Always the first Saturday in May, Green Up Day this year is May 6. Volunteers come together to clean up litter from roadsides and public spaces to help keep Vermont green and clean. Vermont’s interstates and state highways, totaling some 2,707 miles, are cleaned each spring by Vermont’s Agency of Transportation. Community volunteers through Green…

RUTLAND—Rutland Blooms is planning its most ambitious crop of city beautification projects yet, and will kick off the spring season by planting 46 crabapple trees and nine maple trees, May 11. The kickoff event will include planting  nearly four dozen crabapple trees along Harrington Avenue in front of St. Joseph’s Cemetery, and nine “Sunset Red”…

RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph has announced that former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will deliver the commencement address at the college’s graduation ceremony on May 13. Douglas was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in November 1972, where he would become the House majority leader during his third two-year term at just 25 years old.…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger The Senate Thursday, April 27, gave preliminary approval to a bill that will raise property taxes. The proposal transfers $8 million of the state’s annual contribution for teachers’ retirement from the general fund to the education fund. That shift frees up money for child care, state colleges and the mental…

KILLINGTON—The umbrella bars at the base of Superstar at Killington Resort are a hot spot for spring skiers and riders. This past weekend the venue hosted the Dazed and Defrosted event Saturday, April 22, which includee on-snow demos, a photo booth and live music. Since the event shared the day with Earth Day, it was…

By Evan Johnson  Spread out among 17 tracts in the woods around Mendon, 150 acres of red pine are coming down this year.  The trees are being removed due to red pine scale, an invasive species that preys on the coniferous trees. “If they’re not harvested they’ll lose value and become a fire hazard,” said…

RUTLAND—For 4-Hers from seven clubs in Bennington and Rutland Counties, April 14 was an action-packed night. Southwest Regional 4-H Night, held at Rutland High School, provided an opportunity for them to demonstrate what they have learned in University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H projects and club activities. At stake was the chance to continue on…

Watching wildlife is enjoyable, especially when young animals appear in the spring. But it’s best to keep your distance. Picking up young wildlife can do more harm than good, according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. It’s also against the law. When people see young animals alone, they often mistakenly assume these animals are…

HUBBARDTON—The Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site isn’t the only thing to put the small Rutland County town of Hubbardton on the map these days. The town recently won a statewide award for its modern creativity and fresh approach in its newest town plan. The award recognizes plans that exemplify a visionary approach and expand the…

Fair Haven schools look ahead FAIR HAVEN—Girls’ and Boys’ Club activities are opening to Fair Haven Grade School students in the fall. Grant-funded, the club will be free to students from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., including Power Hour academic time, an activity, light dinner, and pick-up by parents. Director of Student Services Pat Davenport applied…

Homeless family shelter planned for downtown Homeless Prevention Center Executive Director Deborah Hall asked the city for support in developing a shelter to house as many as 10 families in the former Red Cross building, 117 Strongs Avenue. Hall told the aldermen she is not asking for funds but a document of local support to…

RUTLAND—Bureau of Criminal Investigations detectives with the state police have finished a 30-day investigation of an incident that occurred in March at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility. On March 19, 20-year-old Emma Decubellis was caught by corrections officers attempting to smuggle the pain-relieving drug buprenorphine into the jail for inmate Randy Babcock during visiting…

Police are urging the public to watch out for a computer scam that can access bank accounts and lock a user out of their computer. Police say incidents have been reported locally, in which individuals have had their bank accounts fraudulently accessed after having a virus installed on their computers. Users with an infected computer…

 KILLINGTON—After 35-plus years in Killington, Craig and Mary Hogstrom are beginning  the next chapter of their lives in Newark, Del. As you can tell from the smiles on their faces, parting is not such sweet sorrow, as they are excited about their upcoming move in mid-May. Mary is leaving her most recent job at The…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger Following spirited debate Friday, April 21, the Senate supported a proposal that would legalize marijuana and create a system to regulate and tax marijuana sales. The proposal, which would set up a system similar to the model currently in place in Colorado, came after several members of the Senate expressed frustration…