Courtesy KPAA Mike Coppinger and Beth Sarandrea awarded Megan Wagner of Dream Maker Bakers (center left photo) with the Outstanding Community Member Business plaque and Kelsey Cruickshank the Outstanding Community Member award on behalf of the KPAA.   Friday night, Dec. 15, the Killington Pico Area Association (KPAA) reintroduced two awards and presented them to deserving…

Sumbitted Havah Armstrong Walther   The Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce (HACC) has appointed Havah Armstrong Walther as its new executive director. With an impressive background in advocacy, fundraising, and business consulting, she brings a wealth of experience, passion, and strategic vision to lead the Chamber, the board stated. “We are delighted to welcome Havah…

  Earlier this month, $635,465 in federal grant funding was awarded to Vermont State University (VTSU) to expand educational opportunities and workforce development in rural communities. The grant is authorized through the USDA’s Distance Learning & Telemedicine (DLT) grant program, which provides rural communities with key resources to access advanced telecommunications technology and promote more opportunities in…

  By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger New details released Thursday, Dec. 14, in the Vermont Attorney General’s lawsuit against Meta describe how the tech giant studied teenagers in Vermont as part of efforts to make its social media platform Instagram more addictive — and how top company leaders allegedly ignored repeated warnings that the popular app is harmful to young…

By Zach Godwin/Killington Resort Professional Ski Instructors of America enjoyed Killington.   By Brooke Geery, Killington Resort In mid-December, Killington Resort welcomed hundreds of snowsports instructors from across the Eastern Region for the PSIA-AASI ProJam and Master’s Academy. This event, which has been running since 1986, is the largest gathering of snowsports professionals in the…

By Curt Peterson  The Hartland Planning Commission displayed results from its 2023 vision survey of residents and non-resident property owners. Mill Moore, who had organized the results, projected a very professional presentation that revealed many interesting and unexpected results.  The town has about 3,400 residents, according to the latest census, including adults and children. Oversimplified,…

  By Glenn Heitsmith  Rotarians Tom Rice, president, and Melanie Gulde, who runs the Divided Sky Recovery Retreat in Ludlow, with County Sheriff Ryan Palmer.      By Glenn Heitsmith Sheriff Ryan Palmer recently joined Rotarians at DJ’s Restaurant in Ludlow. No arrests were made. No speeding tickets were issued. And the meal was typical…

  Staff report Rutland city’s water is slightly contaminated.  Mayor Mike Doenges told the Board of Aldermen Dec. 18 that haloacetic acid was found at 60.5 parts per billion in the water, which is just above the federal limit of 60 parts per billion. Doenges said there were no immediate health risks to the public.…

  By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger Noah Kahan, a Strafford-born singer-songwriter, plays for young patients, their families and hospital staff members at the UVM Medical Center on Friday     Kahan, fresh off a Grammy nomination, played his viral hit “Stick Season” for young patients and their families, on Friday, Dec. 15 By Shaun Robinson/VTDigger Noah Kahan has…

  West Rutland was one of 11 towns that recieved a community development block grant.  West Rutland got a $500,000 CDBG supplemental award for NeighborWorks of Western Vermont to continue operating the revolving loan fund to provide affordable home repair financing and housing counseling services to eligible homeowners in Rutland, Addison, and Bennington Counties. The…

   The most outstanding  Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports volunteers in 2023 were Glen Torres, Andy Holt, Jay Schulz, and Ben Hamilton. Named 2023 Volunteers of the Year, these four recipients embody the traits and legacy of Jim Hutchinson, a Vermont Adaptive volunteer who left a tradition of empowering people of all abilities through sports…

  Lily Doton hired to manage student reporting partnership at VTSU-Castleton UVM’s Community News Service, a pioneering student reporting program that provides professional-level reporting to local news partners across Vermont, is expanding coverage in central Vermont thanks to a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation. The VCF Hills & Hollows Fund will support a 2024…

  Submitted Elizabeth Mauch will take over as the next VSC chancellor. She starts Jan. 1.       By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger Elizabeth Mauch, the president of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, will be the next chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges, trustees announced last week.  Mauch will step into the position on Jan. 1,…

  Rutland County Head Start, which operates within the Rutland Community Programs division of Community Care Network (CCN), announced Dec. 5, the implementation of its new Early Head Start program designed to provide high-quality care for infants and toddlers. “Rutland County Head Start has long recognized the increasing need for quality infant and toddler services…

Submitted Verlene Peck Belden   Verlene Peck Belden, 91, passed away peacefully on Dec. 9 after a courageous 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s, surrounded by her loving family and enjoying the view of Lake Bomoseen.     Verlene was born on Dec. 2, 1932, and grew up in Londonderry,  where she attended grade school. Her mother died…