On Sept. 15, the Vermont Department of Taxes announced an agreement with Airbnb to collect meals and rooms tax on payment for lodging offered by its hosts. Vermont joins other states and the District of Columbia, as well as many other cities and counties where Airbnb has agreed to collect their occupancy taxes on behalf…

Early voting will officially open on Friday, Sept. 23. Any registered voter will be able to request a ballot from their town clerk by phone, mail, or online and cast their vote for the Nov. 8 election. The elections team has already finalized, printed and sent the ballots to town clerks – some towns may…

Vermont Foodbank and partners see 40 percent increase The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and the Vermont Foodbank announced Tuesday, Sept. 13, a 40 percent increase in food donations in 2016, topping the 25-30 percent increase seen in 2015. The announcement comes during September’s Hunger Action Month. It also confirms that healthier, fresher foods…

Heading toward the Nov. 1 open enrollment period for Vermont Health Connect, Gov. Peter Shumlin applauded the dramatic improvements in the system and the expansion of more affordable coverage available to Vermonters. “What we’ve been able to do is take a huge federal investment and accomplish some great things for Vermonters,” Gov. Shumlin said. “We’ve…

Upgrades increase high-speed Internet access to over 3,860 addresses in the county On Sept. 13, FairPoint Communications announce the completion of broadband upgrade projects in Rutland County. As a result of these projects, faster broadband speeds are available to more than 3,860 locations in the county – including some addresses for the first time. “Broadband…

Affects all farms in Vermont On Wednesday, Sept. 14, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets filed the Required Agricultural Practices (RAP) Final Proposed Rule with the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) and the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. This filing represents the final step in the public rulemaking process the Agency has…

KILLINGTON—Killington Elementary School (KES) recently welcomed its new kindergarten teacher, Ms. Jodi LeBrun, to the KES community. Ms. LeBrun has 10 years of experience in teaching kindergarten. She holds a B.S. in elementary education and an M.Ed. in early childhood education. She engages her kindergarten students in learning through songs, movement, and hands-on play. The…

Club owner files suit against city RUTLAND—September 12, Charles Greeno, owner of Rutland dance club The Local, filed a federal lawsuit against the Rutland City Police Department for discrimination and unequal enforcement. Greeno complains that police situating their cruisers outside his business on weekend nights at closing time is discriminatory because many of his patrons…

KILLINGTON—Students may have walked in the doors at Killington Mountain School (KMS) on Aug. 29, but school actually commenced for the 2016-2017 year on Aug. 8, when all student-athletes were invited by their teachers to log into their Google Classrooms for each of their courses and begin completing work. Students of all athletic disciplines logged…

Green Mountain Power and SunCommon Sept. 14 announced a partnership that will allow customers to store their solar power for security during a power outage. The first-of-its-kind program in Vermont partners a utility with a solar company to offer home storage that both strengthens the grid and allows homes to power from solar during outages.…

By Julia Purdy CHITTENDEN—Twenty-two people attended an informal talk hosted by the Chittenden Historical Society Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. at the historic Grange hall in North Chittenden, Vt. Vermont historian Richard B. Smith spoke on “Ethan Allen, the Revolution and Chittenden,” a topic that covered the period from the first town charter in…

Veterans help veterans’ shelter with $10,000 check FAIR HAVEN—American Legion Post #49 in Fair Haven recently presented Chris Morgan of The Dodge House for Veterans with a $10,000 check to help the organization’s overall financial health. Dodge House provides substance-abuse-free transitional housing for homeless men and women veterans and supports individuals transitioning into community life.…

PITTSFIELD—Pittsfield ​hosted the 5th annual Pittsfield Picnic​ on Aug. 28, 2016. Participants enjoyed the potluck, music by The Detours, field games, a spirited horseshoe tournament, and over 100 silent auction items to bid on. The event raised nearly $2,700 which will be put towards continued efforts to rehabilitate the town’s basketball court. To date, approximately…

By Polly Lynn On Friday, Sept. 16, Sushi Yoshi in Killington opened its doors, and this time not just for the season. “We absolutely did this in response to the great initiatives happening at Killington Resort and the town,” said Nate Freund, co-owner of Sushi Yoshi. “The capital investments they’ve made, plus a lot of…

By Patricia Minichiello RUTLAND CITY — Three properties rampant with drug activity in Rutland have been seized by the federal government as a result of the first federal drug forfeiture lawsuit in the city’s recent history. A forfeiture lawsuit was filed against the owner of 114, 116 and 117 Park Ave. in Rutland City on…