WVTK Local & State News September 7, 2010

Weather Channel Meteorologist Ray Stagich says there is a slight chance for some morning showers otherwise becoming Sunny with a High around 82!

Prep work for paving on Route 30 between Middlebury and Whiting continues. Sections from Cornwall village north will also be widened to accommodate bikers and runners. Be ready for some delays throughout the construction zone and be aware that the speed limit has been reduced to 40 MPH with fines doubled for speeding in work zones.

Construction continues on the Cross Street Bridge. Be aware of changing traffic patterns downtown. Pay attention to traffic controllers and do not use your cell phone while driving through the construction area.

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas is announcing a new $1 million grant that will create up to 45 jobs. Douglas will outline details of the grant today in an appearance at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury.

The National Museum of the Morgan Horse will soon move from its current headquarters in Shelburne to Main Street in Middlebury. The museum has signed a five-year lease to occupy the former Vermont Beads & Fibers location at 34 Main St., next to the National Bank of Middlebury. The move will place the museum closer to the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge and Middlebury College.

The Goshen Fire department got its nonprofit certification on July 20. Chief Will Mathis said he has already written the constitution and the bylaws, and he has filed many pages worth of state and federal paperwork. The town of Goshen is currently covered by the Brandon Fire Department. Though the members of the department are still working on getting their firefighter training, they have a head start on medical expertise with most members holding first aid and CPR certifications. The first firefighters may actually be certified by January.

The town of Brandon has finally hired an economic development director. Town Manager Keith Arlund confirmed last week that Stephen Beck of Leicester has accepted the position.

Starting today the Middlebury Planning Commission will convene the first of several televised panel discussions. These discussions are designed to encourage citizens to weigh in on how they’d like to see the community grow during the next decade and beyond.

An investigator has found what might be the human remains of missing 33-year-old Danny Goldstein of Rutland. 
Goldstein, a man diagnosed to be suffering from depression and off his medication, went missing from his North Main St. apartment July 26. The medical examiner will make the final determination as to whether it’s Goldstein or not.

A 20-year-old man was caught texting while riding his motorcycle. A Vermont State Trooper said he saw Joshua Kelly riding his motorcycle with one hand on his handlebars and one hand on a cell phone. The trooper said he could see Kelly using his thumb to hit buttons on his cell phone while he was riding on Route 7 in Waltham. Police say after he was stopped, Kelly admitted he had been texting his boss while riding his motorcycle. He was issued a traffic ticket for texting while riding, which carries a fine of up to $156 for a first offense.

The Obama administration's national coordinator for electronic health records is coming to Vermont. Dr. David Blumenthal is giving the keynote address tomorrow at the Vermont Information Technology Leaders Inc.'s annual education conference in Burlington.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke about jobs and rebuilding the economy while warning against returning to failed policies of the past while addressing the annual New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor Day breakfast. More than 300 people gathered yesterday in Manchester to hear Sanders and politicians from their own state.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife department is seeking applicants for waterfowl hunting permits to be used at two wildlife management areas. The deadline is Sept. 20. The hunts, for duck at Mud Creek in Alburgh and geese at Dead Creek in Addison, have been popular since the 1970s. Permit applications for the two areas are available at the Fish and Wildlife department's website - http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com.