NEK Aquatics Swims into New Season

nekaquaticsLYNDONVILLE- The Northeast Kingdom Aquatics team is making a splash as the start their new season. This year the team is welcoming some new faces to the program.Head coach Ted Chitambar says, "We've got a bunch of new faces, new swimmers, new coaches. It's a very exciting time to be on the team and on the deck."

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VSC Board of Trustees Vote Means Changes for NVU

vscvoteFAIRLEE-Changes are being made to how the money given to public higher education in Vermont is distributed and the newly formed Northern Vermont University here in the Northeast Kingdom is facing a financial cut. Today the Vermont State College Board of Trustees approved a new payment structure for the four state colleges and universities that leaves NVU receiving less over the next 4 years.

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The Grindstone Cafe Expands

grindstoneLYNDONVILLE- Over the summer the Grindstone Cafe and Wellness Center expanded their shop-space significantly.

According to one of the center's owners, Sali Crow, the stars aligned for the project quite perfectly. "When we brought on Michele Wildflower who does CBD workshops, it really became crowded. So I spoke to my business partner Kim Crady-Smith and said, 'Hey I think we need to rent more space.' And literally the next day the land lady called us to say the people next door weren't renewing their lease. So we began June first, and the wall between the two spaces came down June 26th."

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Home Is Where The Heart Is

welcomehomeLYNDONVILLE- As I arrived at Welcome Home, Karen Thompson was immediately outside, greeting me with a hug and assisting with my equipment. Her hospitality was instantly present. It was comfortable, it felt like home.

Thompson opened Welcome Home, an assisted living organization, on May 5th, 2017. Her mission being to care for those who can no longer care for themselves.

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Blood Shortage Caused By Hurricane

UntitledLYNDON - The Red Cross hosted a blood drive at Northern Vermont University And 

donors attendance became more imparritive due to the recent destruction in the south caused by hurricane Florence. Due to the flooding and 

destruction, blood drives in crucial areas had to be cancelled for obvious reasons. Now southern state such as the Carolina's are struggling with a

shortage of blood.

"Typically during the summer months we are always short" said Judy Green - team supervisor for The Red Cross.

It's due to this shortage during the summer, that this time of year when school is in session that donations become essential.

"A majority of our blood we do get from high schools and colleges." Says Green

If you are squeamish and/or may not be able to donate blood you can always volunteer at a blood drive happening near you. This is often a great opportunity for students to get involved with the community.

"I woke up this morning felt like in a volunteer kind of mood. He talked about a blood drive. And I was like let's go volunteer" Said Bill Denty student at Northern Vermont University.

The university produced quite the number of donors. Even more than expected by the two students who volunteered at the drive.

"Um there's actually a lot of people showing up, I will give them credit. I didn't expect a lot of people to show up." says Bill

It is also important to never forget the importance of a donation. Donations are used in many different procedures and products that could help save a

person's life. All upcoming drives as well as additional information can be found on the American Red Cross website.

Vaping Industry's Impact on Youth

vapeLYNDONVILLE- The state of Vermont has set aside an additional one million dollars for the 2019 fiscal year for tobacco-control projects. Much of what made this happen was a 2016 study showing that eighteen percent of adult Vermonters used tobacco products, a number that was higher than the national average of 15.5 percent.

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Lyndon Rescue's Hunt Is Over


lyndon truckLYNDON-
After a 6 month search for a new ambulance truck Lyndon Rescue has finally found the truck for them. After ten years of loyal service Lyndon Rescue will be saying goodbye to their long time truck.

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Dance Teacher Shares His Love with NEK

line dancingLYNDONVILLE- Not everyone starts out as a great dancer, and neither did Warren Johnston. But over time the 76 year-old has gained some experience. Johnston says, "I never danced when I was younger except to go to the prom or something like that, and I was very clumsy at it."Johnston didn't even have much of an interest in dance until his wife convinced him to take line dancing classes with her.

Read more: Dance Teacher Shares His Love with NEK

L.I. Safety Protocols

L.ILYNDON- On August 28th, the first day of classes for Lyndon Institute, a lockdown was initiated after a suspicious person was spotted on campus carrying what looked like a concealed rifle. The report was sent in by a non-local resident who called the Lyndon Police Department with the warning. 

Read more: L.I. Safety Protocols

Phil Scott Plants Seeds with Thaddeus Stevens Students

PhilScottLYNDONVILLE- Governor Phil Scott got his hands dirty today as he and students at the Thaddeus Stevens school planted seeds in their garden. Scott said, "they've done such a terrific job and they wanted to show off what they've accomplished."

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Lyndonville Bulky Week

bulkydayLYNDONVILLE - Bulky Week in Lyndonville has transformed significantly since Paul Tomasi began working at the Northeast Kingdom Waste District. What now serves as a week-long opportunity for town residents to dispose of big, unwanted items, once took place over the course of a single day.

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Bringing Books Back to the Community

little libraries thumbnailLYNDONVILLE- The Foundry in Lyndonville was filled with hard work, wood work, and selflessness on Wednesday night as a group of locals gathered with one goal in mind: to build tiny libraries to put out in their communities. “Today I am here to build a tiny library that I can put on my street. I live in a town that has nothing except an old church and I think that education and reading is important. So I want to give books to my community,” said Diane Price, a participant in the workshop. 

