By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger A man charged in a single-vehicle crash that killed his girlfriend has reached a plea agreement that could let him avoid serving any time behind bars. The plea deal heads off a legal battle that had been brewing over the admissibility of a blood-test for alcohol impairment in light of…

RUTLAND—About 85 Stafford Technical Center students participated in the SkillsUSA Leadership Conference held at various locations around South Burlington, April 4-5. Stafford Technical Center garnered 52 medals in individual and group competitions, including 13 gold medals, 19 silver medals, and 20 bronze medals. Medal winners attend Stafford Technical Center in Rutland from the following schools:…

By Sue Skaskiw Imagine the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach if you’ve just rescued two dogs in need of a home, only to have them jump out of your car window three days later. This is a true story. Neither dog, Molson or Tucker, knew the area. To make it worse, it…

Spring is here and with it soft bumps for the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge at Killington and a pond to skim at Okemo this past weekend. Looking ahead, Killington will host its pond skimming event this Saturday, April 15. Such events have become annual rites of spring. Crowds turn out to watch and enjoy the…

As spring finally makes its way in with rising temperatures thus melting snow, signs of new life are popping up—trees are budding; small starts of lilies, chives, and other first plants are poking through the mud; and baby animals are being born. In Woodstock, Billings Farm & Museum will feature its annual Baby Farm Animal…

By Alan Keays, VTDigger A long-delayed project aimed at bringing people, business and activities to a now-empty downtown alley got a big boost Thursday, April 6, when a city panel gave organizers more money than they were seeking. Rutland Mayor David Allaire said the project has “floundered” for a variety of reasons and now it…

By Stephen Seitz LUDLOW—On May 30, voters in Ludlow and Mount Holly go to the polls to decide whether to close the Black River High School. Should that pass, Ludlow and Mount Holly would leave the Two Rivers Supervisory Union and join Mill River, which serves the towns of Wallingford, Shrewsbury, Clarendon and Tinmouth. The…

By Evan Johnson Rochester and Wells both have important votes deciding education plans this week. Should they fail, they’ll need to quickly come up with backup plans quickly that satisfy the state’s requirements. Rochester votes April 11 on a plan to unify with districts in Bethel and Royalton. The plan, called Model 1, calls for…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—This September, the grounds around the Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington will come alive with the characters of beloved children’s classics, including Thumbelina, the Little Mermaid, the Ugly Duckling, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin and many more. The gathering of these characters is the first of what organizers hope will become an annual festival celebrating…

College of St. Joseph will add eSports to its list of intercollegiate athletic offerings beginning this fall. Since its establishment in the early 2000s, professional and club eSports has been an emerging form of competitive gaming and is a fast-growing phenomenon among colleges around the world. Participating schools compete in a wide-variety of video game…

Following hot on the heels of Vail Resort’s plans to buy Stowe comes another big announcement: Colorado-based Aspen has set its eye on a number of resorts across the United States and Canada. On Monday, Intrawest Resorts Holdings, a North American mountain resort and adventure company, announced that it was entering into an agreement to…

Delays are not expected yet on the 15-mile project from Rutland to Killington RUTLAND—Roadwork activities will begin this week on a roughly 15-mile stretch of Route 4; however, they are not expected to cause delays  quite yet. Road crews will be onsite installing construction signs and clearing any brush or trees in preparation for construction…

By Daryle Thomas We have now suffered through the first few weeks after daylight saving. Spring ahead, loose an hour. “Don’t worry,” my friend said. “The days are getting longer.” Spring means it won’t be long before the deep woods snows begin to melt, swelling the brooks, streams and rivers across Vermont’s greening landscape. In…

From April 6 to April 10, 2017, The Rutland County Sheriff’s Department and other local Departments will be out in force looking for distracted drivers as part of the U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign, a high-visibility effort to enforce distracted-driving laws. “Everyone knows texting and driving is illegal and dangerous, and everyone knows…

The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) has received several reports of callers claiming to be conducting surveys on behalf of DFR’s insurance and banking divisions. Commissioner Michael S. Pieciak wants to stress DFR is not involved in these surveys. DFR does not believe personal client information has been requested. Callers have targeted insurance agencies around…