By Curt Peterson Kerry Gawalt and Stephen Leslie, who operate Cedar Mountain Farm in Hartland, are Northeast Region finalists for the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award, the winner to be announced in a few weeks, according to a letter from the sponsor, leopoldconservationaward.org. The prize is a $10,000 grant and a crystal award. Conservation organizations that…

By Tiffany Tan/VTDigger RUTLAND CITY — One sunny morning last week, Matt Prouty was driving down Main Street when a police dispatcher’s voice came over the car’s police radio, transmitting a report of an assault at the local Walmart store. “A male and a female were in the self-checkout. They were not scanning all the items,”…

The third year of the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) has seen an increased number of students, school officials report. This year’s community of students come from Ludlow, Mt. Holly, Andover, Cavendish, Charlestown (New Hampshire), and even a foreign exchange student from Germany, whose mother was an exchange student at Black River High School…

Town Meeting Day vote will ask voters if it's worth $1 By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger This summer and beyond, residents of the town of Rochester are trying to figure out what to do with an empty high school building — four years after its last class graduated. Following the district mergers and school consolidations that resulted from…

By Mat Clouser/The Reporter During the Covid-19 pandemic, youngsters have seen the brightness of their childhoods darkened by the specter of disease, uncertainty and the real-time fissuring of a society in which many have been taught to trust implicitly. New Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Kristin Hubert knows this all too well but remains steadfast…

Michael Mills, the man who was shot by a Ludlow police officer on Aug. 15, 2022, has died. Mills was 36 years old at the time of his death Aug. 25 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Mills and determined the cause…

By Katy Savage Rutland City School Board members voted 6-4 Tuesday, Aug. 30 to once again retire the Raiders moniker following state legislation that essentially requires all schools to stop using racist mascots. The discussion on Tuesday was brief and followed an earlier ad-hoc committee meeting on Aug. 23. Karen Bossi, who suggested changing the…

Staff report Repairs and upgrades of the new Fair Haven Union Middle High School were finished just in time for school to start. The building received its certificate of occupancy on Monday, Aug. 29, just two days before the first day of school. “It was definitely tight,” said Slate Valley Unified Union School District Superintendent…

The Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) announced a settlement with Our House Residential Care Homes in Rutland on Aug. 31. It is alleged that Our House, operator of four residential care homes, failed to properly train staff and adequately document and monitor the delivery of resident care services, resulting in…

John Gosselin stole the show at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 3, capturing the Limited Sportsman “Win & You’re In” race to earn a guaranteed starting berth in Sunday’s Fabian Earth Moving Vermont 200. Other feature winners in the Saturday portion of the weekend event included Elmo Reckner, Daryl Gebo, Allen Hewitt, and Griff…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann My recent Mountain Times feature, "For Your Own Good, Have a Plan," prompted a bemused request from friends over 70 who are socially active, engaged in community causes, and grateful to be traveling again: “So, what’s your advice for us? As a boomer who just celebrated a milestone birthday, I too…

Todd Stone punched his ticket into the big dance at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 27. The championship point leader captured the “Win & You’re In” Vermont 200 qualifier victory. He was joined in victory lane throughout the night by four drivers who earned the first wins of their careers — Gary English, Ed…

Staff report Rutland has set a new state record and it’s a sweet one! At the first annual Whoopie Pie Festival was held Saturday, Aug. 27 on Center Street downtown, Dream Maker Bakers of Killington set the Vermont state record by baking and putting together (in front of a crowd) a 554 pound whoopie pie!…

Okemo to open Saturday, Nov. 19 Vail Resorts announced the projected opening dates of its 37 North American resorts on Aug. 23, offering skiing and riding coast-to-coast and one of the longest seasons in the country for its Epic Pass holders. Additionally, the company shared it will limit lift ticket sales throughout the entirety of…

By Curt Peterson According to Killington Select Board member Jim Haff, there are more than 600 short-term rental properties (STRs) in Killington. Many of those owners have recently spoken out against the town's proposal to increase fees for registering the properties. Proposed increases were significant, adding $250 to each of three categories: one and two…