WVTK Local & State News November 17, 2010

Gov. Jim Douglas said President Barak Obama has selected Vermont as one of eight states to participate in a demonstration project that is modeled after the groundbreaking Vermont Blueprint for Health. As part of the demonstration project, the federal government will provide Medicare funding to better coordinate care, lower costs and improve health outcomes for patients. This is a first for the federal Medicare program.

A young woman from Monkton reportedly brought her child during a burglary spree. State Police say 22-year-old Lacie Pickett smashed car windows, stealing jewelry, cash and other items from the cars. There were a total of 18 car break-ins reported in Charlotte from September to November, mostly those with out of state plates. Pickett reportedly told police she had no one to look after her baby, so she brought the newborn with her.

Art and the Internet are front-and-center in the Downtown Rutland Partnership's plan for the coming year 
About 20 people attended the Partnership's annual meeting yesterday. The big announcement of the meeting was that the partnership's new website is expected to come online December 1st. The partnership is also pushing to get more municipal art in the city. The artist who painted the wall of the Rutland Natural Food Market will be adding a new mural above The Pit parking lot in the spring.

The state’s Department of Liquor Control asked distributing companies not to sell alcohol energy drinks to Vermont stores. The sweet-tasting high-alcohol beverages, referred to as AEDs, have been linked to numerous cases of alcohol poisonings across the country, including a fatality recently in Maryland. Despite the fact that purchasing the drinks requires over-21 identification like any other alcohol purchase the beverages are being marketed to youth with flavors designed to hide the alcohol.

The Vermont Railway is paying a $120,000 fine for a series of hazardous waste violations that include leaving containers of waste in an unused boxcar in a Rutland rail yard that had been there since 1964. There was kerosene in 19 drums found in the boxcar. An Agency of Natural Resources analyst said an inspection revealed additional violations in Burlington and in Rutland.

New numbers show that Vermont now ranks among the top hungriest states in the country. The USDA just released its annual report, which shows that 1 in 7 Vermont households don't have enough to eat. These figures are determined by census data on families' eating habits. According to the USDA's analysis, Vermont and Alabama are tied for the highest increase in household food insecurity over the past decade.

Officials at the Burlington International Airport are warning holiday travelers of increased security. Airport Manager Brian Searles says he doesn't expect any empty seats on any flights from now through Thanksgiving. The Federal TSA Director at Burlington says the added security measures are a direct result of last year's "Christmas Day bomber."

Vermont State Police say domestic violence calls in the Green Mountain State are on the rise. That's why steps are being taken to deal with it, which includes mandatory domestic violence training. The Vermont State Police Academy says more than 20% of police calls in this state are related to domestic violence. TJ Anderson is Vermont's first ever Domestic Violence Trainer. She creates the curriculum for the mandatory eight-hour course.

Vermont state government's revenues came in slightly above expectations in October. Secretary of Administration Neale Lunderville says year-to-date revenues of nearly $374 million are about $14 million ahead of a forecast issued in July. But he says the extra money resulted mainly from 1-time payments of bank franchise fees in August and what's expected to be a 1-time bump in corporate tax revenues in September.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor 12 Vermonters died in work-related incidents in 2009. There were 134 fatal work injuries across New England in 2009. It's the region's lowest level since 1992 and an improvement over 2008.

Vermont retailers say the state's 6% sales tax continues to hurt businesses in the Connecticut River Valley because shoppers go to New Hampshire to avoid it. New Hampshire has no sales tax, but Vermont enacted one in 1969 and has raised it several times since. A new report issued yesterday says the disparity has stunted commercial growth in eastern Vermont.

The state of Vermont is getting ready to redraw the boundaries of the state's legislative districts. The process, which takes place every 10 years based on U.S. Census population updates, got under way yesterday in Montpelier, with an organizational meeting of the seven-member Vermont Apportionment Board. Redistricting is to make sure that all Vermonters count equally, whether they live in Burlington or Bennington.

Forty-seven farmers, small businesses and maple syrup makers in Vermont and New Hampshire will receive more than $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The USDA is distributing the money in Vermont and New Hampshire. Sixty-three applicants in the two states applied for money.

Two women, who prosecutors say were involved in the Burlington stabbing of Luke Haddock along with their boyfriends, were in court yesterday. Prosecutors have charged Tricia Guyette and Crystal Parker with assault and robbery with injury. Both women pleaded not guilty and were released on conditions.

The Burlington police department is recognizing the increased diversity of Vermont's largest city by translating three informational brochures into six languages spoken in the immigrant community. Police say the translated pamphlets were distributed to local service agencies such as the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program and the Association of Africans Living in Vermont.

The first motel in Vermont is for sale. The Knoll Motel opened sixty years ago in 1950. Stanley Sabens is selling the 13-room motel where he's worked for the past 45 years. Sabens says he now wants to take his father on a vacation while he's still alive. He also wants to do things like write a book, maybe even write the screenplay, if a Hollywood producer decides to do a movie on Vermont's first motel.

If you’re one of those that enjoy watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade you’ll see seven new floats and two new balloons making their debut this year. Themes of the new floats range from Dora the Explorer to landmarks of South Dakota - including a replica of Mount Rushmore.

The holiday shopping season is here, but before you go out and rack up some holiday debt, lawmakers and consumer interest groups caution "buyer beware" when it comes to store credit cards. You should be looking into the details of the card and asking questions like What's the interest rate? What's the grace period on payments? Are there penalties or any transaction fees? The best way to find out if a particular card is right for you is to do your research ahead of time by going to those credit card websites or by checking out the Consumer Assistance Program website: www.uvm.edu/consumer