RUTLAND—On Feb. 26, after completing a corrective action process that began last summer, Rutland Mental Health Services (RMHS) has received full-designation status from the Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) for its mental health and developmental disabilities programs for Rutland County. Following a designation process that…

On Feb. 27, 2016, when the morning sun rose over Pico Mountain to nourish the joy of Anne Richwagen’s daily awakening, it found the flame of her life had quietly and peacefully flickered out. Anne Richwagen, 80, of Rutland, Vt. and Goose Pond, N.H., had fulfilled her goal of introducing the wonders of love and…

By Donald Dill Marji Graf, CEO of the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, welcomes Genevieve Johnson of Twigs and Thistle, a thrift boutique in Chester, to the Chamber. CHESTER — Twigs and Thistle, a thrift boutique featuring gently used clothing, opened Feb. 13 at 287 Main Street in Chester. Genevieve Johnson is the new owner.…

Courtesy of Linda Maness Local 22 and 44’s Chief Meteorologist Sean Parker visited the Mettawee Community School on Tuesday, Feb. 23. He was greeted by MCS Principal Brooke DeBonis and school administrative assistants Cheryl Chalmers and Sue King (pictured l-r). Parker gave presentations to students in grades K-6. WEST PAWLET — Earlier this winter Mettawee Community…

Honored for dedication to patients, clinical excellence and volunteer work RUTLAND – Rutland Regional Medical Center announced Feb. 25 that critical care physician Harvey S. Reich, M.D., FACP, FCCP, has been named the hospital’s 2016 Physician of the Year, and Laura M. Cohen, ACNP, ANP-BC, has been named its inaugural Advanced Practitioner of the Year.…

Rutland City Frozen ground, wet neighborhoods A leaking line connected to a fire hydrant on North Street Extension brought out the City Public Works Department the morning of February 23. Northbound traffic squeezed into a single lane while crews salted the road and chipped ice away. Although solving the problem sounded simple—“Turn a valve; clean…

POULTNEY GMC woos VYCC, returned Peace Corps volunteers Green Mountain College recently announced its offer of discounted Green Mountain tuition for Vermont Youth Conservation Corps volunteers. The school has also announced the new Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program to provide scholarships for returned Peace Corps volunteers taking the school’s M.S. in Environmental Studies program. Poultney…

RUTLAND — On Feb. 29 the Rutland Natural Resources Conservation District (RNRCD) announced that it was awarded a Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC), Ecosystem Restoration Program Grant ($82,500) to hire an Engineering Contractor to prepare a design for a stormwater swirl separator and install it at the outfall of an existing 36-inch drainage pipe,…

By Kevin O’Connor, VTDigger.org The New York Times calls it “the paradox for reporters covering the Democratic presidential race.” On one hand, there’s “Mr. Sanders’ dim view of the ‘corporate media,’ as he refers to it,” Times reporter Jason Horowitz noted in a recent story. Sanders frequently says, “The corporate media talks about all kinds…

By Marion Abrams A Spartan Agoge participant. PITTSFIELD — The Spartan Agoge 48 took place at Riverside Farm in Pittsfield, Vt. Feb. 12-14, one of the coldest weekends with temperatures dipping down to -10 degrees F. Dozens of participants lined up for the start of the race; but far fewer finished. To complete the Spartan…

Submitted A chart by economist Gerald Friedman estimates the cost of Bernie Sanders’ proposals. By Jasper Craven, VTDigger.org As Bernie Sanders absorbs attacks on the political and economic feasibility of some of his major policy proposals, a small but vocal cadre of economic allies is defending the senator’s ideas and projections as accurate and reasonable.…

By Christopher Biddle

Submitted The town of Hartford has two public meetings leding up to Town Meeting Day, key to the events being voted upon. HARTFORD—The town of Hartford, which is comprised of the unincorporated villages of White River Junction, Quechee, Wilder, West Hartford and Hartford, is a charter town with a unique take on Town Meeting. Most…

Courtesy of Montshire Museum of Science

By Tom Rogers, courtesy VTF&W