Amtrak, in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS), New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), and the Vermont Railway (VRS), has made operational improvements in its Ethan Allen Express service. This includes reducing trip times, providing more reliable service, and introducing new schedules. “Vermont and New York represent two of the most popular…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger When 30-somethings Bex Prasse and Craig Kovalsky decided to swap adventurous careers on the sea for a more grounded life, childhood memories of snowboarding lured them to the landlocked state of Vermont. “We looked all over trying to find a place,” Kovalsky recently recalled, “and then we saw this building that was in…

Vermont’s charm is undeniable, but the lack of affordable housing here is a challenge that affects people across the income spectrum, and the situation is a crisis for those who have experienced homelessness.  Housing Trust of Rutland County (HTRC), operating in 28 communities, is a vital 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to remedying this crisis. HTRC develops,…

The Green Mountain Accelerator Fund (GMAF), an investment fund dedicated to supporting rural Vermont tech startups, has invested $75,000 in Rutland-based Tacitly, Inc. This is the first investment made by the recently launched GMAF, which is managed by the Center on Rural Innovation, and aims to spark scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation in rural Vermont by investing in…

By Curt Peterson On Monday night, July 8, the Killington Select Board approved the recreation department’s recommendation of awarding Vermont Integrated Architecture (VIA) of Middlebury a contract to create a master plan for the full recreation facility. The recreation master plan is a comprehensive study of the facilities at the Johnson Recreation Center in town…

Town is tops in Vt for homestead rate, non-homestead rate; third for school rate By Polly Mikula Last Wednesday, July 3, the state Dept. of Taxes published the list of tax rates for all Vermont towns. Killington topped the 260 municipalities listed for education homestead tax rate ($3.1981) and non-homestead rate ($2.6571) — not a…

By Curt Peterson The Green Mountain Club (GMC) bestowed their President’s Award to Woodstock resident Preston Bristow at their June 15 annual meeting. The non-profit organization, founded in 1910, has focused on finishing the Long Trail’s hiking route for the entire length of Vermont, “From Bolton to the Canadian Border,” Bristow said. “Only about 3%…

By Adam Davis Drivers on the Killington Road have certainly noticed the newly renovated Apres Inn. The new business bears little resemblance to its predecessor, the Happy Bear Motel. New owners Casey and Brett McManus have taken painstaking efforts to revitalize the motel with a complete makeover of the interior and exterior while keeping it…

Staff report The relatively dry spring and early summer has meant trails across the region are in great shape — very few washouts, debris, or “bones” (rocks and roots exposed after washout) are evident anywhere — and riders are rejoicing!  “Trails are in great shape!” riders echo in the reports from Woodstock, to Killington, to…

On Monday, July 1, Governor Phil Scott proclaimed July as Lakes Appreciation Month in Vermont. Lakes and ponds are among Vermont’s most valuable natural resources. They offer countless benefits from drinking water and recreation to crucial fish and wildlife habitat. The governor’s proclamation stresses the importance of the state’s 800-plus lakes and ponds for this and future…

On June 25, the Vermont Dept. of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering May 2024. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May was 2.1%. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 65.% in May, an…

Vermont 211, the program hosting Vermont’s one-stop number to call for information about community, health, and human services has announced its hours will return to 24/7/365 service as of July 1. “The restored hours are the result of an appropriation by the Vermont Legislature,” said Vermont 211 Executive Director Elizabeth Gilman.  The hours were cut…

Treasurer Pieciak announced Monday, June 24, that Vermont’s credit ratings were affirmed by the major credit rating agencies, S&P Global Ratings (AA+), Fitch Ratings (AA+), and Moody’s (Aa1). Leveraging this fiscal strength, Pieciak and his office successfully refinanced outstanding higher-interest bonds, resulting in savings of approximately $3.7 million.  The ratings reaffirmed that Vermont’s financial outlook is…

The partnership puts Vermont Saves on track to launch by the end of 2024 Last week, June 26, the Colorado SecureSavings Program announced a partnership with Vermont’s public retirement program, Vermont Saves. The new partnership adds Vermont to the Partnership for a Dignified Retirement, an interstate consortium including Delaware and Maine. With more assets and accounts under management,…

Beginning July 1, 2024, employers and self-employed individuals are required to pay the Vermont Child Care Contribution tax. Act 76 (H.217), an act related to child care and early childhood education, became law on June 20, 2023.  The law makes major investments in Vermont’s child care system, and mandates policy changes that will impact child care…