Vermont officials are expected to update damage estimates from Tropical Storm Irene today. Governor Peter Shumlin and administration officials are holding a briefing this afternoon. Some estimates say Vermont suffered $1 billion in damage from Irene flooding to roads, bridges and homes.
The Rutland Halloween Parade will take place tonight. The annual event was scheduled for Saturday Night but was postponed due to the snowstorm. The parade includes floats, bands and marchers ... all in costume. This year’s parade will also include fireworks at the end of the event.
A lost hiker was found safe over the weekend in Pownal. A man known to his family as “Yeti,” who aspired to hike the Long Trail in the snow, was hiking a section of the trail in Pownal during the snowstorm on Saturday when he became lost. Family members called police Sunday morning after 21-year-old Steven Raymond failed to report in. About 8-inches of snow fell in that area. Police were able to contact Raymond on his cell phone and talk him out of the woods to safety.
The leader of a drug ring that sold more than 50 kilograms of cocaine and 2,000 pounds of marijuana and other drugs in the Rutland region over a three-year period was sentenced Thursday to almost 17 years in prison. 27-year-old Orlando Brooker was among 24 individuals from 3 states -- mostly from the Rutland region and Schenectady, N.Y. -- who were arrested by state and federal agents in 2009.
According to the U.S. State’s Attorney Office, the state of Vermont collected almost $6 million in criminal and civil fines last year. Almost $4 million came from civil judgements, most from health care fraud cases. Another $830,000 was collected from criminal fines, special assessments and restitutions. Assets forfeited to the federal government totaled nearly $1.5 million dollars.
The union representing striking teachers in southwest Vermont says it plans to meet with the school boards again to try to end the strike. The union says a meeting is planned for today to consider teachers' latest offer. The two sides did not meet on Friday, after negotiating throughout last week. School in the Southwest Supervisory Union has been canceled during the strike, which is in its 9th day.
Bruce and Hobbes would like to thank YOU for your support of the Addison County’s Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound” Campaign during “Ca$h For Paws” last week. With your generous support the Humane Society has an additional $11,250.00 to go towards the expansion of the Boardman Street Shelter. You can still help them out and learn more about this wonderful project by visiting AddisonHumane.org! By the way, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to Hobbes today!
Monday, October 31, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 31, 2011
H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N!
Paving will take place today on South St. beginning around 8AM from the south entrance of the Hospital, south to the end of pavement. At 8AM crews will be working on the South Side of Court Square to the intersection of Court St. north. During this time all southbound traffic will be detoured south on South Pleasant St. and there will be a uniformed Police officer at the intersection of South Pleasant and Cross St. to facilitate in traffic flow. Once done on Court Square the milling crew will proceed to Seminary Ext. to mill the Sewer leak. The paving crew will move from South St. to Court Square to pave there and same detour will apply during paving. Paving crews upon completion will then move to Seminary Ext. and pave in the milled area there.
Bruce and Hobbes would like to thank YOU for your support of the Addison County’s Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound” Campaign during “Ca$h For Paws” last week. With your generous support the Humane Society has an additional $11,250.00 to go towards the expansion of the Boardman Street Shelter. You can still help them out and learn more about this wonderful project by clicking HERE! By the way, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to Hobbes today!
On Friday Sen. Bernie Sanders visited the Addison County parent-child center in Middlebury to announce two grants that he secured totaling $340,000 that support early childhood education and support for young parents and pregnant teens. Later in the day, the senator toured the Stanislaus Apartments in West Rutland, where a $175,000 federal grant helped finance energy efficiency and weatherization work on the historic St. Stanislaus School and Convent buildings. The Housing Trust of Rutland County converted the buildings into a 17-unit affordable housing project.
On Saturday afternoon Vermont State Police troopers from New Haven were notified of four lost hikers on the Sunset Rock Trail, which is part of the Long Trail at the top of Lincoln Gap. Two adult hikers and two children from New Jersey were part of the lost hiking party. Members of the Lincoln Fire Department ultimately located the lost hiking party at approximately 3:40 PM south of the trailhead. The two adults their two young children were assisted out of the woods safely before nightfall and drastically reduced temperatures set in.
State Police are investigating the theft of approximately $200.00 from a farm stand lock box in Starksboro on Sam Stokes Road. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.
State Police are investigating a mailbox vandalism on Plank Road in Bristol where someone put a roman candle in the mailbox, causing the mail to start to burn. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.
The number of homes and businesses without power on the East Coast stands at more than 3.1 million after an unusually early snowstorm. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says the more than 800,000 customers without power there breaks a record set when the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit in August. He says people could be without electricity for a week. More than 670,000 have lost power in Massachusetts. Those without electricity number 285,000 in New Hampshire and at least 145,000 in Maine. Central Vermont Public Service says more than 6,300 there had no power.
Today is National Weatherization Day, and throughout Vermont services will be held to showcase the latest technology and ways to weatherize your home. Open houses will be held at several facilities throughout the state beginning at 9AM, followed by a site visit to a project in progress at 11:30AM. To learn more about your local event, please contact your local weatherization partner or click HERE.
The Town of Crown Point's draft budget for 2012 rolls in under the state's 2-percent tax cap. The budget has a tax levy of $980,270, which is 5.7 percent under the $1.04 million collected this year. Crown Point Town Supervisor Bethany Kosmider said they shaved about $60,000 off last year's budget. The council is holding a special meeting at 10AM tomorrow at the Town Hall to approve the tentative budget and officially set the hearing date. The public hearing for the budget will be at 5:45PM Thursday, November 10th, at Crown Point's Knapp Senior Center.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has endorsed Bethany Kosmider in her bid to be re-elected Crown Point supervisor. It’s believed to the first time a governor has ever formally endorsed a local supervisor candidate. Republican Charles Harrington is challenging her.
The Trestle Walking Bridge over the LaChute River will add another historic and scenic stretch to the LaChute River Trail. You are invited to celebrate the new walking trail in a ceremony at 4PM this Thursday at the former railroad trestle. Converting the old, unused train trestle has been part of the town's plan for the recreational trail that now follows alongside the river all the way from the northern end of Lake George to the Lower LaChute Falls in Bicentennial Park.
Vermont officials are expected to update damage estimates from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Peter Shumlin and administration officials are holding a media briefing today. Some estimates say Vermont suffered $1 billion in damage from Irene flooding to roads, bridges and homes.
The union representing striking teachers in southwest Vermont says it plans to meet with the school boards again to try to end the strike. The union says a meeting has been planned for today to consider teachers' latest offer. The two sides did not meet on Friday, after negotiating throughout the week. School in the Southwest Supervisory Union has been canceled during the strike, which enters its ninth day.
The competition will be heating up next month, when culinary students from across the state cook off in the fourth annual Vermont Culinary Classic Competition. Students from 11 schools will have 90 minutes to create a menu. New England Culinary Institute chefs will then judge the students. The event takes place November 18th at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier.
The Vermont office of the United States Attorney says it helped collect about $6 million in civil penalties and criminal fines in fiscal year that just ended. The office says it collected $3.9 million in civil judgments, with most of that coming from health care fraud cases. Another $830,000 was collected from criminal fines, special assessments and restitution. Assets forfeited to the federal government had an estimated total value of $1.5 million. Funds from criminal fines and special assessments, totaling almost $120,000 were deposited into the crime victim's fund, which are distributed to the states for their victim assistance programs. Other funds were paid directly to crime victims. Much of the money derived from forfeitures was distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies in Vermont.
An attorney says 5 of 6 lawsuits filed by female patients against a former orthopedic surgeon in Vermont have been settled. Burlington lawyer Jerome O'Neill says he can't disclose the terms of this week's settlements. But he tells the Burlington Free Press his clients are happy with the outcome. The lawsuits against Joseph Abate, of Colchester claimed Abate touched the patients inappropriately during physical examinations.
Saturday night’s snowstorm did not hit Burlington but parking ban lights will still flash downtown today. The city is testing the system, which alerts residents to a temporary ban following storms or other events. Despite the lights, residents will be allowed to park overnight without risking a 1-hundred dollar ticket.
Occupy Vermont Protestors continue to brave the elements outdoors. About a hundred members stuck it out overnight against the cold temperatures in Burlington. They are part of the national protests going on rallying against corporate greed and financial inequality. Protesters say they were expecting the storm to hit them Saturday night and were prepared for it. The protesters plan to stay in City Hall Park indefinitely and they still don't plan to seek a permit from the city to stay in the park.
The public will get a chance to see young Vermont musicians in action when the Vermont Youth Orchestra holds an open house next month. All interested families, students, instructors and community members are invited to St. Michael's College on Sunday afternoon, November 13th. They will get a chance to see and hear the three full orchestras rehearse. There will also be a demonstration of instruments and question and answer session with students. The open house, which takes place from 3PM to 6PM, is free and open to the public.
Skiers took to the slopes during the first day of skiing at the Killington ski area on Saturday. Killington will remain open for skiing and riding as long as the conditions permit. Stay up to date by visiting Killington's Website.
Paving will take place today on South St. beginning around 8AM from the south entrance of the Hospital, south to the end of pavement. At 8AM crews will be working on the South Side of Court Square to the intersection of Court St. north. During this time all southbound traffic will be detoured south on South Pleasant St. and there will be a uniformed Police officer at the intersection of South Pleasant and Cross St. to facilitate in traffic flow. Once done on Court Square the milling crew will proceed to Seminary Ext. to mill the Sewer leak. The paving crew will move from South St. to Court Square to pave there and same detour will apply during paving. Paving crews upon completion will then move to Seminary Ext. and pave in the milled area there.
Bruce and Hobbes would like to thank YOU for your support of the Addison County’s Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound” Campaign during “Ca$h For Paws” last week. With your generous support the Humane Society has an additional $11,250.00 to go towards the expansion of the Boardman Street Shelter. You can still help them out and learn more about this wonderful project by clicking HERE! By the way, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to Hobbes today!
On Friday Sen. Bernie Sanders visited the Addison County parent-child center in Middlebury to announce two grants that he secured totaling $340,000 that support early childhood education and support for young parents and pregnant teens. Later in the day, the senator toured the Stanislaus Apartments in West Rutland, where a $175,000 federal grant helped finance energy efficiency and weatherization work on the historic St. Stanislaus School and Convent buildings. The Housing Trust of Rutland County converted the buildings into a 17-unit affordable housing project.
On Saturday afternoon Vermont State Police troopers from New Haven were notified of four lost hikers on the Sunset Rock Trail, which is part of the Long Trail at the top of Lincoln Gap. Two adult hikers and two children from New Jersey were part of the lost hiking party. Members of the Lincoln Fire Department ultimately located the lost hiking party at approximately 3:40 PM south of the trailhead. The two adults their two young children were assisted out of the woods safely before nightfall and drastically reduced temperatures set in.
State Police are investigating the theft of approximately $200.00 from a farm stand lock box in Starksboro on Sam Stokes Road. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.
State Police are investigating a mailbox vandalism on Plank Road in Bristol where someone put a roman candle in the mailbox, causing the mail to start to burn. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.
The number of homes and businesses without power on the East Coast stands at more than 3.1 million after an unusually early snowstorm. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says the more than 800,000 customers without power there breaks a record set when the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit in August. He says people could be without electricity for a week. More than 670,000 have lost power in Massachusetts. Those without electricity number 285,000 in New Hampshire and at least 145,000 in Maine. Central Vermont Public Service says more than 6,300 there had no power.
Today is National Weatherization Day, and throughout Vermont services will be held to showcase the latest technology and ways to weatherize your home. Open houses will be held at several facilities throughout the state beginning at 9AM, followed by a site visit to a project in progress at 11:30AM. To learn more about your local event, please contact your local weatherization partner or click HERE.
The Town of Crown Point's draft budget for 2012 rolls in under the state's 2-percent tax cap. The budget has a tax levy of $980,270, which is 5.7 percent under the $1.04 million collected this year. Crown Point Town Supervisor Bethany Kosmider said they shaved about $60,000 off last year's budget. The council is holding a special meeting at 10AM tomorrow at the Town Hall to approve the tentative budget and officially set the hearing date. The public hearing for the budget will be at 5:45PM Thursday, November 10th, at Crown Point's Knapp Senior Center.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has endorsed Bethany Kosmider in her bid to be re-elected Crown Point supervisor. It’s believed to the first time a governor has ever formally endorsed a local supervisor candidate. Republican Charles Harrington is challenging her.
The Trestle Walking Bridge over the LaChute River will add another historic and scenic stretch to the LaChute River Trail. You are invited to celebrate the new walking trail in a ceremony at 4PM this Thursday at the former railroad trestle. Converting the old, unused train trestle has been part of the town's plan for the recreational trail that now follows alongside the river all the way from the northern end of Lake George to the Lower LaChute Falls in Bicentennial Park.
Vermont officials are expected to update damage estimates from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Peter Shumlin and administration officials are holding a media briefing today. Some estimates say Vermont suffered $1 billion in damage from Irene flooding to roads, bridges and homes.
The union representing striking teachers in southwest Vermont says it plans to meet with the school boards again to try to end the strike. The union says a meeting has been planned for today to consider teachers' latest offer. The two sides did not meet on Friday, after negotiating throughout the week. School in the Southwest Supervisory Union has been canceled during the strike, which enters its ninth day.
The competition will be heating up next month, when culinary students from across the state cook off in the fourth annual Vermont Culinary Classic Competition. Students from 11 schools will have 90 minutes to create a menu. New England Culinary Institute chefs will then judge the students. The event takes place November 18th at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier.
The Vermont office of the United States Attorney says it helped collect about $6 million in civil penalties and criminal fines in fiscal year that just ended. The office says it collected $3.9 million in civil judgments, with most of that coming from health care fraud cases. Another $830,000 was collected from criminal fines, special assessments and restitution. Assets forfeited to the federal government had an estimated total value of $1.5 million. Funds from criminal fines and special assessments, totaling almost $120,000 were deposited into the crime victim's fund, which are distributed to the states for their victim assistance programs. Other funds were paid directly to crime victims. Much of the money derived from forfeitures was distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies in Vermont.
An attorney says 5 of 6 lawsuits filed by female patients against a former orthopedic surgeon in Vermont have been settled. Burlington lawyer Jerome O'Neill says he can't disclose the terms of this week's settlements. But he tells the Burlington Free Press his clients are happy with the outcome. The lawsuits against Joseph Abate, of Colchester claimed Abate touched the patients inappropriately during physical examinations.
Saturday night’s snowstorm did not hit Burlington but parking ban lights will still flash downtown today. The city is testing the system, which alerts residents to a temporary ban following storms or other events. Despite the lights, residents will be allowed to park overnight without risking a 1-hundred dollar ticket.
Occupy Vermont Protestors continue to brave the elements outdoors. About a hundred members stuck it out overnight against the cold temperatures in Burlington. They are part of the national protests going on rallying against corporate greed and financial inequality. Protesters say they were expecting the storm to hit them Saturday night and were prepared for it. The protesters plan to stay in City Hall Park indefinitely and they still don't plan to seek a permit from the city to stay in the park.
The public will get a chance to see young Vermont musicians in action when the Vermont Youth Orchestra holds an open house next month. All interested families, students, instructors and community members are invited to St. Michael's College on Sunday afternoon, November 13th. They will get a chance to see and hear the three full orchestras rehearse. There will also be a demonstration of instruments and question and answer session with students. The open house, which takes place from 3PM to 6PM, is free and open to the public.
Skiers took to the slopes during the first day of skiing at the Killington ski area on Saturday. Killington will remain open for skiing and riding as long as the conditions permit. Stay up to date by visiting Killington's Website.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Bruce & Hobbes raise $11,250.00 with "Ca$h For Paws!"
Bruce and Hobbes would like to thank YOU for your support of the Addison County’s Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound” Campaign during “Ca$h For Paws” last week. With your generous support the Humane Society has an additional $11,250.00 to go towards the expansion of the Boardman Street Shelter. You can still help them out and learn more about this wonderful project by visiting addisonhumane.org! By the way, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to Hobbes today (October 31st)!!!
