WVTK Local & State News April 8, 2010

It's stood for 200 years, but it only took hours to destroy, as the historic Newton Academy building in Shoreham went up in flames. It happened early yesterday morning, when lightning struck at about 12:30. Witnesses say flames leaped 200 feet in the air, and could be seen for miles. Newton Academy, which first opened its doors in 1810, was the second oldest secondary school still standing in Vermont. It started out as a private school, and then went public until it finally closed in 1969. In recent years, it was a preschool and the only medical clinic in the village. Destroyed in the fire were medical records for nearly two-thousand patients. There had been a major push to renovate the building, with the first round of repairs finished, and the next phase set to begin.

A debate is under way in Montpelier over whether Vermont should go along with New York State and negotiate a master labor agreement with unions for the Crown Point Bridge project. Several contractors said that if the states insist on mostly union labor for the job, they'll get fewer bids and less competition will drive up costs. The project goes out for bid next week.

The Rutland Police officer at the center of an investigation in may be out of job. The Rutland Board of Civil Authority met last night to decide whether to fire Sergeant David Schauwecker. The Board made a decision last night but has decided not to release anything till they notify Schauwecker of there decision.

A commercial building went up in flames yesterday morning in Rutland Town. Firefighters were called to Townline Road off Route 4 around 5 a.m. They found the shed behind the Outdoors in Motion shop engulfed in flames. The building was used to store motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATVs. It was also the home of Vermont Vapor, a company that makes electronic cigarettes. State fire investigators were called in to help determine the cause. A hazmat team was called to the site to clean up liquid nicotine.

State officials are warning you to beware of health insurance scams. Since the health care bill passed, there's a lot of confusion as to what exactly it is. Officials say there’s nothing anyone needs to do right now, no one needs to change their coverage. If you suspect fraud or have any questions, you should contact the Vermont's Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities & Health Care Administration or BISHCA. There website is BISHCA.info.

The Vergennes Post Office is offering a special pictorial postmark on April 24 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. To mark the occasion, Troop 539 is hosting a Centennial Camporee at Button Bay State Park. The 3-day even will take place from Friday April 23 through Sunday, April 25. The Vergennes Post Office will participate on Saturday, April 24 with a temporary postal station which will allow scouts, leaders, and visitors to obtain a unique postmark documenting the occasion.

Vermont's primary election is going to be held on August 24th this year instead of mid-September. Governor Jim Douglas disagrees with the legislation but allowed it to become law without his signature. Douglas says holding the election before Labor Day, will result in a lower voter turnout because of summer vacations.

Central Vermont Public Service has made a listing of the most trustworthy companies in the country. Forbes Magazine compiled the list of companies that have demonstrated integrity and transparency at a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about corporate corruption and greed. Only a handful of companies of any size scored higher than CVPS.

The Plattsburgh City School Board will meet tonight to discuss and adopt next year’s school budget. Board members will be in executive session from 6 to 6:30 before the public session starts. The meeting is being held at the Duken Building and is open to the public.

The Peru Central School District now has a spending plan for next school year. The school is facing a nearly $2 million reduction in state aid. The budget plan does not call for cutting any core programs or extra-curricular activities at the school. But it does trim spending on all programs. Voters next month will vote on the over $42-million budget.

Police are investigating 2 abduction attempts in as many days. Investigators say a 9-year-old girl was approached by a man outside her home in Fairfax Tuesday Night. Last night, a teenage girl in Williston was approached by a man with a similar description. In both cases, the man was asking the girls to help find a missing dog. Police are unsure if the 2 cases are connected.

A large sinkhole on Pine Street in Burlington forced officials to reroute traffic most of the day yesterday. The hole was discovered between Main and King Streets early yesterday morning. Burlington Police closed off the section of road so Public Works could work on the problem. Officials say a leaky sewer pipe washed away the dirt causing the pavement to collapse.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it will increase inspections at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Officials are increasing the inspections due to recent radioactive leaks at the plant and misstatements by Vermont Yankee executives to state officials. The agency will bring on extra inspectors to make sure the leaks are stopped and cleaned up.

New charges have been filed against 51-year-old Robert Kolibas. The Williston man now faces 2 charges of possessing child pornography. Kolibas opted not to enter a plea yesterday. Instead, he will be back in court tomorrow to answer to the new charges. The new charges could put Kolibas behind bars for 4 years.

A pair of federal grants will fund several projects at the Plattsburgh International Airport. New York's Congressional Delegation worked to obtain $3.6 million to renovate airport hangars, replace the outdated fire-water supply system and install solar panels to cut heating costs. Airport staff says construction on the new projects will start next month.