WVTK Local & State News October 5, 2010

A fire ripped through a condo here in Middlebury yesterday morning. Firefighters say the fire broke out in the bedroom. Neighbors called 911. By the time emergency responders arrived, the bedroom and other areas were already up in flames. Middlebury Fire Chief Rick Cole says no one was at home when the fire broke out. He says firefighters were able to keep it from damaging other condos.

A driver from Addison was killed yesterday morning in a two-car collision at Route 7 and New Haven Road in Ferrisburgh. State Police say 68-year-old Roberta Anderson died from massive internal injuries, while the other driver, 54-year-old Laurie Byrne of Charlotte received minor injuries. The car driven by Anderson on New Haven Road failed to stop at the intersection.

The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy is looking to expand again in the summer of 2011. They are looking at adding an additional five sites to the three satellite schools that were already put in place this past year.

Long-anticipated renovations to the historic Pulp Mill Bridge on Seymour Street in Middlebury could be further delayed or possibly expedited. Bats have been discovered in the rafters of the covered bridge.

The city of Rutland will look at generating power at the sewage plant. With $25,000 from the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund, the Rutland Redevelopment Authority has put out a request for proposals to conduct a feasibility study of “small-scale energy production projects” at the facility.

Angry Rutland residents and business owners were at City Hall yesterday in response to the Board of Aldermen’s recent decision to raise utility rates more than 10 percent. For more than an hour, the aldermen heard complaints from residents but didn’t take any action that altered their decision to raise the utility rates. However, the board voted 7 to 2 on a motion calling for a freeze on city employee raises for the coming fiscal year.

Community College of Vermont has been given permission by the state to tear down a church in Rutland on the state’s register of historic places. The church on West Street is the former home of Rutland City Prayer and Worship and was the point of contention at a recent city Development Review Board meeting where some residents objected to the school not preserving the site.

Vermont State Police investigators say they're awaiting the results of an autopsy before they will be able to say for certain if a body found in Wheelock is that of Pat O'Hagan, who was abducted from her Sheffield home September 11. Investigators suspect the death was caused by foul play.

Federal prosecutors say Dartmouth College has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle allegations of improper conduct involving the college's administration of contracts at a VA Medical Center in White River Junction. The "potential civil claims" settled had to do with Dartmouth's work on six contracts. Prosecutors said the contracts involved improper invoices and violations of a law that bars federal employees from being paid by a private source for their federal job duties.

A heads up for New Yorker shoppers: on Oct. 1, the state re-instituted its 4 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes. The state had temporarily suspended that tax on purchases under $110. It's now back in place, though New York City is still waiving the tax. In April shoppers will again get a break on that tax, but it will only apply to clothing and footwear purchases under $55.

Vermont is getting $8.8-million-dollars in grant money for public transportation. The money is being split up between 2 separate agencies, the Vermont Agency of Transportation, or VTrans, and the Chittenden County Transportation Authority. The money will be used to rehabilitate current buses, and to purchase new buses.

Governor Jim Douglas has signed a proclamation making the month of October, Cyber Security Awareness Month. Governor Douglas is joining other governors across the country in recognizing the 7th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Douglas says, “Cyber security is the one area where every person, making small, positive changes, can make a huge difference.”

The CVPS Fill the Cupboard Challenge made a huge rebound from last year and beat its goal to collect 20,000 food items for the Rutland Community effort. 67 local businesses, community groups, schools and organizations collected a total of 21,654 items. The food collected during the Fill the Cupboard Challenge is expected to last up to the holiday season, when donations are at their peak. The Castleton State College Field Hockey team won the challenge by collecting a total of 1,982 food items. CVPS will donate $500 to the Cupboard in their name.

An independent documentary film will make an appearance in Middlebury this week. “Queen of the Sun: What are the bees telling us?” briefly features Bridport bee expert Kirk Webster and his mite-free colonies. It’s an effort to share an alternative look at what people are calling a “global bee crisis” currently in effect. The documentary has already been featured at film festivals from Rhode Island to Seattle to Maui. The screening will take place at the Marquis Theater on Wednesday at 7:30 PM.

The Ticonderoga Knights of Columbus have a new home thanks to its members. The Knights of Columbus hall on Montcalm Street, constructed in 1920, has been renovated. Knights will formally open their renovated building with a public dinner this Saturday at 6PM. People can call the hall at 585-6520 for reservations.