Friday, October 28, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 28, 2011 (Afternoon Update)
All State of Vermont departments are being asked to cut 4-percent of their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Governor Shumlin says he wants these cuts to apply to programs not people, but state employees remain concerned. Each department will submit a proposal in the coming weeks cutting as close to 4-percent as possible. Secretary Spaulding will then sit down with the head of each department to determine what cuts they can live with before submitting the proposals to Governor Shumlin and eventually the legislature.
Vermont's 2011-2012 ski season is getting under way. The Killington Ski Resort says it will open one trail on Saturday. The mountains that make up the resort received nine inches of snow in the last 24 hours. It's expected the resort will be open Saturday and Sunday. After Sunday, operations will depend on conditions.
Porter Medical Center will be closing its popular and innovative palliative care medical practice at the end of this month due to the recent resignation of one of the two physicians in the practice and an inability to put together a new business model to continue the service with a smaller workforce. While PPHC proved to be a popular and valuable service, it was not one of the most solvent in PMC’s portfolio.
After two months of public debate and careful consideration, the Bristol Zoning Board of Adjustment has voted in favor of issuing the Bristol Works business campus “a comprehensive conditional use permit”. The permit is for the 5.5-acre space previously occupied by cosmetics manufacturer Autumn Harp.
If you have bottles of unused prescription medications in your house, there's an opportunity to get rid of them safely this weekend. Saturday is prescription drug takeback day. Last April, Vermonters turned in 14-hundred pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, 188 tons were collected nationwide. Officials say the pills collected will be incinerated so they don't pose a danger to the community. There will be more than 50 collection sites set up across Vermont from on Saturday. To find one near you, visit Justice.gov.
Paving will take place Monday on South St. beginning around 8AM from the south entrance of the Hospital, south to the end of pavement. At 8AM crews will be working on the South Side of Court Square to the intersection of Court St. north. During this time all southbound traffic will be detoured south on South Pleasant St. and there will be a uniformed Police officer at the intersection of South Pleasant and Cross St. to facilitate in traffic flow. Once done on Court Square the milling crew will proceed to Seminary Ext. to mill the Sewer leak. The paving crew will move from South St. to Court Square to pave there and same detour will apply during paving. Paving crews upon completion will then move to Seminary Ext. and pave in the milled area there.
Today is the final day of Bruce & Hobbes Cash For Paws – “You PAY, we PLAY!” It’s all about raising money for the Addison County Humane Society's Homeward Bound Campaign. The humane society has already raised 830-thousand dollars in donations toward the project and so far we’ve raised, with your help, over $6,000! For more information and to donate visit 921wvtk.com.
Vermont's 2011-2012 ski season is getting under way. The Killington Ski Resort says it will open one trail on Saturday. The mountains that make up the resort received nine inches of snow in the last 24 hours. It's expected the resort will be open Saturday and Sunday. After Sunday, operations will depend on conditions.
Porter Medical Center will be closing its popular and innovative palliative care medical practice at the end of this month due to the recent resignation of one of the two physicians in the practice and an inability to put together a new business model to continue the service with a smaller workforce. While PPHC proved to be a popular and valuable service, it was not one of the most solvent in PMC’s portfolio.
After two months of public debate and careful consideration, the Bristol Zoning Board of Adjustment has voted in favor of issuing the Bristol Works business campus “a comprehensive conditional use permit”. The permit is for the 5.5-acre space previously occupied by cosmetics manufacturer Autumn Harp.
If you have bottles of unused prescription medications in your house, there's an opportunity to get rid of them safely this weekend. Saturday is prescription drug takeback day. Last April, Vermonters turned in 14-hundred pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, 188 tons were collected nationwide. Officials say the pills collected will be incinerated so they don't pose a danger to the community. There will be more than 50 collection sites set up across Vermont from on Saturday. To find one near you, visit Justice.gov.
Paving will take place Monday on South St. beginning around 8AM from the south entrance of the Hospital, south to the end of pavement. At 8AM crews will be working on the South Side of Court Square to the intersection of Court St. north. During this time all southbound traffic will be detoured south on South Pleasant St. and there will be a uniformed Police officer at the intersection of South Pleasant and Cross St. to facilitate in traffic flow. Once done on Court Square the milling crew will proceed to Seminary Ext. to mill the Sewer leak. The paving crew will move from South St. to Court Square to pave there and same detour will apply during paving. Paving crews upon completion will then move to Seminary Ext. and pave in the milled area there.
Today is the final day of Bruce & Hobbes Cash For Paws – “You PAY, we PLAY!” It’s all about raising money for the Addison County Humane Society's Homeward Bound Campaign. The humane society has already raised 830-thousand dollars in donations toward the project and so far we’ve raised, with your help, over $6,000! For more information and to donate visit 921wvtk.com.
WVTK Local & State News October 28, 2011
It’s the final day of Bruce & Hobbes Cash For Paws – “You PAY, we PLAY!” It’s all about raising money for the Addison County Humane Society's Homeward Bound Campaign. The humane society already raised 830-thousand dollars in donations toward the project and in the first 2 days of Cash For Paws, with your help, we’ve raised $4,060 as of 7PM yesterday! For more information and to donate click HERE.
You are invited to join in Middlebury’s celebration of its 250th birthday by participating in a host of festivities taking place through November 4th. The Better Middlebury Partnership’s Spooktacular celebration will take place tomorrow afternoon from 2-4 on the Town Green. The Spooktacular celebration kicks off a week long series of events to commemorate our town’s beginnings. Spooktacular will also kick off a weeklong historic scavenger hunt with the grand prize being an Apple iPad. Scavenger hunt forms will be available at Spooktacular, the Ilsley Public Library beginning Monday. During the weeklong celebration, downtown businesses will display historic photographs of their buildings. For more details and updates, visit www.bettermiddleburypartnership.org.
Middlebury residents in March will be asked to help finance through taxes a new economic development director’s position designed to bring new, good paying jobs to town. The select-board voted this week to include the new economic development post as a request on the next town meeting warning. Middlebury College and the local business community have agreed to assemble the remaining financing for the job, estimated to cost a total of $150,000 to $200,000 annually.
Porter Medical Center will close its popular and innovative palliative care medical practice at the end of this month due to the recent resignation of one of the two physicians in the practice and an inability to put together a new business model to continue the service with a smaller workforce. While PPHC proved to be a popular and valuable service, it was not one of the most solvent in PMC’s portfolio.
The nearly 30 people participated in the Addison County Relocalization Network’s second Matchmaker event earlier this week. Seats in Proctor Dining Hall at Middlebury College were filled with couples pairing off, chatting, and switching tables. The event may have looked like speed dating, but the couples included Shaw’s Supermarket managers with local pesto makers, and small food producers with area school foodservice coordinators. This event is designed to give local food producers and buyers the opportunity to meet.
After two months of public debate and careful consideration, the Bristol Zoning Board of Adjustment has voted in favor of issuing the Bristol Works business campus “a comprehensive conditional use permit”. The permit is for the 5.5-acre space previously occupied by cosmetics manufacturer Autumn Harp.
A ribbon cutting for the Hickory Street Apartments housing development was held yesterday in Rutland. The development is gradually replacing Forest Park. Roughly half of the units were replaced in the first phase, which resulted in 33 units in seven buildings. Hickory Street is a mixed-income development. The rest of Forest Park is scheduled to be demolished and replaced in two more phases.
Essex County has disposed of 400 tons of debris since Tropical Storm Irene rolled through in August. And work continues to restore roadways and bridges damaged then. The County Department of Public Works Superintendent said he has 15 roads with heavy damage, eight bridges destroyed and 12 bridges with severe damage. Some of the bridges, such as the Sprague Mill Bridge in Moriah, will take two years to replace because of federal requirements. A temporary bridge opened this week around the Sprague Mill Bridge, which is a major connector between Moriah and North Hudson.
Crown Point has decided to do a feasibility study to determine whether the town should seek federal designation as a historic district. Crown Point trustees have voted to accept a grant from Preserve New York to contract with the Adirondack Architectural Heritage for a study of the area around Veterans Park. This is the next step in a process that started last spring when town officials learned the Knapp Senior Center is in need of major repairs. Local leaders hope a formal historic designation may make the town eligible for funding to make those repairs.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has started an inquiry into billing requests made to Burlington International Airport by the cities of Burlington and South Burlington. The Burlington Free Press reports the Airport Commission and airport managers have objected to a bill for $205,000 from South Burlington for "fees for services" covering two years. South Burlington officials have said the fees are for police, fire and disposal of de-icing chemicals.
Administrators in contract talks with striking teachers in southwest Vermont say canceled school days will be made up, possibly during the February and April vacations. Thursday marked the seventh day teachers have been on strike. The boards of the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union posted the message about making up days on its web site. It said the school vacation periods "are under serious consideration." Talks resumed Thursday but ended for the day with no resolution.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the temporary housing units brought to the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene aren't needed and they've been sent elsewhere. FEMA spokeswoman Deanna Frazier says enough apartments and houses have been found across Vermont for people who were unable to live in their homes after the August 28th flood.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has received nearly 6,700 applications for disaster assistance in Vermont following Irene. In spite of that, a FEMA says they are sure there are people who have yet to register. Vermont residents have until November 15th to apply for assistance.
All State of Vermont departments are being asked to cut 4-percent of their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Governor Shumlin says he wants these cuts to apply to programs not people, but state employees remain concerned. Each department will submit a proposal in the coming weeks cutting as close to 4-percent as possible. Secretary Spaulding will then sit down with the head of each department to determine what cuts they can live with before submitting the proposals to Governor Shumlin and eventually the legislature.
Governor Peter Shumlin awarded 43-thousand dollars to the Vermont Veterans Fund Thursday. These are the first ever awards provided through a new check-off option on the Vermont State Income tax form. Recipients of the award are the Veterans Place in Northfield, Home at Last in Brattleboro, Vermont Vet to Vet and American Legion post number nine.
While many long-time residents of Vermont and New York have a nostalgic place in their hearts for the demolished 1929 Champlain Bridge they don’t miss the bridge tolls, which were in effect for 58 years. The old bridge opened to traffic August 26, 1929. It was tolled starting August 27th and remained so until September 22, 1987. The bridge was owned and operated by the Lake Champlain Bridge Commission from 1929 to 1987. The Commission was abolished in 1987 and ownership was transferred to New York and Vermont. At that time the tolls were eliminated and NYSDOT assumed maintenance responsibility. Now the new Lake Champlain Bridge is expected to open within a few weeks and no, there won’t be any tolls!
Rich Strum, Fort Ticonderoga director of education, recently gave a presentation at the October Teachers’ Conference sponsored by the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. Strum’s presentation, “The American Revolution on the Northern Frontier,” focused on the American Revolution as it unfolded in northern New York from 1775 to 1777 and used a series of documents from Fort Ticonderoga’s collection related to the war. Fort Ticonderoga offers programs and workshops for students and teachers throughout the year. For additional information about available programs, visit www.fort-ticonderoga.org.
Ticonderoga’s Junior Miss, now in its 49th year, will be changing. In 2012 the program will have a new name, Distinguished Young Women. As the organization adapts to its new name, this scholarship program still remains committed to its original goals and mission. For the past six weeks, eight local participants have been preparing for the Ti Junior Miss program to be held Saturday November 5th at 7PM at the Ticonderoga High School auditorium. Tickets are $7.
Old tires are being turned into cash to help low income Vermonters pay their heating bills this winter. It's called Wheels for Warmth. People donate tires for resale. The money raised goes to Central Vermont Community Action's fuel assistance program. Tires that aren't good enough to sell can be dropped off for disposal at 4-dollars a tire. That money also goes to the emergency-heating fund. Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott started the program seven years ago. He said so far Wheels for Warmth has raised 100-thousand dollars.
Hundreds of Vermonters are going to be a little bit warmer this winter thanks to Vermont Gas. The company contributed 20-thousand dollars to the Warmth Program administered by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. Warmth is designed to help low-income Vermonters with their heating expenses through private donations.
If you have bottles of unused prescription medications in your house, there's an opportunity to get rid of them safely this weekend. Saturday is prescription drug takeback day. Last April, Vermonters turned in 14-hundred pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, 188 tons were collected nationwide. Officials say the pills collected will be incinerated so they don't pose a danger to the community. There will be more than 50 collection sites set up across Vermont from on Saturday. Click HERE to find the nearest one.
Vermont's Chittenden County Transportation Authority is reminding drivers and people who ride the bus that it's getting dark early and they need to be careful. On November 6th, daylight savings time will end and it will be even darker during the evening commute. As a way to promote safety, starting on November 4th, riders will be able to ask CCTA drivers for a safety clip-on blinker.
You are invited to join in Middlebury’s celebration of its 250th birthday by participating in a host of festivities taking place through November 4th. The Better Middlebury Partnership’s Spooktacular celebration will take place tomorrow afternoon from 2-4 on the Town Green. The Spooktacular celebration kicks off a week long series of events to commemorate our town’s beginnings. Spooktacular will also kick off a weeklong historic scavenger hunt with the grand prize being an Apple iPad. Scavenger hunt forms will be available at Spooktacular, the Ilsley Public Library beginning Monday. During the weeklong celebration, downtown businesses will display historic photographs of their buildings. For more details and updates, visit www.bettermiddleburypartnership.org.
Middlebury residents in March will be asked to help finance through taxes a new economic development director’s position designed to bring new, good paying jobs to town. The select-board voted this week to include the new economic development post as a request on the next town meeting warning. Middlebury College and the local business community have agreed to assemble the remaining financing for the job, estimated to cost a total of $150,000 to $200,000 annually.
Porter Medical Center will close its popular and innovative palliative care medical practice at the end of this month due to the recent resignation of one of the two physicians in the practice and an inability to put together a new business model to continue the service with a smaller workforce. While PPHC proved to be a popular and valuable service, it was not one of the most solvent in PMC’s portfolio.
The nearly 30 people participated in the Addison County Relocalization Network’s second Matchmaker event earlier this week. Seats in Proctor Dining Hall at Middlebury College were filled with couples pairing off, chatting, and switching tables. The event may have looked like speed dating, but the couples included Shaw’s Supermarket managers with local pesto makers, and small food producers with area school foodservice coordinators. This event is designed to give local food producers and buyers the opportunity to meet.
After two months of public debate and careful consideration, the Bristol Zoning Board of Adjustment has voted in favor of issuing the Bristol Works business campus “a comprehensive conditional use permit”. The permit is for the 5.5-acre space previously occupied by cosmetics manufacturer Autumn Harp.
A ribbon cutting for the Hickory Street Apartments housing development was held yesterday in Rutland. The development is gradually replacing Forest Park. Roughly half of the units were replaced in the first phase, which resulted in 33 units in seven buildings. Hickory Street is a mixed-income development. The rest of Forest Park is scheduled to be demolished and replaced in two more phases.
Essex County has disposed of 400 tons of debris since Tropical Storm Irene rolled through in August. And work continues to restore roadways and bridges damaged then. The County Department of Public Works Superintendent said he has 15 roads with heavy damage, eight bridges destroyed and 12 bridges with severe damage. Some of the bridges, such as the Sprague Mill Bridge in Moriah, will take two years to replace because of federal requirements. A temporary bridge opened this week around the Sprague Mill Bridge, which is a major connector between Moriah and North Hudson.
Crown Point has decided to do a feasibility study to determine whether the town should seek federal designation as a historic district. Crown Point trustees have voted to accept a grant from Preserve New York to contract with the Adirondack Architectural Heritage for a study of the area around Veterans Park. This is the next step in a process that started last spring when town officials learned the Knapp Senior Center is in need of major repairs. Local leaders hope a formal historic designation may make the town eligible for funding to make those repairs.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has started an inquiry into billing requests made to Burlington International Airport by the cities of Burlington and South Burlington. The Burlington Free Press reports the Airport Commission and airport managers have objected to a bill for $205,000 from South Burlington for "fees for services" covering two years. South Burlington officials have said the fees are for police, fire and disposal of de-icing chemicals.
