WVTK Local & State News September 23, 2010

The man suing Rutland City and some of its police force for the use of a crowd control device on him in January has changed his plea. Jamek Hart was charged with disorderly conduct during the early morning hours of Jan. 1 after city police arrested him outside a downtown bar. Hart initially pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge but changed his plea to no contest last week and accepted a $10 fine and $143 in court surcharges.

Sixth grade science teacher Colleen Pandolph of Peru has been selected as a finalist from New York State for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She was nominated by former Beekmantown Middle School principal Sue Coonrod and was selected by a state selection committee of her peers. A national selection committee in Washington, D.C. will review her nomination and that committee will determine the winner of the Presidential Award this winter.

Rutland city took the first official step toward taking control of the downtown-parking garage yesterday. 

The Community and Economic Development Committee voted to continue conversations with the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services on the subject. Commissioner Gerry Myers recently said he was considering closing the deck from 6 PM to 6 AM during the week and all through the weekend if he could not reach an agreement with the city to take over management of the deck, which is operating at a loss and suffering from frequent vandalism.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what sparked a fire that destroyed a historic landmark. It broke out in Peru, NY, around 1:30 PM Wednesday. Several departments tried to save the barn, but firefighters say the heat was just too intense. The owner of the property says the barn was built in 1800 as a carriage house to accompany the neighboring tavern.

The president of the Vermont Troopers Association held a news conference with Peter Shumlin in front of the Statehouse yesterday to say the union was endorsing him. Shumlin is a Democrat, and in the last four elections for governor, the union had endorsed Republicans.

Police say a man wanted in connection with a stolen drawing believed to be the work of Vincent van Gogh has been arrested in Vermont. Authorities say 45-year-old Edward Laird, of Abilene, Tex., is wanted in New Mexico for selling the alleged van Gogh sketch. He was arrested in Vermont on Aug. 20 for occupying an abandoned camp, burglary and possession of stolen property.

A candlelight vigil has been scheduled and the reward money boosted in the case of a missing Vermont grandmother police believe was abducted from her home. 78-year-old Pat O'Hagan, of Sheffield, was reported missing Sept. 11. The Vermont State Police are offering $5,000 for information leading to the prosecution of the person or people responsible, the FBI is offering $10,000 and O'Hagan's family is now offering up to $5,000. The vigil will be held at 6 PM today at Town Hall in Sheffield. The family has established a web site - http://www.findpatohagan.com.

Forty new volunteers have started work in Vermont nonprofits, public agencies and faith-based groups as part of the AmeriCorps and VISTA programs. They were selected Tuesday from more than 300 applicants to the yearlong program. They will work at 27 sites in Vermont.

When Vermonters go to the polls in November to pick a new governor, they'll also decide whether the state should allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections. A proposed constitutional amendment would allow them to do so if they'll turn 18 by the date of the general election. Supporters say the idea is to get young people voting sooner. But town clerks are opposed to the ballot item.

Health officials say most children in Vermont are getting vaccinated but not all are getting the doses they need. The Vermont Department of Health says overall vaccination rates for children age 19 months to 35 months remain high. But Health Commissioner Wendy Davis said Tuesday that the rates of children getting the recommended and available doses of vaccines against 14 life-threatening diseases is now below the national average and the lowest in New England.

New England Common Assessment Program-- or NECAP-- science tests are administered to 4th, 8th, and 11th-graders in Vermont. Fourth-graders did the best on the assessment, with 54 percent scoring proficient or higher. That's up 2 percent over last year. Eighth-graders showed the most improvement, but still only 29 percent scored proficient or higher. That's a five-point increase from 2009. Only 28 percent of 11th-graders achieved a proficient or higher score this year-- up one point from last year.

Many New York state parks may have opened late this year but that didn't stop people from visiting. Attendance is up 3.5 percent from last year. State officials say more than 42 million people packed the parks through the end of August, 1.4 million more than last year. Meanwhile overall visits to Vermont's state parks are up nearly 20 percent over last year.

The United Way of the Adirondack Region Inc. has officially begun its 2010-11 fundraising campaign. The nonprofit organization, which helps partnering agencies in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties announced at its annual campaign kick-off breakfast it aims to raise $750,000. For more information, contact the local United Way office at 563-0028 or visit www.unitedwayadk.org.

The Hinesburg South County Chorus and the Hinesburg Community Band seek new members for the fall rehearsal season. No auditions are required just bring a little talent and lots of enthusiasm for music. Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday from 7-8:30 p.m. at CVU High School in Hinesburg, Room 160. You can participate on a concert-by-concert basis, or for both semesters. For more information about these groups, call Rufus Patrick at 482-3010, email rufpat@yahoo.com, or go to the Hinesburg Artist Series website: www.HinesburgArtistSeries.org/.

The 21st Poultney Chili Cook-off sponsored by the Rotary Club takes place this weekend. The event attracts nearly 1,000 people, who for $8 can taste the creations of about 20 local cooks. The Chili Cook-off takes place in downtown Poultney from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM and coincides with Green Mountain College’s Family and Friends Weekend, and the Farmers Market Food and Craft Fair.

The Eastern States Exposition, also known as the Big E is underway in Springfield, Massachusetts and already Vermont has won some major competitions. For the first time, the agricultural exposition is including a wine and cheese competition, with Vermont really cleaning up. Putney Mountain won best fruit wine while Shelburne Vineyards was the only winery to win a double gold medal. Best cheese in the show honors went to Cobb Hill Cheese. The Big E runs until October 3rd, with Saturday being declared Vermont Day.

The Stafford Technical Center school store reopened its doors as a certified green store yesterday. The student-operated store has been working for two years to achieve this certification from the Vermont Business and Environmental Partnership. The store has undergone changes to its space, equipment, and inventory to earn this. The Stafford store is the first student-run operation in the state to achieve this certification.