As construction season gets under way, work is set to begin on the first phase of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. When complete, the trail will stretch across the breadth of Vermont, between St. Johnsbury and Swanton. But project organizers fear they won't have the money to get very far.

Residents in South Hero are organizing to fight a proposed dollar store in their community.  They join a number of towns where there is opposition to proposals to build the small box stores.

A popular recreation center in Derby closed its doors earlier this week. The Indoor Recreation Center of Orleans County, known as IROC, shut down after a long effort to save it from foreclosure.

The State Public Service Board is hearing testimony on a proposed wood-chip-fired power plant in North Springfield. The 35 megawatt project would be Vermont's largest biomass plant.  

An early morning fire has displaced 17 people in downtown Springfield. Officials say the fire heavily damaged the seven-unit apartment building.

When an old dairy farm in Shoreham became the hub for a trendy new whiskey company several years ago, many were excited by the idea of new jobs and economic development. But two things may get in the company's way: mold and the state's definition of a farm.

The project to rebuild a 140-year-old building damaged by fire in Brattleboro has gotten a boost.

Vermont's political leaders visited Burlington High School Monday, highlighting a new initiative between Burlington and Winooski. The state's two most diverse school districts are working together to remodel and rethink their education systems, and they're getting a little help from civic leaders.

The town of Brattleboro is handing out reflective arm and leg bands to increase the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists after dark. The initiative is part of a wider response to a wave of vehicle-pedestrian accidents in town.

A public space in what's known as the River Garden in Brattleboro is in danger of closing. The building is owned by a business group that's been funding and keeping it open the past few years, but the group Building a Better Brattleboro removed the money from their proposed 2014 budget.

The governor announced Tuesday that the state has come up with the money to help buy those properties that were destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene, and that FEMA has deemed ineligible for its funding.

The state of Vermont is announcing today it will cover 75 percent of the cost of buying out homes that FEMA has deemed ineligible for a federal buy-out.

A medical marijuana dispensary may find a home in Brandon. A town development review board changed the use of a building to allow for a dispensary.

The state auditor says cities and towns that have special economic development tax districts should return some of the money they owe the state

Five years ago at Town Meeting, about two dozen towns from Montpelier to White River Junction voted to join ECFiber, a community based organization that promised to deliver high speed fiber optic broadband service to every household. Today ECFiber has been able to connect just a few hundred customers, and in the five years that have passed, its had to dramatically change its business model.

Gov. Peter Shumlin said on Wednesday the state shouldn't collect $6 million that the auditor's office says several towns owe to the state education fund.

In Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras won re-election - beating challenger David Allaire by a little more than 400 votes.  

On this Town Meeting Day, voters in one Addison County town have reiterated their strong opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline, hoping to boost their voice as the Vermont Gas Company seeks permission from the state to expand its service south.

While prayers may have once been a common opening of Town Meeting, many towns left them behind years ago. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns says some communities are using a civil invocation.

Voters in Guilford will decide Tuesday whether or not to discontinue the seventh and eighth grades at the Guilford Central School.

Vermont Gas has changed the route of the proposed extension of its natural gas pipeline through Addison County. The company filed a petition last year for a state permit to build a 42-mile pipeline from Colchester to Middlebury.

By a vote of 322 to 147, the town rejected a proposal to close the high school and send its 65 students to other schools in the region.

Newscast: Monday, March 4, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras faces stiff opposition from well-known challenger for the city's top job. While the campaign has been relatively quiet, public safety and the city's drug problem have emerged as a top issues in a race that will be decided on Town Meeting Day.

The downtown of Springfield continues to recover after a fire hit the Ellis block in 2008. The building contained apartments as well as the movie theater. Now the Select Board is taking measures to help the operators of the theater.