WVTK Local & State News October 27, 2010

A reminder that paving is expected take place tomorrow on Elm Street from Route 7 to the Railroad Underpass. The intersection of Elm, Exchange and Seymour Streets will be temporarily closed when paving machinery is crossing the intersection. Please be patient and ready for some delays in this area.

Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says she is "optimistically" projecting 60 percent turnout in next Tuesday's election. If she's right that figure would represent significantly lower participation compared to the 67 percent who voted in the 2008 presidential year. The deadline to register for next week's statewide election is this afternoon. Registration forms are available at all town clerks’ offices.

One dollar can go a long way and that's the message the Vermont Food Bank has sent to 200,000 people. The Vermont Food Bank estimates it will feed 86,000 people this year. It is asking for help during the Thanksgiving season while food and family are on people's minds. The food bank hopes to raise nine percent of its donations for the year during this Thanksgiving campaign.

Police said Stephen Bromley, of North Clarendon, shot his wife's horse several times. Officials said they responded to a call from a neighbor on Creek Road back in June. Stephen Bromley pleaded not guilty to one count of animal cruelty Monday. He was released on the condition that he not abuse any domesticated animals. If convicted, he could face up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.

A Rutland city police officer and the alderman he sued last year both declared victory in a settlement reached Monday. Police Officer Edward Dumas sued Alderman Kevin Coleman more than a year ago after Coleman made remarks about concerns he had about the department. Neither the city nor the police officer admitted to any wrongdoing in the settlement.

Some of the most junior staff in the Rutland Public School District has been notified that the School Board is considering eliminating positions and they would be the first to go next school year. 

The meetings are among the first steps taken by the administration to prepare staff for what is being called “devastating” budget cuts. A set of lists that categorize cuts in order of priority show a reduction in school staff that’s the equivalent of 34 full-time teachers and staff.

Records show a Morristown grandmother accused in the drugging death of her 3-month-old grandson had her nursing license revoked twice for diverting drugs. Public records from the Vermont Board of Nursing office show that 53-year-old Pamela Raymond lost her nursing license in 1987 and again in 1996, five months after it had been reinstated. On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her infant grandson.

One of the minor party candidates in the race for governor is asking his supporters to vote for Democrat Peter Shumlin. Ben Mitchell is on the ballot as the candidate for the Liberty Union and Socialist parties. Mitchell issued a statement yesterday saying he is dropping his bid for governor and backing Shumlin because he doesn't want to take votes from Shumlin that could help Republican Brian Dubie win.

Vermont's attorney general says he found no violation of campaign finance law after investigating a complaint against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Shumlin about a news conference attended by members of the Vermont Troopers Association. Republican candidate Brian Dubie's camp had said the attendance of union-paid troopers at the Sept. 22 announcement of the union's endorsement of Shumlin, should have been included on Shumlin's campaign finance report, as an in-kind contribution.

A Vermont town is getting help paying the expenses it's racking up as officials care for 84 cats seized from two cars. The Bennington Police Chief says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is providing the town $5,000 to help cover the cost of caring for the cats, seized Oct. 8 after they were noticed in two cars in a town parking lot.

The Vermont state parks have just wrapped up their busiest operating season in 15 years. Gov. Jim Douglas says the parks welcomed nearly 834,000 visitors this year, a 15% increase over 2009. The parks saw more than 455,000 day-use visits, with nearly 382,000 camper visits. Forty-five percent of campers were Vermonters, while 55% were from out-of-state.

Vice President Joe Biden is planning to visit Vermont next week to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Shumlin. Shumlin campaign manager tells the Burlington Free Press Biden will be in Vermont on Monday, the day before the election. The noontime rally will be held in the Burlington area, but the location has not yet been chosen.

October is fair trade month, dedicated to promoting socially responsible consumer purchases and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters marked that yesterday with a special broadcast on the Internet with a show educating customers about fair trade coffee. Green Mountain buys a third of its coffee through fair trade sourcing that guarantees a predictable, good price to farmers. The company wants to increase its commitment. To learn more click here!

New York is making it easier for tourists to find the most scenic roads in the state. The Transportation Department has produced a new map highlighting the state's 21 designated scenic byways spanning more than two thousand miles of roads. One side of the folding map highlights the 14 scenic routes in northern New York. The other side shows the whole state. The maps will be available at tourist attractions around the state.

A Vermont renewable energy entrepreneur is to speak this Friday at an international symposium on climate change. David Blittersdorf, CEO of Williston-based AllEarth Renewables and founder of Hinesburg-based NRG Systems, will join NASA's James Hansen and Tony Haymet, director of California's Scripps Institution of Oceanography on a panel at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

Vermont officials will be collecting information on the age and health of deer at 24 biological deer check stations during the state's youth hunting weekend. This year's youth hunting weekend is on November 6 and 7, the Saturday and Sunday before rifle hunting season. Shawn Haskell, Vermont's deer project leader, says the inspections allow biologists to get a close look at the yearling buck population.