Administrators in contract talks with striking teachers in southwest Vermont say canceled school days will be made up, possibly during the February and April vacations. Thursday marked the seventh day teachers have been on strike. The boards of the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union posted the message about making up days on its web site. It said the school vacation periods "are under serious consideration." Talks resumed Thursday but ended for the day with no resolution.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the temporary housing units brought to the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene aren't needed and they've been sent elsewhere. FEMA spokeswoman Deanna Frazier says enough apartments and houses have been found across Vermont for people who were unable to live in their homes after the August 28th flood.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has received nearly 6,700 applications for disaster assistance in Vermont following Irene. In spite of that, a FEMA says they are sure there are people who have yet to register. Vermont residents have until November 15th to apply for assistance.
All State of Vermont departments are being asked to cut 4-percent of their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Governor Shumlin says he wants these cuts to apply to programs not people, but state employees remain concerned. Each department will submit a proposal in the coming weeks cutting as close to 4-percent as possible. Secretary Spaulding will then sit down with the head of each department to determine what cuts they can live with before submitting the proposals to Governor Shumlin and eventually the legislature.
Governor Peter Shumlin awarded 43-thousand dollars to the Vermont Veterans Fund Thursday. These are the first ever awards provided through a new check-off option on the Vermont State Income tax form. Recipients of the award are the Veterans Place in Northfield, Home at Last in Brattleboro, Vermont Vet to Vet and American Legion post number nine.
While many long-time residents of Vermont and New York have a nostalgic place in their hearts for the demolished 1929 Champlain Bridge they don’t miss the bridge tolls, which were in effect for 58 years. The old bridge opened to traffic August 26, 1929. It was tolled starting August 27th and remained so until September 22, 1987. The bridge was owned and operated by the Lake Champlain Bridge Commission from 1929 to 1987. The Commission was abolished in 1987 and ownership was transferred to New York and Vermont. At that time the tolls were eliminated and NYSDOT assumed maintenance responsibility. Now the new Lake Champlain Bridge is expected to open within a few weeks and no, there won’t be any tolls!
Rich Strum, Fort Ticonderoga director of education, recently gave a presentation at the October Teachers’ Conference sponsored by the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. Strum’s presentation, “The American Revolution on the Northern Frontier,” focused on the American Revolution as it unfolded in northern New York from 1775 to 1777 and used a series of documents from Fort Ticonderoga’s collection related to the war. Fort Ticonderoga offers programs and workshops for students and teachers throughout the year. For additional information about available programs, visit www.fort-ticonderoga.org.
Ticonderoga’s Junior Miss, now in its 49th year, will be changing. In 2012 the program will have a new name, Distinguished Young Women. As the organization adapts to its new name, this scholarship program still remains committed to its original goals and mission. For the past six weeks, eight local participants have been preparing for the Ti Junior Miss program to be held Saturday November 5th at 7PM at the Ticonderoga High School auditorium. Tickets are $7.
Old tires are being turned into cash to help low income Vermonters pay their heating bills this winter. It's called Wheels for Warmth. People donate tires for resale. The money raised goes to Central Vermont Community Action's fuel assistance program. Tires that aren't good enough to sell can be dropped off for disposal at 4-dollars a tire. That money also goes to the emergency-heating fund. Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott started the program seven years ago. He said so far Wheels for Warmth has raised 100-thousand dollars.
Hundreds of Vermonters are going to be a little bit warmer this winter thanks to Vermont Gas. The company contributed 20-thousand dollars to the Warmth Program administered by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. Warmth is designed to help low-income Vermonters with their heating expenses through private donations.
If you have bottles of unused prescription medications in your house, there's an opportunity to get rid of them safely this weekend. Saturday is prescription drug takeback day. Last April, Vermonters turned in 14-hundred pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, 188 tons were collected nationwide. Officials say the pills collected will be incinerated so they don't pose a danger to the community. There will be more than 50 collection sites set up across Vermont from on Saturday. Click HERE to find the nearest one.
Vermont's Chittenden County Transportation Authority is reminding drivers and people who ride the bus that it's getting dark early and they need to be careful. On November 6th, daylight savings time will end and it will be even darker during the evening commute. As a way to promote safety, starting on November 4th, riders will be able to ask CCTA drivers for a safety clip-on blinker.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 27, 2011
We are entering day 2 of Bruce & Hobbes Cash For Paws – “You PAY, we PLAY!” It’s all about raising money for the Addison County Humane Society's expansion and to give animals like Hobbes a new home. As our very own Bruce has said "The creatures that benefit the most from this can't go on the radio or on TV and saving one dog doesn't change the world but it changes it for them.” The humane society already raised 830-thousand dollars in donations toward the project and in the first day of Cash For Paws, with your help we’ve raised 2-thousand dollars so far! To donate click HERE.
State Police responded to a one-car collision on Route 17 yesterday in the Town of Weybridge. The investigation concluded that the 16-year-old driver was “traveling too fast for conditions” and lost control of the vehicle. The New Haven Fire Department and Vergennes Rescue were also called to the scene of the accident. The driver was transported to Porter Hospital and was shortly released with minor injuries.
It will be harder to cut expenses from the Rutland city school budget this year without affecting student programs. More than $1 million in costs were cut from the district’s $45 million budget in fiscal year 2010 with an eye toward this school year. That included 19 positions district-wide, with at least eight teaching positions eliminated, according to a list of cuts provided by the district. But the School Board hasn’t made any decisions yet on what to cut this year, or if any cuts can be made to an already tight budget.
The Moriah Central School Board is holding a special meeting at 8 this morning in the Central Office. This meeting will be held to discuss and approve a bus bond-anticipation note and review and act on special-education recommendations. The meeting is open to all.
Time is running out for people in New York to apply for FEMA assistance after Irene. People in Clinton and Essex counties have until Monday to apply for FEMA aid. Officials say so far more than 1-thousand people have registered for help and FEMA has handed out close to 3-million dollars to residents in the two counties. Officials say it's easy to apply. To apply for FEMA assistance call 1-800-621-FEMA or www.disasterassistance.gov.
Green Mountain College launched a multiyear affordability program that seeks to enhance the college’s commitment to assisting students finance a four-year college education. The Poultney-based College pledged $7.3 million in scholarships and financial aid. The program is designed to offer support to all students. Currently, 94 percent of all Green Mountain College students receive financial aid, with more than 90 percent receiving institutional support, to help offset the tuition costs.
Last year the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $454 million in Better Building Grants to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses nationwide. Neighborworks of Western Vermont was awarded $4.5 million to improve energy efficiency in 1,000 Rutland County homes over three years. Rutland county homeowners who've had efficiency upgrades see their energy bills drop an average of 35 percent. Officials are optimistic they'll meet their goal of 1,000 households by 2013.
Two members of Vermont's congressional delegation are asking the State Department to investigate whether conflicts of interest tainted the review of a proposed crude oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch joined a dozen other senators and congressmen in citing "serious concerns" about the integrity of the review. They have asked the White House to withhold any decision on the project until the State Department's inspector general has completed a review of the project. The company proposing the Keystone pipeline project, TransCanada, reportedly was allowed to screen private firms competing to perform an environmental impact study on the pipeline.
A 39-year-old music stores business has closed its 12 stores across New England. Daddy's Junky Music shut its doors on Wednesday. A page on the company website with the announcement thanked customers for their business through the years. The closed stores are in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. The CEO said he could not get into specifics about why the stores closed because of pending legal issues.
It's that time of year again when Vermont food sellers and buyers get together to try to make a match. The fourth annual Local Foods Matchmaker takes place today at Shelburne Farms. Buyers and sellers will get 10-minute sessions to learn about what food is being offered and to work on a purchasing relationship.
If you are looking for firsthand political experience Lt. Gov. Phil Scott is looking for a college student for his Statehouse office beginning in January for a five-month internship. Application deadline is November 14th. For more information just visit the Lt. Governors Website.
The Cuomo administration is distributing an additional $850,000 in aid for more than 100 New York farms impacted by flooding caused by tropical storms Irene and Lee. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state funds would be distributed among 120 farms. He has said the state will provide at least $15 million to rebuild communities and the agricultural industry in hard-hit areas.
Teachers in southwest Vermont were their sixth day of a strike yesterday. The teachers union said talks were suspended Tuesday after the boards said the salary data they had been using was "deeply flawed" and needed time to correct the information. The boards have not issued a statement since Monday night. Talks were expected to resume Wednesday morning. The issues up for discussion include salaries, health insurance and time spent with students.
Vermont's first commercial wind farm in Sheffield is ready to make power. Developer First Wind hosted dignitaries, state and local officials and others beneath its turbines on Sheffield Heights yesterday where they celebrated the end of the 8-year process that it took to plan and build the project. The 40-megawatt, 16-turbine project is capable of generating enough power for more than 14,000 Vermont homes. The power will be sold to three Vermont utilities.
Green Mountain Power leaders say delays in construction to the Lowell Mountain Wind Project could cost tens of millions of dollars. Those added costs would eventually be passed on to ratepayers. Opponents are claiming success because they say they were able to get close enough to the project that blasting could not happen Wednesday. Also they say no one was arrested despite a court order for them to stay away. A judge right now is working on the order to keep protestors who are on the mountain outside the blast area. GMP says it's working with local law enforcement on how exactly to enforce it.
Burlington police and city leaders are preparing for an overnight protest expected to happen Friday. The group "Occupy Vermont" plans to use City Hall Park as a way to spark conversation on corporate greed and social inequality. The group stems from the "Occupy Wall Street" protests seen happening around the world. So far, Vermont protestors have complied with police.
At its annual meeting last week, the Vermont Rail Action Network celebrated the railroad’s restoration from Irene. David Wulfson, president of the Vermont Rail System, was awarded the Jim Jeffords Award for Community Rail Advocate of the Year in recognition of his commitment to addressing the track issues that had caused timekeeping problems for Amtrak’s Ethan Allen.
The emergency sirens surrounding the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant went off yesterday morning because of a slip up testing the system. Entergy Nuclear spokesman Larry Smith said that one of the company's vendors was supposed to be silently testing the emergency alert system. The sirens ran for their full three-minute course before automatically shutting off.
Vermont motorists who drive electric cars now have a fueling station where they will be able to charge their vehicles at no cost. On Wednesday, Green Mountain Power and Healthy Living Market unveiled the charging station on Dorset Street in South Burlington that will be free for the first year. This charging station is compatible with all electric vehicles on the market today.
Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders are pushing a bill that would make selling fake "maple" syrup a felony with serious penalties for those who would violate The MAPLE Act. Leahy and Susan Collins of Maine introduced the Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement Act. Sanders is a cosponsor of the legislation.
Volunteers and members of Champlain Area Trails are looking to finish the work needed to bring the complete Cheney Mountain Trail to life. The Town of Moriah is partnering with CATS to develop the trail for families, friends, and lone hikers to go up a short and sometimes steep trail to see amazing views of the Champlain Valley and High Peaks. The Cheney Mountain Trail Day begins at 8:30AM November 5th and will last until about noon.
The Trestle Walking Bridge has opened over the LaChute River adding another length to the historic LaChute River Trail. The entire community is invited to celebrate the new walkway at the trestle’s dedication on Thursday, November 3rd at 4PM. The Trestle Bridge connects Lake George Avenue with Alexandria Avenue and offers a safe alternative for school children attending the Ti Elementary-Middle School. It is closed to motor vehicles but is being used by bicyclists, walkers and the Ticonderoga athletes. The bridge is lit for night use.
State Police responded to a one-car collision on Route 17 yesterday in the Town of Weybridge. The investigation concluded that the 16-year-old driver was “traveling too fast for conditions” and lost control of the vehicle. The New Haven Fire Department and Vergennes Rescue were also called to the scene of the accident. The driver was transported to Porter Hospital and was shortly released with minor injuries.
It will be harder to cut expenses from the Rutland city school budget this year without affecting student programs. More than $1 million in costs were cut from the district’s $45 million budget in fiscal year 2010 with an eye toward this school year. That included 19 positions district-wide, with at least eight teaching positions eliminated, according to a list of cuts provided by the district. But the School Board hasn’t made any decisions yet on what to cut this year, or if any cuts can be made to an already tight budget.
The Moriah Central School Board is holding a special meeting at 8 this morning in the Central Office. This meeting will be held to discuss and approve a bus bond-anticipation note and review and act on special-education recommendations. The meeting is open to all.
Time is running out for people in New York to apply for FEMA assistance after Irene. People in Clinton and Essex counties have until Monday to apply for FEMA aid. Officials say so far more than 1-thousand people have registered for help and FEMA has handed out close to 3-million dollars to residents in the two counties. Officials say it's easy to apply. To apply for FEMA assistance call 1-800-621-FEMA or www.disasterassistance.gov.
Green Mountain College launched a multiyear affordability program that seeks to enhance the college’s commitment to assisting students finance a four-year college education. The Poultney-based College pledged $7.3 million in scholarships and financial aid. The program is designed to offer support to all students. Currently, 94 percent of all Green Mountain College students receive financial aid, with more than 90 percent receiving institutional support, to help offset the tuition costs.
Last year the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $454 million in Better Building Grants to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses nationwide. Neighborworks of Western Vermont was awarded $4.5 million to improve energy efficiency in 1,000 Rutland County homes over three years. Rutland county homeowners who've had efficiency upgrades see their energy bills drop an average of 35 percent. Officials are optimistic they'll meet their goal of 1,000 households by 2013.
Two members of Vermont's congressional delegation are asking the State Department to investigate whether conflicts of interest tainted the review of a proposed crude oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch joined a dozen other senators and congressmen in citing "serious concerns" about the integrity of the review. They have asked the White House to withhold any decision on the project until the State Department's inspector general has completed a review of the project. The company proposing the Keystone pipeline project, TransCanada, reportedly was allowed to screen private firms competing to perform an environmental impact study on the pipeline.
A 39-year-old music stores business has closed its 12 stores across New England. Daddy's Junky Music shut its doors on Wednesday. A page on the company website with the announcement thanked customers for their business through the years. The closed stores are in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. The CEO said he could not get into specifics about why the stores closed because of pending legal issues.
It's that time of year again when Vermont food sellers and buyers get together to try to make a match. The fourth annual Local Foods Matchmaker takes place today at Shelburne Farms. Buyers and sellers will get 10-minute sessions to learn about what food is being offered and to work on a purchasing relationship.
If you are looking for firsthand political experience Lt. Gov. Phil Scott is looking for a college student for his Statehouse office beginning in January for a five-month internship. Application deadline is November 14th. For more information just visit the Lt. Governors Website.
The Cuomo administration is distributing an additional $850,000 in aid for more than 100 New York farms impacted by flooding caused by tropical storms Irene and Lee. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state funds would be distributed among 120 farms. He has said the state will provide at least $15 million to rebuild communities and the agricultural industry in hard-hit areas.
Teachers in southwest Vermont were their sixth day of a strike yesterday. The teachers union said talks were suspended Tuesday after the boards said the salary data they had been using was "deeply flawed" and needed time to correct the information. The boards have not issued a statement since Monday night. Talks were expected to resume Wednesday morning. The issues up for discussion include salaries, health insurance and time spent with students.
Vermont's first commercial wind farm in Sheffield is ready to make power. Developer First Wind hosted dignitaries, state and local officials and others beneath its turbines on Sheffield Heights yesterday where they celebrated the end of the 8-year process that it took to plan and build the project. The 40-megawatt, 16-turbine project is capable of generating enough power for more than 14,000 Vermont homes. The power will be sold to three Vermont utilities.
Green Mountain Power leaders say delays in construction to the Lowell Mountain Wind Project could cost tens of millions of dollars. Those added costs would eventually be passed on to ratepayers. Opponents are claiming success because they say they were able to get close enough to the project that blasting could not happen Wednesday. Also they say no one was arrested despite a court order for them to stay away. A judge right now is working on the order to keep protestors who are on the mountain outside the blast area. GMP says it's working with local law enforcement on how exactly to enforce it.
Burlington police and city leaders are preparing for an overnight protest expected to happen Friday. The group "Occupy Vermont" plans to use City Hall Park as a way to spark conversation on corporate greed and social inequality. The group stems from the "Occupy Wall Street" protests seen happening around the world. So far, Vermont protestors have complied with police.
