WVTK Local & State News August 10, 2010

Vermont State Police are seeking assistance from the public with the recent rash of daytime burglaries in Addison County. Police are asking people to report any suspicious activity including unfamiliar people knocking on doors and unfamiliar or suspicious acting vehicles. Anyone with information is asked to call the VSP New Haven Barracks at (802)388-4919.

Voters last Wednesday approved the $5.1 million upgrade of the Vergennes-Panton Water District plant on Adams Ferry Road. That vote cleared the way for the first major upgrade of the Lake Champlain plant since its construction in 1973.

Interim Ferrisburgh zoning administrator Thomas Mansfield is leaving at the end of 2010. Town selectmen have decided to meet on Aug. 17 with Mansfield and the heads of the town’s planning and zoning boards to discuss the position’s job description and hours. Mansfield also currently works part of the time in Charlotte.

Representative Peter Welch was in Addison County last week as part of an “energy tour,” surveying local businesses’ renewable energy initiatives and products. His stops included Nathaniel Electronics in Vergennes, which is working on new solar technology, and the Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport, part of CVPS’s Cow Power Program, which is one of the state’s largest and most successful manure-to-energy power systems. Welch plans to use feedback from those visits to shape future federal legislation aimed at making Vermont a national hub for development of green energy.

Cornwall Historical Society members have until December to present the select board with a plan to renovate the former Lavalley Store on Route 30. The idea is to prepare the building to the point where it could once again accommodate a small business.

Health officials are warning you to keep small children away from pet food. The Centers for Disease Control says dry dog food has been linked to cases of salmonella in 21 states. Experts think the kids probably became infected by touching dirty pet food dishes, and then putting their hands near their mouths.

New York State Police are investigating an apparent drowning at a motel in Plattsburgh. Investigators say an 8-year-old boy drowned in the pool at the Super-8 Motel early last night. The boy was staying at the motel with his family. Police are not yet releasing the boy's name or where he is from.

Ski resorts in Vermont are spending tens of millions of dollars in the off-season on capital improvements. Jay Peak is undertaking a $140 million expansion project. Mount Snow is planning to spend $25 million. Other resorts are investing in hotels, snowmaking systems, and other projects.

The Vermont Labor Relations Board has ruled in favor of a state employee who was told he had to use his 15 days of military leave up front instead of spread through the year. The ruling came in a grievance filed by state Department of Corrections worker Shawn Stocker.

Police in Essex Junction are investigating a robbery at a convenience store. According to reports a man entered the Maplefields on Route 15 just after 4 AM yesterday morning demanded the money in the cash register. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of money. If you have any information, please call the Essex Junction Police Department.

FairPoint Communications isn't giving up just yet on state regulators. The panel earlier this year turned down the company's plan to emerge from bankruptcy. While FairPoint had been considering trying to get a federal bankruptcy court to overturn the decision, the company has decided to go back to the Vermont Board first.

Work has resumed on a number of construction projects across New York. Back in May, when there was no budget in sight, funding for state construction projects was halted. Among those projects were the Tom Miller Road Bridge in Plattsburgh and roadwork on Route 9N in Ausable Forks.

New York State Police have arrested 3 teenagers for allegedly setting off "works bombs" in Keeseville over the weekend. Police say 17-year-old Jerald Goucher and two 15-year-old's threw a homemade bomb into a yard close to where people were standing. Authorities said nobody was injured.

A woman was rescued from a mountain in Stowe. Rescue crews were called a little after 2 yesterday afternoon, to Pinnacle Mountain in Stowe for a stranded hiker. The woman was rescued after 5 hours. Crews say she injured her leg when she slipped on the trail on her way down from the top of the mountain.

The Hague Fish & Game Club and Justy Joe Charters will be conducting a fishing clinic for kids and their parents at The Hague Fish & Game Club on Aug. 18 from 6-8 PM. At the clinic, kids will learn such skills as casting, knot tying, fish identification, rigging and game laws. The clinic is free and the first 18 kids to arrive will receive a free rod and reel. There will also be free hot dogs and refreshments available for all in attendance.

Kids in Burlington soon won't have to go far to play in the great outdoors. Crews yesterday started working on the City Park’s first "natural playground" on St. Paul Street. In a "natural playground" there are no slides or swings. Instead kids will be challenged to play on natural items like rocks and logs. The park is funded through Penny for Parks and should open in a couple weeks.