All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Snow ‘dump’ sends a chill through s. Vermont, causes widespread power outages, car accidents
By Cynthia Prairie and Shawn Cunningham ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC For those in the southern Vermont region straddling Windham and Windsor counties, you know you got hit with snow – anywhere from 18 to more than 36 inches of it. Can’t open the front door snow; trees and power lines are down snow; don’t care […]
Election results: Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Grafton, Weston, GM District budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Residents in area towns made some big changes and rejected others as Town Meeting 2023 unfolded. Chester voters chose two new select board members out of a field of five — Arianna Knapp and Peter Hudkins — and gave that body the power to appoint the town […]
Cavendish passes $1.95 million budget; discusses ARPA fund use
By Cara Philbin © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday night’s Cavendish Town Meeting attracted about 50 residents to the Cavendish Town Elementary School and 15 on Zoom, mostly to discuss the proposed budget, which was among items to be voted on by Australian ballot on Tuesday, and uses of funding received from the federal pandemic […]
Chester votes to make clerk, treasurer appointed posts; approves $3.7 million town budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 85 residents turned out — in person and via Zoom — for Chester’s annual Town Meeting on Monday night. Town Moderator Bill Dakin kept the evening moving with most of the questions passing without debate or discussion. Those on Zoom were not allowed to vote […]
Andover votes out Fromberger from longtime school board service Re-elects incumbents elsewhere; OKs first million dollar budget
By Cynthia Prairie © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Andover Town Meeting, rescheduled from this past snow-bound Saturday, went off without too many hitches on Tuesday afternoon as 60 plus voters gathered at Town Hall and almost a dozen showed up on Zoom to hear the proceedings. But in a surprise action — once the […]
Prosecutor concerned over ‘lingering’ Rt. 103 murder case Two to three week spring 2024 trial is anticipated
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than three years after the murder of Boston trucker Roberto Fonseca-Rivera, Windham County Deputy State’s Attorney Steven Brown told Judge Katherine Hayes that he was concerned that the case against Jozsef Piri is not moving at the pace the prosecution thinks it should and that it […]
Select Board candidates outline views in Chester forum
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a snowy, slushy Tuesday night, 35 Chester residents turned out at Town Hall to hear four of the five candidates running for two one-year seats on the town’s Select Board say why they want to be elected. SAPA-TV streamed the event which was available to residents […]
Updated: Fire engulfs old Adams Funeral Home in Chester
UPDATED 2:45 p.m.: More photos, details from the fire scene, information from Fire Chief Matt Wilson. By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC The home of the former Adams Funeral Home at 35 Depot St. went up in flames this morning as Chester firefighters and those from around the area battled to […]
Meet the five candidates for Chester Select Board’s two open seats
The Chester Telegraph sent a series of questions to the five candidates who are vying for two one-year terms on the Chester Select Board. Those two seats are currently held by Leigh Dakin and Ben Whalen, neither of whom is seeking re-election. These questions just address some of the issues for many Chester voters. […]
Chester board OKs Canal St. site for town gardens Group will work under Rec Dept. for community grow plots
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC After two years of back and forth discussions, the Chester Select Board voted last Wednesday to allow the Chester Community Greenhouse and Gardens group to use a portion of town land at the end of Canal Street for public garden plots. Rather than signing a lease or […]
GM board hears of racial bias incidents; reinstates Chieftain name 8th grader, family tell of school inaction; board considers rebranding 'Chieftains'
By Shawn Cunningham ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an emotionally charged meeting Thursday night, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District heard from an 8th grade student and her grandmother who said that stress from racism that the girl has experienced since coming to the school last year has gotten to the point […]
Fuel to the Fire: Recent reports on gas stoves fail rural Vermont Propane and natural gas are not the same, but have been lumped together in news coverage
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC If you’ve read a major newspaper or watched the news on television or listened on the radio, you’ve likely heard that your gas stove is emitting toxic chemicals and other substances that can injure your health — even when the stove is not being used. But […]
Five seeking two seats on Chester Select Board Elimination of elected treasurer, clerk to be voted on March 6
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC While there’s often a challenger for two of the one-year seats on the Chester Select Board, this year brings an unusually large group of candidates. With incumbents Ben Whalen and Leigh Dakin deciding not to run for re-election, seven residents took out petitions to run and five […]
Appraisal of Route 103 solar farm kicks off Chester negotiations for purchase
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a meeting that took just 30 minutes to complete, the Chester Select Board learned that an appraisal of the Route 103 solar farm has been completed and that the town is now in a position to begin negotiations to buy it from its owner, Greenbacker Renewable […]
New Chester Police Chief outlines approach, goals
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC As Chester’s new police chief, Tom Williams says he wants to bring the department closer to the community and he’s started with his office. Williams, who as a lieutenant in the department, could have continued working out of that office, but decided to move into the office […]
Chester board finalizes budget; cannabis retailer on the horizon; citizen police panel discussed Town meeting vote could end election of clerk, treasurer
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC While issues like a report from the town’s Cannabis Control Commission, thoughts on a police citizen advisory board and the approval of the warning for Town Meeting were on the Chester Select Board’s Jan. 18 agenda, one line on the proposed 2023 budget took up a significant […]
Derry board considers stricter short-term rental ordinance
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its Monday Jan. 23 meeting, the Londonderry Select Board took up a draft ordinance to regulate short-term rentals. The draft that was posted on the town’s website as part of the board packet was basically the ordinance adopted by the Chester Select Board back in December. […]
Andover board sends $1.066M budget to voters
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC As expected, the Andover Select Board on Monday night signed off on the town’s first $1.066 million spending plan with nary a complaint or dissent. Referring to the 2023-24 budget proposal, board member Robin Trask said, “There’s nothing frivolous here. It’s all about the trucks and the gas […]
GMUSD board agrees to ‘retire’ Chieftain name 'Indian head' image was dropped two years ago
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a move that was a surprise to at least one board member, the Green Mountain Unified School District board voted tonight, Thursday, Jan. 19, to discontinue the use of the Chieftain name. The district had voted to stop using the image of a Native American in […]
