WVTK Local & State News January 18, 2010

Vermont state police say a police academy supervisor killed himself a day after his home computer was seized as part of a child pornography investigation. 44-year-old Dave McMullen of Cornwall was found dead behind a maintenance shed at the academy Saturday morning. While child porn wasn't actually found on the computer, emails suggested it had been accessed.

The new ferry connecting Addison and Crown Point is on track for a late January opening. Parts needed for the Vermont slip are being assembled across the lake in Port Henry and then loaded on a barge. Crews are working some 20 hours a day to get the slip open.

Someone tried to kick in a rear basement door at a home on Hardscrabble Road in Bristol last week. Police ask anyone with information regarding the attempted burglary to call the Vermont State Police at 802-388-4919.

Former Plattsburgh mayor and well-known community activist John Ianelli pasted away Saturday Morning at the age of 78. The local political icon and founder of the popular Mayor's Cup Race passed away at CVPH Medical Center after battling cancer. Both he and his wife have remained active in a number of community organizations since he left office in the 1980s.

Ten Vermont public schools are vying for $50,000 federal grants for solar energy projects. The schools were picked by a state panel from entries submitted in a statewide competition. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders says the money will be used to buy small-scale solar equipment for educational purposes.

Two experts brought in by the Vermont State Employees Association say proposed changes to the employees' pension system are unnecessary and perhaps illegal. A legislative committee on Friday heard from Gerald Friedman, an economics professor, and Beth Robinson, a lawyer who analyzed the constitutionality regarding the plan.

Johnson and Johnson is recalling many of it’s over the counter medications. The company says some of the medications have a moldy odor that is making people sick. Local pharmacies have already removed the affected batches from the shelves, but pharmacists say if you think you have recalled medication in your cabinet do not take it; either throw it out or take it back to the store where you purchased it.

New York's Legislature is proposing changes to charter schools that Governor David Paterson warns will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid. Paterson has said that the state must eliminate its charter school cap or raise it no fewer than 454 to qualify for up to $700 million in federal aid. Paterson is calling for a special session Monday night to negotiate changes.

The state Consumer Protection Board is warning consumers to beware of unfamiliar groups soliciting funds for Haiti's earthquake victims. The agency says scammers may try to gain access to credit card numbers and bank accounts to commit identity theft. Similar scams occurred after the tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A new exhibit of rarely-seen photographs and Polaroid pictures by the late Andy Warhol opens tomorrow in Burlington. Officials at the Fleming Museum say "Andy Warhol: Fashionistas and Celebrities" offers a window into the world of fame and fashion. It runs through April 26.

Construction this spring will help make Burlington more pedestrian friendly. The Side Streets Improvement Project calls for widening the sidewalks on the streets around Church Street giving businesses more room for outside dining. Crosswalks, lighting and landscaping will also be improved. The projects will be paid for with federal funding.