News

Town Meeting voters defeat solar bond plan

WILMINGTON- Voters rejected a plan to issue a $350,000 bond to pay for new solar panels on a town building after Town Meeting speakers raised concerns that the panels might interfere with police and fire radio signals. The vote against the project was 106 to 92 in an Australian ballot cast...

Readsboro approves spending of $1.5 million

Voters discuss town report and gravel plan
READSBORO—Voters at Readsboro’s Town Meeting weren’t in a particularly inquisitive mood Monday evening, passing almost $1.5 million in spending without questions or discussion.
Most of the discussion during the brief...

Halifax voters approve school budget, highway fund

HALIFAX- Voters at this year’s Town Meeting approved a $2.64 million school budget for fiscal 2027, a $2.5 million highway fund, and the elimination of the town auditor’s office Voters took approximately 90 minutes to consider 11 articles during the meeting’s municipal portion. All the articles...

Fires claim a life in Wilmington, destroy a building in Readsboro

DEERFIELD VALLEY—One man died and three people were made homeless on Saturday when fires destroyed two buildings in Wilmington and Readsboro, respectively.
The Wilmington fire occurred on Saturday at a house on Ray Hill Road. Police and fire crews arrived at about 11:15 pm to find the...

Dover Moderator Rich Werner speaks while Town Meeting voters pore over their town reports.

Dover Town Meeting voters pass all warned articles

DOVER - Voters in Dover gathered for a meeting that lasted into the afternoon on Town Meeting Day. All warned articles passed unanimously except one. Throughout the meeting, several amendments were introduced, leading moderator Rich Werner to dub it “the year of amendments.” One of those...

Asa Whitcomb Jones speaks to Readsboro voters on behalf of a group of parents and residents in favor of keeping the town’s school open. Photo by Mike Eldred

Readsboro voters grapple with school closure question

READSBORO—Voters debated the merits of closing or maintaining classes at Readsboro Central School Monday evening, on the eve of an Australian ballot vote on the question.
Readsboro School Board Chair Cindy Florence, referring to a spreadsheet in a handout available to voters, explained...

Marlboro and Readsboro vote to close schools

SOUTHERN VERMONT—Voters in two local towns passed Australian ballot measures to close their local elementary schools by overwhelming margins
In Readsboro, voters chose school closure in a 222 to 36 vote on Tuesday, following a rigorous hourlong debate at the district’s annual meeting and...

Searsburg voters OK spending of more than $1 million

Lawmakers speak about struggle to reform education system
SEARSBURG—A handful of voters passed more than $1 million in spending in a matter of minutes at Monday evening’s Town Meeting and annual school district meeting, before hearing a midterm legislative update from two...

Whitingham voters make quick work of 30 warned articles

WHITINGHAM—Voters were in an agreeable mood at Town Meeting on Tuesday, as they breezed through 30 warned articles in less than two hours.
During the meeting in the gymnasium at Twin Valley Middle High School, Whitingham voters greeted some new town officials in key roles, heard a quick...

Cemetery, paving inspire discussion at Dover’s pre-Town Meeting

DOVER - As is tradition in Dover, voters gathered for the town’s annual “pre-Town Meeting” on Tuesday evening, one week out from Town Meeting Day, March 3. Although voters engaged in lively discussion of the town’s 23-article warning, no article proved to be particularly contentious. Articles...