All Entries in the "Latest News" Category
Andover Board nears accepting its first million-dollar budget Discussion of regulating short-term rentals dominates, but board opts for slower deliberations
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the Andover Select Board on Monday night spent more time discussing a proposed bylaw addressing regulating the growing short-term rental industry, no action was taken on the issue — and seemingly won’t be in time for Town Meeting in March, when voters would have the earliest opportunity […]
Heel to toe: Wood carver Pinske nails a giant workboot
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester wood carver Barre Pinske — best known for his bears of many sizes — has been doing some sole-searching to create a gigantic workboot for a shoe and clothing shop in northern Massachusetts. His transition from bear carver to Paul Bunyan cobbler began when he was contacted […]
Jackknifed tractor trailer closes slushy Grafton Road
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC The driver of a northbound tractor trailer lost control of his truck in slushy conditions on Route 35 in Chester on Friday, Jan. 6 and jackknifed winding up pointing in the opposite direction in a ditch. The mishap closed the Grafton Road from around 11:30 a.m. until […]
Cavendish Select Board agenda for Jan. 9
The Cavendish Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday January 9th, 2023, in the meeting room at the Town Office at 37 High Street in Cavendish Below is the board’s agenda 1. Call the meeting to order 2. Approval of Minutes from December 12th, 2022 3. Adjust agenda 4. Hear […]
Green Mountain school officials, police address student threat
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Police were called to Green Mountain High School on Tuesday, Jan. 3 after school officials received word of a threat made during a social media conversation among five high-school students, apparently while they were away from the school. Chester Police Chief Tom Williams said that the school […]
Andover Select Board agenda for Jan. 9
The Select Board for the Town of Andover will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9 at Andover Town Office, 953 Andover Road, and via Zoom. To access via Zoom click here. Meeting ID: 869 021 5007 and Passcode: 146374. Below is its agenda. 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. […]
Two select boards push back on their planning commissions Short-term rentals, energy chapter at issue as ARPA fund uses discussed
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing, LLC At their last regular meetings of 2022 the Select Boards of Andover and Cavendish took issue with the work of their towns’ Planning Commission and, in one instance, broached the idea of removing members to get its way. On Dec. 27 in Andover, the board took up […]
Chester Select Board agenda for Jan. 4
The Chester Select Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom. To join the meeting via Zoom, click here. Below is its agenda. 1. Approve Minutes from the December 21, 2022 Selectboard Meeting 2. Citizen Comments/Answers from Previous Meeting 3. Old Business 4. Trustees […]
Rt. 121 closure in Saxtons River postponed til next week
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Due to last week’s snowstorm, the scheduled closure of Rt. 121 in Saxtons River has been postponed to Jan. 3. The closure is part of the repair of bridges on I-91 and involves the placement of a crane on the roadway below the bridges. It is expected […]
Inclusion declaration divides Chester board Measure passes on 3-2 vote after testy discussions
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Despite statements that all five members of the Chester Select Board supported a “declaration of inclusion” adopted by other Vermont towns and proposed by members of the Chester community, the measure only passed by a bare majority of three votes to two last Wednesday night. The discussion […]
Challenges in journalism hit small rural communities: Prairie, Williams on GNAT’s ‘Press Pass’
On Thursday, Dec. 16, Cynthia Prairie, editor and publisher of The Chester Telegraph, sat down with Terry Williams, president and chief operating office of The Keene (N.H.) Sentinel and GNAT-TV news director Andrew McKeever for a discussion on the current state and challenges of journalism for McKeever’s Press Pass program. We thought our readers would […]
To the editor: With adoption of Declaration of Inclusion, time for GM to jettison Chieftain logo
It was wonderful to hear the Chester Select Board consider and adopt a Declaration of Inclusion on Wednesday evening. I was so encouraged to hear the supportive dialogue from most select board members. Having been involved in the Springfield DOI committee several months ago myself, I can appreciate the amount of work and collaboration that […]
Andover Select Board agenda for Dec. 27
The Select Board for the Town of Andover will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at Town Office, 953 Andover Road, and via Zoom. To join via Zoom, click here. Meeting ID: 869 021 5007 and Passcode: 146374 The Tuesday, Dec. 27 date is a change from regular meetings. Below is its agenda. […]
Judge defers decision on Merrill plea agreement
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester resident and former middle school teacher Norman Merrill, charged with three felony counts related to creating and possessing child pornography, changed his not guilty plea on the count carrying the least penalty Tuesday morning, to guilty under an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. However, U.S. […]
Bonnie & Lew Watters’ works on display at SVAC
Chester doll artist Bonnie Watters has her last remaining edition of Destry Doll on display at the fall/winter member exhibit of the Southern Vermont Art Center, 860 Southern Vermont Arts Center Drive in Manchester. Watters is ending her 54 years of doll artistry since she is no longer able to sew. Destry was created in […]
Chester Select Board and Water Commissioners agendas for Dec. 21
The Chester Select Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom. To join the meeting via Zoom, click here. Following the Select Board meeting, the Water/Wastewater Commissioners will meet. Below are their agendas. Select Board Agenda 1. Approve Minutes from the December 7, 2022 […]
Vermont Corrections to digitize grievance system, create independent investigation unit
WATERBURY The Vermont Department of Corrections has announced that it will immediately move to digitize its grievance system and create an independent investigative unit following recommendations from a new report by the State Auditor’s Office. “It’s time to make these much-needed upgrades, and I thank State Auditor Doug Hoffer and his staff for their thorough […]
SAPA TV to host 5th annual 24 hours of Christmas films, cartoons
Once again, SAPA TV, the Springfield area’s public access TV station, will run 24 hours of Christmas movies and short subjects from 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 7 p.m. on Christmas Day. Viewers in Springfield, Weathersfield and Chester, as well as in Charlestown, N.H., are welcomed to spend the day with 1964’s Santa Claus […]
DOC probes death of Windsor man in custody
WATERBURY The Vermont Department of Corrections is conducting internal administrative and medical reviews following the death of an incarcerated 49-year-old Windsor man on Sunday. Jack Martin died at Rutland Regional Medical Center on Sunday afternoon after being admitted to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 9. According to the DOC, Martin reported difficulty sitting upright while […]
Chester board adopts short-term rental ordinance
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC Beginning in April of next year, property owners who offer dwellings in Chester for short-term rental will have to register with the town by paying a fee and abiding by a set of health and safety regulations that are already in state law but sparsely enforced. The unanimous […]
