Thursday, July 8, 2010

WVTK Local & State News July 8, 2010

Governor David Paterson has vetoed 6,681 New York State Budget items. Paterson says the state just can't afford the extra spending. The biggest rejections are $419 million in aid to public schools and $91 million for higher education. He also rejected $180 million to $190 million in pork barrel grants carried over from last year.

The July 4th holiday weekend was a relatively safe one on Vermont highways. State Police are reporting only 1 fatality over the 4-day holiday weekend. That crash happened Friday when an 88-year-old woman died in a head-on collision in Searsburg. State Police are also reporting only 9 DUI arrests over the weekend. That's down from 20 last year and a high of 37 in 2006.

Danby-based Fuller Sand & Gravel was awarded the Rutland city’s paving contract for the new fiscal year. The company was the lowest of five bidding vendors on nearly every material unit price it quoted. Earlier this year, Fuller also outbid Pike, Whitcomb and Wilk to receive Rutland Town’s 4.5 miles of paving work.

The new finish on the College Of St. Joseph’s two residence halls is a new exterior foam insulation that will help reduce energy costs and eliminate moisture problems in the buildings. The material is called Sto Exterior insulation and because the college chose such an energy-efficient option, they were able to secure more than $122,000 in grant money from the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund to pay for the project.

A fire and explosion of a propane tank forced the evacuation of the CVPH Health Plaza. Emergency crews were called just before 3 PM yesterday afternoon. No one was injured in the incident. The fire was caused by a faulty value on the propane tank. Services at the Health Plaza are expected to be up and running today.

The Battle of Hubbardton reenactment is set to take place this weekend. This was the only revolutionary war battle fought in Vermont. 
The event runs Saturday and Sunday, with the full-scale narrated re-enactment taking place Sunday morning and various smaller events and demonstrations both days marking the battle that took place July 7, 1777. Admission each day is $5 for adults and free for children under the age of 15.

The Ticonderoga summer enrichment music program has been saved. A private donation will allow the program to continue this year at the Ticonderoga Elementary-Middle School. The program had been eliminated from the 2010-11 school district budget as administrators struggled to close a deficit. The program begins on Tuesday and runs for five weeks, Tuesday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. Students may sign up for a time slot during the first week of sessions.

Lisa Lovell wants to paint the town, literally! The Crown Point woman hopes to paint buildings along her town's main street in an effort to improve the community's image. She is willing to paint, scrape and make minor repairs to buildings for free and is hoping building owners will provide the materials or that people will make donations to cover the cost of paint and accessories. Anyone interested in helping or making a donation can call the Crown Point town hall.

New Hampshire regulators have approved a plan by FairPoint Communications to work itself out of bankruptcy. Last week, Vermont regulators rejected FairPoint's plan, saying they could not find that FairPoint has demonstrated the financial capability to meet its obligations. Maine regulators approved FairPoint's plan last month.

Several Vermont boating facilities could soon get a facelift. State Fish and Wildlife officials say several federal grants are currently available for the construction, renovation and maintenance of docks and buoys and other water projects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides boating infrastructure grants that cover up to 75 percent of the cost of the project, with awards capped at $100,000.

Police have arrested a man that robbed a St. Albans man at gunpoint yesterday morning. According to police, 26-year-old Matthew Greenan of Enosburg demanded prescription drugs from the St. Albans resident. Greenan then took off on a bicycle. He was found 3 hours later outside of a convenient store.

To help compensate for the high electricity usage, Green Mountain Power is now using it's Diesel Generator in Essex Junction duing peak hours. Officials at GMP say they only use the generator in situations like this were there is a great demand for electricity. They say they are only running the generator during peak hours from noon to 6 PM.

The Williston Police Department is investigating the theft of 210 bundles of shingles stolen over the 4th of July weekend. Investigators say the shingles were taken from a jobsite at the MorrisSwitzer Environments for Health building on Talcott Road. The shingles are worth about $7-thousand. If you have any information, please call the Williston Police Department.

The Vermont Transportation Agency is one step closer to getting the permits it needs to continue construction on the Circumferential Highway Project. The Army Corps of Engineers has determined the new design addresses all the environmental concerns. VTrans still needs a number of state permits. Construction wouldn't begin before 2013.

33rd Annual Mayor's Cup Regatta and Festival gets underway today. For the next 3-days there is fun for the entire family all over the Plattsburgh area with parades, live music, fireworks, a bike race, and of course the regatta on Lake Champlain. For a complete schedule of events, visit MayorsCup.com.