The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) recently secured a $1.5 million grant to launch Rutland’s Tech Startup Incubator, which will offer technology support and develop a mentor and investor network providing tech entrepreneurs capital needed to grow their businesses. “The CEDRR board of directors and staff are very pleased that Rutland’s…

By Victoria Gaither A new female Black-owned hair salon is coming to Merchants Row in Rutland. Euphoric Hair Experience is angling to create a place for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) clients to get their crown done — although all are also welcome. Founder and owner La’Keiah Batista Sanchez said of this venture,…

By Curt Peterson At the Windsor Central Supervisory Union (WCSU) school district board meeting on Monday, Oct. 3, Keri Bristow and Ben Ford, both Woodstock representatives, were elected chair and vice chair, respectively. The change in leadership followed Bryce Sammel of Barnard’s resignation as chair, announced the week prior. Sammel, who nominated both Bristow and…

By Bonnie MacPherson The World Health Organization recently announced that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is “in sight.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people no longer need to practice social distancing, and no states require masks in public places any longer. As skiers and riders are planning winter weekend getaways or…

By Katy Savage Six people are moving away from Woodstock because they can’t find childcare and 27 families are still searching for childcare in Woodstock — the need is particularly acute for kids 3 and under — according to a survey from the Woodstock Economic Development Commission (EDC). Area childcare programs are maxed out and…

By Katy Savage Funding for homeless housing assistance and rental assistance is drying up, leaving thousands of people in search of permanent options in a very tight housing market. And while the need is still high, hotel owners, who have taken in homeless, are questioning if their participation in the program was worth it. “We…

Staff report Woodstock is investing in content development for future marketing campaigns. The Select Board unanimously approved the Economic Development Commission’s (EDC)’s request to spend an additional $42,000 in marketing at a meeting on Sept. 20 to continue funding through February. “The purpose of the platform is to collect names of people and contact information…

Patricia Ann Bick passed away on Oct. 6 with her family by her side. Patty Bick was born on July 29, 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the daughter of George and Juanda (Bonck) Bick and attended school in South Bend, Indiana. She graduated from Tulane with a degree in anthropology, and later received…

By Auditi Guha/VTDigger The Orange Southwest Supervisory District’s website was hacked Saturday and inundated with “hate speech, symbols, and photographs targeting transgender individuals,” Superintendent Layne Millington wrote community members on Saturday, Oct. 1. The incident prompted district leaders to disable its website and social media accounts, Millington wrote, and to refer the matter to local…

By Katy Savage Some members of the Rutland Board of Alderman criticized the Rutland Redevelopment Authority for not being proactive or collaborative enough at the board’s Oct. 3 meeting. Alderman Thomas Franco made a motion to defund the Rutland Redevelopment Authority (RRA) and “use our taxpayers dollars to actually further economic development in very clear…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger After a monthslong assessment into the Chester Police Department, a consultant recommended the town consider creating a police-community advisory board and adding an officer to focus on data and detective work. “I do believe that citizens own your police department — it’s their police department,” James Baker, who led the assessment, said to the…

Community Care Network’s Rutland Mental Health Services has been awarded a multi-year planning, development and implementation grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). The four-year, $3.9 million grant to Rutland Mental Health Services began Oct. 1. The CCBHC-PDI grant program is…

By Marin Howell & John S. McCright Twenty months after Ripton residents decided to leave the Addison Central School District, on Thursday they voted to rejoin the other six towns in the ACSD as a full member. The tally was 148 in favor to 89 against, with three spoiled ballots. Around 56% of the town’s…

By Polly Mikula “There’s a lot to managing a rental property,” said Ryan Flynn, a Pinnacle homeowner and member of the rental committee. “Ultimately we want to ensure that we we are providing our owners and our guests with the very best experience when they come to Killington.” Unlike other condo associations in Killington, Pinnacle…

By Curt Peterson Zanni Lacey and Lindsay Rose hosted a Renaissance Faire-like grand opening event for their ZBotanical business on Sept. 17. Hartlanders wondering what’s happening at the long-vacant Shepherd’s Woodworking location north of Webster Road on the Hartland-Quechee Road, couldn't stop guessing. “We cultivate, plant and wildcraft (harvest in the wild) botanicals which we…