WVTK Local & State News July 19, 2010

New York State Police are investigating a hit-and-run in Moriah that left an unidentified man dead. According to reports, the body of the man was found yesterday morning around 4 AM along Dugway Road. State Police have interviewed a man who may have been involved. They also impounded a vehicle yesterday afternoon. No other information is available at this time.

A fire in Crown Point did some serious damage to a home in Crown Point. The fire broke out just after 7 last night on Hammond Lane. Several fire departments responded to the scene including, Port Henry, Moriah, Ticonderoga and Crown Point. As of late last night there was no word on any injuries or the cause.

The Lake Bomoseen Association plans to check boats going into the lake next summer. The organization has endorsed a proposal to work with the state to place “greeters” at boating access points to distribute information on invasive species and offer to check boats for those species. Lake Bomoseen already has Eurasian milfoil, curly pond leaf and zebra mussels and there is a long list of other species they hope to keep out.

At tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting in Rutland, Mayor Christopher Louras will make his recommendation for the outside legal counsel the board requested to help them review police commission charter language. After calling around to attorneys in the state who do municipal work he’s selected John Page of a Montpelier law firm.

Needed roadwork is underway in the town of Hubbardton. Town crews are doing ditching work on Monument Hill Road to be followed by culvert work in preparation to repave it for the first time in at least 15 years. That work is expected to cause some temporary road closures, planned for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8AM to 5PM. Meanwhile Frog Hollow Road is also going to be closed in the near future for bridge replacement. That project is expected to take a week to 10 days.

Up to 100,000 pages of historic Vermont newspapers will one day be digitized and available to the public. The University of Vermont has received a $390,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support the Vermont Digital Newspaper Project.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is returning to New Hampshire to support Democrats running for the state Legislature. Dean will be the featured guest this afternoon at a fundraiser for the Committee to Elect House Democrats in Concord.

The largest piece of privately owned land in Vermont has been removed from a program that offers landowners tax breaks. State officials cited the owner for improper logging. Regulators said Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. violated its forest management plan by cutting too many trees on 140 acres in Lemington. That's part of a 56,000-acre tract owned by the Maine-based company.

When it comes to personal wealth, Democrat Peter Shumlin appears to have the most among this year's Vermont gubernatorial candidates. Last year, he made nearly $1 million, and he has already lent $150,000 to his bid for governor, according to campaign finance reports filed this past week with the secretary of state.

People from all across Vermont paid their last respects this weekend as a fallen solder was laid to rest. Over 300 people filed into the North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury Saturday morning to show the Grady family their support. 25-year-old Specialist Ryan Grady will be remembered as a hero, and big man with a big heart that wanted to serve his country.

South Burlington Police have arrested 3 men in connection with vandalism at a construction site at the end of Quarry Hill Road. The site is the future home of an apartment complex. According to reports the 3 men did thousands of dollars worth of damage late Saturday Night. The vandals also pulled a fire alarm in one of the building.

Shelburne Farms is working with Green Mountain Power to install 770 panels over 3-quarters of an acre. Shelburne Farms calls it a solar orchard and says it's an important step toward its goal of generating all its electricity. The site was carefully selected to maintain the beauty of Shelburne Farms, which is a National Historic Landmark.

A Westford man was arrested over the weekend for firing a gun in downtown Burlington. 27-year-old Jesse Palker fired 2 shots around City Hall Park early Saturday morning. No one was hit and police say it's still unclear why Palker fired the shots in the first place. Police say Palker was not targeting anyone specifically and that he had been drinking.

Biologists are blaming the heat for killing dozens of fish in Lake St. Catherine. 87 fish, mostly Northern Pike, were recently found dead. Biologists say the fish were killed after extreme heat caused water temperatures to rise to 90 degrees in a shallow section of the lake. They say other fish kills have been reported around the state following the recent heat wave.

Originally set to begin next month, Kathryn Shoemaker's trial in the death of Ravin Miller is now set for October. Officials both sides still have to settle a number of issues before the trial can move forward. Shoemaker remains behind bars at Clinton County Jail. She faces life without parole if convicted of the highest murder charge.

A Fairfield man is facing a number of charges after police say he fired a gun at another man over the weekend. Police say another man accused David Smart of vandalizing his property. Investigators say that's when Smart pulled out a handgun and fired 2 shots. The bullets missed the other man. The two men then got into fight and Smart was arrested.

Killington Mountain looked a lot like California's wine country this weekend. Hundreds gathered for the 9th annual Killington Wine Festival. With venues at both the top and the bottom of the mountain, a trip up the Gondola gave festivalgoers a taste of the resort, and the opportunity to taste over 500 different wines. Organizers say the event attracts locals and tourists at a time when the Killington area sees a boost in visitors.