WVTK Local & State News December 8, 2009

**Winter Weather Advisories and Watches have been posted for tomorrow that includes a portion of our listening area. For the latest update please visit the National Weather Service at: http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=vt&prodtype=zone#ZFPBTV

More than two-thirds of the money raised from Vermonters by paid charitable fundraisers went to the fundraising companies, with just a third going to the charities. That's the upshot of a report from Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell on work by companies that are hired by charities to raise money.

It's the season of giving, but police want to make sure you're not giving away your valuables to criminals. Police say car break-ins are more prevalent during this time of the year, in fact, Burlington Police have investigates more than 80 break-ins since November 1. Police warn that criminals hit day and night, with car doors locked or unlocked.

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England will hold a grand opening of its new South Burlington store and donation center Friday. The store is located at 1080 Shelburne Road at the site of the former Tuscan Kitchen and Perry's Fish House. The new store is Goodwill's second location in Vermont, joining a Williston location.

In Plattsburgh, the Salvation Army is not doing so good this holiday season. The Red Kettle Campaign is the largest of the group's fundraisers and so far the annual drive is down $10,000. Officials say that's a critical shortfall that could impact services. The organization has issued an urgent plea for help.

Burlington's City Council was presented with two Burlington Telecom resolutions by Mayor Bob Kiss last night, and as the council moved into a two-hour executive session on BT before the regular meeting, councilors learned that a taxpayer lawsuit on BT has been filed. The council will take up the Kiss resolutions next Monday.

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a revised plan to clean up Lake Champlain. The agency has scheduled three public hearings in the next two weeks on a draft released yesterday to reduce phosphorus runoff in the lake. The plan is available on the agency's Web site.

Someone has been spreading a nasty rumor that both The Salvation Army and the Hilltop Light Ministries shut down Christmas assistance programs. Both organizations said the rumor is false and that they are accepting people who need help. They say if you hear an organization is stopping services, call and check for yourself before assuming it's true.

It's another sign of the toll that the recession is taking on jobs and the economy. Enrollment in the federal food stamp program in Vermont swelled by 40 percent in the 12 month period ending in August.

The Internet has made it possible for an out-of-state family to complete the adoption of a Vermont foster child without traveling to the state. The legal proceedings today are being conducted with a Web cam. The family and the child are taking part from home while a judge presides in St. Albans.

There's a lot of sweet talk about regulations, tools of the trade and flavor at a maple syrup school in Maine. At the International Maple Grading School, syrup buyers, producers and inspectors from the Northeast learn about all things syrup such as government rules and equipment that measures syrup's color, clarity and density.

The Federal Aviation Administration has given preliminary approval to expand the runway at the Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport in North Clarendon. The plan calls for extending the runway an extra 1,000 feet. The Rutland Herald says many in the business community feel extending the runway is critical to the airport's future.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still around. This year's New England Patriots, though, bear little resemblance to those that won three Super Bowl titles this decade. The Patriots' lead in the AFC East dropped to one game Sunday with a 22-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins. They've lost 3 of 4 games for the first time since 2002.