By Adam Federman, VTDigger.org The first prong of a major marketing campaign designed to rebrand the region and reverse years of demographic decline is scheduled to be unveiled this Friday, Nov. 25. The website, Killingtonvalley.com, is one small part of a multi-year effort that local business leaders, including the Rutland Economic Development Corporation and the…

By Julia Purdy “Gig economy” is a term relatively unknown in Rutland. Musicians and performers used the term “gig” to mean engagements from one-night stands in concerts or coffee houses to theater runs that had to be supplemented by the “day job” waiting table or driving taxi—something that would not impinge on one’s true career…

LUDLOW—The staff of Black River Good Neighbor Services has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2016 holiday food basket program. They ask that completed applications be submitted by Dec. 1. Food Program Administrator Krey Kellington and the entire BRGNS staff are eager to see that no person or family goes without food, and…

RUTLAND—Five Rutland-area businesses have been awarded a total of $104,141 in Regional Economic Development Grants sought by Rutland Economic Development Corp. (REDC) and provided by the State of Vermont. The awards were announced at REDC’s annual meeting last week. “Investment spurred by the grants will create 20 new jobs in the area and increase productivity…

POULTNEY—The future is now for the Green Mountain College women’s basketball team. With a roster comprised of virtually all sophomores and freshmen, the team has gelled over the past four weeks and is set to begin a new era of Eagles basketball as the team opens the regular season on the road Thursday at 5:30…

CSJ hires, promotes administrators RUTLAND—The College of St. Joseph has hired Nanci Gordon as director of development and alumni relations. Both an alumna and a dedicated advocate for the school, she will oversee the annual fund, the college’s efforts to seek grant funding, and its work to cultivate alumni. The Rutland High graduate received a…

Holiday season underway Christmas bazaar season begins before the Thanksgiving holiday as well. In Castleton, St. John the Baptist already hosted one Nov. 19. Poultney High hosts the Lakes Region Farmers Market Christmas Fair Nov. 25-26, with 60 vendors participating. Great Christmas gift shopping, great food. Heavier than a holdup ORWELL—A federal grand jury has…

Rugby players fight for claim of Tournament Champions. Boston comes away with a narrow win. All in all a good day of rugby at Bennington.

Benefits will start being issued in mid-November On Nov. 3, Gov. Peter Shumlin, Vt. Agency of Human Services Secretary Hal Cohen, and Vt. Dept. of Children and Families Commissioner Ken Schatz announced that the average Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefit will increase for most eligible households this year. Last winter the average…

By Evan Johnson ROCHESTER — At last week’s Vermont Backcountry Forum in Rochester, vice president of the Rochester Area Sport Trails Alliance (RASTA) Zac Freeman was describing the group’s recent work near Randolph, maintaining a network of glades spread along four peaks and renovating a cabin for overnight use, when someone in the crowd of…

By Polly Lynn Rutland County county voters re-elected three republican incumbents for the state Senate seats: Kevin Mullin, Peg Flory and Brian Collamore will all return to Montpelier. Mullin received the highest vote totals with 14,553, followed by Flory with 13,984 and Collamore with 13,482. Democrat challengers Cheryl Hooker received the next highest count at…

By Mark Johnson, Jasper Craven and Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org Republican Phil Scott won the race for Vermont governor Tuesday night, defeating Democrat Sue Minter by a wide margin. He cruised to victory despite the state’s left-leaning electorate and a controversial candidate at the top of his party’s ticket. Scott won the state’s more rural areas…

KILLINGTON – Killington resident Gary Roth recently won gold in advanced eight-way formation skydiving at the 2016 U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships at Skydive, Arizona, held Oct. 20-29, according to a Nov. 8 press release. Roth won the event with his team, affectionately named Sugar Free Haribo Gummi Bears. The National Championships drew nearly…

By Angelo Lynn In Vermont, the news was only slightly better, with Democrat incumbents winning the statewide seats as expected, but Republican Phil Scott beat Democrat Sue Minter, 53 percent to 44 percent, with 3 percent going to Liberty Union candidate Bill Lee in the governor’s race following six years of Democrat Peter Shumlin in…

MENDON—Vermont’s Wheels for Warmth program is ready to roll out heating assistance funds for this winter, thanks to its 12th consecutive year of strong community support. Preliminary numbers for 2016 show the program collected a total of $52,000 for emergency fuel assistance programs, sold 2,250 safe tires, and recycled 2,500 donated, unusable tires. Two sale locations at Dubois Construction in Middlesex…