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Donated land faces murky future

BRADFORD—In the mid-1980s, an 18-acre parcel in Bradford Center near the Waits River, was donated to the Green Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America by longtime Bradford resident, Charles A. Kenyon. The land has been used by local Scouts for nearly 40 years, but could be sold to help the national organization satisfy […]

Pellet mill wins approval

NEWBURY—Lyme Green Heat’s plan to produce wood pellets on the former Newman Lumber property in the Newbury Industrial Park has been approved by the Newbury Development Review Board. The DRB unanimously approved the site plan application last week after a public hearing was held on Dec. 30. “We’ve been thinking about this project for a […]

Summer camp plans shelved in Bradford

BRADFORD—COVID-19 and a labor crunch have dashed plans to resurrect a full-time summer camp in 2022. At a meeting on Dec. 21, Bradford Selectboard members instead agreed to a concept proposed by the Bradford Parks and Recreation Commission to hold short-term programming and a series of clinics rather than a full-time camp next summer.

School board puts masks, SRO on agenda

NORTH HAVERHILL—The Haverhill Cooperative School Board has moved the location of its next meeting to the Haverhill Cooperative Middle School. The meeting is on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. Masks will be on the agenda after the board’s decision in December to repeal its targeted masking policy drew criticism, including from the local teachers union.

Post-holiday case bounce expected

MONTPELIER—Vermont officials said in a Dec. 28 press conference that the state expects an increase in COVID-19 cases due to holiday gatherings and the omicron variant. The omicron variant, a relatively new mutation of the coronavirus, was first identified in South Africa in November, and is more contagious than previous variants. It has already been […]

Orford mulls land for sand, more

ORFORD—At the Orford Selectboard meeting on Dec. 22, a proposal to purchase property was an item being considered as a warrant article for the March 2022 town meeting agenda. Looking ahead to Orford’s future growth, the selectboard is putting forth a plan to purchase a property rich with sand to meet the town’s current and […]

Solstice fire burns cocoa plant

NEWBURY—An overnight fire destroyed the Sillycow Farms building in the Newbury Industrial Park. “We’re in crisis mode right now,” said Sillycow Farms CEO Keith Lemnios on Tuesday afternoon. There were no injuries. Nobody was working inside the building at the time of the fire, but Lemnios said the fire came at the worst time of […]

Board balks at mask mandate

FAIRLEE—The Fairlee Selectboard opted against a mask mandate after discussion on Monday night. Instead, town officials said they will recommend that businesses ask patrons and employees to wear a mask in public indoor settings. After a special legislative session in November, Gov. Phil Scott signed a law permitting municipalities to require face coverings and masks […]

Topsham farmer follows dream, even to Florida

EAST TOPSHAM—Abby Driscoll, daughter of Steve and Deb Smith, grew up around cows and spent hours in the barn alongside her father. As she grew, so did her herd of 20 cows that she would one day relocate from Vermont to Florida. It all began a little over 20 years ago when, at milking time, […]

Federal money lined up for mine cleanup

VERSHIRE—After decades of study and funding uncertainty, the long-awaited cleanup of the Ely Mine appears to be closer . Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that $1 billion in funding from the first distribution of the infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden in November will be used to clear the backlog […]