WVTK Local & State News November 16, 2010

A hunter is recovering at home after a hunting accident in Rutland County over the weekend. Ed Bell of Orwell shot a deer in the woods in Benson. When he approached without his gun, Bell discovered the deer was still alive. It started kicking and then stood up. Bell took off running, tripped over some brush and accidentally stabbed himself in the leg with his hunting knife. He was taken to the hospital where he received 10 stitches.

The Crop harvest is looking good this year for Addison County farmers. In some cases better than it has in many years. Craig Miner with the county Farm Service Agency said that from what he saw, nearly the entire growing season spelled good luck for local farmers. This year, dairy farmers in the county have been able to put up a good amount of hay and corn for winter-feeding. Which is good because of relatively high grain prices.

A filmmaker from Charlotte has accepted and begun what he calls an exciting challenge from the Bixby Free Memorial Library. In the next 12 months Philip Fass plans to complete a 60-minute DVD that will not only express what the Bixby Library has meant to the five communities it has served since 1912, but also emphasize the central role the Vergennes institution can continue to play in the decades to come.

School boards in Leicester and Whiting are working on the proposed school budgets for the 2011-2012 school year. Both budgets will be affected by the Legislature’s “Challenges for Change” effort, as well as from a potential reduction in the state’s Small Schools grant. According to the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent the targets are set at a $12,177 reduction from Leicester Central School’s current spending plan and a $4,774 reduction from Whiting Elementary School’s current year’s spending. He expects both schools to meet the Challenges for Change targets.

The Middlebury Selectboard has OK’d a contract with Bread Loaf Corp. to help the fire department to determine whether its best option is to plan for on-site expansion or a new headquarters. The Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department maintains two stations, a primary facility on Seymour Street and a branch station in East Middlebury. The Seymour Street station can barely contain current fire apparatus and will be unable to accommodate the next generation of vehicles.

Last spring the Leicester Central School received a $50,000 energy efficiency and conservation block grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund the installation of a new, energy-efficient boiler and water heater in the school. Leicester Central has now put the installation contract out to bid, with the hope of doing the new installations in the spring.

Vermont State Police investigators are trying to determine if human remains found near the Appalachian Trail in the town of Mendon are those of a man who has been missing since April. Police say no foul play is suspected. Police say hunters found them at about 9:15 Sunday morning. Investigators are trying to determine if the remains are those of a Florida man who was reported missing in April. The man's vehicle was found in Rutland in May.

Expected savings from Vermont's newly instituted Challenges for Change program are not as hefty as lawmakers hoped. It was a plan passed earlier this year to save 38-million dollars by making state government more efficient and changing the way certain services are delivered. But the program has only saved 30 million. Officials say they still have about 3-million in savings yet to identify and they've earmarked funding to cover some of that gap.

Just over a year ago, they were the first to leave. Now, five of the nearly 15-hundred members of the Vermont National Guard deployed to Afghanistan are the first to come home. The soldiers are part of the 86th Infantry Brigade, and the first of many charters bringing home the others will start at about mid-week next week, with everyone eventually home just after Christmas.

Republican Brian Dubie raised more money than Democrat Peter Shumlin did in their campaign for Vermont governor, but Shumlin ended up getting more votes. Campaign finance reports filed yesterday show that Dubie raised just under $1.5 million in cash and another $67,000 in non-monetary contributions during his run.

Gearing up for a new administration in Montpelier, Vermont Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin is naming his choices for five high-level state jobs. Shumlin said he'll appoint state Treasurer Jeb Spaulding as his secretary of administration, state Sen. Susan Bartlett as his special assistant, Democratic strategist Bill Lofy as chief of staff, lawyer Beth Robinson as special counsel and campaign manager Alexandra MacLean as secretary of civil and military affairs.

Governor Jim Douglas highlighted ongoing efforts to prevent child sexual abuse. Act One, signed by Douglas in 2008, increases child sexual abuse prevention in schools. Everyone in the school system will be trained on how to deal with the issue, from bus drivers and janitors, to teachers. A new public service announcement also spreads the message that it is adult’s responsibility to prevent sexual abuse. Schools systems will receive the orientation on how to deal with and prevent sexual abuse starting in 2011.

Two people face stiff charges for their alleged involvement in a Burlington mugging and stabbing. Scott Whalon, 23, and Mehmed Devac, 16, pleaded not guilty and were held without bail Monday. Police say the two mugged a man earlier this month as he was walking by himself on North Willard Street. They say Devac stabbed the man, puncturing his lung.

Four Loko has just been banned in New York state. That means all stores that carry the alcoholic energy drink will have to pull it off shelves and stop selling it. State leaders are concerned about the safety of this type of product. Not only are the drinks targeted to younger drinkers, but also health officials feel the caffeine content and its potential to mask the effects of alcohol can be dangerous.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the price of gasoline is getting more and more expensive for consumers. Travelers will soon hit the roads for the holidays and experts say, be ready to pay more at the pump. The price of gasoline has soared over the past week up to $3.11 per gallon in some parts of Vermont.

The Salvation Army has started its efforts a little earlier than usual this year. Bell ringers have been out since the beginning of November and organizers say that's because the need is greater than ever. Last year the Salvation Army says that there was an increase in donations because people are aware of the challenges Vermonters are facing.

Young drivers in Vermont can now prepare for the learner's permit online. The Department of Motor Vehicles launched a new interactive tool, using high-tech animation to help new drivers learn the rules of the road. The tutorial also explains the process for getting a permit and a license. The DMV says the tool is the first of its kind in the country. To check it out click here.

A Marine veteran is walking across the country with one goal in mind and he was in Montpelier yesterday. Lance Robinson from Pennsylvania is walking from state to state trying to get proclamations from mayors and governors to get September 10th declared national Brother-to-Brother Day. Robinson wants a day of recognition for veterans where they will wear their uniforms and salute and shake hands together. Unlike Veterans or Memorial Day he hopes Brother-to-Brother day will be free of commercialism.