At its annual meeting last week, the Vermont Rail Action Network celebrated the railroad’s restoration from Irene. David Wulfson, president of the Vermont Rail System, was awarded the Jim Jeffords Award for Community Rail Advocate of the Year in recognition of his commitment to addressing the track issues that had caused timekeeping problems for Amtrak’s Ethan Allen.
The emergency sirens surrounding the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant went off yesterday morning because of a slip up testing the system. Entergy Nuclear spokesman Larry Smith said that one of the company's vendors was supposed to be silently testing the emergency alert system. The sirens ran for their full three-minute course before automatically shutting off.
Vermont motorists who drive electric cars now have a fueling station where they will be able to charge their vehicles at no cost. On Wednesday, Green Mountain Power and Healthy Living Market unveiled the charging station on Dorset Street in South Burlington that will be free for the first year. This charging station is compatible with all electric vehicles on the market today.
Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders are pushing a bill that would make selling fake "maple" syrup a felony with serious penalties for those who would violate The MAPLE Act. Leahy and Susan Collins of Maine introduced the Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement Act. Sanders is a cosponsor of the legislation.
Volunteers and members of Champlain Area Trails are looking to finish the work needed to bring the complete Cheney Mountain Trail to life. The Town of Moriah is partnering with CATS to develop the trail for families, friends, and lone hikers to go up a short and sometimes steep trail to see amazing views of the Champlain Valley and High Peaks. The Cheney Mountain Trail Day begins at 8:30AM November 5th and will last until about noon.
The Trestle Walking Bridge has opened over the LaChute River adding another length to the historic LaChute River Trail. The entire community is invited to celebrate the new walkway at the trestle’s dedication on Thursday, November 3rd at 4PM. The Trestle Bridge connects Lake George Avenue with Alexandria Avenue and offers a safe alternative for school children attending the Ti Elementary-Middle School. It is closed to motor vehicles but is being used by bicyclists, walkers and the Ticonderoga athletes. The bridge is lit for night use.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 26, 2011 (Afternoon Update)
The Goodrich Corporation and its manufacturing plant in Vergennes have been sold. Connecticut-bases United Technologies has reached a deal to purchase Goodrich for 18-billion dollars. United Technologies officials say no immediate changes are planned for the Vergennes plant.
Work on the new Lake Champlain Bridge has begun to wined down. Officials from FlatIrnon say they are adding the finishing touches to the pre-cast concrete deck panels and the span sidewalks. Flatiron’s mobile construction shacks are also now being packed up and shipped to other job sites. The new bridge should be open to traffic in about a month.
Officials are still investigating damage done to the athletic fields in Vergennes last week. According to reports, someone dug holes with shovels all over the varsity soccer field Friday Night. All of this took place before Saturday’s Senior Soccer Game were 8 seniors were to be honored for their 4 years of play. School officials say they will need to hire a professional landscaper to repair the fields. Police say because of the cost to complete the repairs, this is now a felony.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are at the ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: FEMA.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
The Hinesburg Chief of Police is retiring. Chief Fred Silber plans to retire at the end of the year. Silber has been chief since replacing Chris Morrell, who was fired a year and a half ago. The town has decided to promote Deputy Chief Frank Koss to replace Silber effective at the start of next year.
Vermont's tourism industry is faring better than expected this fall foliage season. Revenue from the rooms and meals taxes is up 11 percent for the first three weeks of this month. State officials were concerned that damage caused by Irene would discourage people from visiting during the foliage season. About 3.5 million people visit Vermont each fall, spending roughly $330 million.
Vermont motorists who drive electric cars now have a fueling station where they will be able to charge their vehicles at no cost. Green Mountain Power and Healthy Living Market unveiled the charging station earlier today on Dorset Street in South Burlington. The charging station is compatible with all electric vehicles on the market today and will be free for the first year.
Work on the new Lake Champlain Bridge has begun to wined down. Officials from FlatIrnon say they are adding the finishing touches to the pre-cast concrete deck panels and the span sidewalks. Flatiron’s mobile construction shacks are also now being packed up and shipped to other job sites. The new bridge should be open to traffic in about a month.
Officials are still investigating damage done to the athletic fields in Vergennes last week. According to reports, someone dug holes with shovels all over the varsity soccer field Friday Night. All of this took place before Saturday’s Senior Soccer Game were 8 seniors were to be honored for their 4 years of play. School officials say they will need to hire a professional landscaper to repair the fields. Police say because of the cost to complete the repairs, this is now a felony.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are at the ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: FEMA.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
The Hinesburg Chief of Police is retiring. Chief Fred Silber plans to retire at the end of the year. Silber has been chief since replacing Chris Morrell, who was fired a year and a half ago. The town has decided to promote Deputy Chief Frank Koss to replace Silber effective at the start of next year.
Vermont's tourism industry is faring better than expected this fall foliage season. Revenue from the rooms and meals taxes is up 11 percent for the first three weeks of this month. State officials were concerned that damage caused by Irene would discourage people from visiting during the foliage season. About 3.5 million people visit Vermont each fall, spending roughly $330 million.
Vermont motorists who drive electric cars now have a fueling station where they will be able to charge their vehicles at no cost. Green Mountain Power and Healthy Living Market unveiled the charging station earlier today on Dorset Street in South Burlington. The charging station is compatible with all electric vehicles on the market today and will be free for the first year.
WVTK Local & State News October 26, 2011
VTrans has closed the one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap so a two-lane culvert can replace it. The closure means residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
Workers at the new Lake Champlain Bridge are beginning to wind down their operation at the Vermont side of the construction site. With just a month or so left until the bridge opens for traffic, teams of workers from Flatiron are adding the finishing touches to pre-cast concrete deck panels and span sidewalks. Workers were also finishing up last minute touches to road surface on the arch span section. As of last week, Flatiron’s mobile construction shacks were being packed up in preparation for shipment to new, out-of-state job sites.
Police in Vergennes are investigating what they say is a prank gone wrong at Vergennes Union High School. The School's varsity soccer field was dug up Friday night at what school officials are calling a crucial time, right before the girls’ senior soccer game Saturday. Police say they don't have any leads now but they are looking for someone with a motive. Also since this did affect so many people at the school, police say it's like having their own team of investigators all working towards the same goal.
Construction work continues on the new, three-story Rutland Academic Center for the Community College of Vermont at the corner of West and Wales streets in downtown Rutland. The project began in April. The new center will be open for spring semester classes starting this January. CCV’s new home will house classrooms, science labs, art labs, computer classrooms, student work areas, and administrative offices.
Federal Emergency Management Agency are at ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: www.fema.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
Rep. Peter Welch will offer a workshop on grant writing at 1PM Monday in the Fox Room of the Rutland Free Library. The workshop is designed for organizations new to the federal grant application process and will include a discussion of grants.gov, a website designed to be the primary resource on federal grant funding. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Participants can register at welch.house.gov/signup.
1 of 3 regional hubs set up in Vermont to help restore mobility along state highways following Irene is closing on Friday. More than 1,000 highway-recovery personnel were mobilized through the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Rutland Region Incident Command Center in Rutland. The workers helped rebuild bridges and highways in 52 towns in the southwest part of the state.
Castleton Town officials are requesting architectural consultant proposals for a new municipal building and the renovation of existing town offices while employees prepare to move for a second time. The Select Board will review the proposals before any final decisions are made. Officials plan to go for a bond vote at town meeting next year. Meanwhile, the offices will move during the first week of November to three office trailers that will be installed at the old Goddard site.
Investigators say they believe a cell phone could help them figure out what happened to Bill and Lorraine Currier. The Essex Junction couple was last seen nearly than 5 months ago. Despite the new information, police say the latest search didn't turn up anything new that might lead them to figure out what happened to the couple. They hope to send officers back to the area for a second search before the end of the year.
Vermont's first commercial wind farm in Sheffield is making electricity. Developer First Wind is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony today in Sheffield. The 40-megawatt, 16-turbine project will generate enough power for more than 14,000 Vermont homes, or almost half the homes in the Northeast Kingdom.
A top Vermont transportation official says most of the state's road network has been repaired after Tropical Storm Irene damaged it, but no one knows how long some of those repairs will last. Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter says drivers need to be cautious. Some road projects that would normally have taken years of study and planning before construction would have begun were fixed in days or weeks.
Senator Bernie Sanders is set to announce a federal grant for a dental clinic in Morrisville. Sanders will visited the Community Health Services this morning to announce the funding. After that, Sanders will make a stop Lamoille Union High School and then Johnson State College where he will speak to students.
A private consulting firm hired by Vermont says student performance may not justify the amount of taxpayer money being spent on it. Two laws, passed nearly a decade ago, created a statewide tax that each Vermonter would pay towards education funding. According to the study, nearly $17,000 is spent on each Vermont student. That is higher than any other State in New England and the national average. And on Tuesday, the Vermont House Ways and Means Committee learned that despite all of that money, Vermont students have only average performances on standardized tests. The Chair of the Committee says it is too early to determine if that State's education funding system is flawed.
Preliminary statistics show that Vermont's tourism industry weathered the fall foliage season well, despite the damage from Tropical Storm Irene. State officials were concerned that the damage to Vermont's transportation system would discourage people from coming here during the foliage season. But the chief economist for the Legislature says early indications suggest that the state has come through the fall in good shape. He notes that revenues for the rooms and meals tax are up 11 percent for the first three weeks of this month.
The Green Mountain Club wants to donate private land it recently purchased in Bolton to the state. But town officials question the deal. They say it could cost the town much-needed tax revenue. At a meeting last week, the Club asked the Bolton Select Board for a letter of support so it could transfer the land to the Forests, Parks and Recreation Department. The land would become part of the Mount Mansfield State Forest. But the Select Board Chair says the board has some reservations. The Board says it will conduct more research and hold public hearings before deciding whether to support the Club's plan.
Congressman Peter Welch is asking President Obama to reimburse taxpayers for America's military efforts in Libya. With Moammar Gadhafi dead, Welch says the hard work now falls to the people of Libya in deciding whether they want a civil society or a civil war. And he's urging President Obama to have Libyans pay for the cost of America's effort.
For a third time, a judge has told protestors to stay away from a blasting site in Lowell. Green Mountain Power is blasting to build a wind farm, but opponents have camped out on land adjacent to the property hoping to delay the blasting. GMP has threatened to sue the landowners for any delays caused by the campers. Tuesday a judge continued a temporary restraining order until October 30th. A Superior Court judge has listened to three days of testimony. The judge has taken the matter under advisement and plans to issue a written ruling. No timetable was released though when that may be.
Presidential candidates will have to wait at least a few more days to find out the date of the New Hampshire primary. Secretary of State Bill Gardner said Tuesday he wouldn’t announce the date until next week, after the filing period closes. He is widely expected to pick Jan. 10 now that Nevada Republicans voted last weekend to shift their presidential caucuses to early February.
New York has a new system that aims to protect vulnerable adults. It's similar to an amber alert system that sends out alerts when a child is abducted, but the missing adult alerts are for grownups with impairments like Alzheimers or a brain injury that get lost. The information will go out over the same networks used for amber alerts.
New York's largest health insurance company has agreed to publicly disclose more data used to justify premium increases. The agreement is part of an effort by state Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky to make rate increase filings public, which could result in reducing the number of requested hikes. Lawsky says Tuesday that UnitedHealth Group has agreed to end the secrecy now.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is urging the Federal Communications Commission to enact stronger regulations against phone-bill "cramming." He is part of a multi-state coalition that includes 16 other attorney generals urging action to prevent unauthorized third-party charges on telephone bills. A recent U.S. Senate report found the practice costs consumers more than $2 billion per year.
The Hinesburg Artist Series Fall Concert will be held Wednesday, November 9th at 7:30PM at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg. Featured ensembles will be the South County Chorus, the Hinesburg Community Band and In Accord, under the direction of Rufus Patrick. The concert is free and donations are welcome.
This Sunday, parishioners of St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Pittsford will celebrate the church's 151st anniversary. A breakfast will be served after Sunday mass with an entertaining look at the parish’s service to the community. Fr. Charles Boylen was the first spiritual head of St. Alphonsus in October 1860, just five months before the Civil War started. For details about the 151st anniversary, call the parish office at 802-483-2301.
Free dental health screening services will be available to Ticonderoga children. A group of dental professionals will volunteer their time to do the free screenings November 4th and 7th at Ticonderoga Elementary School. Parental permission is required for students to receive the screenings. Permission slips have been sent home with children.
Workers at the new Lake Champlain Bridge are beginning to wind down their operation at the Vermont side of the construction site. With just a month or so left until the bridge opens for traffic, teams of workers from Flatiron are adding the finishing touches to pre-cast concrete deck panels and span sidewalks. Workers were also finishing up last minute touches to road surface on the arch span section. As of last week, Flatiron’s mobile construction shacks were being packed up in preparation for shipment to new, out-of-state job sites.
Police in Vergennes are investigating what they say is a prank gone wrong at Vergennes Union High School. The School's varsity soccer field was dug up Friday night at what school officials are calling a crucial time, right before the girls’ senior soccer game Saturday. Police say they don't have any leads now but they are looking for someone with a motive. Also since this did affect so many people at the school, police say it's like having their own team of investigators all working towards the same goal.
Construction work continues on the new, three-story Rutland Academic Center for the Community College of Vermont at the corner of West and Wales streets in downtown Rutland. The project began in April. The new center will be open for spring semester classes starting this January. CCV’s new home will house classrooms, science labs, art labs, computer classrooms, student work areas, and administrative offices.
Federal Emergency Management Agency are at ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: www.fema.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
Rep. Peter Welch will offer a workshop on grant writing at 1PM Monday in the Fox Room of the Rutland Free Library. The workshop is designed for organizations new to the federal grant application process and will include a discussion of grants.gov, a website designed to be the primary resource on federal grant funding. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Participants can register at welch.house.gov/signup.
1 of 3 regional hubs set up in Vermont to help restore mobility along state highways following Irene is closing on Friday. More than 1,000 highway-recovery personnel were mobilized through the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Rutland Region Incident Command Center in Rutland. The workers helped rebuild bridges and highways in 52 towns in the southwest part of the state.
Castleton Town officials are requesting architectural consultant proposals for a new municipal building and the renovation of existing town offices while employees prepare to move for a second time. The Select Board will review the proposals before any final decisions are made. Officials plan to go for a bond vote at town meeting next year. Meanwhile, the offices will move during the first week of November to three office trailers that will be installed at the old Goddard site.
Investigators say they believe a cell phone could help them figure out what happened to Bill and Lorraine Currier. The Essex Junction couple was last seen nearly than 5 months ago. Despite the new information, police say the latest search didn't turn up anything new that might lead them to figure out what happened to the couple. They hope to send officers back to the area for a second search before the end of the year.
Vermont's first commercial wind farm in Sheffield is making electricity. Developer First Wind is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony today in Sheffield. The 40-megawatt, 16-turbine project will generate enough power for more than 14,000 Vermont homes, or almost half the homes in the Northeast Kingdom.
A top Vermont transportation official says most of the state's road network has been repaired after Tropical Storm Irene damaged it, but no one knows how long some of those repairs will last. Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter says drivers need to be cautious. Some road projects that would normally have taken years of study and planning before construction would have begun were fixed in days or weeks.
Senator Bernie Sanders is set to announce a federal grant for a dental clinic in Morrisville. Sanders will visited the Community Health Services this morning to announce the funding. After that, Sanders will make a stop Lamoille Union High School and then Johnson State College where he will speak to students.
A private consulting firm hired by Vermont says student performance may not justify the amount of taxpayer money being spent on it. Two laws, passed nearly a decade ago, created a statewide tax that each Vermonter would pay towards education funding. According to the study, nearly $17,000 is spent on each Vermont student. That is higher than any other State in New England and the national average. And on Tuesday, the Vermont House Ways and Means Committee learned that despite all of that money, Vermont students have only average performances on standardized tests. The Chair of the Committee says it is too early to determine if that State's education funding system is flawed.
Preliminary statistics show that Vermont's tourism industry weathered the fall foliage season well, despite the damage from Tropical Storm Irene. State officials were concerned that the damage to Vermont's transportation system would discourage people from coming here during the foliage season. But the chief economist for the Legislature says early indications suggest that the state has come through the fall in good shape. He notes that revenues for the rooms and meals tax are up 11 percent for the first three weeks of this month.
