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Your support powers every story we tell. We're committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that gives you the facts in this community we call home. If our work has helped you stay informed, take action, or feel more connected to Windham County – please give now to help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 by December 31st.
BRATTLEBORO-More than nine months after he was held without bail, a former Bellows Falls man accused of sexually assaulting a minor has been released, and charges against him have been dropped.
“As we prepared for trial, we made the difficult assessment that we had insurmountable issues to prevail at trial,” said State’s Attorney Steven Brown on Oct. 9. “It was a very difficult decision to make. These are difficult decisions.”
On Oct. 1, Kenneth J. Olsson, 55, was released from Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield, where he had been held since arraignment on Jan. 15.
Olsson is a former conductor with Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) and cofounded Southern Vermont Lyric Theatre with his wife, Julie.
WEST BRATTLEBORO-The activist singer-songwriter duo Emma’s Revolution will return to All Souls Church at 29 South St., on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. for “Songs of Hope and Resistance,” a benefit concert for the Movement Voter Project. On the nationwide No Kings Day of Action to “help voters...
BRATTLEBORO-Set in a home-based beauty salon in the fictional small town of Chinquapin, Louisiana, the play Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling tells the story of a tightly knit group of women who support one another through life’s joys and sorrows, all the while making sure they look their best.
The writer chairs the Guilford Democratic Committee. GUILFORD-Zon Eastes's first term representing Windham-1 in the State House of Representatives has shown that he is a good listener and a tireless public servant. He worked in the bipartisan effort to keep the state budget below the inflation rate and to significantly reduce the average property tax without leaving schools hurting. In the struggle over school consolidation, he was deeply committed to avoiding forced mergers, supporting the successful bill to preserve the...
BELLOWS FALLS-It will be like old times when Fred Eaglesmith returns to Bellows Falls for a show at the Bellows Falls Opera House Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. He will be joined by his wife and musical partner, Tif Ginn, and their band, the Velvet Frogs. The popular Roots on the River Festival, held in Bellows Falls for 20 years, was built around Eaglesmith’s outlaw country music for the 14 years that he headlined the event. The Canadian singer-songwriter...
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quartet will present Winds In Motion at the Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. The musicians are principal players of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra: Melissa Mielens on flute, Kelli O’Connor on clarinet, Nancy Dimock on oboe, and Janet Polk on bassoon. The concert will present “a program showcasing the wide range of repertoire for woodwinds,” organizers said in a news release. Pieces will include Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette;”
Obituaries • Kathleen A. “Kathi” Chase, 87, of Townshend. peacefully in her home at Thompson House on Oct. 7, 2026. Born June 30, 1939, in Townshend, Kathleen, a beloved member of the Townshend community, was affectionately known as Kathi and was a gentle soul who touched the lives of many with her kindness and dedication. Kathi was the cherished daughter of the late Roland D. Greenwood and Shirley B. Greenwood. She was also predeceased by her dear sister, Patricia B.
Democratic candidates for Windham-3 to hold listening sessionBELLOWS FALLS - Democratic candidates vying for the two Windham-3 seats in the Vermont House of Representatives will appear for a listening session Thursday, Oct. 15, at noon at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. Incumbent representative Michelle Bos-Lun and nominee Chris Lundberg, who is campaigning for the seat being vacated by Democrat Leslie Goldman, will field questions and comments from residents of the three towns in the Windham-3 district: Westminster,
MONTPEILER-Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas says that, as of Oct. 7, ballots have been mailed to all active registered voters for the Nov. 3 General Election. The Vermont Legislature passed Act 60, in 2021, requiring the Secretary of State's office to mail General Election ballots to all active registered voters, as is also the case in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Voters have four main ways to cast a ballot in...
PUTNEY-Oil and acrylic paintings by Maureen Tadlock will be on display through Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St. Tadlock, who lives in Putney, began painting at age 15 and “has always considered it a calling,” according to a news release. Although her early work primarily depicted figures, Tadlock later began painting more abstract natural patterns, especially light in water, when living near the Rock River in Newfane, the release said. The current exhibit includes paintings...
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) Chamber Series will present Musicians from Marlboro Group I Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at the BMC, 72 Blanche Moyse Way. Musicians in the touring quartet — violinists Alex Redington and Leo Appel, clarinetist Jonathan Leibovitz, and cellist Elena Ariza — have all performed at the Marlboro Music Festival. The program will feature works by Australian composer Brett Dean and Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, both of whom are former Marlboro Music composers in residence.
BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro House Concerts will host The Hayden Stern Band Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. Fiddler and composer Hayden Stern, who leads the band, “has taken Seattle’s roots-music scene by storm,” organizers said in a news release, citing influences from Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, French Canadian, and Appalachian fiddle traditions. When Stern moved to Seattle, “he discovered contra dancing, and with it a new community of like-minded LGBTQ musicians and dancers,” according to haydenstern.com. “He’s been captivating listening rooms and dance...
BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Suitcase Company theater group will release its feature film New Clothes for free on YouTube at an online premiere event Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. New Clothes, a film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” follows “twin button peddlers as they try to swindle the emperor out of his money (and his clothes) by posing as famous fashion designers,” organizers said in a news release. The madcap plot entails a host of...
Karl Meyer writes about democracy, the Constitution, and the Connecticut River. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. GREENFIELD, MASS.-Donald Trump is now waging full-on war against our democracy, and he wants to leave us all with no choice. Not just about how, where, and who gets to vote, and his $100 billion war, but about whether we continue as a civil society, bound as a nation, and governed by our Constitution and the rule of law.
BRATTLEBORO-The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) invites children in kindergarten through sixth grade to draw pictures of imaginary creatures for its 2027 “Glasstastic” exhibition. Submissions of up to four creatures per child are due to BMAC at 10 Vernon St. by Tuesday, Dec. 15. Twenty creations will be rendered in glass by professional artists, and the sculptures and all submitted drawings will be exhibited at BMAC from mid-March through early July next year. This “sparkling celebration of youthful creativity...
Brattleboro Indivisible has staged several “No Kings” rallies over the past year, turning out thousands of marchers to downtown Brattleboro. On Saturday, Oct. 17, the members of the group — along with hundreds of other Indivisible groups across the United States — are shifting the focus from the streets to the ballot box. In what organizers call “a nationwide day of nonpartisan voter participation,” No Kings: Vote Early seeks to bring communities together “to ensure every eligible voter understands their...
Tim Maciel is a retired educator and college administrator with advanced degrees in administration, planning, and social policy. He is a former school board director with the Windham Southeast School District. BRATTLEBORO-By now, most Vermonters who have been following the governor's race probably have a pretty good idea where Gov. Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo stand on issues ranging from healthcare and education to housing and data centers. But as we enter the final weeks of the campaign, I think...
-The Twin Valley-Leland & Gray soccer rivalry is one of the best in Vermont as the two smallest high schools in Windham County consistently produce hard-fought, passionate games. On Oct. 8 in Townshend, the girls were in the spotlight and the result was a 1-1 overtime draw after 100 minutes of intense soccer. Twin Valley is having its best season in years, while Leland & Gray has been struggling, but the two teams were evenly matched in this game."We certainly...
The writer chairs the Vernon Democratic Town Committee. VERNON-I've known Zon Eastes for a few years, and watching him work during his first term in Montpelier proved he is exactly the kind of thoughtful, grounded neighbor we need representing Vernon and Guilford. Zon doesn't get caught up in partisan posturing; he simply listens to what our communities are up against and gets to work on practical fixes. You can see that commonsense approach running straight through his legislative record: •
VERNON-The sky was blue, the clouds were white and low, the trees were showing their best fall colors, the vast meadows were still verdant, and the breeze was blowing gently on the organic Miller Farm in Vernon on Oct. 4, where well over 150 people gathered to celebrate Paul Miller’s 90th birthday. Even the small herd of Holsteins grazing in a field above the party appeared content and celebratory. A white tent with seats was provided in case the weather...
Chloe Learey is executive director of the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development. BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro needs more housing - and it needs more kinds of housing. Employers are struggling to recruit workers. Young people want to remain in the community where they grew up. Families are looking for homes they can afford, and older residents want options that allow them to remain close to their friends, family, and community. The Village at Winston Prouty is a ready-to-build opportunity to...
BRATTLEBORO-Did you get up this morning and slip into your old shoes because they feel familiar and comfortable (and you seem to remember that at one time they served you well enough), even though they've long since stopped providing you with any support or traction? If so, you can easily understand why Phil Scott has been able to remain in office as Vermont's governor for 10 years. Like putting on your worn-out footwear, voting again for Scott might not require...
WESTON-I would like to encourage the voters of Winhall, Weston, Andover, and Londonderry to support the re-election of Chris Morrow as our state representative. Chris possesses many high-quality traits that make him a unique and invaluable voice in our Vermont State House. He has the capacity to openly listen respectfully to all his constituents from all points of view, but he also works hard to understand the issues via his own independent research and commonsense point of view, which is...
BRATTLEBORO-A Halloween-themed fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St., will culminate in a screening of the 1962 psychological thriller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The event, which is part of the theater’s Schlock It To Me! film series, will include a cash bar hosted by Sages pub, with a “bespoke Schlocktail themed to the film,” according to a news release. There will also be “a pre-feature program of schlocky shorts and vintage...
