By Katy Savage QUECHEE — Joel Parker and his family lived near Boston but they drove two hours to Vermont every weekend. They skied in the winter and cycled in the summer. “Then we got the idea of why don’t we just live here,” Parker, 39 said. Parker, his wife and children, ages 11 and…

Mueller family will enter purchase agreement after 36 years at the helm By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger LUDLOW — Triple Peaks, LLC, owned by Tim and Diane Mueller and their children Ethan and Erica Mueller, announced Monday, June 4, they have entered into a purchase agreement with Vail Resorts, Inc. Triple Peaks, LLC is the parent company…

By Stacey Peters and Colin Meyn, VTDigger The education secretary released a long-awaited — and for many anxiety-inducing — report Friday, June 1, recommending which school districts should merge. Acting Education Secretary Heather Bouchey recommended 18 consolidations, under a mandate written into the school district consolidation law, Act 46. In some cases, the secretary recommends that groups of…

By Stephen Seitz WOODSTOCK—Bridge 51, which crosses Kedron Brook on Route 4 in Woodstock Village, will be open this Friday, May 8, according to a statement from the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The work remaining includes rubbing the concrete finish of the new bridge rail (by hand), installing the signs, and line striping. The bridge…

By Katy Savage CLARENDON — The state is testing 20 private and public water wells near the Rutland airport after finding five wells were contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. “Our hope is that that this set of sampling will finally define the degree and extent of impact of the water supplies,” said Matt Moran, an environmental…

By Katy Savage CASTLETON—A man was pronounced dead after he was found submerged in 5 feet of water in Lake Bomoseen last weekend. Richard Grimly,  73, of Rutland was pronounced dead around 2 p.m. Sunday, May 27.  Police said Grimly was found in the water near his overturned kayak. Police haven’t received autopsy results yet.…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND—After canceling a sold-out show and shutting down for two weeks due to a broken roof truss, the Paramount Theatre reopened June 1. The Vermont Fire and Safety issued a certificate of occupancy June 1, declaring the building safe for patrons. The theater closed after a routine inspection in May found one…

Walker Grant (Preston Walker Grant, Jr.), a resident of Killington for nearly 40 years, died March 19, 2018, in Port Charlotte, Fla., where his winter home was. At his request, no service was held. He donated his body for medical research. Mr. Grant was 80 years old, born in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 21, 1938…

RUTLAND—The College of St. Joseph board of trustees has announced the appointment of Dr. Jennifer L. Scott as the seventh president of CSJ. Scott currently serves as senior director of assessment and program accreditation for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she serves on the faculty of…

By Stephen Seitz CAVENDISH—Republican gubernatorial candidate Keith Stern brought his campaign to Cavendish on May 24, where he discussed what was on the minds of area voters. Don Shattuck, like Stern a Springfield resident, shared a beef he had with the state Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). He said he created a small brush fire…

Staff report Rep. Jim Harrison, reprsenting Chittenden, Bridgewater, Killington and Mendon, announced his candidacy for the Rutland-Windsor-1 district. Harrison, 65, was appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Phil Scott last April to fill the uncompleted term of former Rep. Job Tate, who was deployed by his U.S. Navy Reserve unit. “I think things happen for…

By Katy Savage Ted Fondulas has been teaching cooking classes locally for the past 30 years. Now he’s teaching around the globe—through Skype. Fondulas, the former owner of Hemingway’s Restaurant in Killington, recently became part of The Chef & The Dish, joining about 10 top chefs around the world who teach online cooking classes, specializing…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger Attorneys for accused killer Donald Fell are again asking a judge to declare the death penalty unconstitutional, this time citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding sports gambling. Fell’s lawyers, in their filing seeking to overturn the federal death penalty statute, point to the 10th Amendment to the U.S.…

By Katy Savage While many celebrated Memorial Day weekend with barbecues and plant sales, Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Marji Graf flew to Maryland to meet her new employers. Graf resigned from her role in Vermont to take a position as president and CEO of the Rockville, Maryland, Chamber of Commerce, a position…

Killington Resort officially closed for skiing and riding during an 80 degree day on Saturday, May 26. The closing day was announced May 23. The resort was open a total of 187 days this year for skiing and riding. It opened Nov. 8 for pass-holders and Nov. 9 for the public. Meanwhile, Killington’s summer activities,…