PROCTOR — As the residents of Proctor are aware, the ground water from the Field Street Well is very hard compared to the surface water the town had been receiving from the Chittenden Filter Plant. The Selectboard looked into the possibility of undertaking a municipal water softening project and they found that: 1. No Vermont municipality…

RUTLAND — Two groups affiliated with the Society for Human Resources Management recently received approval from the State of Vermont and the Society of Human Resources Management to form a new Chapter called the Green Mountain Human Resources Association, Inc. (GMHRA). The mission of this group is to promote professional Human Resource development and leadership…

LUDLOW–On March 26, Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced the Best Places to Work in Vermont for 2015. Okemo Mountain Resort was ranked fourth in the large-business category, climbing three spots since earning honors for the first time last year and the first ski resort to ever make the prestigious list.…

CASTLETON — Castleton folks are considering a couple of changes in its infrastructure: whether to approve building a new police station and whether to buy the Village School building. The police station vote will take place on May 12. Two weeks later, May 26, voters consider whether the town should "purchase" the Village School building…

Sewer rates Town Manager Seth Webb reviewed the financial standing of the Alpine Drive and Route 4 sewers as well as proposed rates for 2015. He also reviewed an updated capital plan for each system which estimates the overall costs of the systems, their expected lifetimes, and the major repairs anticipated over the next decade.…

RUTLAND – Whether offering a farm stay experience, farm stand, pick-your-own operation or barn tours for groups, many Vermont farms are turning to agritourism, education and direct sales to supplement their farm income and increase profits. On April 7-8, farmers, agricultural service providers, educators and others interested in exploring agritourism opportunities came to Rutland for…

RUTLAND — Want to know what the future holds for building new electric transmission lines in Vermont? Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) will hold two public input sessions — April 8 and 15 — to share the findings and receive feedback on the draft 2015 Vermont Long-Range Transmission Plan. The plan's central purpose is to identify…

By Steven Seitz The nights have been a little too cold for local sugarers’ liking. That was the sentiment of many during the annual Maple Open House Weekend, which took place Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29. The annual event highlights Vermont’s maple sugaring heritage and shows the curious how it’s done. This year, however, the…

By Stephen Seitz LUDLOW–People love a cold beer, even if icy temperatures dominate a spring afternoon. With the success of the annual Hops in the Hills beer festival in the summer, marketing professionals at Okemo Mountain Resort decided to see if it would work in the late winter. Thus Hops in the Snow was born.…

By Robin Alberti Thursday night, March 26, Rich Cogliano, a representative from the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, was at the firehouse in Killington conducting a tabletop exercise with Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR). Also in attendance were representatives from Killington Ski Patrol, 911 Dispatch, the State Game Warden,…

By Lee J. Kahrs, Brandon Reporter As the Vermont Senate Education Committee continues its work on an education funding reform bill, small schools are once again under scrutiny as lawmakers consider the proposition that school and district consolidation equals cost savings. Now, a new report names specific small schools in Addison and Rutland counties as…

By John Flowers, The Addison Independent Gov. Peter Shumlin on Monday, March 23, called on lawmakers to help him contain what he called one of the state’s top cost-drivers—education—in an effort to make Vermont more fiscally solvent and attractive to job creators. He also made a pitch for efforts to slow the growth of spending…

Killington woman digs unique career path By Polly Lynn KILLINGTON—22-year-old Emily Gorham often turns heads. But it’s not because of pink lipstick and high heels, it’s because of what she drives—an excavator. Being young and female guarantees she’ll be a minority on any work crew, but she enjoys the challenge and is proud to be…

Seven on ice fishing excursion are safe; six were rescued from the icy waters BENSON — On Sunday, March 29, at about 3 p.m., Vermont State Police was notified of several ATVs that had broken through the ice at Benson’s Landing. Upon arrival at the scene, troopers met with Richard Bain, age 61 of Putnam,…

By Polly Lynn RUTLAND — A major water leak was identified and repaired Saturday, March 28, after eight days of searching for the breach, according to Nate Stansberry, associate city engineer for the Rutland Department of Public Works. However, millions of gallons of water were lost in the process. “Our best estimate of the water…