WVTK Local & State News August 23, 2010

Construction continues this week here in Middlebury on the new roundabout at the Cross Street Bridge. All parking on College St. and Academy St., including the new parking lot, will be available during Primary Election voting tomorrow. Also, final paving on College St. is expected to be done on Wednesday. College St. does remain permanently one-way West. On Thursday & Friday base course asphalt will be installed on the finished side of the roundabout up to the bridge. And parking lots behind the Isley Library and Mr. Ups have been improved and are open!

High winds and heavy rains that began crossing our region last night had knocked out power to about 8,200 CVPS customers. As of 9:50 PM last night, 7,200 remained without power. That included 1,300 in Rutland County. Outages were still showing in various towns this morning from Bristol to Rutland.

Addison County Transit Resources will begin a new and improved Shuttle Bus schedule Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The Tri-Town Vergennes will change the most with needed improvements to the route. New schedules will be distributed around the county at multiple locations including the Town Halls in New Haven, Middlebury, Vergennes and Bristol as well as public libraries around the county. Details of the new schedule are also available on the ACTR website, www.actr-vt.org.

Voters in Proctor will be asked to approve a $6 million water replacement system tomorrow to help the town avoid getting penalized for higher-than-normal chlorine level standards and bad water pressure. Current water rates of about $380 a year will likely jump to anywhere from $400 to $540 a year.

Green Aviation technology is coming to Vermont with GE at the forefront. That technology, and the role the Rutland GE plant plays, was highlighted last week at a meeting of the Vermont Aerospace & Aviation Association The Rutland GE plant is building parts for the next generation of jet engine. It's the engine that will power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company's newest passenger plane, and the Boeing 747-8.

It's into the final stretch for candidates in Tuesday's Vermont primary, with most analysts saying the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination too close to call. Five candidates are vying to be the Democratic standard bearer who will face Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie in November in a race for a governor's office that's open for the first time in eight years.

The Legislature and Gov. Jim Douglas' administration have reached consensus on the scope of next year's state budget shortfall in Vermont. With an agreement, discussions can begin on how to close the gap. The Times Argus newspaper says a $112 million general fund deficit is projected for fiscal 2012.

More jobs are coming to a Rutland cracker company. Westminster Crackers is getting nearly $240,000 from a state Employment Growth Incentive over the next five years. It will help add 36 new jobs to its 45-person workforce at the company's Howe Center location.

Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union is calling for students to compete for great prizes, including a $5,000 college scholarship, by submitting videos about how to use debit, credit & ATM cards responsibly. The "Get Carducated" video contest is open to members of participating credit unions, between the ages of 16 and 21 who are currently attending college or will be college-bound by October 2012. Interested students can visit www.getcarducated.com to find out more about the contest and how to enter.

Starting today, the new radiation wing of Fletcher Allen Healthcare will start seeing patients. There was an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday for the wing known as the "Garden Pavilion". Officials say the wing will provide cancer patients better treatment with new state-of-the-art equipment and more comfort with private changing rooms and more spacious waiting areas.

The Old Navy store is leaving Church Street in Burlington. Old Navy has been a part of the marketplace for the past 10 years. Officials say the store plans to move out by March 1st. The retailer reportedly wants to find a smaller space. No word yet on what businesses will move into the Old Navy space.

Upgrades on the Churubusco border crossing are on hold for now. The Canadian Government recently announced that they would be closing their side of the border crossing in the spring; making it a one-way crossing. Since then, the 15-Million-Dollar upgrade has been under sharp criticism. The project will likely be on hold till both countries work something out.

State Police are investigating at least 5 business burglaries that took place in Schroon Lake this weekend. Police say the Morning Star Bistro, Crunch Time Bakery and Deli, Flannigan's Pub, Timberwolf Pub, and Pitkin's Restaurant all reported money stolen during burglaries that took place overnight Friday and Saturday. The investigation continues.

South Burlington Police are urging residents to lock their car doors after reports of nearly 50 break-ins since last Thursday. That's in addition to the dozen that occurred last week at the University Mall and hotel parking lots across the city. Police are saying the same thing now as they did a few days ago, take your valuables out of your car and leave it locked.

The Chittenden Unit for Special Investigators is warning the city of Burlington about the release of a high-risk sex offender. 71-year-old James Villa was released from prison after serving a maximum sentence of 13 years. Villa is no longer on probation or parole but he is considered high-risk because he failed to complete the treatment program.

With the national outbreak of salmonella in eggs, many people are wondering if the local eggs are safe? The outbreak has been traced 2 farms in Iowa. Local egg producers say the eggs you buy in the store are usually a little fresher since the birds are going outdoors which is healthier for them. Experts say the bottom line is, cook your food properly and you should be fine.