The Green Mountain Club wants to donate private land it recently purchased in Bolton to the state. But town officials question the deal. They say it could cost the town much-needed tax revenue. At a meeting last week, the Club asked the Bolton Select Board for a letter of support so it could transfer the land to the Forests, Parks and Recreation Department. The land would become part of the Mount Mansfield State Forest. But the Select Board Chair says the board has some reservations. The Board says it will conduct more research and hold public hearings before deciding whether to support the Club's plan.
Congressman Peter Welch is asking President Obama to reimburse taxpayers for America's military efforts in Libya. With Moammar Gadhafi dead, Welch says the hard work now falls to the people of Libya in deciding whether they want a civil society or a civil war. And he's urging President Obama to have Libyans pay for the cost of America's effort.
For a third time, a judge has told protestors to stay away from a blasting site in Lowell. Green Mountain Power is blasting to build a wind farm, but opponents have camped out on land adjacent to the property hoping to delay the blasting. GMP has threatened to sue the landowners for any delays caused by the campers. Tuesday a judge continued a temporary restraining order until October 30th. A Superior Court judge has listened to three days of testimony. The judge has taken the matter under advisement and plans to issue a written ruling. No timetable was released though when that may be.
Presidential candidates will have to wait at least a few more days to find out the date of the New Hampshire primary. Secretary of State Bill Gardner said Tuesday he wouldn’t announce the date until next week, after the filing period closes. He is widely expected to pick Jan. 10 now that Nevada Republicans voted last weekend to shift their presidential caucuses to early February.
New York has a new system that aims to protect vulnerable adults. It's similar to an amber alert system that sends out alerts when a child is abducted, but the missing adult alerts are for grownups with impairments like Alzheimers or a brain injury that get lost. The information will go out over the same networks used for amber alerts.
New York's largest health insurance company has agreed to publicly disclose more data used to justify premium increases. The agreement is part of an effort by state Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky to make rate increase filings public, which could result in reducing the number of requested hikes. Lawsky says Tuesday that UnitedHealth Group has agreed to end the secrecy now.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is urging the Federal Communications Commission to enact stronger regulations against phone-bill "cramming." He is part of a multi-state coalition that includes 16 other attorney generals urging action to prevent unauthorized third-party charges on telephone bills. A recent U.S. Senate report found the practice costs consumers more than $2 billion per year.
The Hinesburg Artist Series Fall Concert will be held Wednesday, November 9th at 7:30PM at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg. Featured ensembles will be the South County Chorus, the Hinesburg Community Band and In Accord, under the direction of Rufus Patrick. The concert is free and donations are welcome.
This Sunday, parishioners of St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Pittsford will celebrate the church's 151st anniversary. A breakfast will be served after Sunday mass with an entertaining look at the parish’s service to the community. Fr. Charles Boylen was the first spiritual head of St. Alphonsus in October 1860, just five months before the Civil War started. For details about the 151st anniversary, call the parish office at 802-483-2301.
Free dental health screening services will be available to Ticonderoga children. A group of dental professionals will volunteer their time to do the free screenings November 4th and 7th at Ticonderoga Elementary School. Parental permission is required for students to receive the screenings. Permission slips have been sent home with children.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 25, 2011 (Afternoon Update)
VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop, click HERE!
Google is coming to Middlebury. A Google seminar providing the tools and resources for Vermont businesses to get online and succeed online is coming to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, November 3rd with a morning session from 9 to Noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 4. This is a free seminar for small businesses run by Google employees. Space is limited to 25 people per session, so register now! For more information, or to register for the seminar, just visit http://sites.google.com/site/vtgyboreg.
Federal Emergency Management Agency are at ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: www.fema.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
Dozens of police are searching to find Bill Currier's cell phone. Police say the day the Currier's were reported missing, back in June, a call was placed to Bill Currier's cell phone from UVM. The call went unanswered. In September, Essex Police worked with the FBI to narrow the location of the cell phone. Today, more than 30 officers were out in several parts of Essex aiding the search, including two cadaver dogs and a scent dog. Right now, police say this is one of the best pieces of information they have in their investigation.
1 of 3 regional hubs set up in Vermont to help restore mobility along state highways following Irene is closing on Friday. More than 1,000 highway-recovery personnel were mobilized through the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Rutland Region Incident Command Center in Rutland. The workers helped rebuild bridges and highways in 52 towns in the southwest part of the state.
The Vermont Community Foundation says its Irene recovery fund for special and urgent cases has awarded $99,000 to 21 nonprofit groups, such as a food shelf that suffered water damage, a senior center that provided support to evacuated community members and a theater group whose building was flooded. The foundation says total contributions received or pledged to the fund exceed $250,000. The grants, which fund up to $5,000, are available to nonprofits, schools and municipal groups that were damaged by Irene or face challenges in providing services for those affected by the storm. The foundation continues to accept applications.
A 23-year-old student at Vermont's Landmark College has been arrested in connection with the detonation of an explosive device on campus. Putney police say Kevin Spitzner admitted to building and detonating the device using commonly found household items. He told police he placed the device on a ledge near his dormitory on Friday with the intention of scaring 1 of his dorm mates with whom he had been having a feud about loud music. The explosion was heard across campus. Spitzner was cited for possession of a destructive device, a felony.
The Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and its former conductor have reached an out-of-court-settlement in his lawsuit saying he was unlawfully dismissed. Ronald Braunstein was hired in July 2010. He was fired seven months later. In a joint statement Monday the orchestra association said students under Braunstein were inspired to reach new levels of musical excellence. The statement said concerns surfaced about Braunstein's job performance.
New York's largest health insurance company has agreed to publicly disclose more data used to justify premium increases. The agreement is part of an effort by state Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky to make rate increase filings public, which could result in reducing the number of requested hikes. Lawsky says Tuesday that UnitedHealth Group has agreed to end the secrecy now.
Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop, click HERE!
Google is coming to Middlebury. A Google seminar providing the tools and resources for Vermont businesses to get online and succeed online is coming to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, November 3rd with a morning session from 9 to Noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 4. This is a free seminar for small businesses run by Google employees. Space is limited to 25 people per session, so register now! For more information, or to register for the seminar, just visit http://sites.google.com/site/vtgyboreg.
Federal Emergency Management Agency are at ProBuild Lumber Yard on Route 9N in Ticonderoga this week to provide advice. The mitigation experts will be at the store 7AM to 5PM through Thursday. More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at: www.fema.gov. Choose the menu for Recover and Rebuild.
Dozens of police are searching to find Bill Currier's cell phone. Police say the day the Currier's were reported missing, back in June, a call was placed to Bill Currier's cell phone from UVM. The call went unanswered. In September, Essex Police worked with the FBI to narrow the location of the cell phone. Today, more than 30 officers were out in several parts of Essex aiding the search, including two cadaver dogs and a scent dog. Right now, police say this is one of the best pieces of information they have in their investigation.
1 of 3 regional hubs set up in Vermont to help restore mobility along state highways following Irene is closing on Friday. More than 1,000 highway-recovery personnel were mobilized through the Vermont Agency of Transportation's Rutland Region Incident Command Center in Rutland. The workers helped rebuild bridges and highways in 52 towns in the southwest part of the state.
The Vermont Community Foundation says its Irene recovery fund for special and urgent cases has awarded $99,000 to 21 nonprofit groups, such as a food shelf that suffered water damage, a senior center that provided support to evacuated community members and a theater group whose building was flooded. The foundation says total contributions received or pledged to the fund exceed $250,000. The grants, which fund up to $5,000, are available to nonprofits, schools and municipal groups that were damaged by Irene or face challenges in providing services for those affected by the storm. The foundation continues to accept applications.
A 23-year-old student at Vermont's Landmark College has been arrested in connection with the detonation of an explosive device on campus. Putney police say Kevin Spitzner admitted to building and detonating the device using commonly found household items. He told police he placed the device on a ledge near his dormitory on Friday with the intention of scaring 1 of his dorm mates with whom he had been having a feud about loud music. The explosion was heard across campus. Spitzner was cited for possession of a destructive device, a felony.
The Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and its former conductor have reached an out-of-court-settlement in his lawsuit saying he was unlawfully dismissed. Ronald Braunstein was hired in July 2010. He was fired seven months later. In a joint statement Monday the orchestra association said students under Braunstein were inspired to reach new levels of musical excellence. The statement said concerns surfaced about Braunstein's job performance.
New York's largest health insurance company has agreed to publicly disclose more data used to justify premium increases. The agreement is part of an effort by state Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky to make rate increase filings public, which could result in reducing the number of requested hikes. Lawsky says Tuesday that UnitedHealth Group has agreed to end the secrecy now.
WVTK Local & State News October 25, 2011
VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop now, click HERE!
Google is coming to Middlebury. A Google seminar providing the tools and resources for Vermont businesses to get online and succeed online is coming to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, November 3rd with a morning session from 9 to Noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 4. This is a free seminar for small businesses run by Google employees. Space is limited to 25 people per session, so register now! For more information, or to register for the seminar, just visit http://sites.google.com/site/vtgyboreg.
More than a dozen people were present at the Hancock town office last week to urge the select-board to take steps to open the still-closed Upper Churchville Road. Nearly two months after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, the two Addison County towns hit hardest by the storm Granville and Hancock are still finding it impossible to restore traffic on all town roads before the snow flies. In Granville, Buffalo Farm Road is the only town road still closed, but town clerk and treasurer Kathy Werner said the town would not be able to fix the road before next spring. In Hancock, road commissioner Jim Leno said Texas Falls Road and the portions of Churchville Road that remain closed to through-traffic due to extensive damage will also not be fixed before the spring.
The Town Of Salisbury is looking to make repairs to the Town Hall. Next March residents will be asked to approve a plan to preserve the town hall to make it more weather-tight, sturdy and usable into the future.
U.S. Census numbers appear to be off in Starksboro. The results show a population drop in town, and selectmen plan to contact Census officials to question the data. According to the 2010 Census, Starksboro’s population is 1,787, down 121 from the 2000 number of 1,898. But according to Town Clerk Cheryl Estey, the town’s voter checklist increased by 257 in the same decade, from 986 to 1,243.
The Addison County Relocalization Network, the Addison County Economic Development Corporation and the Addison County Regional Planning Commission are launching a local money conference to bring together the regional capital community and Champlain Valley entrepreneurs with businesses involved in food, agriculture and forestry. The conference, “Financing the Working Landscape,” is scheduled for November 10th from 8:30AM to 4:30PM at the American Legion in Middlebury. The networking event is designed to educate entrepreneurs and students about different types of capital and how to prepare their businesses for capitalization. It will also explore alternative strategies for financing and showcase entrepreneurs currently looking for capital.
Construction of a new water district in Moriah will begin this week. The $1.8 million project in water district 4 will serve the Forge Hollow, Elk Inn Road and Stone Street area. Construction will continue as long as weather allows. It will be completed in the spring. The entire project is expected to take 12 to 15 weeks. A pair of unexpected grants totaling $1.8 million is financing the project. The grants will pay for the entire project.
Officials say the initial cleanup and stabilization of the Vermont state office complex in Waterbury that was damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene has been completed. State officials estimate the cost of that process will be between $20 million and $25 million and most of it should be covered by insurance.
Some of the marchers in this weekend's Halloween parade in Rutland may be looking to spook the rich. Occupy Rutland, one of hundreds of offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement plans to have a large contingent in this year's parade, which steps off on Saturday evening.
Vermont's Burlington Electric Department says it has begun to receive electricity generated from a wind farm in Sheffield. Burlington Electric says the Sheffield project will help it move toward its goal of providing 100% renewable energy. Sheffield will provide Burlington Electric with 13% of its total energy needs. Another project in the town of Georgia, due to be online in 2013, will provide another 9%. The utility's goal is to get a third of its power from Hydro-Quebec, another third from a wood burning power plant in Burlington and a third from wind power.
Police plan to do another ground search today for missing Essex couple William and Lorraine Currier, who disappeared in early June. The Burlington Free Press reports today's search will include a stretch of the Winooski River. Investigators have offered few details on the case but have said they suspect foul play.
Occupy Vermont activists will soon be taking up residence in Burlington's City Hall Park. The group is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. They began demonstrating four weeks ago, but only on weekends. They now plan to make their protest permanent. Starting at 3PM Friday, the group plans to begin camping out in City Hall Park.
Hundreds of people showed up for a shot at just a couple dozen open jobs in South Burlington yesterday. Vermont's unemployment rate dropped last month to 5.8%. That's good news for the state but makes little difference to those people out of work. Nearly 400 people entered the Sheraton in South Burlington Monday. They hope to work at Allscripts in South Burlington. It's a healthcare based hi-tech company that is expanding at a time when many businesses are shrinking.
Congressman Peter Welch is introducing a bill that would provide tax relief for low-income Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Welch announced the legislation at Burlington International Airport yesterday morning, as he got ready to head back to Washington. The most crucial component of his bill is a child tax credit and earned income tax credit for low-income families. If passed, Welch says his bill would also allow a $500 tax exemption to those who provide housing to individuals displaced by Irene, and it would strip limitations on personal casualty losses caused by the disaster.
New details are emerging surrounding an investigation into a murder-suicide in Newport, Vermont over the weekend. Newport police say it was a 911 call that led them to discover the death of Mellissa Tinker and Thomas Ballou on Sunday. Now, investigators are revealing the call for help came from inside the home where the two were found.
Vermont's Republican Party has a new executive director. Mike Bertrand is taking over. He is succeeding Tayt Brooks, who is stepping down so he can focus his time on helping Kurt Wright's campaign for mayor of Burlington. Bertrand served in several different positions during the Douglas administration, including commissioners of labor and industry, insurance, and banking, insurance, securities and health care administration. Since leaving state government in January, he has been working as a consultant. He assumes his new duties next week.
According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, which tracks consumer fraud, Vermont reported nearly 1,200 complaints of fraud last year to the tune of nearly $2 million. Many of these complaints involve telephone and Internet scams, which can be difficult to prosecute. Besides credit card fraud, Vermont's attorney general's office has recently investigated even more complaints involving wire transfers.
Talks were suspended yesterday between striking teachers and school boards in southwest Vermont. The two sides plan to meet again today to try end the strike and after negotiating for more than 50 hours in the last week. The teachers' union and school boards met Monday afternoon until talks were suspended to accommodate a meeting of the school boards. The issues up for discussion today include salaries, health insurance and time spent with students.
Did you know that corn is a grass and an artichoke is in the sunflower family? The Willowell Foundation invites you to find out what you are eating at the Botany of Food, a workshop with agricultural consultant and Panton resident Teena Hayden. The workshop will take place on Wednesday from 7 to 8:30PM at the Congregational Church in Vergennes. The suggested donation is $10 to support the Willowell farm to school garden. The workshop will provide a basic understanding of the botany of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds we eat for sustenance, flavor, and satisfaction.
As the local gardening season draws to a close, the Carillon Garden Club has recognized the landscaping and floral plantings that have enhanced the quality of life in the communities of Hague and Ticonderoga this year. All plantings recognized had to be visible from the road or street and the names of the businesses or residents available. Various businesses and residences in both towns were honored.
A horse is recovering after hitting a car. The crash happened near the UVM horse barn in South Burlington Monday afternoon. UVM police say a horse got free from the barn, knocked down a trainer and ran into the road hitting a car. Police say besides some bumps and bruises everyone, including the horse, seems to be doing okay.
There will be a big boost for the Vermont Foodbank and its efforts to help families after Irene. The couple that created the "I Am Vermont Strong" T-Shirts will present the Foodbank with a 60-thousand dollar check this Thursday. It went viral and they started selling T-shirts. The Foodbank says the big donation will help ensure clients impacted by Irene will have wholesome food on the table as cold weather sets in.
Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop now, click HERE!
Google is coming to Middlebury. A Google seminar providing the tools and resources for Vermont businesses to get online and succeed online is coming to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, November 3rd with a morning session from 9 to Noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 4. This is a free seminar for small businesses run by Google employees. Space is limited to 25 people per session, so register now! For more information, or to register for the seminar, just visit http://sites.google.com/site/vtgyboreg.
