In this March 28, 2017 photo, crews install theater lighting and seating in the new Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vt. The $14 million facility, paid for by a summer resident, is set to open in early June. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)
In this March 28, 2017 photo, crews install theater lighting and seating in the new Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vt. The $14 million facility, paid for by a summer resident, is set to open in early June. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke) Credit: ap — Lisa Rathke

Vt. Town’s $14 Million Arts Center To Open in June

Greensboro, Vt. — The tiny Vermont town of Greensboro on the Caspian Lake has long been a haven for out-of-state summer residents.

Now one of them is giving back to the community he’s visited since he was a child by funding an arts center. The Highland Center for the Arts, about a $14 million project, is to open in June.

Crews have been installing seats and lighting in a 300-seat theater designed to look like Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. There is also space for smaller performances and classes.

Andrew Brown, who prefers to remain out of the spotlight, is making it all possible.

The center’s board chairwoman Melanie Clarke said he simply wants the center to be “a place for people to gather and participate in the arts.”

“This is a beautiful theater. This is a really exciting space,” said Amanda Rafuse, of the professional theater company Northern Stage in White River Junction. The company is working with the center on its programming to include theater, music, film and fine art.

Vermont Traffic Fatalities Hit 5-Year High So Far This Year

Burlington — State records show the number of deaths on Vermont’s roads through the first quarter of this year is at the highest point in five years.

Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 16 people died as a result of 14 crashes, the most since 21 people died in 2012.

The Burlington Free Press reports safety advocates blame the increase on a rise in impaired driving, a decrease in seat belt use and more motorists on the road.

Records show that deaths on Vermont’s roads have been increasing since 2014, when the state recorded a modern-era low of 44. In 2015 the figure rose to 57 and last year 64.

The all-time high for traffic deaths was 161 in 1979.

Dig Into New Hampshire History Wiith Archeology Month Events

Concord — The New Hampshire Archeology Society said there’s a lot to look forward to this month for those interested in looking back at the state’s history.

The society is working with the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation for several activities, presentations and demonstrations to mark Archeology Month.

The events include Open Archaeology Day on Saturday at the University of New Hampshire, which will feature food sampling, flint knapping and mock excavations. There also will be lectures held around the state.

Eleven Inmates Graduate From High School While Behind Bars

Concord — Wearing the traditional cap and gown, nearly a dozen New Hampshire inmates have received their high school diplomas.

The 11 inmates all graduated from the state’s Corrections Special School District and 10 of the 11 received their diplomas in a ceremony Friday at the New Hampshire State Prison For Men. The Corrections Special School District is a traditional high school that operates in the Department of Correction facilities.

Commissioner William Wrenn said obtaining a high school diploma was “a significant accomplishment” for the men and one that will “play an important part in helping them to be successful” in the future.

In 2016, seven students at the Prison for Men and the Correctional Facility for Women completed their high school requirements.

Three other students obtained college-level degrees.

— Wire reports