Un-permitted structures for paramilitary school must be removed and fines paid or face prison  Staff report A judge has thrown out a federal lawsuit against the town of Pawlet brought by resident Daniel Banyai as he attempts to build a paramilitary school. The lawsuit was dismissed Monday, Aug. 7 by U.S. District Court Judge…

  By Curt Peterson Four members of the Hartland Select Board grilled Daniel Peck, project manager for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) engineers, regarding three expensive glitches discovered during the now-notorious $1.5 million intersection reconfiguration in Hartland Three Corners. Board Chair Phil Hobbie outlined the issues, including failure to provide replacement street lighting in the project…

  By Curt Peterson Monday night, Aug. 7, found Hartland businessman David Cowdrey and his son Allan at Damon Hall for a final hearing regarding Cowdrey’s application for a town salvage yard permit. All signs point to eventual approval. The long-time auto repair and service provider has mapped out a 150’ x 75’ area where…

  By Karen D. Lorentz On a sunny Aug. 5, family, friends, and former colleagues of Norma Biathrow gathered at the Killington Grand Hotel to celebrate the life of a mother, grandmother, great grandma, sibling, friend, early Killington pioneer, and dedicated state police dispatcher on what would have been her 87th birthday.  As family and…

‘There will be a next time’: Ludlow emergency management director gears up for future calamities By Tiffany Tan/VTDigger Sometime in the afternoon of July 9, Angela Kissell and her husband began knocking on doors in this southern Vermont town, telling residents to prepare for a possible evacuation. She’d been following forecasts of a storm that…

“You can’t push the river…” By Julia Purdy This flood season brings back memories of past epic events. The Great Flood of 1927 blindsided the state and prompted rescue and remedial action by the state and communities — and, Tropical Storm Irene, which continued to rearrange the landscape a generation later. Now, whatever we are…

  On Thursday, Aug. 3, Scott Whittier, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Vermont office for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), presented a StormReady Certification to Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC). “I’m pleased to present this certificate to Rutland Regional Medical Center,” said Whittier. “This demonstrates that the hospital has met all of the criteria…

  Recent flooding has altered Vermont’s landscape and property owners understandably have questions. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has prepared answers to frequently asked questions:  Recent flooding moved the stream/river extremely close to my home/business. Will the state come and fix it?  If you feel your home or business is unsafe, take necessary measures…

  Staff report The Killington Fire Department needed to be called in Wednesday, Aug. 2 after 42 animals got stuck on the roof at the Sherburne Memorial Library. The animals climbed up the roof in the middle of the night, with the pigeon, a notorious troublemaker, leading the way. The annual event, which takes place…

  By Katy Savage Vermont’s animal shelters have achieved a “no-kill” status for the first time. The status comes from Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah-based  national nonprofit animal welfare organization. To achieve that status, all shelters in the state have to have at least a 90% save rate for animals.  “That’s a tremendous achievement,”…

  Once again this summer, on Thursday, July 27, Maclure Library was able to host a book giveaway thanks to a grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF). The event was attended by 62 children and their families gathering at the Lothrop School gym to watch Vermont author Marv Klassen-Landis’ engaging storytelling, and each child…

  Staff report The Proctor Skate Rink opened a new playground this summer, thanks to a $50,000 town grant. Megan Cannucci and her husband, who started running the rink about six years ago, wanted to bring another summer activity to the park, in addition to roller skating.  Playgrounds in the area are located at schools…

   At its annual meeting on July 19, the Vermont Farmers Food Center’s (VFFC) Board of Directors voted in four new board members and thanked two outgoing board members for their dedicated service to the organization.  “VFFC would not be where it is today without its many talented and dedicated volunteer board members. We are…

  Vermont members of the New England Independent Bookstore Association (NEIBA) are supporting each other after flooding. “Bookstores Helping Bookstores,” a fundraising effort to help Bear Pond Books of Montpelier and Next Chapter Bookstore of Barre, both member bookstores that were devastated in the recent FEMA declared disaster flood in central Vermont. On Saturday, July…

  After the recent July floods, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VTF&W) is asking recovery efforts to prioritize river resilience and help impacted fish populations when possible. “The first priority in flood recovery is human safety,” said Aquatic Habitat Biologist Will Eldridge, Friday, July 28. “During Tropical Storm Irene, we learned that retaining and recovering…