More than a dozen people were present at the Hancock town office last week to urge the select-board to take steps to open the still-closed Upper Churchville Road. Nearly two months after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, the two Addison County towns hit hardest by the storm Granville and Hancock are still finding it impossible to restore traffic on all town roads before the snow flies. In Granville, Buffalo Farm Road is the only town road still closed, but town clerk and treasurer Kathy Werner said the town would not be able to fix the road before next spring. In Hancock, road commissioner Jim Leno said Texas Falls Road and the portions of Churchville Road that remain closed to through-traffic due to extensive damage will also not be fixed before the spring.
The Town Of Salisbury is looking to make repairs to the Town Hall. Next March residents will be asked to approve a plan to preserve the town hall to make it more weather-tight, sturdy and usable into the future.
U.S. Census numbers appear to be off in Starksboro. The results show a population drop in town, and selectmen plan to contact Census officials to question the data. According to the 2010 Census, Starksboro’s population is 1,787, down 121 from the 2000 number of 1,898. But according to Town Clerk Cheryl Estey, the town’s voter checklist increased by 257 in the same decade, from 986 to 1,243.
The Addison County Relocalization Network, the Addison County Economic Development Corporation and the Addison County Regional Planning Commission are launching a local money conference to bring together the regional capital community and Champlain Valley entrepreneurs with businesses involved in food, agriculture and forestry. The conference, “Financing the Working Landscape,” is scheduled for November 10th from 8:30AM to 4:30PM at the American Legion in Middlebury. The networking event is designed to educate entrepreneurs and students about different types of capital and how to prepare their businesses for capitalization. It will also explore alternative strategies for financing and showcase entrepreneurs currently looking for capital.
Construction of a new water district in Moriah will begin this week. The $1.8 million project in water district 4 will serve the Forge Hollow, Elk Inn Road and Stone Street area. Construction will continue as long as weather allows. It will be completed in the spring. The entire project is expected to take 12 to 15 weeks. A pair of unexpected grants totaling $1.8 million is financing the project. The grants will pay for the entire project.
Officials say the initial cleanup and stabilization of the Vermont state office complex in Waterbury that was damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene has been completed. State officials estimate the cost of that process will be between $20 million and $25 million and most of it should be covered by insurance.
Some of the marchers in this weekend's Halloween parade in Rutland may be looking to spook the rich. Occupy Rutland, one of hundreds of offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement plans to have a large contingent in this year's parade, which steps off on Saturday evening.
Vermont's Burlington Electric Department says it has begun to receive electricity generated from a wind farm in Sheffield. Burlington Electric says the Sheffield project will help it move toward its goal of providing 100% renewable energy. Sheffield will provide Burlington Electric with 13% of its total energy needs. Another project in the town of Georgia, due to be online in 2013, will provide another 9%. The utility's goal is to get a third of its power from Hydro-Quebec, another third from a wood burning power plant in Burlington and a third from wind power.
Police plan to do another ground search today for missing Essex couple William and Lorraine Currier, who disappeared in early June. The Burlington Free Press reports today's search will include a stretch of the Winooski River. Investigators have offered few details on the case but have said they suspect foul play.
Occupy Vermont activists will soon be taking up residence in Burlington's City Hall Park. The group is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. They began demonstrating four weeks ago, but only on weekends. They now plan to make their protest permanent. Starting at 3PM Friday, the group plans to begin camping out in City Hall Park.
Hundreds of people showed up for a shot at just a couple dozen open jobs in South Burlington yesterday. Vermont's unemployment rate dropped last month to 5.8%. That's good news for the state but makes little difference to those people out of work. Nearly 400 people entered the Sheraton in South Burlington Monday. They hope to work at Allscripts in South Burlington. It's a healthcare based hi-tech company that is expanding at a time when many businesses are shrinking.
Congressman Peter Welch is introducing a bill that would provide tax relief for low-income Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Welch announced the legislation at Burlington International Airport yesterday morning, as he got ready to head back to Washington. The most crucial component of his bill is a child tax credit and earned income tax credit for low-income families. If passed, Welch says his bill would also allow a $500 tax exemption to those who provide housing to individuals displaced by Irene, and it would strip limitations on personal casualty losses caused by the disaster.
New details are emerging surrounding an investigation into a murder-suicide in Newport, Vermont over the weekend. Newport police say it was a 911 call that led them to discover the death of Mellissa Tinker and Thomas Ballou on Sunday. Now, investigators are revealing the call for help came from inside the home where the two were found.
Vermont's Republican Party has a new executive director. Mike Bertrand is taking over. He is succeeding Tayt Brooks, who is stepping down so he can focus his time on helping Kurt Wright's campaign for mayor of Burlington. Bertrand served in several different positions during the Douglas administration, including commissioners of labor and industry, insurance, and banking, insurance, securities and health care administration. Since leaving state government in January, he has been working as a consultant. He assumes his new duties next week.
According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, which tracks consumer fraud, Vermont reported nearly 1,200 complaints of fraud last year to the tune of nearly $2 million. Many of these complaints involve telephone and Internet scams, which can be difficult to prosecute. Besides credit card fraud, Vermont's attorney general's office has recently investigated even more complaints involving wire transfers.
Talks were suspended yesterday between striking teachers and school boards in southwest Vermont. The two sides plan to meet again today to try end the strike and after negotiating for more than 50 hours in the last week. The teachers' union and school boards met Monday afternoon until talks were suspended to accommodate a meeting of the school boards. The issues up for discussion today include salaries, health insurance and time spent with students.
Did you know that corn is a grass and an artichoke is in the sunflower family? The Willowell Foundation invites you to find out what you are eating at the Botany of Food, a workshop with agricultural consultant and Panton resident Teena Hayden. The workshop will take place on Wednesday from 7 to 8:30PM at the Congregational Church in Vergennes. The suggested donation is $10 to support the Willowell farm to school garden. The workshop will provide a basic understanding of the botany of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds we eat for sustenance, flavor, and satisfaction.
As the local gardening season draws to a close, the Carillon Garden Club has recognized the landscaping and floral plantings that have enhanced the quality of life in the communities of Hague and Ticonderoga this year. All plantings recognized had to be visible from the road or street and the names of the businesses or residents available. Various businesses and residences in both towns were honored.
A horse is recovering after hitting a car. The crash happened near the UVM horse barn in South Burlington Monday afternoon. UVM police say a horse got free from the barn, knocked down a trainer and ran into the road hitting a car. Police say besides some bumps and bruises everyone, including the horse, seems to be doing okay.
There will be a big boost for the Vermont Foodbank and its efforts to help families after Irene. The couple that created the "I Am Vermont Strong" T-Shirts will present the Foodbank with a 60-thousand dollar check this Thursday. It went viral and they started selling T-shirts. The Foodbank says the big donation will help ensure clients impacted by Irene will have wholesome food on the table as cold weather sets in.
Monday, October 24, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 24, 2011 (Afternoon Update)
Yesterday afternoon Vermont State Police responded to a report of a downed aircraft in Shoreham. Middlebury Rescue and Shoreham Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene. The operator of the Ultralight Airplane, Donald S. Arnold of Shoreham, was taken to Porter Hospital with minor injuries. He told police he was up in the air for approximately 6-7 minutes before he lost control of the aircraft in a field near his home. Don Arnold is an experienced pilot.
Starting this week, VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
With Halloween just around the corner, the state is giving parents one more tool to help make sure their kids are safe this season. The New York State Sex Offender Registry is now available on Facebook. Just go to the NY Public Safety Page and from there you can do a search by the offender's last name, or find all the offenders in a county or a particular zip code.
Shoreham Telephone Company has a new owner. The company was recently purchased for $4.5-million by Otelco Inc parent company to OTT Communications. Shoreham Telephone has provided telecommunications solutions to residential and business customers for nearly a century.
The House and Senate Institutions committees are meeting at the Statehouse today to look at the state building projects including new projects due to damage from Tropical Storm Irene. One of the buildings being discussed is the Vermont State Hospital and Office Complex. The governor has already said he does not want to reopen the state hospital, he wants to replace it.
State Police have agreed to change the agency's policy on the use of stun guns. Under the new policy, police will give special consideration to how Tasers are used on people with disabilities. They'll also use the devices only if a person is armed and presents a risk of harm or if there aren't any other reasonable alternatives to maintain safety or take a person into custody.
Starting this week, VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
With Halloween just around the corner, the state is giving parents one more tool to help make sure their kids are safe this season. The New York State Sex Offender Registry is now available on Facebook. Just go to the NY Public Safety Page and from there you can do a search by the offender's last name, or find all the offenders in a county or a particular zip code.
Shoreham Telephone Company has a new owner. The company was recently purchased for $4.5-million by Otelco Inc parent company to OTT Communications. Shoreham Telephone has provided telecommunications solutions to residential and business customers for nearly a century.
The House and Senate Institutions committees are meeting at the Statehouse today to look at the state building projects including new projects due to damage from Tropical Storm Irene. One of the buildings being discussed is the Vermont State Hospital and Office Complex. The governor has already said he does not want to reopen the state hospital, he wants to replace it.
State Police have agreed to change the agency's policy on the use of stun guns. Under the new policy, police will give special consideration to how Tasers are used on people with disabilities. They'll also use the devices only if a person is armed and presents a risk of harm or if there aren't any other reasonable alternatives to maintain safety or take a person into custody.
WVTK Local & State News October 24, 2011
Starting this week, VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.
92.1 WVTK-FM has gone to the dogs – literally. Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop now HERE!
Otelco Inc., parent company to OTT Communications, and a wire-line telecommunication services provider in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire and West Virginia, announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Shoreham Telephone Company, Inc. for approximately $4.5 million in cash, plus certain purchase price adjustments. Shoreham Telephone has provided telecommunications solutions to residential and business customers for nearly a century.
On Sunday afternoon Vermont State Police responded to a report of a downed aircraft near Brown Road and Lewis Road in Shoreham. Middlebury Rescue and Shoreham Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene. The operator of the Ultralight Airplane, Donald S. Arnold of Shoreham, was taken to Porter Hospital with minor injuries. He told police he was up in the air for approximately 6-7 minutes before he lost control of the aircraft in a field near his home. Don Arnold is an experienced pilot.
A former private school plans to use money from a city settlement to make its comeback. A representative of the Mountain View Community School said that Rutland’s recent payback of tax money to the school is allowing it to open its doors again, possibly in a different location than its former home on Church Street. An organizational meeting is being held Thursday at 7PM at the South Station Restaurant. The offering is a school run by parents and the community where parents choose what students learn and how teachers teach. The former Mountain View School shut its doors amidst protest about having to pay taxes to Rutland since its inception.
One of Ticonderoga's foremost restaurants, The Carillon, is closing because of tough economic times. The seafood, pasta and steak restaurant has been a mainstay on Hague Road since 1988. But Owner/Chef Russ Slater said declining business would force him to close his doors at the end of October. Slater said he enjoyed running the restaurant, but business fell off during the economic downturn of the last couple years.
Sanford W. Morhouse of Ticonderoga has been named vice president and president-elect of the Fort Ticonderoga Association. Morhouse will succeed current Fort Ticonderoga Association President Peter S. Paine, Jr. of Willsboro when his term expires. Born in Keene Valley and raised in Ticonderoga, he graduated from Ticonderoga High School in 1962. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Williams College and a law degree from Columbia University School of Law.
Westport Librarian Stephen Smith has submitted his resignation. He has been librarian for the past four years. Citing a desire for change, Smith told the Library Board of Directors that he had given his all and now sought new opportunities to nurture his creative energy. The Westport Library Board has begun its search for a new librarian.
Police in Vermont say a man and woman were shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide inside the man's apartment in Newport. Newport police say 39-year-old Mellissa Tinker died from a gunshot wound and 72-year-old Thomas Ballou apparently shot himself Saturday night. Police say they were called to the scene at about 9:30 p.m. following a report of possible domestic violence. The Vermont State Police tactical support unit forced its way in and found the two bodies.
A flood cleanup effort in the hard-hit Rochester area drew an estimated 150 volunteers. Gov. Peter Shumlin had requested volunteers from around the state to pitch in Saturday, hoping for one last push before winter weather sets in. Rochester volunteer coordinator Cynthia Ryan said about 150 volunteers turned out. Forty homes in Rochester sustained damage from Irene, 8 of which are not going to be rebuilt.
A new national ranking says Vermont is tops in the country for its electric energy efficiency programs. But it lags on transportation, bringing its overall ranking down to fifth place. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's annual rankings put Massachusetts in first place overall for its efficiency programs. The Bay State surpassed California, which had taken the top spot the first four years the rankings were done. Vermont got a score of 19 out of a possible 20 for the programs run by Efficiency Vermont and the Burlington Electric Department, as well as Vermont Gas Systems that try to get residents and businesses to do more with less energy.
Vermont lawmakers are due to get an update on the state's building priorities, which many have seen as having changed following Tropical Storm Irene. The House and Senate Institutions committees are meeting at the Statehouse today to get a review on where state building projects stood before the August 28th storm, and then status reports on the Vermont State Hospital and state office complex in Waterbury.
An explosion created a scare at Landmark College yesterday. Police say someone detonated an explosive device near a dorm on the Putney campus. No one was injured, but the blast was heard across campus. Police spent three hours collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The bomb-like device contained two substances that produced a gas that reacted and exploded inside a plastic container. No arrests have been made.
Essex police hope DNA samples may lead to new clues in the search for a missing couple. Bill and Lorraine Currier vanished more than four months ago. Police tell the Burlington Free Press that about a dozen people have since provided DNA samples as part of the investigation. Police are not saying whether any of those individuals are considered suspects or people of interest.
State Police have agreed to change the agency's policy on the use of stun guns. The Burlington Free Press says under the new policy, police will give special consideration to how Tasers are used on people with disabilities. They'll also use the devices only if a person is armed and presents a risk of harm or if there aren't any other reasonable alternatives to maintain safety or take a person into custody.
Bennington area teachers and school board members agreed to take a break over the weekend after meeting face-to-face for the first time since teachers hit the picket lines. The teachers strike is entering it's second week but negotiators for both sides say a framework for discussions has been established and talks are expected to continue today.
Vermont officials are disputing a federally sponsored study that shows fatal accidents involving big trucks tripled when weight limits were raised for interstate travel from 80,000 to 99,000 pounds. The tripling was from one death in 2009 to three in 2010. Vermont officials say the numbers are too small to be meaningful and that non-fatal injuries from crashes involving heavy trucks declined during a 1-year study.
University of Vermont interim president John Bramley is pledging that next year's tuition increase won't exceed 3.5%. His pledge comes six months before trustees customarily approve the tuition rate and budget for the following school year. UVM’s tuition went up 5.8% this school year, 4% last year and 6% in each of the three previous years.
The state Health Department has won a federal award of more than $308,000 in recognition of Vermont's high breastfeeding rates. The award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants and Children nutrition program recognized Vermont because among its WIC recipients, there was a breastfeeding rate of 27%. That compares to a national average of 16%.
Vermont transportation officials say planned repairs to a rail corridor in Massachusetts will be a boon to the Green Mountain State, because they will make trips on Amtrak's Vermonter passenger trains faster. The Vermonter currently jogs east and then back west as it crosses Massachusetts on the way between St. Albans and Washington, D.C., meaning the trip takes 30 minutes longer than it should. Work is expected to be completed in 2013 on a more direct route through western Massachusetts, which will make the trip quicker.
Users of Facebook in New York can now get information about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods Facebook users can access information about medium- and high-risk sex offenders with just a few clicks — and without leaving the social-networking site. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has launched its Sex Offender Locator Application, which is accessible via the New York State Public Safety Facebook page.
U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have introduced legislation that would make intentionally mislabeling food products as "maple syrup" a federal crime. Currently, this form of food fraud is only a misdemeanor. The legislation would make these crimes a felony, increasing sentences that prosecutors can seek for people who defraud consumers and farmers by intentionally mislabeling maple syrup.
This Friday the popular Hugo Wolf Quartett will soothe string lovers at Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts Concert Hall at 8PM. Having developed from an ensemble known only to chamber-music-lovers to one of the most sought-after string quartets of its generation, the Hugo Wolf Quartett left the campus audience on the edge of their seats when last in Middlebury. This free Performing Arts Series concert is made possible with generous support from the Institute for Clinical Science. Just click HERE for details.
