RUTLAND — At 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, Rutland firefighters responded to a reported fire at the Bardwell House, at 142 Merchants Row in downtown Rutland. The apartment building with about 75 units, was ablaze when they arrived. The fire started in a kitchen of a unit on the fourth floor of Bardwell House,…

Draws awareness to BackPack Program to fight hunger RUTLAND—Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) visited the Rutland distribution center of the Vermont Foodbank Sunday, May 3, touring the facility and meeting with volunteers. During the Leahy visit volunteers in Rutland were packing backpacks full of food for area schoolchildren. The work supports the BackPack Program, which sends…

CASTLETON — Saturday, May 7, Castleton hosted the first Commencement ceremony as Castleton University. The celebration was held at 11 a.m. in the Castleton Pavilion and featured guest speaker Captain Richard Phillips. For five days in April 2009, Captain Phillips became the center of an extraordinary international drama when he was captured by Somali pirates…

By Christopher Biddle KILLINGTON — Addressing the root causes of poverty and hunger was the primary focus of the 2016 Hunger Action Conference, organized by the Vermont Food Bank and hosted by the Killington Grand Hotel on Friday, May 6. The conference attracted just under 300 attendees and featured a keynote address by food rights…

42nd Annual Bridgewater Raft Race held Saturday, May 7, in chilly waters At noon on May 7, the gun went off for the 42nd Annual Bridgewater Raft Race. Participants who were lined up with their homemade rafts, eagerly dashed into the icy waters while spectators cheered on their friends and family. Some rafts were more…

Captain Richard Phillips set to address largest class in Castleton history. CASTLETON, Vt. - Castleton invites the local community, members of the media and friends of the university to attend the first Commencement ceremony as Castleton University on Saturday, May 7 at 11 a.m. in the Castleton Pavilion, featuring guest speaker Captain Richard Phillips. For…

BRANDON—DuBois & King (D&K), a consulting engineering firm founded in Randolph, in 1962, recently opened a new office in Brandon. The 25 Union Street location provides a base of operations for firm engineers living on the western side of the Green Mountains and the location will better serve clients along the Route 7 corridor. The…

Courtesy of the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union Second graders in Miss Pierce’s class at the Mettawee Community School creatively learned about U.S. presidents. WEST PAWLET—Second graders in Miss. Pierce’s class at the Mettawee Community School learned about United States presidents during the month of March. Each student picked a president and wrote a report and, with…

Courtesy of Rutland South Rotary Club Rutland South Rotary Club awarded scholarships to 12 area students last week. Pictured from left to right: Jonah Farrow-MSJ, Mahala Stone-RHS, Courtney Currier-Proctor, Ali Fitzgerald-Stafford, Maddison French-Proctor, Jessica Audy-Mill River, Chelsea Young-Mill River, Claire DiIonno-MSJ, Logan Riesterer-Stafford, Noah Tanen-RHS, Megan Nadler-RHS, and Lydia Gulick. Twelve Rutland County high school…

RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph selected Sr. Shirley Davis, Barbara Begin, Nanci Gordon and Myra Peffer to receive this year’s Provider of the Year award at its annual Provider Scholarship Gala on April 29. College of St. Joseph was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1956, under the name St. Joseph’s Teacher’s College. For…

Berkshire Bank Foundation will provide $38,000 to Habitat for Humanity affiliates as part of its Hockey4Housing partnership with NESN’s coverage of the Boston Bruins. Each successful Boston Bruins penalty kill during games between Nov. 1, 2015, and April 1, 2016, resulted in a $200 donation. (A penalty kill is the moment during a hockey game…

CASTLETON—Castleton University’s Academic Excellence award is given annually to a student who is deemed the top student in his or her major.The following students have received the award: Vincent Guerrera of Belmont, majoring in communication; Paolo Loli of Bomoseen, in computer information systems; Josselyn Swett of Castleton, majoring in literature; Alexander Adams of Rutland, majoring…

RUTLAND—Paul Gallo was elected to the Rutland Regional Medical Center Board of Directors at the hospital’s recent annual meeting. Gallo is the owner and operator of Rutland’s Magic Brush, one of northern New England’s largest painting contractors servicing four states. Gallo, a community advocate and champion, has worked on the redevelopment of Center Street Marketplace,…

By Lani Duke Tragedy was alcohol-fueled; alcohol permit under scrutiny CASTLETON—A triple-fatality accident in Castleton took the lives of 26-year-old Andrew Laramie, 24-year-old Caleb Kinney, and 23 year-old Samantha Forrest in a March 19 crash on Drake Road. Castleton Police Chief Peter Mantello recently announced that Laramie, the vehicle’s driver, had a blood alcohol level…

By Lani Duke CITY NEWS Refugees to arrive this year Rutland will begin receiving as many as 100 refugees from Syria and Iraq starting in October and throughout the ensuing year. Mayor Christopher Louras announced that the city is working with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program to bring them primarily into the revitalizing Northwest Neighborhood,…