All Entries in the "Latest News" Category
Forum on education transformation bill set for May 11 at Springfield H.S.
Community members are invited to attend an upcoming educational forum focused on Vermont’s current education transformation legislation, H 955. The event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 11 at the Springfield High School Auditorium, 303 South St. in Springfield. The forum is designed to provide clear, up-to-date information on the […]
What to know about the GMUSD budget re-vote
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a little less than a week, residents of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester will get a second chance to vote on the proposed budget of the Green Mountain Unified School District. The district runs two elementary schools and a single high/middle school. On March 3, voters […]
Repeals of Act 181 portions zip through Legislature '...a lot of things went sideways ... but this solves the problem, for now'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Legislature sometimes gets the reputation for being ponderously slow but last week it showed it could move lightning fast when large numbers of people are up in arms about the effects of a law — and it’s an election year. As regular readers will know, […]
Sage Jewelry takes root in new Chester location
By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Michele Colby has finally found the storefront she has longed for. During the 16 intervening years, her children have grown and so has her business, Sage Jewelry and Gifts, now one of the two oldest retail businesses on the Chester Green. Just this past April, Colby finally moved […]
Andover Select Board agenda for May 11
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday May 11 at the Andover Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of April 27th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, 10 minutes per topic): Members […]
Human remains found in Mt. Tabor forest
© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Human remains were found by hikers in the Green Mountain National Forest in Mt. Tabor, north of Dorset in Western Vermont, 10 days ago, according to the Vermont State Police. The identity of the dead person and the circumstances surrounding the death are unknown at this time. According to a […]
Part 1: The 10-year desert journey begins
In this four-part series, gardening writer Henry Homeyer shares his “memoir in progress,” telling the story of traveling across the Sahara Desert in 1972. This led to a 10-year stay in Africa, including three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, two short contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development and more than […]
Chester Select Board agenda for May 6
The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and remotely via Zoom. Below is its agenda. 1. Approval of Minutes of April 15, 2026 Select Board Meeting 2. Citizen’s Comments 3. Old Business 4. Green Mountain Power Upgrades; Tim Jones 5. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 – […]
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 […]
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 […]
Chester board OKs federal grant application, solar field purchase
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC In one of the most unusual agendas in recent memory, the Chester Select Board held two meetings last Wednesday with three executive sessions and a legal tutorial on the roles of the board and town manager in Vermont statutes from town attorney Jim Carroll. While the remainder […]
Act 250 board suspends work on ‘road rule,’ Tier 3 regs ahead of likely repeal
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Earlier today, Alex Weinhagen of the Vermont’s Land Use Review Board told The Telegraph, “We are suspending work on the Tier 3 and the Road Construction Jurisdiction provisions of Act 181 given the Legislature’s likely repeal of these two elements of the law.” Then this afternoon, the […]
Chester 8th grader takes a turn as a legislative page in Montpelier
Chester resident Shepherd Finch, an 8th grader and legislative page, leads the Pledge of Allegiance for lawmakers on his first day as a page prior to the legislative day beginning in Montpelier. Video provided by the Nick Caporaso family. ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Eighth-grade Chester resident Shepherd Finch is getting an insider’s look at the […]