Voters will be asked to approve bond in March By Polly Mikula Voters in seven towns will be asked to approve an $80+ million project to build a new district middle/high school adjacent to the current structures in Woodstock at Town Meeting Day this March. “Slated to open in September 2026, pending voter approval, the…

  By Katy Savage The Vermont Farmers’ Market is returning to the Franklin Conference Center in Rutland’s Howe Center again this winter as the Farmers’ Hall building undergoes contamination cleanup.   The organization recently signed a new lease for the Howe Center, even as board members of the Vermont Farmers’ Food Center estimate Farmers’ Hall…

  City officials consider cleanup plan By Katy Savage A fire at the former dress factory on Cleveland Avenue in Rutland City was intentionally set the day after a body was found in the building, according to Rutland Fire Chief Bill Lovett. Firefighters arrived around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 after receiving an anonymous 911…

  A Woodstock resident was arrested for vandalizing the Woodstock Inn on Sunday, Sept. 3. Police said Connor Hersey, 30, spray painted the inn’s brick wall and threatened an employee who discovered the vandalism. He then took off on a bicycle. Hersey returned to the inn the next morning where police arrested him for unlawful…

  By  Brooke Geery Killington Resort’s longest-tenured team member is calling it a career after 46 years working at The Beast. Gene Syria first took a seasonal job working on the old Killington Gondola in 1977 on the referral of a friend, but he recalls getting the job initially wasn’t quite that simple. His interview…

  By Katy Savage State officials and a local school district are trying to get a lawsuit brought by a former Woodstock Union High School snowboard coach dismissed after the coach said he was wrongfully terminated for making transphobic remarks.  Heather Bouchey, the interim secretary of the Agency of Education, Jay Nichols, the executive director…

   Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union (RNESU) has 49 new employees who will be working throughout the district.   Neshobe Elementary John Aprilliano-Intervention Specialist  Carol Buzby-L/T Teacher: Elementary  Brittney Clodgo-Paraeducator Anna Cook-Teacher: Elementary  Elizabeth Corey-Teacher: Grade 4  Thomas Darling-Teacher: Elementary  Leah Davis-Teacher: Grade 2 Bianca Madrigal-Paraeducator Jamie Mahoney-Teacher: Special Services  Georgianna Nop-Teacher: Elementary Otter Creek Academy…

  By Tiffany Tan/VTDigger Since June, Rutland’s mayor Mike Doenges has been speaking with state officials about a plan to ease homelessness. He’s seeking millions in state funding to construct up to 50 transitional homes in the city within the next five years. The single-story housing units would be built in one, to-be-determined Rutland location, where…

  Vermont residents affected by July’s severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides now have until Oct. 12, 2023 to apply for FEMA assistance. “This does not mean you should delay applying — the sooner you apply, the sooner FEMA can process your claim,” a news release stated. Those with storm-caused expenses and live or own…

72% approve of Gov. Scott’s handling of the natural disaster By Lola Duffort/VTDigger About one-third of Vermonters were directly impacted by July’s historic flooding events, and 13% experienced damage to their home or place of work. That’s according to a new poll released Tuesday by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. The poll, which collected responses online…

  Staff report After years of discussion, Rutland City officials are reducing traffic lanes on Route 4 and Route 7 in 2024. The Board of Highway Commissioners voted 2-1 on Aug. 28 to reduce the lanes from four to two with a center turn lane.  Mayor Michael Doenges and Board of Aldermen President Michael Talbott…

   Vermonters are urged to take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites, as mosquitoes in Grand Isle and Franklin Counties have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) — a serious and potentially fatal mosquito-transmitted infection. These are the first detections of EEE in mosquitoes in Vermont since 2015.  The Vermont Agency of Agriculture…

Bobblehead of decorated Vermont skier Jessie Diggins unveiled The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Wisconsin unveiled the first bobblehead of Olympic cross-country skier Jessie Diggins on Aug. 25. Diggins, a Vermont nativefrom Stratton, is the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time. The bobblehead is being released in conjunction with her…

  The Vermont Dept. of Labor released data on the Vermont economy on Aug. 18 for the time period covering July 2023. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for July was 1.8%. This reflects a decrease of 1/10 of 1 percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force…

  Vermonters can now get “Vermont Strong” license plates are now available for purchase. All proceeds will support victims of the summer’s severe flooding.  “Time and time again, Vermonters have shown how willing they are to step up, join together, help their neighbors and unite for their communities,” said Governor Phil Scott. “This summer’s flooding…