ARLINGTON—On Wednesday, Jan. 4, at about 10:30 p.m., the Vermont State Police received a 911 call reporting a deceased elderly woman inside a home at 440 Buck Hill Road. The woman was later identified by police as Helen Jones, age 81, and was preliminarily identified as the sole resident at this address. Next of kin…

BENNINGTON—On Jan. 3 at about 6:30 p.m. the Bennington Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Cora B. Whitney Apartments, 814 Gage St. The fire was located in Apt. 20 and the tenant, Charlotte A. Morrill, age 79, was transported by Bennington Rescue Squad to the Southern Vermont Medical Center. Morrill had suffered…

By Lani Duke   Rutland Free Library improvements, accomplishments RUTLAND—As the year closed, the Rutland Free Library totaled up a list of its accomplishments for 2016. They are impressive. Direct support by voters in all five supporting towns enabled the purchase of 10 new PCs for public use. EVoter support and an endowment funded the…

By Lani Duke Fair Haven Grade School turns 100 FAIR HAVEN—Fair Haven Grade School celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017. The Fair Haven Historical Society invites people who attended the school and anyone who works or worked there to take part in a discussion Jan. 15 in the school’s Learning Center. Please bring pictures and…

Saturday, Jan. 7 at 12:30 p.m.—LUDLOW—”Grommet” is a widely accepted term for a young person who participates in extreme sports such as surfing, skateboarding, skiing or snowboarding. At Okemo’s Grommet Throwdown, Jan. 7, kids age 13 and younger can spend the morning with Okemo park rangers and Ski + Ride School instructors learning park etiquette,…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger When lawmakers begin the legislative session Wednesday, Jan. 4, they will be dealing with many of the perennial issues that stem from the ever-rising cost of health care. The Joint Fiscal Office projects that lower-than-expected Medicaid funding from the federal government will be a factor in an estimated $55 million to…

By Lani Duke RUTLAND—Alderman David Allaire announced his intention to run for mayor of Rutland, Dec. 27. Allaire has run for mayor twice before, in 2011 and 2013. Outside sales manager for Interstate Batteries, Allaire has been repeatedly elected to Rutland’s Board of Aldermen and has served the board as its president. One of the…

Vermont’s minimum wage increased from $9.60 to $10.00 per hour on Jan. 1, 2017, in accordance with legislation signed by Governor Shumlin in June 2014. The tipped-employee minimum wage also increased on Jan. 1 to $5.00 per hour. Vermont’s minimum wage will increase in January 2018 to $10.50, and statutory provisions to track the CPI-U…

By Julia Purdy There is bad news about population loss in six U.S. states, according to governing.com, which lists Illinois, West Virginia, Connecticut, Mississippi, Maine and Vermont as the states with the most concerning demographics, (“The States with Declining Populations,” Jan. 19, 2016). The article cited the U.S. Census Annual Social and Economic Survey, conducted…

By Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus, UVM African violets are one of the easiest and most adaptable flowering houseplants to grow, as they do well in the conditions found in most homes. There are seven main cultural factors you should be aware of to ensure their success. African violets that you buy are almost certainly…

Incoming governor Phil Scott today announced the appointments of three extended cabinet members. Bradley Ferland has been named deputy secretary of the Agency of Administration. Ferland has been with the agency — which is responsible for the state budget and provides administrative and support services — for more than two decades. He currently serves as…

Diet can go a long way toward increasing or lowering energy levels. No one wants to consume foods that will make it harder for them to get through the day, so the following are a handful of foods that pack an energetic punch. 1. Cashews: Cashews, which are high in magnesium, help to convert sugar…

By Adam Federman, VTDigger The kingpin of a major cocaine and heroin distribution ring in the Rutland area was convicted by a federal jury Friday, Dec. 23. Joell Joyce, or “Prince,” a 27-year-old African American from Brooklyn, was found guilty on charges of conspiracy to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base and heroin…

By Kevin O’Connor, VTDigger When Gov. Madeleine Kunin learned of the recent death of 96-year-old friend Marion Pritchard, she recalled their meeting at Vermont’s first Holocaust memorial ceremony in 1987 — and their separate yet shared World War II experiences nearly a half-century before. Kunin, born in Switzerland in 1933, was 6 years old when…

By Mark Bushnell, VTDigger The ice called to Amos Blood. Each winter, as the cold settled in, he would look out from his hometown of Ticonderoga, N.Y., across the frozen waters of Lake Champlain, to the Vermont shore. Blood would grab his skates, which were just strips of wood with a curl of metal acting…