DUMMERSTON-The Dummerston Historical Society invites the public to its quarterly meeting and 50th anniversary party Sunday, Oct. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the society’s schoolhouse in Dummerston Center, adjacent to the town office. A brief business meeting precedes a program reviewing the history of the schoolhouse, which has been moved several times and was once the town garage. The program also explores the origin and development of the Historical Society and pays tribute to the many involved in...
The writer has represented the Windham-4 district (Putney and Dummerston) in the Vermont House of Representatives since 2007. PUTNEY-Vermont Democrats have put together a team of candidates at the state and local levels who have the energy, experience, drive, and determination to move Vermont forward and out of the stagnant morass Republican leadership has left us stuck in. Republican policies from the federal level are hurting Vermont. Big time. The lack of Republican initiatives at the state level leave us...
DUMMERSTON-Tiny Theater will present Visiting Mr. Green, an award-winning play by Jeff Baron, this weekend at Evening Star Grange, 1008 East-West Road. Showings are Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. The play, which “brings together two men from profoundly different generations and worlds,” according to a news release, stars Michael Sola as Mr. Green and Randy Lichtenwalner as Ross Gardner. Robert “Bob” Marcus is the director. In the play,
BELLOWS FALLS-Three new exhibits will open Friday, Oct. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Canal Street Art Gallery, 23 Canal St. The new shows, on display through mid-December, will be the group exhibit “Form and Function,” the duo show “Aspen & Sequoia,” and “Grotoons,” a solo exhibition by Sandy Sherman. “Form and Function” will highlight art intended for daily use and will include new ceramics, collage, glass, and other works by 13 artists. “Aspen & Sequoia,” by Rochester-based artists...
The writer, a Democrat, represents the Windham-8 district in the Vermont House of Representatives. BRATTLEBORO-I have had the pleasure of serving with Rep. Zon Eastes in the Legislature these past two years - his first session and my last. I have been so impressed by his willingness to learn and ask questions, his humility, his positive attitude. Zon has become a very effective legislator. His opinions are valued, but he is always respectful of other viewpoints. In a short time...
Brenda Siegel is executive director of End Homelessness Vermont. If you or someone you know needs shelter, email endhomelessnessvt@gmail.com or call 802-489-6534. NEWFANE-Vermonters living with developmental disabilities, Vermonters on oxygen, Vermonters in wheelchairs, babies, and young children are being turned away from emergency housing and left outside. If the law was being followed many of them would not be. Not to the level we are seeing across Vermont towns. It is happening because the administration is not following Act 143,
MARSTONS MILLS, MASS.-I am writing in support of Chris Lundberg who is a candidate for the Vermont House of Representatives for the Windham-3 district. I met Chris over 40 years ago the first time I ran for the position of Windham County state's attorney. Over the years, Chris and I would frequently see each other at the gym in Bellows Falls. During these encounters we would often engage in discussions regarding the community and political issues. I observed Chris to...
BRATTLEBORO-The 25th Brattleboro Literary Festival (BLF) is ready to roll Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17, throughout downtown Brattleboro. This free event, a press release states, proudly draws on the area’s “rich history of writing and publishing” and “has grown into one of the region’s most significant annual gatherings, attracting more tourists, sponsors, and participants each year.” Since its start, the Literary Festival has presented over 900 authors, including winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-As Brattleboro Housing Partnerships celebrated $1.75 million in federal funding Oct. 6 to rebuild Melrose Terrace, a senior housing complex battered by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., said that the struggles of rural communities cut across party lines — and that those shared struggles are how federal money still reaches small towns despite gridlock in Washington. “I would say rural is rural is rural,” Balint said at the event. “Rural Vermont is rural Kentucky.
WILMINGTON-Around 50 people gathered in Wilmington’s Memorial Hall on Sept. 30 to hear town clerks from Wilmington, Dover, and Whitingham describe the Vermont election rules and procedures designed to protect residents’ right to vote, amid fears the Trump administration might seek to exclude some voters from the polls in the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Dover Free Library Director Allison Maynard moderated the nonpartisan meeting, “Know Your Voting Rights — A Community Information Session,” a discussion with Wilmington...
BRATTLEBORO-Molly Gray reminds me a great deal of Jack Daly (1923-2000). Jack was raised in Rutland, and he was elected lieutenant governor in 1964 and reelected in 1966. He served his two terms under Gov. Philip H. Hoff and was a partner of Hoff's in the reforms instituted in that era. Like Jack, Molly has a sound understanding of our Vermont ways and our history. And like Jack, she has an infectious love for the people of Vermont which is...
EAST DUMMERSTON-Because Gov. Scott was silent: • when it was known that, after the midterms, Vermonters were going to be kicked off Medicaid, • when the ACA insurance premiums skyrocketed, • when it became obvious that tariffs were harming Vermont businesses and workers, and • when America's conflict with Iran kept gas and oil prices rising with no end in sight Because: • he has not decried the rollback of regulations that protect our air and water, and • he...
