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 […]
Photo of the Week
Community volunteers in Piermont spent the weekend installing new playground equipment on the grounds of Piermont Village School. For a story in the Journal Opinion in 2023, organizers said the estimated project was $140,000. Although the playground is on campus, it is open to the public outside of regular school hours. A New Hampshire State Parks Land and Water Conservation Fund grant covered half the cost with financial donations, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours covering the rest. Pictured are Stella Rose, Tatum Farley, Rylynn Hambrick, Ruslan Frimerman, Elena Frimerman, Kate Farley, and Blake Farley assembling some of the equipment. A ribbon-cutting will be held at a later date.
