This Week’s News
Brandon’s Tonya Durant takes her drag craft in a new direction
Tonya Durant has built a devoted following as Anita Cocktail, the powerhouse momma hen to a big brood of drag performers in Rutland County. An unusual drag artist, Durant is a biological woman whose drag persona has also been female—until now.
Sheila Gearwar to be Grand Marshal in July 4th parade
Anyone who’s been in the Brandon area for any length of time has at some point crossed paths with Sheila Gearwar at the beloved Brandon House of Pizza on Center Street, which she has owned and/or managed since 2011.
After 15 years, Butch Shaw bids farewell to the Statehouse
Community service is part of Vermont culture: everyone pitches in however they can to make this brave little state work. Few embody this as fully as Charles “Butch” Shaw, who has decided after 15 years as a State Representative to pass the legislative torch.
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.
