaurant. Crux was scheduled to open on Killington Road this…

By Curt Peterson The Windsor Central Modified Unified School District Board met at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 for a 2020 budget workshop prior to the regular board meeting. This meeting, in the Killington Elementary School gym, was the first of a rotating schedule of meetings in each of the six participating districts. Superintendent Mary Beth…