Tuesday, March 23, 2010

WVTK Local & State News March 23, 2010

Parts of Vermont could be in for possible flooding. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor counties early Tuesday morning into Wednesday. The weather service says parts of the state could get up to 2.5 inches of rain, which, combined with melting snow, could cause rivers and streams to rise over their banks. Weather Channel Meteorologist Ray Stagich says Rain will be tapering to Showers later today with a High in the Low 40’s.

The Cortina Inn in Mendon is officially under new ownership and will likely reopen soon. The Inn closed in 2008 after being linked to three cases of Legionnaires disease. The new owners, Ravi and Sudha Bhakta, will repair the 96-room property. They've also hired a consultant to deal with bacteria from the former outbreak. The state will inspect the water system before the Cortina Inn reopens. The owners hope to have the Inn back open by the end of June.

The new health care reform bill will change the way VSAC helps students seeking loans for higher education. Under the new bill, all student loans will be issued by the federal government. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation will be allowed to continue to service its existing student loans. VSAC will now be administering loans for the federal government.

Soldiers from a Vermont National Guard company are working in the field in Afghanistan. Less than a week after arriving, our soldiers are helping move supplies across eastern Afghanistan. Our soldiers are working side by side with the Afghan National Army and will be handing the mission off to them once they are ready.

The Senate passed a budget proposal yesterday that closes both the Moriah Shock and Lyon Mountain incarceration facilities. The proposal also cuts all state funding for the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which manages Olympic facilities in Lake Placid and North Elba. However, the spending plan does keep 41 parks and historic site open.

As Plattsburgh State students return from spring break, the university has confirmed a 4th case of mumps on campus. And there are an additional 5 suspected cases. Students are not being allowed on campus unless they are properly vaccinated for mumps. Officials said it could take about a week before the results come back from the suspected cases.

A new ordinance in Burlington prohibits smoking in city parks, playgrounds, picnic areas, beaches and athletic fields. Council members say the smoking ban benefits the community. City Council members say they plan to expand upon the ordinance by restricting smoking on Church Street. Smoke-free zones in Burlington Parks and Beaches take effect in about a month.

South Burlington Police have charged a man with lewd and lascivious behavior after witnesses say he exposed himself at 2 different stores. Police say 21-year-old Devin McKenzie, of Burlington, allegedly dropped his pants and showed his backside to several patrons at the McDonald's on Shelburne Road and then again at the nearby Goodwill Store.

The trial of a Williston man accused of inappropriately touching a friend of his daughter’s during a sleep over is schedule to start today. Prosecutors say 51-year-old Robert Kolibas slipped drugs into a 13-year-old girl's smoothie at a sleepover then assaulted her. Kolibas denies the charges. If convicted, Kolibas faces more than 30 years in prison.

Its official, the federal Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to Colgan Air to fly out of the Plattsburgh International Airport, replacing Cape Air. The 2-year deal will provide Colgan with about $2.1 million flying a 34-seat pressurized-cabin aircraft from Plattsburgh to Boston. Cape Air will remain operating out of the Lake Clear Airport, offering service to Boston.

Lawmakers in Montpelier are considering a tax on soft drinks. The proposal would add a couple of cents tax to full sugar soda and other drinks. Lawmakers hope the tax would help close a projected budget gap. House Speaker Shap Smith says he would be very surprised if the proposal becomes law. Attempts to pass similar taxes in New York State recently failed.

Members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee were in Barre yesterday taking testimony for state and local officials about drug use in rural areas. They stressed the need for more federal funding since state, county, and local funding drying up. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy said he is going to take the ideas back to Washington D.C. to create new ideas.

Multiple area fire departments responded to a fast moving fire in Milton yesterday. Crews were called to the house on Streeter Brook Road around 10 AM and found smoke coming from the home. Fire fighters fought the blaze that destroyed the home for about an hour. No one was home at the time. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

A Republican from Springfield has stepped up to run for congress. Keith Stern, a small business owner from Springfield, said he will run against U.S. Representative Peter Welch. Welch ran unopposed from the Republican Party last time. Stern says Welch is part of a Washington culture that has set government spending on an unsustainable path.