WVTK Local & State News August 18, 2010

The Sierra Club has declared Green Mountain College the “coolest” school in the country. The college topped a list of colleges and universities doing the most to fight global warming and educate their students on sustainability. Green Mountain College’s president said the listing validates all the work done at the college since it rebranded itself at an “environmental liberal arts” school in 1995. Two other Vermont schools made the top 20. Middlebury College tied with UC-Santa Cruz for 11th place and University of Vermont tied with UC-Davis for 16th.

An agreement has been reached between educators and school officials in Rutland Town, ending a 17-month contract battle and averting a strike before the start of classes next week. Teachers and members of the School Board reached a tentative agreement during a closed-door negotiating session. The details of the agreement are still under wraps until both sides ratify it.

The Rutland Herald is suing state police and the state attorney general for documents from an investigation into child pornography possessed by a Vermont Police Academy trainer who committed suicide earlier this year. They sued after Assistant Attorney General John Treadwell declined to release the records, saying they were exempt from disclosure "because the records deal with the detection and investigation of crime." The newspaper contends the exemption ended when the investigation closed last month.

Deb Markowitz still leads Democrats running for Vermont governor in fundraising, but Peter Shumlin is catching up. Republican Brian Dubie meanwhile is far ahead of any Democrat. New reports show Dubie had more than $1 million in contributions campaign-to-date. Markowitz has raised more than $620,000 so far.

Fort Ticonderoga is receiving a prestigious federal grant awarded to just 20 institutions nationwide. Officials say the National Endowment for the Humanities has announced that Fort Ticonderoga is receiving nearly $160,000 to be used for a program for teacher education. The funds will be used to immerse dozens of New York teachers in weeklong workshops that focus on Fort Ticonderoga's role in the American Revolution and the history-changing battles at Saratoga in 1777.

The American Red Cross is urgently asking everyone to donate blood. Officials with the Red Cross say they have had a tuff time this summer getting enough blood to meet the demand. Donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with Type O-Negative. The Red Cross says that type of blood can be given to patients with any blood type.

The Burlington International Airport is open today but investigators will be on the scene trying to determine what caused a fire last night in the north stairwell of the parking garage. The blaze, which broke out about 7:15 last night, temporarily caused the terminal to be evacuated. No was injured and the airport was reopened but construction on that area has been suspended for now.

Raymond "Foxy" Gagnon will spend the next 5 years in federal prison. Gagnon plead guilty back in February and was sentenced yesterday on charges of buying and selling child pornography. The retired teacher from Stafford Middle School in Plattsburgh was arrested in June of 2009, after authorities linked him to an international child porn ring.

Police are investigating the death of 2 people at a Burlington residence. The 38-year-old woman and 41-year-old man were found in a home on North Avenue. Police will only say while the deaths are suspicious in nature, no obvious signs of foul play were discovered. Their names are being withheld until family is notified.

The state of Vermont is facing a shortage of judges. 2 judges recently retired and 2 others are unavailable: 1 is deployed with the Vermont National Guard in Afghanistan, and another was struck by a car while bicycling. And due to budget problems, 1 vacancy remains unfilled. To cope with the problem, 9 retired judges are working part-time to cover the workload.

Vermont is getting a half a million dollars in federal funding for law enforcement agencies. Vermont Sheriffs will get 100-thousand-dollars to upgrade equipment while 100-grand will help fund Special Investigation Units. The Vermont Department of Public Safety will receive 100-thousand for school resource officers and 200-thousand is going to the Vermont Police Academy.

A Lake Placid man fell to his death in a rock-climbing accident in Keene. 35-year-old Dennis Murphy had reached the top of a climbing route on the Upper Washbowl Cliffs in Keene Valley just after 6 last night when he lost his footing and fell more than 100 feet. Investigators say his death has been ruled accidental.

General Motors is voluntarily recalling nearly 250-thousand crossover vehicles because their seat belts may not latch properly. The recall affects 2009 and 2010 models of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook. Dealers will inspect the belts for damage and reshape the plastic on them to enable the buckle to close easier.

If your not a registered voter, than you'll need to do so before the end of today in order to vote in the primary election next week. To register to vote, you need to visit the town clerk's office where you live and fill out a short form. While office hours vary from location to location, all clerks are required to take registrations from 3 PM to 5 PM today.

Vermont music fans have another chance to hear one of the state's favorite bands. A concert appearance by Waitsfield's Grace Potter and the Nocturnals was just announced. The band will open for the rock band My Morning Jacket on the lawn at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction this Friday night.