WVTK Local & State News September 16, 2010

Weather Channel Meteorologist Ray Stagich says we’ll have occasional rain by this afternoon with a high in the mid 60’s.

State police have arrested a Westport man for allegedly striking a young boy during a biddy soccer game Tuesday afternoon. Richard F. Jensen was arrested on charges of assault of a child younger than 7 and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arraigned in Moriah Town Court and released on his own recognizance. With a charge of second-degree assault, he could face a maximum of seven years in prison.

The Brandon Development Review Board’s decision on a proposed shopping center is under attack from both sides. Massachusetts Developer William McCabe said he would appeal the board’s decision to allow him to build a Hannaford at the corner of Route 7 and Nickerson Road while disallowing associated retail space and another building intended to hold a restaurant. Fifteen Brandon residents filed a notice of appeal in August, followed by a nine-page document questioning 17 aspects of the decision.

Rutland High School will use the bulk of an $850,364 grant for teachers and technology with the ultimate goal of improving student test scores over the next three years. The grant was largest award in the state among 69 schools in need of improvement. The school became eligible for the grant in March after the state was federally mandated to determine which schools in Vermont were in the most need of student improvement or “persistently low-achieving.”

A Rutland man charged with trying to rob two South Main Street businesses remains behind bars on $50,000 bail. John J. Burke pleaded innocent in Rutland District Court recently to a pair of felony charges of larceny for allegedly entering a Dunkin’ Donuts and Cumberland Farms convenience store and demanding cash from the registers.

With an eye on future development, Supervisor Bethany Kosmider has asked the Adirondack Park Agency to review its land use map in Crown Point. She has met with the APA and discussed changing the Sugar Hill area from moderate-intensity zoning to hamlet. Hamlets are exempt from APA regulation. Before any action, the APA is required to notify landowners of possible changes and public hearings must be held.

Matthew J. Courtright is the new executive director of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce. For the past three and a half years Courtright has been with Silver Bay YMCA, most recently holding the position of conference relations and marketing director. The chamber board is confident that it has chosen an excellent leader who will guide the chambers efforts as it continues to promote and support area businesses and the region. He was born and raised in Ticonderoga and currently resides in Port Henry with his family.

The Ticonderoga Police Department along with many other state and local departments nationwide will participate in the national drug "Take Back" initiative. The Drug Enforcement Administration will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at sites nationwide on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The collection site in Ticonderoga will be at the Ticonderoga police station.

It's now been six days since Pat O'Hagan disappeared from her home in the Northeast Kingdom, and State Police are now calling it a kidnapping. However, they are revealing little about what led them to that conclusion. On Wednesday, a Vermont State Police Major said while they believe it's an isolated incident, they're reminding people to lock their homes and vehicles. State Police have been joined by the FBI, firefighters, local volunteers and the Vermont National Air Guard in their search for O'Hagan.

Children and those who work around them should be vaccinated against whooping cough. The illness is a highly contagious bacterial infection that settles in the lungs. The Vermont Department of Health says nine cases have been confirmed in the state, with five in just the past two weeks. School entry laws in Vermont require kids be vaccinated before entering kindergarten, and it's suggested parents, siblings or anyone spending time near infants should get vaccinated as well.

In November, voters across Vermont will not only be asked to elect a number of officials, but they will also be asked to approve an amendment to the state constitution. The amendment would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they turn 18 by Election Day. The amendment was designed to boost voter interest in younger citizens.

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie's campaign for governor continues to attract large numbers of donations. The Republican Dubie says he's raised more than $150,000 in the past 30 days, bringing the total so far in the campaign to nearly $1.2 million from 4,727 donors. According to campaign finance reports filed Wednesday, Democrat Peter Shumlin has raised $59,000 in the reporting period, of which a little under $1,000 came from himself or his family.

If money matters in politics, the race for Vermont's open secretary of state's office this year could be a close one. Campaign finance reports filed Wednesday show Republican Jason Gibbs and Democrat Jim Condos in a virtual dead heat with just over $40,000 each raised so far in the campaign. Meanwhile, incumbent Republican Auditor Tom Salmon holds a slight fundraising edge over Democratic-Progressive challenger Doug Hoffer. Salmon has raised about $22,000 so far in the campaign, while Hoffer has collected about $18,000.

The state Health Department says Vermont woman have the highest rate in the country of breast-feeding their babies at their first birthdays. Almost 40% of Vermont woman breast-fed 12 months after birth and more than 86% of babies are breast-fed at some point. Health Commissioner Dr. Wendy Davis says the high rate of breast-feeding is 1 of the reasons Vermont consistently ranks among the healthiest states in the country.

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the Crown Point State Historic Site. The Historic Site began life in 1910 as a gift from a Port Henry businessman who bought the property and turned it over to the state. The two-day cultural event will honor the nations that sought control of a colonial territorial prize: the Lake Champlain valley.