 

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Gregg Fest

GreggFest ThumbnailLYNDON- The 5th anuual Greggfest was put on the 4th and 5th of May. Greggfest is a music festival put on by the Music Business Industry students at Lyndon State College. This festival had been originally put on to raise money for a student, Jake Gregg, who was diagnosed with Leukemia. "We do it in honor of a former student named Jake Gregg, He was diagnosed with Cancer While he was here, and we started the festival to raise funds for his care and to lift his spirits just by putting on a show that he would want to see and, he unfortunatly passed away in April of 2015... we now put the money into an endowment fund for scholarships in Jake's name for MBI (Music Business Industry) students in need."

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David Anderson, Ville Furniture & Gallery

VilleFurnitureLYNDONVILLE— David Anderson opened Ville Furniture and Gallery in early April with the hopes to settle down and continue his passion for woodworking.
Anderson is a retired builder who, during his time as a professional, lived in several different areas around the world.

"I lived in Brazil for 11 years," said Anderson. "I also was a builder in Long Island for quite some time.

Read more: David Anderson, Ville Furniture & Gallery

H.O.P.E.'s Efforts to Aid Homelessness

HOPEINTLYNDONVILLE - As many know, homelessness is an issue that continues to impact the Northeast Kingdom. However, what you may not realize is its severity. According to Dan Haycook, general manager of H.O.P.E. in Lyndonville, homelessness here isn't as obvious as it is in urban areas, as people stay in the woods rather than on the streets. Nevertheless, there are still many individuals in the area struggling to meet their most basic needs.

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M.O.W Driver

hyhThe Darling Inn in Lyndonville has had their Meals on Wheels program for a long time, their volunteers help people make meals and deliver to them, Malcolm Babras is one of the volunteer drivers, he and his wife have delivered food for four years. The only one reason made they decided to do this, is they think some people need help.

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Color Run Brings Hope to NEK

colr run thumbnailLYNDONVILLE- Saturday, April 28th marked the fifth annual H.O.P.E. Color Run in in Bandstand Park. The event raises money to support the local non-profit organization in their effort to give back and help their community. 

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Free Tuition Possible for Vermont?

free2018-02-14 at 7.49.33 PMLYNDON- Last Wednesday, April 18th Montpelier proposed a free tuition bill. This bill was to determine whether or not in state students that attend Vermont State College's or the University of Vermont can offer free tuition. New York made a free tuition rule in 2017 and now Vermont wants to see if they can follow the same or not.

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Petitions start today

marty Feltus 2018-02-14 at 7.49.33 PMLYNDON- Today is the first day that people can place their petitions in for the Primary Election Vote that is happening on August 14th of this year. Legislature Marty Feltus will be running again and she hopes to be legislature for two more years. Feltus explained why she wanted to run again.

Read more: Petitions start today

New Look for the Lyndon Town Garage

lyndon garageLYNDON - The former Lyndon Town and Highway garage, has sat at 433 East Burke Road for as long as local officials can remember. But given the new garage for the town, officials have been tasked with re-purposing the property.

Read more: New Look for the Lyndon Town Garage

Bulky Week Preparations

Bulky meetingLyndonville - The Lyndonville select-board and Northeast Kingdom Waste Management are working to finalize the details for the bulky week event. Select-board members and the executive director of the NEK Waste Management district discussed Monday night a number of logistical challenges that they face each year.

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Different Schools Same Mission

Lyndon Educaiton ThumbnailLYNDON - Following school shootings across the country, Vermont schools have taken a look at how they keep their campus, faculty, and students safe. Governor Scott has asked the Vermont State Police to assess all schools in Vermont to make suggestions on how to improve school safety across the state.

Read more: Different Schools Same Mission

Vermont Trout Season is Approaching

fishingrob thumbnailLYNDONVILLE- Vermont anglers are preparing for opening day of the 2018 Trout season. The season opens on Saturday, April 14th.

Ted Benoit owner of the Lead and Tackle says trout season means spring is on its way, "it's a great way to kick off spring. Everybody has been inside through a long Vermont winter, once again." Benoit adds that as the weather gets nicer it makes open waters more of a reality for fishers in the area.

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Good Friday

good fridayLYNDON- Today is Friday, but it's Good Friday. It's a day for people to celebrate and recognize what Jesus did for us. The Lyndonville United Methodist Church is once again holding another Good Friday Service for the public."Today is Good Friday which is a day that we recognize that Jesus was crucified and tonight we will be remembering and telling that story, what happened and what it means." Said Jim Proctor Pastor of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church.

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Stuffed Animals for Kids in Need

lyndon furniture fundraiser thumbnailLYNDON - Lyndon Furniture has started a fundraiser that is stuffed with compassion for those who need a furry friend to help combat traumatic experiences. Last week Lyndon Furniture reached out to the local Police, Rescue, and Fire departments to ask what they could do to help with whatever the departments needed.

Read more: Stuffed Animals for Kids in Need