RUTLAND—The charitable and emergency food system plays an important role in the safety net for Vermonters struggling to put enough food on their tables. On Jan. 9 Hunger Free Vermont’s Hunger Council of Rutland County met for the fourth time since its inaugural meeting in March of 2016. Twenty members were in attendance at the…

Monday, Jan. 23—PITTSFORD—The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) is working with VT-CAN (a low cost spay/neuter clinic in Vermont) to host a low cost spay/neuter clinic for Rutland County cats on Monday, Jan. 23, in Pittsford. Prior registration is required. Female cat spays and male cat neuters are $60 including rabies and distemper shots. Cats…

By Kevin O’Connor, VTDigger Churches, synagogues and mosques usually focus on love. But recently, many are fending off hate. “Some people are using the current political climate to justify anti-Semitic or Islamophobic beliefs or degrade human beings,” Vermont Episcopal Bishop Thomas Ely said. “That’s not acceptable, and religious people need to say that.” To do…

Saturday, Jan. 14 at 9 a.m.—KILLINGTON— Killington Resort welcomes back the rail jam for the groms—Mini Shred Madness—on Saturday, Jan. 14 in Easy Street Terrain Park. Join them in the park as the next generation competes for prizes in a friendly and fun environment. Grom skiers and riders—athletes age 13 years and under—will get a…

Moose will be collared by wildlife capture experts The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is initiating a multi-year study to better understand the state’s moose herd. Moose across the Northeast are increasingly under stress from a parasite known as winter ticks. The ticks are becoming more prolific as spring and fall weather has warmed in…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—A longtime Killington Resort employee died while on the job Saturday, according to state police. According to a news release, EMS responded to the Killington Ski Resort for an injured employee. The employee, Jeffrey K. Chalk, age 53 of Pittsford, had been found injured and unresponsive by a fellow employee. Chalk, a…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger Organizers say Gov. Phil Scott’s inaugural gala was the largest in the state’s history. More than 1,200 people attended the event. Scott, the newly sworn in Republican governor, celebrated his inauguration at a helicopter hangar at the Vermont Air Guard complex in South Burlington Saturday night, Jan. 7. The cavernous hangar…

Pack The Paramount food drive reorganizes RUTLAND—Pack the Paramount, which has annually filled seats at the Paramount Theatre with tons of food for the Rutland Community Cupboard, BROC Community Food Shelf and Salvation Army, is changing names and focus. It will now be known as Pack The Paramount–The “Newly”wed Game Rutland. With an eye toward…

Passport Day is Saturday, Jan. 14 BRIDGEWATER–The travel industry saw close to one billion international travelers in the first nine months of 2016 according to the World Tourism Organization—that’s 34 million more than the same period the prior year — and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prepare travelers for such future excursions. Now…

VTF&W is monitoring the animal for possible brainworm disease RUTLAND—A moose that is suspected to have a fatal disease is being monitored in Rutland County. The moose has remained near a road for several weeks and biologists and wardens are checking on the animal for symptoms of brainworm. The public is warned not to approach…

PITTSFORD—An internet startup seeks to increase life expectancy with health coaching. Health Coach Connect, LLC, has launched a web-based platform, Health Coach Connect, to help people interested in making sustainable lifestyle changes to connect with professional health coaches of varying specialties, according to a recent news release. The company was founded by two sisters and…

A new University of Vermont study reveals notable disparities in how police officers from 29 departments across Vermont treat drivers by race, according to a Jan. 9 news release. The research finds racial disparities in traffic stops, searches, arrests and outcomes – which vary by police agency. It is the first study of statewide traffic…

New program debuts Jan. 23 in Rutland RUTLAND—This spring, Community College of Vermont (CCV) will expand workforce opportunities with its new Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) program, which provides a nationally-recognized credential in the field of accounting, according to a Jan. 6 news release. The CPB program can be completed in one 15-week semester. The college…

ROCHESTER—On Saturday, Jan. 7, at approximately 11:15 p.m. the Rochester Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 354 Brandon Mountain Road in Rochester. The property was later identified as owned by Joseph and Rita Mailhiot. A passerby had seen the fire while driving by the home and called 911. Upon the first arrival…

KILLINGTON—On Friday, Jan. 6, at about 1 p.m., the state police received an Emergency 911 call from a man advising a woman in his ski party had become lost in the woods after snowboarding out of bounds off the North Ridge Triple ski trail located at the Killington Ski Resort. The state police and the…