By Lani Duke Bomoseen hosts an exotic visitor BOMOSEEN—A yellow-crowned night heron has been frequenting Bomoseen State Park in August. Nyctanassa violacea is more often spotted year-round in warmer coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean islands. But its breeding range extends up the Atlantic seaboard and across the mid- to lower Mississippi…

BOMOSEEN—On Saturday, Aug. 29, 12 ladies of the W2W (“woman to woman”) cancer support group gathered for the 10th annual “Boating with Becky” event at Crystal Beach, Lake Bomoseen. After enjoying a picnic lunch at the beach, member Becky Oberkirch donated the use of her pontoon boat, captained by her son Rick Oberkirch of Brandon,…

By Robin Alberti KILLINGTON — Live at the Fillmore returned to Killington Resort this past Saturday afternoon, Aug. 29, performing for a crowd gathered on the lawn. The free show at Killington Resort’s Snowshed Base Area is part of the Town of Killington’s Cooler in the Mountains summer concert series. The band is known for offering…

Courtesy of Okemo Mountain Resort The Sunburst Six lift debuted at Okemo last  season.  A second bubble lift is planned, plus more. Killington invests 6.5 million this year; Okemo adds new lifts By Karen D. Lorentz They are the top two ski resorts in Vermont, traditionally reaping about one-third of the state’s skier visits annually.…

By Polly Lynn On Wednesday, Aug. 26, Rutland Mayor Chris Louras and the Vermont Council on Rural Development hosted a two-hour public forum at the Paramount Theatre downtown asking the question “What’s next for Vermont’s Climate Change Economy?” It was the first of three statewide forums that will contribute to the Vermont Climate Change Economy…

By Polly Lynn KILLINGTON — On Tuesday, Aug. 25, the Killington Selectboard reviewed a draft firearms discharge ordinance which would prohibit the discharge of any firearm within 200 yards on either side of five roads: River Road, from its intersection with Route 4 to Route 100 North. Schoolhouse Road, from its intersection with Killington Road…

By Sally McCay, UVM Photo A student tosses an orange into the garbage can at lunch. School lunch study proves mandated fruits and veggies going into trash Less than a month before Congress votes on whether to reauthorize a controversial program mandating healthier school lunches, a new study confirms the suspicions of school officials—many students…

RUTLAND–Aiming to fill the Rutland Community Cupboard with everything from tuna and pasta to cereal and peanut butter, Green Mountain Power announced on Aug. 25 a 21,000-item goal for the 2015 GMP Fill the Cupboard Challenge. Businesses, clubs, schools, sports teams, churches and other organizations are encouraged to register for the challenge, then collect food…

A study released Aug. 26 by researchers at the University of Vermont paints a picture of school meals that experts at Hunger Free Vermont say is misleading. New school meal regulations that were put into place at the start of the 2012-2013 school year in an effort to add more whole grains and increase fruit…

IRA — On Sunday, Aug. 30, at 11:19 a.m. EMS and Vermont State Police responded to the town of Ira, for a report of a nine year old girl who had been accidentally shot by her father. The child, McKenzie P. Ezzo, had reportedly been shot in the stomach by her father, Randy A. Babcock…

A record number of students applied to the University of Vermont this year, and this week, UVM welcomes its new class—the most academically talented in school history. Incoming students earned an average GPA of 3.53 on a 4.0 scale and an average SAT score of 1197, a 12-point increase over last year. The Class of…

Courtesy of Gerrie Russell Steve Wood portrays the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. By Gerrie Russell Friday, Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. — RUTLAND — Bernard Osher, a native of Biddeford, Maine is an extremely successful business man and community leader whose continuing philanthropy has touched many lives. The Bernard Osher Foundation, established in…

RUTLAND — The Vermont State Fair runs Friday, Sept. 4 through Saturday, Sept. 12. The agricultural area is open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily Free Entertainment includes Circus Hollywood, racing pigs, petting zoo, Friesian horses, pony rides, The White Shadow, Al the Artist and more. Get all the info at vermontstatefair.org or call 802-775-5200.…

Photo courtesy of Woodstock Terrace Anne Herz of Woodstock doing what she loves best WOODSTOCK — At 79, local resident Anne Herz shows no signs of slowing down. Well into her retirement, Herz has been donating a large portion of her time volunteering for The Thompson Senior Center, which acts as a resource and advocate…

A two-day tax “school” is planned for two locations in November to update tax practitioners, accountants and other tax professionals on new tax legislation, regulations and rulings. The dates for the 2015 University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Income Tax Schools are Nov. 10-11 at the Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, and Nov. 17-18 at the…