WVTK Local News November 17, 2009

Ripton residents will be asked this evening for their feedback on a plan to stabilize a key stretch of the Middlebury River to prevent it from flooding the village during major storm events. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Ripton Community House. The river in August of 2008 jumped its banks and flooded portions of Ripton village.

The closing of the Champlain Bridge has caused another closure. State officials have closed the nearby Chimney Point fishing access area indefinitely because of safety concerns. Officials say boaters and anglers can drive two miles south to the McCuen Slang Fishing Access, which will be maintained throughout the winter for people who want to go ice fishing.

Vermont's attorney general says the state will receive $45,000 as part of a $3 million multistate settlement with Vonage, an Internet-based telephone company. Vermont and 31 other states have reached a settlement that requires Vonage to changes how it markets its service and handles consumer cancellation requests.

Vermont Senate President Peter Shumlin has officially thrown his hat in the ring. Shumlin announced yesterday that he is running for Governor of Vermont. During the announcement he said Vermont needs a leader with business experience at creating jobs. The state lawmaker from Putney joins four other Democrats so far seeking the party nomination.

The Burlington City Council voted 11 to 3, last night, to pass a resolution apologizing to veterans and recognizing them for their service. The resolution comes after a Veteran's Day speech by a surrogate speaking on behalf of Mayor Bob Kiss. The resolution also calls on the mayor to know in advance what his fill-in speakers are going to stay in the future.
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Kristy Sprague has officially been elected the next Essex County district attorney. A final, official count of absentee ballots yesterday gave the win to Sprague by 125 votes against incumbent DA Julie Garcia. Garcia said she hasn’t decided yet what she’ll do when she leaves office. Lawyers from both camps monitored the absentee count.

State police say they're investigating a hunting accident that left a New York man with a gunshot wound to one of his legs. Troopers say 35-year-old Scott Lamare of Morrisonville was hunting Sunday afternoon in a wooded area of Beekmantown, when he was shot in the lower left leg. He was treated at CVPH in Plattsburgh. The investigation is on-going.

The Colchester Select board is looking for ways to improve the traffic flow at Severance Corners. And one of the ideas they are considering is creating a roundabout. The other option is to improve the traffic signs with wider turning lanes. Officials say, the situation is only going to get worse. The Select board delayed a decision on which option to pick until later this month.

A Montpelier Ford dealership hit hard by the Chrysler bankruptcy is getting a new owner. The owner of Formula Ford of South Barre says he reached an agreement to buy Montpelier's Walker Motors. Formula Ford owner Mark Saba says he'll move his Route 14 operation to the Walker location at the intersection of U.S. Routes 2 and 302.

For the second consecutive year, Vermont earned a “B” on the March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card. Also for the second consecutive year, the United States earned only a “D” on the Report Card, demonstrating that more than a half million of our nation’s newborns didn’t get the healthy start they deserved. No state earned an “A” and only Vermont received a “B.”