Editor’s note: Julia Purdy is employed as a copy editor for the Mountain Times. Julia Purdy first read “The Sky is Red,” when she was 8 years old. The prize-winning 1947 Italian novel by Giuseppe Berto tells story of four teenagers struggling to survive after being left orphaned when their town in Southern Italy is…

The Vermont Warden Service has closed its investigation into the fatal shooting of a German shepherd dog in Tunbridge. After discussion with the Orange County State’s Attorney’s office, Damon Dyer, 31, of Tunbridge was issued a citation for one count of cruelty to animals. Dyer is scheduled to appear in Orange County Court on June…

Starting Saturday, May 21, Rutland Recreation and Parks is offering opportunities for youth in the community to learn to fish. Rutland Recreation first started to offer fishing programming last year at summer day camps with the help of Corbin Shattuck, instructor and founder of 802 Fishin, LLC. Shattuck taught casting on dry land, fishing etiquette,…

By Katy Savage Woodstock has reached a separation agreement with former Village and Town Manager Bill Kerbin. Under the agreement, Kerbin agreed to resign on May 2. He’ll receive 22 weeks of severance pay, ending Sept. 30 and totaling $46,578, which is in line with his annual salary of $110,000. The separation talks began on…

The Homeless Prevention Center in Rutland hosted the first HPC Spring Sprockets Fun Ride & Walk at Pine Hill Park on May 7. The event netted about $5,500 to help get people into housing with social rides, scavenger hunts and nature activities. Both DJ Bill Moore and Creed’s Food Truck were on hand to entertain…

The Red Clover Inn has reopened for accommodations and private events. New owners Mark Allen and Venetia Riso have continued to restore and reimagine the property in a rustic, elegant style. “We were struck by the Red Clover’s quiet location, beautiful mountain backdrop, and easy access to Rutland and Killington,” Allen said. “Whether skiing, hiking,…

By Katy Savage The resignation of Rutland City School Board member Brittany Cavacas on May 11 has led to questions and controversy about who will replace her. The city charter leaves it to the mayor to make a recommendation to the School Board within 14 days of a resignation, giving Mayor David Allaire until May…

Two local high school students have been declared the winners of the second annual Black History Month contest, sponsored by the Rutland Area branch of the NAACP and the Vermont Student Anti Racist Network (VSARN). The contest challenged students to respond to a prompt in a written or visual arts form, with a prize of…

By Victoria Gaither Rutland’s Stefanie Schaffer signed with a modeling agency, Zebedee Talent, this year— an agency for people with disabilities and differences. Right away, she was signed with SKIMS, an American shapewear and clothing brand. “This campaign for SKIMS’ new adaptive collection, where they redesigned their previous “fits everybody” collection to make them accessible…

By Curt Peterson At a recent Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCSU) board meeting concern was raised about effects the latest variant of Covid is having on attendance. Student attendance below 51% on a given day means that day won’t count toward the state-required minimum number of education days for that school. Killington Elementary…

By Angelo Lynn After two-plus years of planning for a capital campaign to renovate the Brandon Free Public Library (BFPL), the $2.2 million quest is well on its way. “The train has left the station,” said a smiling and optimistic David Roberts, chair of the library board and of the campaign committee, adding that “sometimes…

Rutland Regional Medical Center recently reopened 5 West as a dedicated negative pressure Covid unit. This action was taken to accommodate and balance the needs of Covid positive patients and the high patient census in the ICU. “Covid is still very much in our community,” said Rick Hildebrant, the chief medical information officer at Rutland…

State police responded to what was believed to be an explosive device in a basement in West Rutland on May 8. Police said a citizen on Franklin Street had been cleaning out a residence basement and discovered the device. After investigation, police said the item was likely a World War II-era Japanese hand grenade. The…

By Curt Peterson Tim Johnson, a Select Board member of 20 years in Barnard, lost his seat to former town lister Richard Lancaster at Barnard’s Town Meeting. Johnson initially accepted the outcome as “democratic and fair.” He told the Mountain Times, “My loss was due to very low attendance.” About 60 voters were present —…

Two teams from Windsor High School took top honors at the first annual Greenway Institute Sustainable Engineering Challenge on May 6. The event was hosted and supported by Norwich Technologies, a solar company based out of White River Junction. Fern Day, Sydney Perry, and Madison Lawyer of Windsor High School claimed the prize for best…