Woodstock

Demoted Woodstock Police Chief Seeks Court Intervention to Halt Hiring of Permanent Successor Amid Misconduct Allegations

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WOODSTOCK, Vt. — A judge is being asked to prevent the town from appointing a new police chief as Joe Swanson, recently demoted from his position, seeks to regain his former title. This legal battle began during a video hearing on Monday, marking the latest development in an ongoing dispute over Swanson’s employment status. Linda Fraas, Swanson’s attorney, emphasized the significance of this hearing, stating it represents the first impartial examination of the circumstances surrounding her client’s demotion. Swanson was moved from chief to patrol officer earlier this year amid allegations of misconduct raised by … Read more

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ Clinches Grand Jury Prize at the 25th Woodstock Film Festival

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Woodstock, NY — At the 25th iteration of the Woodstock Film Festival, a cinematic event celebrated for spotlighting indie films and visionary artists, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ “My Dead Friend Zoe” garnered the top prize for Best Feature Narrative. His film, which stars notable actors such as Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman, tells the poignant story of an Afghanistan war vet who confronts her own wartime scars and her Vietnam vet grandfather, at their family’s ancestral lake house. The movie, which evolved from a short film by Hausmann-Stokes, himself a U.S. Army veteran … Read more