This Week’s News
Town Meeting previews
Town Meeting Day is next week. Click here to see a preview for your town.
Bald Eagle removed from endangered list; but bumblebee, and others, are added
Seven species and three critical habitats received updated conservation designations on Vermont’s Endangered and Threatened Species List, including the highly anticipated de-listing of the bald eagle after over a decade of restoration efforts.
Schools with 80% vaccination rate can remove masks Feb. 28
Masking in schools — among the last remaining Covid mitigation measures in place for students — will soon be optional for schools with a student vaccination rate of over 80%, Governor Phil Scott announced at his regular press conference Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Zion Growers pursues Marble building
In addition to planning for the annual Town Meeting, Feb. 28-March 1, the Proctor selectboard heard an update on plans to revitalize the former Marble Museum complex at 52 Main Street by Zion Growers, which would operate an industrial hemp processing facility.
Guiles, Blais face off in selectboard race
In the one contested race in Brandon this year, one-term incumbent Tim Guiles will face challenger Marielle Blais for a three-year seat on the Brandon selectboard. This past week The Reporter sent each candidate seven questions to address in a question-answer format and given a word limit per answer.
Photos of the Week
Sports
Namaste! Yoga options increase in our area
Yoga is a set of ancient practices, with origins in the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. The word itself means “union” in Sanskrit and is related to the English word “yoke,” in the sense of “to join together.”
OV’s Brooke Kimball named Unified Basketball Coach of the Year by Southern VT League
What really matters about sports? 2025 Southern Vermont League Unified Basketball Coach of the Year Brooke Kimball of Otter Valley said, “I love how much joy it brings.”
Nesobe Golf Club is no longer a “Hidden Gem”
Neshobe Golf Club hosted the 96th New England Amateur Championship with the best golfers in New England competing over three days.
A new generation of duckies takes the podium
The last few racing seasons, and all their attendant scandals, have left the local duckie community feeling unsettled.
Nifty Thrifty sponsors swim lessons for July 4th Duckies
Every July, hundreds of rubber duckies from all over the world descend upon Brandon for the Independence Day Duckie Race on the Neshobe River.