WVTK Local & State News February 12, 2010

The lawyer for a Rutland police officer at the center of a child pornography probe is asking a judge to reconsider a decision that would make the officer's name public today. Rutland District Court Judge Thomas Zonay ruled Wednesday he would release the name — blacked out in copies of search warrant documents released on Tuesday — at 1 p.m. today. But in a motion filed Thursday afternoon, Rutland attorney Matthew Harnett asked the judge to reconsider his decision and keep the name sealed.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is promising to file a bill that would allow dairy farmers to hire foreign workers through a special visa program for seasonal laborers. Leahy says he's disappointed with new federal rules covering H-2A agricultural workers.

Entergy Corp. is facing another obstacle in its bid to sell off its nuclear power plants. New York's Public Service Commission is recommending against approval of the $3.5 billion deal, saying its against the public interest. Vermont Yankee is among the plants operated by Entergy.

Revenues coming into the state's General Fund in January were nearly 5 percent lower than a forecast by two economists in the middle of the month, adding to fears that any economic recovery will be slow and painful. The results were reported nearly a month after economists Jeff Carr and Tom Kavet, who consult with the administration and Legislature, respectively, said the state's economy appeared to have hit bottom, but that any recovery would be slow and painful. Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville says he is especially concerned about apparent weakness in the state's personal income tax receipts for January. Overall, general fund revenues are down nearly 7 percent from the same time last year.

The death of a 15-month-old boy in the town of Cabot has been ruled as a homicide. Ryah Douglas was found unresponsive in his crib in December and the medical examiner says he was smothered. Police say the child's mother and her boyfriend have been interviewed, but no arrests have been made.

A teacher at the Randolph Technical Career Center has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges. Police said images on a computer flash drive led to the arrest of 58-year-old William Zucca. Police said a staff member turned the flash drive over to police after Zucca allegedly gave it to a student.

Sen. Bernie Sanders says the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should shut down when its license expires in 2012. Speaking on Vermont Public Radio, the Independent senator said that Vermont Yankee signed a contract with the people of Vermont for 40 years and that means it should close as scheduled in 2012. His comments come as Vermont lawmakers weigh the relicensing of the Vernon reactor and amid the discovery that the plant is leaking radioactive tritium underground. The governor and some lawmakers have criticized plant officials and plant owner, New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., for misleading state regulators about underground piping that could carry tritium. Tritium has been linked to cancer if ingested in large amounts.