WVTK Local & State News March 26, 2010

Legislators in the Vermont House worked late last night and eventually passed the proposed budget. Lawmakers this year are looking to save about $150 million. The governor's office said he is happy with the progress but would like to see more cuts in education and taxes. The proposed budget now goes on to the senate.

Rutland's police chief moved to fire the officer facing criminal charges in connection with a pornography investigation. Sergeant David Schauwecker was arraigned Wednesday on charges he neglected his duty and lied to investigators. Chief Anthony Bossi submitted a letter to Mayor Chris Louras requesting that the Board of Civil Authority approve Schauwecker's termination. The Board will take up the issue on April 7th. For now Schauwecker remains on paid administrative leave.

The National Bank of Middlebury has fast-tracked the completion of a Habitat for Humanity project. Habitat member Margaret Carothers said the group recently accepted a $4,500 check from the bank. A statement from the bank said it spent three months setting aside $25 each time a certain type of checking account was opened. The house on Weybridge Street will be dedicated next month.

Vermont manufacturers will have to wait a bit longer for a previously scheduled tax cut after the state House voted to delay it. That change was part of a package of tax changes approved yesterday. Lawmakers also voted to apply the state's sales tax to dietary supplements, which currently are exempt.

The trial of Trevor Herrick, charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing of Kerry Munger of Benson, opened in Rutland District Court yesterday. Along with witness testimony, the jury heard part of a recording of an interview between Herrick and Vermont State Police Detective Albert Abdelnour. Herrick fatally stabbed Munger during an argument in the Rutland Town Sears parking lot in April 2009. In the recording, Herrick said he did not believe Munger had any weapons and Munger did not hit him, but just pushed him.

A gas station in Plattsburgh is not allowed to sell any gas until a leak in the underground storage tanks is fixed. Investigators were called to the Sunoco Station next to Jreck Subs on Route 3 yesterday after a number of customers complained about bad gas. They found a crack in one of the tanks that allowed water to leak into the tank.

Vermont Yankee officials say they have found and fixed the source of leaking radioactive tritium. The leak was from two pipes in a concrete tunnel, one which contained liquid and one which contained steam. Yankee officials say groundwater cleanup at the plant began yesterday. No tritium has been detected in drinking water supplies or the nearby Connecticut River.

New York utility regulators have rejected Entergy Corp.'s plan to spin off its six nuclear power stations into a separate company. The state Public Service Commission acted Thursday after its staff determined the deal wasn't in the public interest, primarily because the resulting company - Enexus Energy Corp. - could be financially shaky.

A Vermont mother has pled not guilty to driving drunk with 7 kids in the car. 37-year-old Mary O’Neil was arrested last Friday while driving a car full of kids to the movies in Williston. Police say her blood alcohol content measured point-37 … more than 4 times the legal limit. Several lawmakers in Montpelier say O'Neil's case highlights the need for stiffer drunk driving penalties.

Officials at Momot Elementary School are warning parents that their children may have been exposed to the mumps. A letter was recently sent to the entire Momot Community warning of the potential exposure. A student teacher from Plattsburgh State recently visited the school and has now started showing symptoms of the mumps.

A Plattsburgh teen has been sentenced for her role in a Clinton County burglary spree. 19-year-old Lisa Joy was placed on probation for 5 years and will have to perform 250 hours of community service. Police say she participated in a crime spree in the Plattsburgh area last spring where more than a dozen homes were broken into.

Williston's new ambulance service will start in July. On Town Meeting Day voters approved a budget that included $200,000 to pay for the ambulance service. In the past, the town relied on rescue services provided by neighboring communities. But many said Williston has grown so much it needs its own ambulance service.

Due to cuts in federal and state aid, the Plattsburgh School District may have to cut nearly 20 positions and some popular programs. At a meeting last night, Superintendent Jake Short said it’s either budget cuts or tax hikes. The board did not finalize a plan last night. The public will have another chance to speak-out at a forum next Tuesday night at 6:30.