Archive for April, 2026
House Environment committee votes to move Act 181 repeal bill forward
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC By a roll call vote this morning (Thursday, April 30), the Vermont House Committee on the Environment unanimously approved a heavily revised version of Senate bill 325 and sent it on to the full House. The newly minted legislation, among other things, repeals Act 181’s Road Rule […]
Rural Caucus hears update on Act 181 changes
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Legislature’s Rural Caucus — which recently sent a letter to House Speaker Jill Krowinski urging the repeal of portions of Act 181 — heard an update this morning from Rep. Rob North on the status of that move. North, of Ferrisburg, sits on the House […]
Cavendish Fletcher Library’s Destination Imagination team headed to Global Finals
Cavendish Fletcher Community Library’s Destination Imagination Team won first place in its bracket at the state competition, which took place on March 21 in Barre, and qualified to compete at “Global Finals,” which will be held from May 21 through 24 in Kansas City, Mo. DI is a nonprofit organization whose team-building, student-led science and […]
Windham Commission to host public meetings on draft Regional Plan update
The Windham Regional Commission will be hosting in-person and remote public meetings to present a draft of the Windham Regional Plan update. WRC helps 27 towns in southeast Vermont to provide effective local governance and address regional issues. The Regional Plan provides guidance on the future for the region and is used for WRC’s work […]
Cavendish Bird Walk May 9; Cavendish Town Office staff gets dirty
The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association and the Mount Ascutney Audubon Society are holding their annual Bird Walk beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. This walk has been stewarded by Michael and Marianne Walsh of the Mount Ascutney Audubon Society and Ken Cox, who will guide the walk. Cox holds a degree in […]
Grace Cottage’s family-friendly 5K run returns May 9
The 17th annual Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital’s Spring into Health 5K begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, on the Townshend Common, Common Road. Entrants can run, walk, roll, stroll or push a baby carriage for this fun, family-friendly event. Pre-registration is $20 per participant; registration on May […]
Herrick’s Cove Wildlife Festival returns May 3
If you are a wildlife enthusiast itching for spring, check out the Herrick’s Cove Wildlife Festival on Sunday, May 3 at beautiful Herrick’s Cove on the Connecticut River, 4 Herrick’s Cove Road – off Route 5, Bellows Falls. The festival is presented by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society and Great […]
Green Up Day activities in the region Information for Andover, Cavendish, Chester and Springfield
By Stacia A. Spaulding ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Green Up Day has been held in Vermont each spring since 1970. The event is still going strong 56 years later, with tens of thousands of volunteers collecting hundreds of tons of trash annually from roadsides and waterways. This year, Green Up Day is Saturday, May 2. […]
Neighborhood Connections launches Winhall 100% Campaign
From the end of April through the end of May, Neighborhood Connections will be undertaking a targeted effort to enable residents of Winhall to take advantage of several financial benefit programs to which they may be entitled. Through the Winhall 100% Campaign, Neighborhood Connections will help with advising, completing applications, handling delivery to the appropriate […]
To the editor: Brickner says he’ll fight for housing affordability, a reformed Act 181
I am running for Vermont Senate in the Windsor District. When my wife and I put down roots in Windsor County, we were looking for something that has become hard to find: a place to raise a family and belong to a real community. We found it here. For seven years I’ve served my neighbors, […]
Derry cemeteries will reopen May 1
The Cemetery Commission of the Town of Londonderry has announced that cemeteries will open on Friday, May 1. Clean-up by the cemetery caretakers will begin shortly thereafter. All decorations that were added over the winter should be removed; any winter decorations remaining on May 1 will be disposed of. As a reminder, plantings are not […]
Chester GOP to hold ‘Turn Vermont Red’ candidate event
On Saturday, May 2, the Chester Town Republican Committee will hold a “Turn Vermont Red” event at Terra Italian Steakhouse*, 8 VT Rte 100 in Ludlow. You’ll hear from conservative voices as well as candidates for U.S. House, Windsor County Senate and House of Representatives and Windsor County sheriff, as well as from some in […]
Op-ed: Keep our schools to keep our town
By Carl Henshaw ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC At a recent Chester Planning Commission meeting, Kellen Appleton and Allison Hopkins from the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission shared a statistic that stopped me cold. Chester’s average age is rising one year for every two that pass. At that pace, within 30 years, our average resident will be […]
GMUSD budget re-vote informational meeting May 5
The Green Mountain Union School District will hold a informational meeting regarding the District’s school budget ahead of a May 12 re-vote at 6 p.m. on May 5, 2026 at Green Mountain Union High School, 716 Route 103 south in Chester and remotely via Zoom. Below is the board’s agenda: I. Call to Order II. […]
Judge clears way for Piri murder trial early next year Five week trial expected, complicating scheduling
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Windham County Superior Court judge has denied a defense motion to dismiss second-degree murder charges against Jozsef Piri, paving the way for a five week long trial sometime early in 2027. Piri is accused of shooting and killing Roberto Fonseca-Rivera – a Boston truck driver – […]
June Swomley, 92, of Connecticut and Chester
June Kutchera Swomley, of Bloomfield, Conn., died on Monday, April 13, at the age of 92. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, James “Jim” Swomley, in 2021. They both received wonderful care from the staff at Caleb Hitchcock, Duncaster’s Memory Care Unit, for a number of years. June was born in Bismarck, N.D., daughter […]
Chester Fire & EMS receive VFW commendations Manchester Post recognizes first responders to mark its 80th anniversary
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC On April 9, Steve Leach — a representative of the Harned-Fowler VFW Post 6471 of Manchester — visited Chester’s Public Safety Building to present the fire and ambulance departments with VFW Community Service certificates. Leach said that April 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of Post 6471’s National […]
Henry Homeyer: Oil your tools, pull those invasives and consider some planting
By Henry Homeyer ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Spring arrives in New England in fits in starts and starts: Hot and sunny one day, chilly and drizzly the next. Maybe even a few flurries to outrage the impatient gardener. But there is much that can be done in late April, even on a rainy day. I […]
Andover Select Board agenda for April 27
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 at the Andover Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road. Below is the board’s agenda: 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of April 13th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, […]
GM board sends same budget back for May 12 re-vote
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a rough start to its Thursday, April 16 meeting, the Green Mountain Unified School District board gelled and decided unanimously to again put forward the budget that went down to defeat at Town Meeting Day, to set the re-vote date for May 12, then brainstormed ways […]