BENNINGTON -- Vermont Gov. James Douglas joined Department of Motor Vehicles officials and local dignitaries Monday to formally open a new DMV location in Bennington. "Welcome, everyone, to the new DMV office. I have to confess ... I didn’t really know where the old DMV office was. I guess that’s part of the point," Douglas said.   Full Story

WINHALL-- Police said that a Bennington man suspected of causing a fire that destroyed a warming hut at the Stratton Recreation Park in November was arrested Jan. 30 in Manchester. John C. Edmunds pleaded not guilty Feb. 2 in Brattleboro District Court to second degree arson and a felony count of unlawful mischief.   Full Story

BENNINGTON -- A forum for Bennington County residents interested in sharing ongoing environmental efforts from their workplace or community, or existing needs to increase environmental literacy in the state, will be held tonight in Manchester. The public dialogue, hosted by Vermont’s State-Wide Environmental Education Programs alliance, is similar to those that will be held in every   Full Story

MOUNT TABOR -- A snowmobile accident on a Vermont Association of Snow Travelers trail on Sunday in Mount Tabor resulted in a woman suffering severe head injuries and being flown to a hospital in New Hampshire, police said. State Police said the Rutland Barracks received a call about the accident around 4:40 p.   Full Story

WOODFORD --The Woodford school board recently warned a fiscal year 2011 elementary budget that shows a decrease of nearly $31,000 from the current budget. The budget of $465,751, which will be voted on from the floor March 1, is down 6.2 percent from this year's budget and decreases the cost per equalized pupil more than $1,400, or about 15 percent, to a modest $7,843 per equalized pupil.   Full Story

BENNINGTON --In a bid to generate leads, police are encouraging citizens to view an amateur video that shows a man vandalizing a moose sculpture in front of the Better Bennington Corp. building early Sunday morning. The incident was captured by a camera that constantly records the intersection of South Street and Elm Street and later posted on www.   Full Story

BENNINGTON -- A veterinary clinic specializing in equine care has moved to Bennington from the Northshire area. On Route 7 Rod Goebel, who provided ambulatory services for horses while living in Sandgate over the past six years, moved recently to Bennington and established Southern Vermont Veterinary Clinic on Route 7, near the Pownal border.   Full Story

BENNINGTON -- In addition to budget and other spending requests on town and school district warrants to be acted on in March, there are a number of notable special articles awaiting voters. Among these are: * Bennington voters will decide whether to add $50,000 to the 2011 fiscal year budget for a Veterans Honor Roll at the Vermont Veterans Home.   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 POWNAL -- The Pownal School District board recently warned the elementary school budget for fiscal year 2011, which shows an increase of approximately $90,000 but is still projectedtocut the school tax rate. The total budget of $3,650,838 is a 2.5percent increase from the currentbudget, but, if passed at the annual election in March, will still cut the   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 HOOSICK, N.Y. -- The former town dog control officer pleaded guilty Thursday in Hoosick Town Court to a number of misdemeanor charges involving cruelty to animals. Matthew Beck, 46, will serve two weekends in jail, wear a monitoring device for 10 days, and serve three years probation for pleading guilty to misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, petit larceny,   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 HOOSICK, N.Y. -- A man who pleaded guilty in January to stabbing a horse to death was sentenced Thursday in Rensselaer County Court to serve between 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison, as per a plea agreement. Michael Lohnes, 26, had pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal mischief, and aggravated cruelty to an animal.   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 BENNINGTON -- Local police are stepping up efforts to combat drunken driving this weekend because of two high-profile sporting events. Bennington Police Lt. Paul Doucette said the department will be joining with the Vermont State Police, Bennington County Sheriff’s Department and other municipal agencies to increase DUI patrols because of the Super Bowl on   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 BENNINGTON - Police said Thursday that they have cited two New York teenagers to appear in Bennington District Court for burglarizing the Career Development Center during a varsity wrestling tournament. According to a press release from Sgt. Lloyd Dean of the Bennington Police Department, on Jan.   Full Story

Thursday February 4, 2010 MANCHESTER -- For its fourth consecutive year, Hildene sponsored an essay writing contest for Vermont’s eighth graders. Originally limited to a more local, Bennington County audience, the contest went statewide last year and drew entries from 89 students from 14 schools across the state this year.   Full Story

BENNINGTON -- It's estimated that Vermont will need morethan1,000 temporary,part-time workers to go door-to-door collecting data for the 2010 census. Ellen Biddle, a recruiting manager for the Census Bureau, said Tuesday that job applications are still being taken. She said that enumerators (those who go door-to-door), crew leaders and field supervisors are needed.   Full Story