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…

Swimmers excel in the pool and the classroom KILLINGTON—The Killington Aquatic Club Graduating Senior Scholarship award is set up to recognize all registered Killington Aquatic Club (KAC) USA Swimming athletes for their accomplishments within the sport of swimming. Scholarships are awarded to swimmers who are graduating seniors and have displayed the greatest dedication to the…

RANDOLPH—On Sunday, June 4, at about 9 p.m. troopers out of the Royalton barracks responded to a car vs. moose crash on I-89 southbound at mile marker 30 in the town of Randolph. Upon arrival troopers found the vehicle, a 2004 Toyota truck, sustained considerable front end damage from a collision with a moose. The…

WALLINGFORD—The American Red Cross responded to a home fire on Church St. in Wallingford Tuesday night, May 30, that displaced two adults and two cats. Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers have met with the residents and have ensured everyone has a safe place to sleep and has food, clothing and other essentials. Over the next several days, Red…

FAIR HAVEN—Fair Haven Concerned, Inc., is participating in the summer food service program for children. The program is designed to ensure that children who rely on free or reduced price meals during the school year continue to have adequate nutrition throughout the summer. It is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Meals…

CAVENDISH—The Vermont Community Fund has awarded a Small and Inspiring Grant in the amount of $1,000 to the Two Rivers Supervisory Union for further landscaping of the lot next to the Cavendish Town Elementary School. The purpose of the award is to support work that builds communities. The elementary school principal, George Thomson, has taken…

Rec employee receives state award The Vermont Parks and Recreation Association has recognized April Cioffi with its Young Professional Award, awarded annually to member recreation professionals age 40 or younger and employed in Vermont for at least two years. City Recreation & Parks Superintendent Cindy Wight said she nominated Cioffi for her commitment to the…

Rupert selling town forest RUPERT—The Town of Rupert is selling its 72-acre town forest, a property bordering New York state at the end of Ike Wright Trail/Road. Voters approved the sale at the 2017 Town Meeting. Select Board Chair Mark Lourie said the town has owned the parcel since the 1950s and logged it about…

Twelve rural libraries received grants from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) recently. Six public libraries in Vermont and six public libraries in New Hampshire will receive funds for the 2017-2018 school year, according to a May 23 news release. CLiF’s Rural Libraries Grant enables rural public libraries in New Hampshire and Vermont, many of whom…

Class of 2017 sets high standards for achievement RUTLAND—On Friday, June 2, Mount St. Joseph Academy celebrated its 130th commencement exercises at St. Peter Church with the traditional pageantry that accompanies each MSJ graduation. The opening procession included flags from the various countries whose students attend MSJ, as well as a Knights of Columbus honor guard.…

WEST RUTLAND—On Thursday morning, June 1, West Rutland’s fifth-graders participated in Rutland County Audubon’s second Marsh Education Day at the West Rutland Marsh. Volunteers from Audubon manned four stations that the students rotated through every 30 minutes. The stations focused on four areas: the marsh itself (history, habitat and its role as a “nursery” for…

Killington Resort finishes out the season with free skiing in June KILLINGTON—For the first time in 15 years, Killington Resort offered lift serviced skiing and snowboarding in June. And Thursday, June 1, hundreds showed up for lift-serviced skiing and riding offered free to the public. It was the first time that Killington had offered lift-serviced…

Vermont Days are an annual invitation to visitors and Vermonters to explore — for free — Vermont’s excellent fishing, state parks, and historic sites. For the weekend of June 10-11, all Vermont State Parks day-use areas and all state-owned Historic Sites will be open at no charge. Additionally, Saturday is free fishing day—no license required. “Vermont…