WVTK Local & State News October 25, 2010

Pavement milling and paving will take place today and this Thursday on Elm Street from Route 7 to the Railroad Underpass. Traffic flow through the intersection of Elm, Exchange and Seymour Streets will be limited when the milling machine is working the intersection today. On Thursday the same intersection will be temporarily closed when paving machinery is crossing the intersection.

The next public meeting regarding the possible consolidation of schools in the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union will be held tomorrow from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at the Addison Central School. The union is exploring a possible unification vote on Town Meeting Day 2011.

Burlington Police say they've arrested a man in connection with the recent murder of Kathleen Smith. Forty-five-year-old Jose Pazos was arrested Saturday on trespassing charges, and is expected to be arraigned later today. Her car was found abandoned, and detectives went door-to-door in East Middlebury and at the Middlebury Snow Bowl looking for clues in the case. He was found hiding in an outbuilding at the Snow Bowl on Saturday and arrested. At this point, police are not saying what his connection to the murder case is.

Vermont State Police say an armed robbery at the Charlotte ferry dock last week was an inside job. Security Guard Patrick Risley initially told police he was robbed at gunpoint while removing money from a safe Thursday. But police say he later confessed that he planned the whole operation along with 23-year-old Matthew Duval and 19-year-old Shawn Cochran.

Federal Stimulus money is providing funding for road construction on Route 7 in Brandon which sees about 7 thousand travelers a day. But not everyone is happy with the construction. Some have even said they do not understand why the project is taking place. Agency of Transportation officials say it is preventative maintenance. The road is being widened to meet modern road specifications making the lanes 11 feet wide with an 8-foot shoulder.

After multiple complaints from Fair Haven town residents, the police department is looking for ways to reduce loitering and noise in the town park after-hours. Police Chief William Humphries presented a proposal to Select Board members to update the current park ordinance in hopes of limiting loitering in the park. The park currently closes at 11 PM and he is looking to close the park by 9 PM.

Police say a truck caught fire after sliding off an icy road early Friday in Killington. Vermont State Police said Kevin Brown of Pittsford was driving east on Route 4 when he lost control on the icy roadway near Brad Mead Drive. No one was injured, but the truck was a total loss.

Officials in Crown Point say one more budget workshop and the 2011 town budget will be complete. The next workshop is scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:30. And during tomorrow night's meeting they will be discuss a 3-percent pay raise for town employees. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting.

Vermont's unemployment rate dropped two tenths of a percentage point last month. Vermont's rate is now 5.8, a full point lower than a year ago, and almost four points lower than the national average. Around the state, Newport has the highest jobless rate at seven percent. Hartford has the lowest at 3.6 percent.

It's National Teen Driver Safety Week, and Vermont's health commissioner is stressing the importance of keeping your eyes on the road. Vermont is 1 of 30 states to pass laws banning texting while driving, a practice that the Pew Research Center estimates one in every three teenagers engages in.

The Vermont State Treasurer says a $20 million bond sale is good news for the state. Treasurer Jeb Spaulding says the interest cost of the 20-year bonds is 2.58%, the lowest rate since the 1960s. The money raised through the sale of the bonds will be used to pay for infrastructure projects authorized last year by the Legislature.

Vermont's two major gubernatorial candidates have entered the home stretch of a bitter fight by accusing one another of low blows in their 13th and final debate. Democrat Peter Shumlin and Republican Brian Dubie accused one another Saturday of being dishonest in campaign ads and earlier debates in characterizing one another's positions.

The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters that wearing fluorescent orange during deer season saves lives. Twenty years of data on hunting related shootings in Vermont found that 2 of the three most common causes of the shootings are visibility problems and mistaking other hunters for game. Vermont's 16-day rifle season for deer begins Nov. 13.

The state of Vermont has set up a new website where people can apply for food assistance and other state benefits. The state Department for Children and Families is encouraging people to check out the online site here. Officials say the site is designed to make applying for 3SquaresVT, health insurance, fuel assistance, Reach Up and other programs
quicker and easier. It's also designed to allow existing clients of the programs to check for information about their benefits.

Washington Electric Co-op is holding an open house at the Coventry landfill Nov. 4. The landfill, which has been generating gas since 2005, now provides enough electricity to meet two-thirds of the needs for 10,000 member households and businesses. Members of the co-op, and anyone else who's interested, are invited to the Nov. 4 open house, which will include tours of the landfill, which is Vermont's largest.

A new Vermont Passport Agency office under construction in St. Albans will open in February. The new office, in a former U.S. Postal Service building, is being built in part with $2.3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Less than half of states have these offices.

The Tiny Tim Christmas Wish Program is preparing for its 30th season in Ticonderoga. Tiny Tim applications are now available and can be obtained at 17 Mount Hope Avenue. Deadline for applications is November 15. For more information contact Helen Gibbs at 585-7429.

Ghosts, goblins, monsters and other assorted creatures will roam downtown Ticonderoga as Halloween Fest comes to town. The annual “fright night” trick-or-treat event for children, sponsored by the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership, will be held this Friday from 3:30-5 p.m. on Montcalm Street. Businesses and organizations displaying a pumpkin in their windows will be participating in the event by handing out treats to young people as they walk the sidewalks.