Organizers of Rutland’s 52nd annual Halloween Parade will select their Pumpkin Princess during a televised pageant tonight. PEG-TV local cable channel 15 will air the live selection show at 7PM. The hour-long program will feature seniors from area high schools answering interview questions. The winner will lead this year’s Halloween Parade, set for Saturday at 6:30PM from Strongs Avenue to Wales and West streets to Merchants Row.
92.1 WVTK-FM has gone to the dogs – literally. Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop now HERE!
Otelco Inc., parent company to OTT Communications, and a wire-line telecommunication services provider in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire and West Virginia, announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Shoreham Telephone Company, Inc. for approximately $4.5 million in cash, plus certain purchase price adjustments. Shoreham Telephone has provided telecommunications solutions to residential and business customers for nearly a century.
On Sunday afternoon Vermont State Police responded to a report of a downed aircraft near Brown Road and Lewis Road in Shoreham. Middlebury Rescue and Shoreham Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene. The operator of the Ultralight Airplane, Donald S. Arnold of Shoreham, was taken to Porter Hospital with minor injuries. He told police he was up in the air for approximately 6-7 minutes before he lost control of the aircraft in a field near his home. Don Arnold is an experienced pilot.
A former private school plans to use money from a city settlement to make its comeback. A representative of the Mountain View Community School said that Rutland’s recent payback of tax money to the school is allowing it to open its doors again, possibly in a different location than its former home on Church Street. An organizational meeting is being held Thursday at 7PM at the South Station Restaurant. The offering is a school run by parents and the community where parents choose what students learn and how teachers teach. The former Mountain View School shut its doors amidst protest about having to pay taxes to Rutland since its inception.
One of Ticonderoga's foremost restaurants, The Carillon, is closing because of tough economic times. The seafood, pasta and steak restaurant has been a mainstay on Hague Road since 1988. But Owner/Chef Russ Slater said declining business would force him to close his doors at the end of October. Slater said he enjoyed running the restaurant, but business fell off during the economic downturn of the last couple years.
Sanford W. Morhouse of Ticonderoga has been named vice president and president-elect of the Fort Ticonderoga Association. Morhouse will succeed current Fort Ticonderoga Association President Peter S. Paine, Jr. of Willsboro when his term expires. Born in Keene Valley and raised in Ticonderoga, he graduated from Ticonderoga High School in 1962. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Williams College and a law degree from Columbia University School of Law.
Westport Librarian Stephen Smith has submitted his resignation. He has been librarian for the past four years. Citing a desire for change, Smith told the Library Board of Directors that he had given his all and now sought new opportunities to nurture his creative energy. The Westport Library Board has begun its search for a new librarian.
Police in Vermont say a man and woman were shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide inside the man's apartment in Newport. Newport police say 39-year-old Mellissa Tinker died from a gunshot wound and 72-year-old Thomas Ballou apparently shot himself Saturday night. Police say they were called to the scene at about 9:30 p.m. following a report of possible domestic violence. The Vermont State Police tactical support unit forced its way in and found the two bodies.
A flood cleanup effort in the hard-hit Rochester area drew an estimated 150 volunteers. Gov. Peter Shumlin had requested volunteers from around the state to pitch in Saturday, hoping for one last push before winter weather sets in. Rochester volunteer coordinator Cynthia Ryan said about 150 volunteers turned out. Forty homes in Rochester sustained damage from Irene, 8 of which are not going to be rebuilt.
A new national ranking says Vermont is tops in the country for its electric energy efficiency programs. But it lags on transportation, bringing its overall ranking down to fifth place. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's annual rankings put Massachusetts in first place overall for its efficiency programs. The Bay State surpassed California, which had taken the top spot the first four years the rankings were done. Vermont got a score of 19 out of a possible 20 for the programs run by Efficiency Vermont and the Burlington Electric Department, as well as Vermont Gas Systems that try to get residents and businesses to do more with less energy.
Vermont lawmakers are due to get an update on the state's building priorities, which many have seen as having changed following Tropical Storm Irene. The House and Senate Institutions committees are meeting at the Statehouse today to get a review on where state building projects stood before the August 28th storm, and then status reports on the Vermont State Hospital and state office complex in Waterbury.
An explosion created a scare at Landmark College yesterday. Police say someone detonated an explosive device near a dorm on the Putney campus. No one was injured, but the blast was heard across campus. Police spent three hours collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The bomb-like device contained two substances that produced a gas that reacted and exploded inside a plastic container. No arrests have been made.
Essex police hope DNA samples may lead to new clues in the search for a missing couple. Bill and Lorraine Currier vanished more than four months ago. Police tell the Burlington Free Press that about a dozen people have since provided DNA samples as part of the investigation. Police are not saying whether any of those individuals are considered suspects or people of interest.
State Police have agreed to change the agency's policy on the use of stun guns. The Burlington Free Press says under the new policy, police will give special consideration to how Tasers are used on people with disabilities. They'll also use the devices only if a person is armed and presents a risk of harm or if there aren't any other reasonable alternatives to maintain safety or take a person into custody.
Bennington area teachers and school board members agreed to take a break over the weekend after meeting face-to-face for the first time since teachers hit the picket lines. The teachers strike is entering it's second week but negotiators for both sides say a framework for discussions has been established and talks are expected to continue today.
Vermont officials are disputing a federally sponsored study that shows fatal accidents involving big trucks tripled when weight limits were raised for interstate travel from 80,000 to 99,000 pounds. The tripling was from one death in 2009 to three in 2010. Vermont officials say the numbers are too small to be meaningful and that non-fatal injuries from crashes involving heavy trucks declined during a 1-year study.
University of Vermont interim president John Bramley is pledging that next year's tuition increase won't exceed 3.5%. His pledge comes six months before trustees customarily approve the tuition rate and budget for the following school year. UVM’s tuition went up 5.8% this school year, 4% last year and 6% in each of the three previous years.
The state Health Department has won a federal award of more than $308,000 in recognition of Vermont's high breastfeeding rates. The award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants and Children nutrition program recognized Vermont because among its WIC recipients, there was a breastfeeding rate of 27%. That compares to a national average of 16%.
Vermont transportation officials say planned repairs to a rail corridor in Massachusetts will be a boon to the Green Mountain State, because they will make trips on Amtrak's Vermonter passenger trains faster. The Vermonter currently jogs east and then back west as it crosses Massachusetts on the way between St. Albans and Washington, D.C., meaning the trip takes 30 minutes longer than it should. Work is expected to be completed in 2013 on a more direct route through western Massachusetts, which will make the trip quicker.
Users of Facebook in New York can now get information about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods Facebook users can access information about medium- and high-risk sex offenders with just a few clicks — and without leaving the social-networking site. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has launched its Sex Offender Locator Application, which is accessible via the New York State Public Safety Facebook page.
U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have introduced legislation that would make intentionally mislabeling food products as "maple syrup" a federal crime. Currently, this form of food fraud is only a misdemeanor. The legislation would make these crimes a felony, increasing sentences that prosecutors can seek for people who defraud consumers and farmers by intentionally mislabeling maple syrup.
This Friday the popular Hugo Wolf Quartett will soothe string lovers at Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts Concert Hall at 8PM. Having developed from an ensemble known only to chamber-music-lovers to one of the most sought-after string quartets of its generation, the Hugo Wolf Quartett left the campus audience on the edge of their seats when last in Middlebury. This free Performing Arts Series concert is made possible with generous support from the Institute for Clinical Science. Just click HERE for details.
Organizers of Rutland’s 52nd annual Halloween Parade will select their Pumpkin Princess during a televised pageant tonight. PEG-TV local cable channel 15 will air the live selection show at 7PM. The hour-long program will feature seniors from area high schools answering interview questions. The winner will lead this year’s Halloween Parade, set for Saturday at 6:30PM from Strongs Avenue to Wales and West streets to Merchants Row.
Friday, October 21, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 21, 2011
An Orwell family is looking for their lost dog, named Emma. She’s a Brown – Black Rottweiler Lab Mix weighing about 45 pounds, wearing a brown leather collar and has been missing since Tuesday. She was lost in the vicinity of Chipman Point Road in Orwell. If you see her or have any information please contact Gina at 802-989-5444. The family is really heart broken and anything you can do to help is most appreciated.
Next spring, Green Mountain Power is planning to install smart electric meters on the sides of all Vergennes homes and businesses. By the end of next year, GMP and Central Vermont Public Service will have installed the new devices at all participating homes and facilities across Addison County. Smart meters record a customer’s electricity use every 15 minutes and send that information to a wireless data collector nearby, which then transmits that to the utility. The U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 awarded a combined $69 million in grants to most Vermont utilities to install smart meters on 85 percent of Vermont residences and businesses.
The Bristol select-board approved two new fiscal policies this week. One was an amended purchasing policy and a set of conditions for town credit card use. The credit card policy was approved on the heels of recent select-board debate surrounding the issuance of town credit cards to department heads. That discussion began because of a People’s United Bank policy, which only issues credit cards to specific individuals. The bank is unwilling to issue just one town credit card.
It was at this time last year that the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project was completed in downtown Middlebury with hopes that it would clear Main Street traffic jams and provide a vital, second crossing of the Otter Creek as an insurance policy for emergency vehicles. So far, those hopes seem to be fulfilled as early supporters and detractors alike are touting the project as an aesthetic and functional asset to the community. It also appears that the local option taxes have not discouraged people from doing business in Middlebury.
The Bristol Planning Commission completed its draft of the town plan and has sent it to the select-board for its review and two further public hearings. After hours of deliberation on public comments and concerns submitted via letter and voiced at the September 22nd public hearing, the planners made many revisions to the draft. They unanimously agreed, however, that there were “no substantial changes to the town plan,” which means the document is ready for the select-board.
Members representing the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership launched the Revitalizing Vermont’s Rural Economy campaign this week in Bridport. The campaign is focused on achieving the five goals outlined in the Partnership’s Action Plan, Investing in Our Farm and Forest Future. Paul Costello, executive director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, noted that the Action Plan represents a jobs strategy that builds from Vermont’s brand identity and our fundamental values. He noted, “All Vermonters benefit from the working landscape, and we should all contribute to keeping it strong.
Police say they have linked a Fair Haven man to more than a dozen burglaries and thefts and could bring charges against him for many more. Evidence seized during a search of Jesse R. West’s River Street home last month linked him to burglaries and thefts in Rutland, Fair Haven, Castleton, Whitehall, NY, and Lake George, NY, where police say a large carved wooden bear found in West’s apartment was reported stolen.
The town wide efforts to raise money for Tropical Storm Irene victims by the town of Pittsford has surpassed $45,000 and more is still coming in. The town began fundraising at the beginning of October to help surrounding communities that were heavily affected by the August 28th storm. The initial goal was to raise around $25,000. The town's fire department will also be donating a portion of the proceeds of this year's Haunted House starting this weekend and continues next weekend.
The proposed 2012 Moriah town budget falls within the new state 2 percent tax cap. The town’s preliminary budget totals $4,094,489. That’s an increase of 3.9 percent. The preliminary 2012 tax levy totals $1,978,306. That’s an increase of 1.47 percent. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held Thursday, November 10th at 5:45PM at the town courthouse.
Users of Moriah Town Water District 3 are going to get a big price hike next year because their water comes from the Village of Port Henry. The town buys the water from Port Henry and passes the cost on to residents of the south-end district. The Village of Port Henry water rates will rise 39 percent, from $3.89 per 1,000 gallons to $5.40. Village officials say the increase is necessary because their water system is losing money. The new rate will take effect May 1, 2012. A public hearing on the rate increase for Water District 3 is set for 5:40PM on Thursday, November 10th in the new Moriah Town Courthouse on Park Place.
The Ticonderoga Police Department, after several years of discussion, may be moving to a new home downtown. The Ti town board has directed its attorney to begin negotiations to lease the former Rite Aid building on Montcalm Street as a new police headquarters. The board’s action followed a presentation October 13th by a committee that has been investigating the current police building and options. Ticonderoga officials have long discussed moving the police downtown.
Striking teachers have rejected the latest offer from the school boards in southwest Vermont, in the third round of negotiations in three days. The two sides failed to reach agreements in two prior meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting teachers to go on strike Wednesday morning. The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the union representing teachers started meeting again Thursday morning but the union said in the afternoon that the negotiators rejected the board's latest offer, calling it insulting.
FEMA is making changes to its flood plain maps and they could be costly for Vermont homeowners. For example The Tree Top Complex in South Burlington made it through spring flooding and Irene without water damage. Now changes from FEMA mean it's in a flood plain and mortgage companies are starting to tell customers they need to pay up for flood insurance.
The Vermont Labor Board continues to consider an unfair labor practice charge that stems from a teacher's contract dispute in South Burlington. The incident centers on an email from Vermont NEA director Joel Cook to the chair of the South Burlington school board, Richard Cassidy. The School District filed an unfair labor practice complaint in May, saying Cook had threatened Cassidy. The Union maintains there was no intimidation. The hearing will begin again on November 21.
New York is seeking a $100 million grant to make students better prepared for kindergarten. Governor Andrew Cuomo says 44 percent of New York's third graders don't meet state reading standards, giving students a bad start to their academic careers. Officials say the grant would help the state Board of Regents to improve the readiness of students from pre-kindergarten through elementary school. The funding would be partly used for a new assessment process that would evaluate if a student is ready to advance to the next grade.
The head of the Vermont Bankers Association says local lenders are trying to work with borrowers whose property was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The flooding damaged or destroyed some 700 homes. In some cases, homeowners are faced with paying a mortgage on property that no longer exists. The president of the Vermont Bankers Association says most banks are being flexible with borrowers affected by Irene.
Five companies that charged Vermont consumers and businesses for services on their telephone bills without permission have agreed to refunds. The Vermont Attorney General's office said today that the five firms billed more than 3,600 consumers and businesses more than $280,000, all of which must be refunded. In addition, each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs.
Local health officials are worried about the increase in child obesity. To help combat it, they're asking the owner of a number of McDonald's in New England to change its marketing. At a press conference Thursday in Burlington, a few of the health professionals spoke about the dangers of using characters like Ronald McDonald. They say diabetes is on the rise from eating too much McDonald's-style junk food. The group wants to bring attention to healthier eating and curbing fast food marketing towards children.
1 of Ben & Jerry's newest ice cream flavors is getting a cold shoulder from some supermarket chains. The new Schweddy Balls limited-edition flavor featuring fudge-covered rum balls has brought chuckles from fans of the "Saturday Night Live" skit on which it's based. But some supermarket chains aren't laughing or sticking the item on their shelves since it was introduced last month. The chains aren't saying whether it's a response to complaints from the One Million Moms group. A spokesman for Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's says Schweddy Balls is stocked in about 30% of stores where its products are sold, and is its most popular limited-edition flavor so far.
There will be a benefit for the Hancock Hotel and the Vermont Home Bakery, which have been a community center for not only Hancock, Ripton, Rochester, Granville and Warren, but also a stop along the way on Routes 100 and 125. The purpose of the benefit is to assist with short-term expenses related to not having a working well and boiler and thus no income since Hurricane Irene. The hotel plans to fix the problems and reopen, but needs the help of surrounding communities. There will be a benefit concert and potluck at noon Saturday.
The City of Vergennes and the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring two family-friendly events. The 4th Annual Haunted Warehouse, previously known as Haunted Forest, will be held tomorrow at the former Kennedy Brothers Marketplace. The 5th Annual Pumpkins in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 29th in City Park. The Haunted Warehouse is designed for older children, although kids under 10 will be admitted with parents’ permission, and Pumpkins in the Park is an event for all ages. For more information on either event, call 802-388-7951 x1 or email marguerite@addisoncounty.com.
Next spring, Green Mountain Power is planning to install smart electric meters on the sides of all Vergennes homes and businesses. By the end of next year, GMP and Central Vermont Public Service will have installed the new devices at all participating homes and facilities across Addison County. Smart meters record a customer’s electricity use every 15 minutes and send that information to a wireless data collector nearby, which then transmits that to the utility. The U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 awarded a combined $69 million in grants to most Vermont utilities to install smart meters on 85 percent of Vermont residences and businesses.
