WVTK Local & State News April 13, 2010

Middlebury voters will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Hogan Elementary School gym to decide a proposed 2010-2011 ID-4 school district spending plan. Also at the annual meeting, voters will decide whether to spend up to $191,100 to finance a major pavement and drainage project on school grounds.

You can expect some delays heading through downtown Bristol this spring and summer as construction ramps up on a $1.38 million project to replace a section of the town’s aging stormwater system and upgrade the downtown water main.

A mother from Hinesburg has pled guilty to charges in a fiery crash that left her 4-year-old son paralyzed. Heather Carpentier also pled no contest to a child endangerment charge. Police say in September, Carpentier had too much to drink when she rear-ended a vehicle on Route 22A in Orwell. Both cars went off the road and caught fire. She faces up to 8 years in prison.

Organizers of a broadband initiative are encouraging rural communities across the state to apply for funding from a new broadband partnership. The e-Vermont Partnership is a $4 million initiative promoting online access, training and Web usage in rural areas. Those wishing to participate and get funding should check with the Vermont Council on Rural Development by April 30.

A new study shows Vermont leads the nation in underage drinking. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows nearly 40% of kids 12 to 20 drank the month before the poll. Nearly 30% were binge drinkers.

Officials in Essex County are asking the state to hold off on a new law that requires ignition-locking devices for convicted drunk drivers until more funding is available. The law know as Leandra's Law took effect last December. Now the driver is suppose to pay for the interlock, but judges can waive the fees for defendants who are financially unable to afford the device.

Forty students from Rutland's Stafford Technical Center skipped vacation for volunteerism yesterday by rebuilding a playground for Benson preschoolers. Benson Village School Principal Kim Doty said the project was a community effort inspired by Amy Munger, a mother and resident. In the coming days, more equipment - including a fun hoop and tetherball set meant to develop hand and eye coordination - will be installed.

Within the world of Vermont electric utilities, one of the most important jobs is the head of the Vermont Electric Power Co. or VELCO. Christopher Dutton, the former head of Green Mountain Power, has taken over that post which had, until a few days ago, been held by John Donleavy. Residential electricity customers don't get a bill from Rutland-based VELCO. But the company, controlled in large part by the power distribution utilities such as GMP and Central Vermont Public Service, makes sure the state's more than 600 miles of electric transmission lines remain working and reliable.

The state of Vermont plans to spend $120,000 to buy Internet blocking software to prevent employees from accessing pornographic and other inappropriate Web sites while at work. David Tucker, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Innovation and Information, said Monday that the state has had some problems with state workers viewing or downloading pornography at work.

Despite the early Spring warm-up this has been a banner year for Vermont's ski industry. Plenty of snow piled up thru the middle of the winter to sustain the season and plenty of visitors hit the slopes, especially during the big holiday weeks. The Vermont Ski Areas Association is hopeful season will surpass last year's 4 million skier visits.

A Richford man, already charged with robbing a bank, is now being charged with 4 more. 23-year-old Chad Lussier already pled not guilty to robbing the TD Bank in Enosburg in January. Now federal prosecutors are accusing him of 4 more Franklin County bank robberies dating back to September 2009. Each count could bring 20-years in prison and a quarter million dollar fine.

U.S Senator Bernie Sanders says the recently passed Health Care Reform bill will help 8 federally funded Health Care Centers here in Vermont. Sanders said he helped add to the bill an increase of $12.5-Billion over 5 years for federally qualified health centers. Some 108,000 Vermonters currently are patients of the 8 federal qualified health centers around the state.

A Plattsburgh man, who has been behind bar for more than 20 years was denied parole for the 9th time. 39-year-old Michael Murphy is serving 9-years-to-life for killing 10-year-old Andrew Pitkin in 1984. Murphy was 14 at the time, and said he was angry because Pitkin had kicked his dog. Pitkin was found in a wooded area in Valcour; stabbed more than 30 times.

State lawmakers are considering a ban on felt-soled waders, which critics say help spread invasive species and disease between waterways. The proposal has cleared the House and the state Senate is now taking up the proposal. Manufacturers are already working up alternatives that don't use felt -- which gives fishermen better traction.

Students graduating from St. Michael's College will be going green this year. All 550 graduating students will be wearing robes made by a company called Green Weaver. The fabric is made from 100-percent recycled plastic bottles. The green gowns cost about the same as the traditional kind and the college intends on recycling unwanted gowns for the next graduating class.

This Thursday and Friday will be Street Sign Amnesty Days in Plattsburgh. It’s a chance for residents and students, who have stolen streets signs from the Plattsburgh Area, to return them without any penalties, no questions asked. After April 16, all violators will be prosecuted.