CASTLETON—Beginning with the April room selection process for fall 2017, Castleton University will offer gender-inclusive housing options, a concept that stems from work by the University’s President’s Council on Inclusive Excellence. Allowing residence halls to be a diverse living environment for all students, dorms both on and off campus will feature gender-inclusive bathrooms and bedrooms…

CHESTER—Four Vermont 4-H teens earned a place on the state 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl team by achieving the highest overall scores in the Senior Division, ages 14 and older, in statewide competition on March 11 held at Green Mountain Union High School in Chester. It was sponsored by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H and…

KILLINGTON—Burlington-based nonprofit Puppets in Education (PiE) received funding from National Life Group Foundation to support a morning of bully prevention and empathy-building programs for Killington Elementary School Monday, March 13. Students shared their experiences and learned tips and tools to keep themselves and others safe while becoming a caring bystander. These empathy-building presentations provided a…

By Julia Purdy A new kind of nature book is hitting the stands. “The Mountain Manifesto: A Call to Protect the Green Mountains” is a detailed statement that aims to elevate the level of discourse around ridgeline development for industrial wind from the corporate bottom line of dollars and cents to a new, moral bottom…

The Agency of Natural Resources announced today that Walgreen Eastern Co., Inc., the owner of three Vermont Walgreens stores, was fined $20,000 for producing and selling batteries in Vermont without an Agency-approved battery stewardship plan. Under state law, manufacturers of “primary” batteries are required to identify how they will contribute to the free collection and…

WOODSTOCK—If there was a community disaster, would you be prepared? Would you like to learn skills that will help you, your family, and your community during an emergency? Would you like to help out when needed, but don’t know what to do or where to go? The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) basic training program…

WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum has joined more than 100 history organizations around the country in endorsing the History Relevance Value Statement and declaring the importance of teaching and learning history. To celebrate, Billings Farm is urging history fans to post a selfie enjoying their favorite historical spot and use the hashtag #HistoryRelevance. The value statement…

Police race bias closed bar, Greeno claims Rutland City faces a federal civil rights law suit, filed by former bar owner Charles “Chip” Greeno March 21 in U.S. District Court. Claiming law enforcement targeted his business because of the race of his clientele, Greeno seeks damages “in excess of $75,000.” Greeno’s business, The Local, 24…

School children are learning Castleton fifth-graders will attend StarBase in Rutland for five sessions. The curriculum is designed to excite young people to the possibilities that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) offer. Seventh-graders in Castleton science class recently studied the physical and chemical properties of molecules as evidenced in basic chemical reactions. In their…

Vermont State Police have cited an Ira man for forging checks and using a debit card in his father’s name. On March 27, police began a fraud investigation in the town of Ira, where they discovered that Gregory Miller age 31 of Ira, forged three checks in his father’s name for a total value of…

KILLINGTON– As spring weather creeps in to replace winter, Killington Resort announces its 2017 Nor’Beaster events line-up. After kicking off the winter season with another first-in-the-East October opening and electrifying Audi FIS Ski World Cup races in November, Killington quickly eclipsed the previous winter’s snowfall totals before proceeding to pick up nearly five feet of…

By Evan Johnson The Woodstock Wasps youth hockey team has traveled far for their wins this season. Of the 43 games played, the team has established a 31-11-1 record while traveling to faceoff against teams in Northern New York state and Connecticut. The Wasps’ record has become so formidable that teams have at times refused…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says warm spring weather and melting snows will bring bears out of their winter dens in search of food. The department recommends taking down bird feeders on April 1 to avoid attracting them. Bears are very fond of suet and bird seed, especially black oil sunflower seed. Bringing feeders…

By Evan Johnson Math and science can be daunting subjects for young students, but for seventh grader Sophia Hussak of Mendon, the world of numbers appears to come quite easily. The 13-year-old at Barstow Memorial School took home first place in her division at the UVM Math Fair, held March 25 in Burlington at the…

By Evan Johnson At a planning commission meeting last week, engineers and architects presented a plan for managing traffic in the main commercial center of Killington. Using local traffic data and case studies from other ski areas in Vermont and around the country, the plan is to foster traffic patterns that allow bike, automobile, bus…