WOODSTOCK— Dozens of students were recognized at the awards presenttion upon graduation from  Woodtock High School. Those that earned Summa cum laude for the Class of 2017 included: Jonas Kantola (Valedictorian), Spruce Bohen (Salutatorian), Patrick Bald, Erika Gebhardt, Anna Dieffenbach, Rosalie Geiger Lily Doton, Jenna Majeski, Jason Drebber, Rose O’Brien, Sarah Findeisen, Kyle Rasmussen. Scholarship…

Loons were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005 following decades of recovery effort. But one of the main threats still facing loons as they continue to recover is human disturbance during the breeding season. As Vermont’s loon population continues to increase and canoeing and kayaking becomes more popular, there is greater potential for…

Sullivan temporarily out of jail After serving two years in jail, convicted in the hit-and-run death of Mary Jane Outslay, Christopher Sullivan is out, for now. His wife wrote a $50,000 check, Gordon Dritschilo reported in the Rutland Herald. Sullivan was represented by a public defender, based on his claim that he had no home…

ARSU looks to merger Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union Superintendent Ron Ryan met with the School Board May 24, discussing the changes that will take place as the supervisory union becomes the Slate Valley Unified Union district in July 2018. The new board will contain 18 members, with Orwell’s three board members voting only on matters that…

MOUNT HOLLY—Police are looking for information regarding a fire that was set at a Mount Holly residence last week. On Tuesday, June 6, at 11:00 a.m. a 911 caller reported a fire at 9 Johnson Lane in Mount Holly. Initial reports and witnesses placed the fire in the second storey of the building. Upon arrival…

PITTSFORD—A New York man was scheduled to appear in court last week after being arrested in possession of nearly an ounce of crack cocaine. According to a news release from the Vermont State Police, in the mid-evening of June 8 troopers from the state police barracks in Rutland stopped a motor vehicle in Pittsford. One…

By Stephen Seitz CHESTER—Police in Chester and Ludlow are investigating what may be a series of sexual assaults in those towns, allegedly by a high school student at Green Mountain Union High School. Asked about this, Ludlow police chief Jeffrey Billings said, “I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” During the public comment period at…

Fisheries staff from Vermont Fish & Wildlife received a pleasant surprise recently while completing survey work on Lake Champlain in the form of a 48-year-old lake sturgeon that biologists first studied and tagged nearly two decades ago. “We first saw this fish in 1998 when it was roughly 29 years old,” said Chet MacKenzie, fisheries…

QUEECHEE—The Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival is the longest continuously running hot air balloon festival in New England. This year marks the 38th annual event. Each year nearly 20 hot air balloons display their colors in the sky. Flights begin Friday evening at 6 p.m. and continue Saturday and Sunday at dawn…

Route 4, Mendon Crews are scheduled to continue paving intermediate course on milled surfaces throughout the week of June 12, weather permitting. Paving operations are currently in the vicinity of the Cortina Inn & Resort in Mendon. Route 4, Killington Crews have begun work on the culvert replacement on the Sherburne Flats, west of the…

Upcoming two Act 46 revotes may dictate merger options By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger While writing legislation this year to give school districts more flexibility in complying with Act 46, lawmakers worried the changes might derail local merger conversations already taking place. That is just what seems to be happening in Rochester. The town has…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger RUTLAND—Rutland City Fire Chief Michael Jones and the mayor reached an agreement that will see the chief depart his post at the end of this month. Outgoing city Fire Chief Michael Jones will receive more than $35,000 as part of his severance package negotiated with the city to break his…

KILLINGTON—The lineup for the free Cooler in the Mountains summer concert series has been announced. Kicking off July 15 in conjunction with the Killington Wine Festival, the concert series runs for eight consecutive Saturdays and features a variety of national acts that spans diverse musical genres. The concerts, beginning at 3:30 p.m., will take place…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—Over 250 people packed the ballroom at the Killington Grand Hotel last week to hear testimony from national experts and to exchange ideas and strategize on ways combat Vermont’s high suicide rate. “We spent a lot of time creating awareness of factors that put people at risk,” said JoEllen Tarallo, executive director…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger RUTLAND–The selection of the next state senator from Rutland County is now in the hands of Gov. Phil Scott. The county Republican Party held a caucus Thursday night to vet the three GOP candidates who hope to replace Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, who resigned after he was appointed to lead…