WVTK Local & State News October 6, 2010

Vermont fire investigators say a laptop computer left unattended on a bed likely caused a fire that damaged a condominium here in Middlebury. No one was injured in the 9 a.m. Monday fire at the Otterside Court Condominiums. Fire damage was limited to the upstairs, but the entire unit suffered smoke and water damage. The fire was ruled accidental.

Vermont State Police say a body found by hunters over the weekend is that of a missing 78-year-old grandmother. Police announced yesterday that an autopsy concluded the body is that of Pat O'Hagan of Sheffield. The manner of death was ruled a homicide, but police wouldn't release the cause of death.

The Town of Ferrisburgh is turning green when it comes to energy. A new 140-acre, 1-megawatt solar electric power array is under construction along Route 7 and a high-tech wind turbine is towering over the Ferrisburgh Central School. Everyone is invited to attend the Ferrisburgh Green Energy Celebration, Thursday, Oct. 14, 6-7:30 PM, at the central school and join in a fun and informative evening to ask about the pros and cons of alternative energy.

The Rutland Board of Aldermen have approved a $45,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by a man pepper-balled last winter while in a city police holding cell. By a vote of 7 to 1 the aldermen voted to settle the three-month-old lawsuit brought by Jamek Hart.

Police say a Rutland woman stole prescription narcotics from work. Ann Gallagher allegedly stole 50 pills from the Mountain View Center nursing home in Rutland where she used to work. Co-workers noticed suspicious paperwork in the medication register and reported her. She pled innocent to the embezzlement charges. Her nursing license has been suspended.

Sixty people gathered on Lincoln Hill in Hinesburg to honor the pioneering spirit of America and Vermont last week. The group was instrumental in urging the state to create a new historical marker near the site of one of Vermont's earliest African-American farming communities. After an unveiling ceremony dedications were read as well as the text of the marker.

Organizers of Peru Central School's homecoming weekend are hoping the annual event will be bigger and better than ever. This year, the committee of students and faculty behind the event has added a bonfire and 5K run to the weekend's festivities as a means of drawing in more people from the community. It all begins with the community bonfire to the right of the varsity football field Friday, October 15, at 8:15 PM with the 5K run taking place Saturday morning.

The candidates for Vermont governor disagree over the future of the state's only nuclear power plant. Democratic state Sen. Peter Shumlin said during a debate Tuesday night that the Vermont Yankee plant should close as currently scheduled in 2012, while Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie says the plant's application for a license renewal should be reviewed by state regulators.

A former city manager fired two years ago is taking his case to the Vermont Supreme Court. Former Winooski City Manager Joshua Handverger, who was dismissed two years ago amid criticism, went before the state's highest court Tuesday, his lawyer telling justices that Winooski officials improperly removed Handverger.

A municipal pension plan that racked up almost $9 million in shortfalls is stirring calls for an investigation in one Vermont City. City Council members in South Burlington say former city manager Chuck Hafter, who had the job for 21 years, failed to alert them to the problem. They have written to International City-County Management Association about the matter.

Vermont police will soon have a new tool for the "CSI" part of their work. State officials unveiled a new Public Safety Forensic Laboratory yesterday, calling the $12.8 million facility in Waterbury a giant step over the existing lab in technology, space and equipment.

The Republican candidate for Vermont secretary of state has received a traffic ticket following an accident in which he drove his car into a ditch. Police report that 34-year-old Jason Gibbs fell asleep at the wheel at 12:45 a.m. Sept. 17 near his home in Duxbury. Gibbs says the accident happened after he was campaigning at the Tunbridge World's Fair, a meeting of Washington County Republicans and at 24-hour convenience stores on his way home.

Ski resort marketing directors are already gearing up for the winter with all kinds of offers and incentives. Ski Vermont is offering a fifth grade passport, allowing fifth graders to get out on the slopes all season for just ten dollars. Ski Vermont says everyone wins, from the families to the ski resorts. And, proceeds from the ten-dollar processing fee go to a group called "Keep Local Farms" which supports dairy farms in New England.

Charles Schulz’s Peanuts gang has turned 60! Now, his family is working to keep Snoopy, Lucy and the rest alive for generations to come. A handful of new projects are in the works. The first new animated film in five years is set for release next spring called "Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown." ABC just signed on for five more years of airing Charlie Brown holiday specials. A new social media game began on Facebook and Twitter last month to "Countdown to the Great Pumpkin," and the comic strip has made its way to a popular gaming website for millions of children.