All Entries in the "Latest News" Category
Rock out with WOOL Radio’s annual block party
WOOL-FM/Black Sheep Radio presents its premier summer event, WOOLstock: The 2026 Block Party, from 2 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22 at the Waypoint Center in Bellows Falls, for hours of live music, food, and community festivities. Gates open at 1 p.m. General admission is $20; Children under 12 admitted for free. Discount advance […]
Millington pulls out of Washington Central superintendent race
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Telegraph has confirmed that Two Rivers Superintendent Layne Millington has withdrawn his name from consideration for the superintendency of the Washington Central Unified Union School District,for which he was one of two finalists. After hearing early Monday morning that Millington had dropped out, The […]
GMUSD Board agenda for Aug. 20
The Green Mountain Unified School District Board will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday Aug. 20, 2026 at the Green Mountain High School 716 Route 103 South in Chester and remotely via Zoom. Below is the board’s agenda: I. Call to Order a. Roll Call, Confirming a Quorum II. Agenda Additions or […]
Chester Select Board agenda for Aug. 19
UPDATED 11:30 a.m. Aug. 17 with No. 7 added. The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 19, 2026 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and remotely via Zoom. Below is the board’s agenda: Approval of Minutes of Aug. 5, 2026 Select board Meeting\ Citizen’s Comments Old Business […]
Millington is finalist for Washington Central superintendent’s job TRSU super looks to leave after two years on job, despite new contract
UPDATED WITH STATEMENT FROM LAYNE MILLINGTON By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two Rivers school Superintendent Layne Millington is a finalist to take over the Washington Central Unified Union School District in the East Montpelier area as it seeks to replace former Superintendent Steve Dellinger-Pate, who resigned unexpectedly in June. If hired, Millington […]
Braucht family leads effort for new playground at Cavendish Town Office
By Lorien Strange ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Between the removal of Greven Field’s beloved baseball backstop and debates about the town’s recreation director position, fun and games have been a serious matter in this year’s Cavendish Select Board meetings. But things took a lighter tone on Monday night. Earlier this year, Cavendish 6th grader Olivia […]
Free steel drum concert to benefit Weston Playhouse, celebrate 140 years of the Green
Come to Weston’s Town Green from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 22 for a special Blue Flames Steel Band Concert to celebrate 140 years of the Weston Green and to benefit the Weston Community Association’s restoration of the Weston Playhouse. The music is free but all funds collected will go toward the Playhouse. […]
Chester board hears wastewater treatment upgrade plan $7million project would increase capacity for building in village area
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC For as long as The Telegraph has been covering Chester town government, an upgrade to the town’s sewage treatment plant has been a problem on a distant horizon. Last Wednesday, Dufresne Group engineer Naomi Johnson told the Select Board — in its alter ego as the Water […]
Chase loses in state Dem Senate race as White, Major and Burrows head to the General Election Weyant takes Dem primary for Windsor Sheriff as Lake stumbles
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the August primaries in Vermont are often characterized by uncontested races and low turnout and summer vacations take their own toll, every few cycles something happens to pique voters’ interest and draw them to their polling places. Tuesday’s most contested races locally have been county-wide, with […]
Communities come together in concern after ICE arrests in Londonderry
By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC About 130 people jammed into the meeting space and anterooms of Neighborhood Connections on Saturday morning, Aug. 8 – while 20 others stood outside – to learn more about the arrests Friday in Londonderry by ICE of five immigrant workers and to hear of strategies that individuals and […]
Sheriff candidate Lake put on administrative leave by Bellows Falls Police
By Michael Donoghue Vermont News First Embattled Windsor County Sheriff candidate Joshua Lake has been placed on paid administrative leave by the Bellows Falls Police Department while an independent investigation is undertaken about his exaggeration about possible crimes, officials said. Bellows Falls Police Chief David Bemis told Vermont News First the move was made after […]
ICE arrests five Manchester residents in Derry
By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Five Manchester residents were detained by ICE around 8:30 this morning as they were driving east along Route 11 in Londonderry apparently toward a job, according to Migrant Justice, a Burlington-based advocacy group. Little is known about the situation other than a convoy of six unmarked SUVs, also […]
Andover Select Board agenda for Aug. 10
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Aug. 10 at the Andover Town Hall, 953 Weston-Andover Road. Below is the board’s agenda: 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of July 27th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, […]
Prosecutors say Lake admitted he ‘exaggerated’ claim against wife Windsor Sheriff's candidate also had denied he said she brandished gun, harmed child
By Michael Donoghue Vermont News First and Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Windsor County Sheriff’s candidate from Chester is denying that he ever made claims in a private conversation to a Walpole, N.H., police officer in December 2025 that his wife pointed a gun at him and that she also abused their child […]
Chester Sewer Commission, Select Board agendas for Aug. 5
Chester Select Board will meet in its capacity as Sewer Commission at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026 followed by a special meeting as the select board. The meetings will take place at Town Hall, 556 Elm Street and remotely via Zoom. Below are the board’s agendas: Sewer Commissioners Agenda 1. Citizen’s Comments 2. […]
State school merger lead facilitator finalists announced One educator and a consulting firm will have final interviews next week
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Learning Collaborative announced late Tuesday afternoon that it has selected two finalists for the job of lead facilitator for the school merger study group work mandated by Act 170. The law, which bills itself as “transforming Vermont’s education system,” calls for seven regional facilitators who […]
Local Indivisible chapter protests latest ICE killings in Texas, Maine
By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing On a warm and sunny Friday afternoon, a small crowd of about 45 people from Woodstock and Plymouth, Andover, Cavendish, Grafton, Ludlow, Rockingham and Chester gathered along the Chester Green to protest what they see as just the latest dark actions by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On […]
Chester considers July to June budgeting, tax year Current Jan-Dec fiscal year presents a series of problems
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its July 15 meeting, the Chester Select Board continued to look at the costs of the services the town provides, including recreation and planning/zoning/assessment. But it was the recommendations of the town’s auditors –including transitioning to a fiscal year from the current calendar year budget — […]
Chester Hardware files for bankruptcy
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the note on the front door said the business at 21 Main St. would be closed from July 3 through 13, on July 7, the owner of Chester Hardware & Mercantile was filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Under Chapter 7, the assets of a debtor are […]
Explainer: Why is the homestead tax rate higher than the non-homestead rate this year?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Readers have asked why the education property tax rate for residents in the Green Mountain Unified School District is higher than the rate for non-residents and businesses. It’s usually the other way around. The answer lies in the Byzantine calculations the state uses to fund education spending. […]