Rutland

A Vermont woman who just turned 100 years old is asking community members for a birthday present that doesn’t even cost a penny. “It’s such a nice time to be giving,” said Mary Ojala, of Rutland, who is asking folks to roll up their sleeves for the Gift of Life Marathon—a four-day blood drive in and around Rutland.  Ojala,...

Mary Ojala, of Rutland, Vermont, is asking folks to roll up their sleeves for the Gift of Life Marathon—a four-day blood drive in and around Rutland.

Law enforcement officials in Vermont are investigating a suspicious death at a hotel in Rutland. Officers responded to the Quality Inn, located at 253 South Main Street, around 3:40 a.m. Sunday to investigate a report of a disturbance in a hotel room, Vermont State Police said in a press release. Officers found a man dead in the room, police said,…

A new public sculpture made its debut Wednesday in downtown Rutland, Vermont, celebrating a figure from the city’s history books. “One more thing which continues to put Rutland on the map,” beamed Al Wakefield, a resident of Rutland County. In recent years, Rutland has been working to grow its reputation for outdoor murals and sculptures. Wakefield, along with other...

A new sculpture debuted Wednesday in Vermont, celebrating a historic figure from the city of Rutland.

This week marked the end of the line for a family business known to generations of grocery shoppers in a large part of Vermont. The 99-year-old Thomas Dairy of Rutland said the crippling sales losses during COVID-19 were too costly for it to keep going. “Thomas Dairy—best milk around Vermont, for real,” said milk drinker Cole Webster of Florence,...

A family business known to generations of grocery shoppers in a large part of Vermont is shutting down citing losses from the coronavirus pandemic.

The leader of a Vermont branch of the NAACP is selling her home over what she describes as months of racially motivated harassment targeting her and her children. Tabitha Moore, director of the Rutland Area chapter of NAACP, tells the Rutland Herald in a story published Friday she’s already found a buyer for her Wallingford home, but doesn’t know...

Clinics to test for the virus that causes COVID-19 are being held in Rutland over three days as Vermont is responding to an outbreak traced to a Killington lodge. The Wednesday-through Friday testing at the Rutland Regional Medical Center is in addition to the Vermont Health Department’s pop-up clinic being held Wednesday at the Asa Bloomer state office building....

A Vermont muralist is hoping to turn pain and anger over the deaths of Black people at the hands of police into an opportunity for reflection that amplifies voices of community members of color. “I’m just trying to send the message that ‘Black Lives Matter’ is bare minimum,” said Lopi LaRoe. “Can we protect Black lives? Can we cherish...

A Vermont artist is hoping to turn pain and anger into an opportunity for reflection while uplifting voices of community members of color with a new mural.

The number of bald eagles in Massachusetts continues to grow, with nine new nests confirmed in the state this year, including the first on Cape Cod in more than a century. The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife said more than 70 active eagles’ nests have been documented around the state in 2020, including new nests in Fitchburg, Wenham, Concord,…

A 48-year-old Massachusetts police officer died early Friday morning after battling the coronavirus. Rutland police Detective John Songy, of Leicester, was an eight-year department veteran and had previously served with the Oakham Police Department. He had been battling COVID-19 for the past month. “John passed away in the early morning hours of May 29, 2020, after a courageous and well-fought…

A Massachusetts police officer died early Friday morning after battling the coronavirus.

There will be no criminal charges filed against four Vermont police officers who shot and killed the son of Rutland’s former mayor back in October, after he led them on a chase and opened fire on the officers first. Footage from a police cruiser’s dashboard camera, obtained by NECN Tuesday, shows a chase through a popular shopping area’s parking...

There will be no criminal charges filed against four police officers who shot and killed a man in Rutland in October. The man was the son of a former mayor, but died in a shootout with police after a chase.

A new volunteer project in Vermont is aimed at supporting locals who are struggling with the costs of feeding their pets. “It’s been great to see people come together and drop food off,” said Linda Groce, the co-organizer of the Pet Food Pantry in Rutland. This month, Groce and a friend, Theresa Jones, started gathering pet food donations to...

A new volunteer project aims to support low-income people and seniors who struggle with the cost of pet care.

The trash collection industry has long recommended drivers quickly unload burning garbage to ensure their safety. But as California braces for several days of hot, windy weather, they’re taking a second look at their guidance on trash-dumping when the threat of wildfires is high.

Police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Rutland, Vermont.