By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent A 19-year-old Hartland man was found dead on the banks of the Ottauquechee River about 17 hours after he crashed his car into a tree off of East Woodstock Road, Woodstock Police said. The body of Benjamin Johnsen was transported to the office of Vermont Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington for an autopsy to determine …

For years, local artist and Norman Williams Public Library employee, Adrian Tans, has brought beauty and art to the local Woodstock Town Crier bulletin board.  Now the “Town Smiler” — renamed during the COVID-19 pandemic in part because of the chalk murals Tans would create month after month — has been sitting empty. On Oct. 23, Tans finished a drawing …

By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent A Vermont Superior Court judge has taken under advisement arguments by lawyers for the Village of Woodstock and its former Police Chief Joe Swanson on whether he was properly demoted by municipal manager Eric Duffy this year. Judge H. Dickson Corbett heard 15 minutes of arguments by each side during the video hearing on Tuesday …

The Shire Woodstock has begun renovations that promise to see the hotel updated with a new lounge and bar for guests, as well as some needed repairs and refurnishing in its lobby and guest rooms. Purchased in 2021 by David MacKay and Jeff Glew of Turnstone Ventures in Boston, the Shire has already undergone upgrades to its exterior — including …

State officials say up to nearly 200 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Ottauquechee River after a box truck crashed off Interstate 91 in Hartland on Saturday.  Vermont State Police identified the driver as James Sseggwanyi, 44, of Chelmsford, Mass.  They said he was northbound when he lost control of his 2020 Isuzu box truck and it went through …

Last Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Pomfret Selectboard presented to the public its much-anticipated Town Plan, released more than a year behind schedule. The plan is intended to be a visionary document — versus a binding document — for the town’s next eight years. Turnout was high and participation vigorous, as town citizens voiced questions and concerns about issues ranging from …

Over the past several weeks, the Vermont Standard spoke with police chiefs who lead small departments in communities similar to ours to learn about the best practices they use today to keep citizens safe. Several common themes emerged, with most chiefs prioritizing proactive, ongoing dialogue with the people they serve as an essential means of ensuring public safety. Repeatedly stressing …

Interim Woodstock Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe told the Standard that there will now be a temporary parking ban on Charles Street near the Farmer and the Bell restaurant in Woodstock. He said that the residents on that road have reported difficulty driving through it when there are people parked on the side. O’Keeffe said that the parking ban is part …