Douglas assesses town fire damage

The owner of the Lincoln/McKinley Block in downtown Springfield, damaged by water and smoke in the fire that gutted the neighboring Ellis Block earlier this month, said it would probably be a month to six weeks before Penelope's Restaurant can reopen.
B.J. Crowley met with several town officials and Gov. James Douglas Monday to discuss the effects of the downtown fire.

FM, Red Sox radio returns

Red Sox fans rejoice! After a 10-year absence, FM radio has returned to town, allowing more listeners to follow local news and root for the home team.
WCFR, which broadcasts on 1480 AM, began broadcasting on 106.5 FM on Friday afternoon, said general manager Ray Kimball, who is perhaps better known by his radio persona as host of "Wake up Mornings with Dancin' Mark Hanson."

Rotary buys field at old ice cream plant

The baseball field formerly known as Ben & Jerry's field has not seen its last inning of Springfield baseball. The Springfield Rotary has purchased the field adjacent to the former Ben & Jerry's plant on Fairbanks Road and plans to renovate it and give it back to the town.

Town's property taxes set to rise

Property taxes are going up 2.6 percent for residents of Springfield, and about double that increase for nonresidential property owners and owners of commercial property.

Tax rate increases six cents

Residents will see a six cent increase in the town's overall residential tax rate following the select board's vote Monday night to set the 2008-09 rate.

North Springfield store robbed

An armed robber held up the North Springfield Mobil late Sunday night getting away with hundreds of dollars in cash.

Court won't reduce bail for jailed fire suspect

On Wednesday, White River Junction District Court Judge M. Kathleen Manley denied a motion by Sandy Nelson, attorney for Jon Gassert Jr., to reduce Gassert's bail from $25,000 to $100 and release Gassert into the custody of his mother and sister.

Ellis Block owners await insurer action

The family that owns the Ellis Block in downtown Springfield said Monday they were waiting for their insurance company before they could hire someone to stabilize and clean up the burned-out building.

Proposed changes worry parents

While the School Board considered changes Monday night to the way the district creates bus routes, some residents voiced concern that proposed changes might prevent students from getting to school at all.

New sidewalks weeks away in downtown Springfield

Out with the old, in with the new is the theme in downtown Springfield as crews started ripping up sidewalks along one side of Main Street this week.

Welch Surveys Alleged Arson Scene

Video: Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont visited the site of a July 9 fire at the Ellis Block in downtown Springfield, as estimators surveyed the damage to determine what it will cost to repair the building. Also features theater owner Bryana Goodrich.

Welch brings rec center fed funding

U.S. Rep. Peter F. Welch, D-Vt., proved that congressional "pork" can be good for your health.
Welch came to the Southern Vermont Recreation Center Monday morning with the news that he had secured $121,000 in federal health funding for the new center.

Prison chief leaves position

Southern State Correctional Facility Superintendent Kevin Ashburn has left the prison less than three years after taking the job, according to Vermont Department of Corrections Commissioner Robert Hofmann.

Police social worker making connections

As it has been the case for many in and around Springfield laterly, Claudia Schleiman's life in the past 10 days has centered around the Ellis Block fire.

Town walk project begins

The long-awaited $1.1 million downtown sidewalk reconstruction project on Main Street has finally begun.

The Down & Dirty News On Springfield Garden Club Scholarships

SGC awarded scholarships of $1000 each to deserving graduating Springfield High School Seniors, Evan Lockwood and Ben Bolaski.

CRT to cut bus routes

Not enough riders to meet "performance measures" will mean cutting back on in-town bus routes in Springfield and Windsor by Connecticut River Transit.

Springfield rec center loses tax appeal

A state appraiser has denied a request to lower the assessed value on the Southern Vermont Health and Recreation Center and subsequently lower its tax bill.

Windsor Ag Fair fetes 35 years

The Windsor Agricultural Fair celebrates its 35th year in Springfield today and Sunday in Barlow's Field on Eureka Road.

Official: Building unsafe after fire

Residents of the Lincoln Block in downtown Springfield won't be able to return to their homes until early next week at the earliest, assuming the building passes electrical and structural evaluations, the regional manager of the Division of Fire Safety said Friday.

Springfield to figure out what's next

With the odor of smoke still detectable days after this week's devastating fire at the Ellis Block, officials are set to gather to map out the next steps regarding the damaged downtown Springfield site.

Shock, loss in fire's wake

Close to 40 people were made homeless by the fire in the downtown historic block Tuesday night, with people who lived in the Ellis Block losing everything but what they grabbed in fear at 11 p.m. Those people from the neighboring Lincoln Block are homeless, too, temporarily barred from returning to their homes.

Court records: Teen accused in fire had dispute with landlord

A disagreement over an air conditioner and an eviction notice allegedly led a Springfield teenager to start a fire that gutted the historic Ellis Block in downtown Springfield, according to documents filed in White River Junction District Court.

Teen Pleads Innocent in Springfield Arson

Video:Dozens of downtown residents left homeless by a five-alarm blaze are now trying to understand why their neighbor may have started the fire. An 18-year-old who lived in the historic building was arraigned Thursday on first-degree arson charges.

Fire Deemed Arson; 18-Year-Old Arrested

Video:A fire in Springfield displacing 22 families was intentionally set, officials determined.

Public funds may be needed to restore Ellis Block

If the Ellis Block is to return to its prominent role in Springfield's downtown after Tuesday night's devastating fire, the building's owners will likely require a helping hand from the public sector.

Teen arraigned on arson charge

The investigator's theory of the motive behind the blaze which gutted 16 apartments, and heavily damaged the town's central movie theater along with a neighboring restaurant and a handful of other small businesses was revealed during an arraignment Thursday afternoon in court.

Ellis Block Fire Photo Slideshow

A dramatic series of images showing the efforts of area firefighters throughout the night and into the morning. Pictures taken by James O. Payne, Jr.

Five-Alarm Fire Guts Historic Building

Video:Water poured from the windows of the downtown brick building as more than 100 firefighters did their best to contain the fire.

Blaze Leaves 22 Families Homeless

Video: Twenty-two families are without homes after a fire ripped through a Springfield, Vt., apartment building Tuesday night, requiring about 100 firefighters to respond to the blaze, fire officials said.

Springfield Blaze Photos

14 Photos of the Ellis block fire, submitted by Springfield Residents.

Springfield Fire Photos

8 photos of the Ellis block fire and its aftermath.

Five-alarm fire leaves 40 homeless

A five-alarm fire that gutted the historic Ellis Block in downtown Springfield has left 40 people homeless.

Teen charged in apt. fire

A Springfield teenager was arrested last night and charged with intentionally setting the five-alarm fire which ripped through the heart of Ellis Block building late Tuesday evening, leaving tenants from its 16 apartments homeless but uninjured.