The Bristol select-board approved two new fiscal policies this week. One was an amended purchasing policy and a set of conditions for town credit card use. The credit card policy was approved on the heels of recent select-board debate surrounding the issuance of town credit cards to department heads. That discussion began because of a People’s United Bank policy, which only issues credit cards to specific individuals. The bank is unwilling to issue just one town credit card.
It was at this time last year that the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project was completed in downtown Middlebury with hopes that it would clear Main Street traffic jams and provide a vital, second crossing of the Otter Creek as an insurance policy for emergency vehicles. So far, those hopes seem to be fulfilled as early supporters and detractors alike are touting the project as an aesthetic and functional asset to the community. It also appears that the local option taxes have not discouraged people from doing business in Middlebury.
The Bristol Planning Commission completed its draft of the town plan and has sent it to the select-board for its review and two further public hearings. After hours of deliberation on public comments and concerns submitted via letter and voiced at the September 22nd public hearing, the planners made many revisions to the draft. They unanimously agreed, however, that there were “no substantial changes to the town plan,” which means the document is ready for the select-board.
Members representing the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership launched the Revitalizing Vermont’s Rural Economy campaign this week in Bridport. The campaign is focused on achieving the five goals outlined in the Partnership’s Action Plan, Investing in Our Farm and Forest Future. Paul Costello, executive director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, noted that the Action Plan represents a jobs strategy that builds from Vermont’s brand identity and our fundamental values. He noted, “All Vermonters benefit from the working landscape, and we should all contribute to keeping it strong.
Police say they have linked a Fair Haven man to more than a dozen burglaries and thefts and could bring charges against him for many more. Evidence seized during a search of Jesse R. West’s River Street home last month linked him to burglaries and thefts in Rutland, Fair Haven, Castleton, Whitehall, NY, and Lake George, NY, where police say a large carved wooden bear found in West’s apartment was reported stolen.
The town wide efforts to raise money for Tropical Storm Irene victims by the town of Pittsford has surpassed $45,000 and more is still coming in. The town began fundraising at the beginning of October to help surrounding communities that were heavily affected by the August 28th storm. The initial goal was to raise around $25,000. The town's fire department will also be donating a portion of the proceeds of this year's Haunted House starting this weekend and continues next weekend.
The proposed 2012 Moriah town budget falls within the new state 2 percent tax cap. The town’s preliminary budget totals $4,094,489. That’s an increase of 3.9 percent. The preliminary 2012 tax levy totals $1,978,306. That’s an increase of 1.47 percent. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held Thursday, November 10th at 5:45PM at the town courthouse.
Users of Moriah Town Water District 3 are going to get a big price hike next year because their water comes from the Village of Port Henry. The town buys the water from Port Henry and passes the cost on to residents of the south-end district. The Village of Port Henry water rates will rise 39 percent, from $3.89 per 1,000 gallons to $5.40. Village officials say the increase is necessary because their water system is losing money. The new rate will take effect May 1, 2012. A public hearing on the rate increase for Water District 3 is set for 5:40PM on Thursday, November 10th in the new Moriah Town Courthouse on Park Place.
The Ticonderoga Police Department, after several years of discussion, may be moving to a new home downtown. The Ti town board has directed its attorney to begin negotiations to lease the former Rite Aid building on Montcalm Street as a new police headquarters. The board’s action followed a presentation October 13th by a committee that has been investigating the current police building and options. Ticonderoga officials have long discussed moving the police downtown.
Striking teachers have rejected the latest offer from the school boards in southwest Vermont, in the third round of negotiations in three days. The two sides failed to reach agreements in two prior meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting teachers to go on strike Wednesday morning. The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the union representing teachers started meeting again Thursday morning but the union said in the afternoon that the negotiators rejected the board's latest offer, calling it insulting.
FEMA is making changes to its flood plain maps and they could be costly for Vermont homeowners. For example The Tree Top Complex in South Burlington made it through spring flooding and Irene without water damage. Now changes from FEMA mean it's in a flood plain and mortgage companies are starting to tell customers they need to pay up for flood insurance.
The Vermont Labor Board continues to consider an unfair labor practice charge that stems from a teacher's contract dispute in South Burlington. The incident centers on an email from Vermont NEA director Joel Cook to the chair of the South Burlington school board, Richard Cassidy. The School District filed an unfair labor practice complaint in May, saying Cook had threatened Cassidy. The Union maintains there was no intimidation. The hearing will begin again on November 21.
New York is seeking a $100 million grant to make students better prepared for kindergarten. Governor Andrew Cuomo says 44 percent of New York's third graders don't meet state reading standards, giving students a bad start to their academic careers. Officials say the grant would help the state Board of Regents to improve the readiness of students from pre-kindergarten through elementary school. The funding would be partly used for a new assessment process that would evaluate if a student is ready to advance to the next grade.
The head of the Vermont Bankers Association says local lenders are trying to work with borrowers whose property was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The flooding damaged or destroyed some 700 homes. In some cases, homeowners are faced with paying a mortgage on property that no longer exists. The president of the Vermont Bankers Association says most banks are being flexible with borrowers affected by Irene.
Five companies that charged Vermont consumers and businesses for services on their telephone bills without permission have agreed to refunds. The Vermont Attorney General's office said today that the five firms billed more than 3,600 consumers and businesses more than $280,000, all of which must be refunded. In addition, each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs.
Local health officials are worried about the increase in child obesity. To help combat it, they're asking the owner of a number of McDonald's in New England to change its marketing. At a press conference Thursday in Burlington, a few of the health professionals spoke about the dangers of using characters like Ronald McDonald. They say diabetes is on the rise from eating too much McDonald's-style junk food. The group wants to bring attention to healthier eating and curbing fast food marketing towards children.
1 of Ben & Jerry's newest ice cream flavors is getting a cold shoulder from some supermarket chains. The new Schweddy Balls limited-edition flavor featuring fudge-covered rum balls has brought chuckles from fans of the "Saturday Night Live" skit on which it's based. But some supermarket chains aren't laughing or sticking the item on their shelves since it was introduced last month. The chains aren't saying whether it's a response to complaints from the One Million Moms group. A spokesman for Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's says Schweddy Balls is stocked in about 30% of stores where its products are sold, and is its most popular limited-edition flavor so far.
There will be a benefit for the Hancock Hotel and the Vermont Home Bakery, which have been a community center for not only Hancock, Ripton, Rochester, Granville and Warren, but also a stop along the way on Routes 100 and 125. The purpose of the benefit is to assist with short-term expenses related to not having a working well and boiler and thus no income since Hurricane Irene. The hotel plans to fix the problems and reopen, but needs the help of surrounding communities. There will be a benefit concert and potluck at noon Saturday.
The City of Vergennes and the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring two family-friendly events. The 4th Annual Haunted Warehouse, previously known as Haunted Forest, will be held tomorrow at the former Kennedy Brothers Marketplace. The 5th Annual Pumpkins in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 29th in City Park. The Haunted Warehouse is designed for older children, although kids under 10 will be admitted with parents’ permission, and Pumpkins in the Park is an event for all ages. For more information on either event, call 802-388-7951 x1 or email marguerite@addisoncounty.com.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
WVTK Local & State News October 20, 2011 (Afternoon Update)
A local family is looking for their LOST DOG named EMMA:
• BROWN / BLACK ROTTWEILER, LAB MIX
• ABOUT 45 LBS, WEARING A BROWN LEATHER COLLAR
• LOST ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH IN ORWELL ON CHIPMAN POINT ROAD.
IF YOU SEE HER, OR HAVE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL GINA 802-989-5444, THE FAMILY IS HEART BROKEN
The FDA announced a recall of more than 3,000 cases of various salad blends produced by Taylor Farms. They may be contaminated with salmonella. The products were sold in super markets across the United States. The recall involves about a dozen different types of salad blends, salad kits and bagged greens. If you bought any Taylor Farms product, you are urged to throw it away. So far, no illnesses have been reported in connection to the products.
The town wide efforts to raise money for Tropical Storm Irene victims by the town of Pittsford has surpassed $45,000 and more is still coming in. The town began fundraising at the beginning of October to help surrounding communities that were heavily affected by the August 28th storm. The initial goal was to raise around $25,000. The town's fire department will also be donating a portion of the proceeds of this year's Haunted House starting this weekend and continues next weekend.
It was at this time last year that the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project was completed in downtown Middlebury with hopes that it would clear Main Street traffic jams and provide a vital, second crossing of the Otter Creek as an insurance policy for emergency vehicles. So far, those hopes seem to be fulfilled as early supporters and detractors alike are touting the project as an aesthetic and functional asset to the community. It also appears that the local option taxes have not discouraged people from doing business in Middlebury.
The Bristol Planning Commission completed its draft of the town plan and has sent it to the select-board for its review and two further public hearings. After hours of deliberation on public comments and concerns submitted via letter and voiced at the September 22nd public hearing, the planners made many revisions to the draft. They unanimously agreed, however, that there were “no substantial changes to the town plan,” which means the document is ready for the select-board.
Users of Moriah Town Water District 3 are going to get a big price hike next year because their water comes from the Village of Port Henry. The town buys the water from Port Henry and passes the cost on to residents of the south-end district. The Village of Port Henry water rates will rise 39 percent, from $3.89 per 1,000 gallons to $5.40. Village officials say the increase is necessary because their water system is losing money. The new rate will take effect May 1, 2012. A public hearing on the rate increase for Water District 3 is set for 5:40PM on Thursday, November 10th in the new Moriah Town Courthouse on Park Place.
A 19-year-old woman was stabbed several times by her boyfriend in a home on Lincoln Avenue in St. Albans this morning. Police say Steven Fairbanks, 26, of St. Albans, attacked Avonlea Perretta, also of St. Albans, around 8AM. She was able to escape and ran to a neighbor for help. Police had to bust into the house in order to arrest Fairbanks. She is receiving treatment at Fletcher Allen Hospital. Fairbanks was sent to Northwest Medical Center for self-inflicted stab wounds.
Talks between striking teachers and the school boards in southwestern Vermont have resumed on the second day of the strike. The two sides failed to reach agreements in two prior meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting teachers to walk the picket line. The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the union representing teachers started meeting again this morning. Stephanie Peters, president of the Southwestern Vermont Education Association, says they are making progress.
Five companies that charged Vermont consumers and businesses for services on their telephone bills without permission have agreed to refunds. The Vermont Attorney General's office said today that the five firms billed more than 3,600 consumers and businesses more than $280,000, all of which must be refunded. In addition, each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs.
Gov. Peter Shumlin says Vermont has no plans to send mental health patients back to the former state hospital in Waterbury. Today Shumlin outlined a four-part plan to replace the state hospital. He said the state is close to nailing down a permanent agreement with the Brattleboro Retreat to house 15 of them. He said the state would create two additional "step-down" facilities for patients who don't need the most acute care. The state also will rely on more community-based placements for some patients and will continue to search for an additional facility for 15 additional acute care beds.
Organizers estimate enough money has been raised to remove the remaining mobile homes destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene at no cost to the owners. The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity mobile home project estimates that between 100 and 130 trailers still need to be removed from mobile home parks. The offices of the secretary of commerce and lieutenant governor and the Vermont Community Foundation have been successful reaching out to private donors to try to bring that cost down.
A New Hampshire auto dealer will pay an $8,500 penalty to the state of Vermont for misleading ads saying consumers could buy cars at employee or dealer prices. The Vermont Attorney General's office says Subaru of Keene ran radio and newspaper ads in 2010 offering Vermont consumers offering the cars at the special prices. However, the office found there was no such pricing and that employees and consumers negotiated the sale price for their car with no special reductions. The dealer also did not disclose the dealer rebate received on car sales. Attorney General William Sorrell says Subaru of Keene has cooperated fully with the investigation.
There will be a benefit for the Hancock Hotel and the Vermont Home Bakery, which have been a community center for not only Hancock, Ripton, Rochester, Granville and Warren, but also a stop along the way on Routes 100 and 125. The purpose of the benefit is to assist with short-term expenses related to not having a working well and boiler and thus no income since Hurricane Irene. The hotel plans to fix the problems and reopen, but needs the help of surrounding communities. There will be a benefit concert and potluck at noon Saturday.
• BROWN / BLACK ROTTWEILER, LAB MIX
• ABOUT 45 LBS, WEARING A BROWN LEATHER COLLAR
• LOST ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH IN ORWELL ON CHIPMAN POINT ROAD.
IF YOU SEE HER, OR HAVE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL GINA 802-989-5444, THE FAMILY IS HEART BROKEN
The FDA announced a recall of more than 3,000 cases of various salad blends produced by Taylor Farms. They may be contaminated with salmonella. The products were sold in super markets across the United States. The recall involves about a dozen different types of salad blends, salad kits and bagged greens. If you bought any Taylor Farms product, you are urged to throw it away. So far, no illnesses have been reported in connection to the products.
The town wide efforts to raise money for Tropical Storm Irene victims by the town of Pittsford has surpassed $45,000 and more is still coming in. The town began fundraising at the beginning of October to help surrounding communities that were heavily affected by the August 28th storm. The initial goal was to raise around $25,000. The town's fire department will also be donating a portion of the proceeds of this year's Haunted House starting this weekend and continues next weekend.
It was at this time last year that the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project was completed in downtown Middlebury with hopes that it would clear Main Street traffic jams and provide a vital, second crossing of the Otter Creek as an insurance policy for emergency vehicles. So far, those hopes seem to be fulfilled as early supporters and detractors alike are touting the project as an aesthetic and functional asset to the community. It also appears that the local option taxes have not discouraged people from doing business in Middlebury.
The Bristol Planning Commission completed its draft of the town plan and has sent it to the select-board for its review and two further public hearings. After hours of deliberation on public comments and concerns submitted via letter and voiced at the September 22nd public hearing, the planners made many revisions to the draft. They unanimously agreed, however, that there were “no substantial changes to the town plan,” which means the document is ready for the select-board.
Users of Moriah Town Water District 3 are going to get a big price hike next year because their water comes from the Village of Port Henry. The town buys the water from Port Henry and passes the cost on to residents of the south-end district. The Village of Port Henry water rates will rise 39 percent, from $3.89 per 1,000 gallons to $5.40. Village officials say the increase is necessary because their water system is losing money. The new rate will take effect May 1, 2012. A public hearing on the rate increase for Water District 3 is set for 5:40PM on Thursday, November 10th in the new Moriah Town Courthouse on Park Place.
A 19-year-old woman was stabbed several times by her boyfriend in a home on Lincoln Avenue in St. Albans this morning. Police say Steven Fairbanks, 26, of St. Albans, attacked Avonlea Perretta, also of St. Albans, around 8AM. She was able to escape and ran to a neighbor for help. Police had to bust into the house in order to arrest Fairbanks. She is receiving treatment at Fletcher Allen Hospital. Fairbanks was sent to Northwest Medical Center for self-inflicted stab wounds.
Talks between striking teachers and the school boards in southwestern Vermont have resumed on the second day of the strike. The two sides failed to reach agreements in two prior meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting teachers to walk the picket line. The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the union representing teachers started meeting again this morning. Stephanie Peters, president of the Southwestern Vermont Education Association, says they are making progress.
Five companies that charged Vermont consumers and businesses for services on their telephone bills without permission have agreed to refunds. The Vermont Attorney General's office said today that the five firms billed more than 3,600 consumers and businesses more than $280,000, all of which must be refunded. In addition, each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs.
Gov. Peter Shumlin says Vermont has no plans to send mental health patients back to the former state hospital in Waterbury. Today Shumlin outlined a four-part plan to replace the state hospital. He said the state is close to nailing down a permanent agreement with the Brattleboro Retreat to house 15 of them. He said the state would create two additional "step-down" facilities for patients who don't need the most acute care. The state also will rely on more community-based placements for some patients and will continue to search for an additional facility for 15 additional acute care beds.
Organizers estimate enough money has been raised to remove the remaining mobile homes destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene at no cost to the owners. The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity mobile home project estimates that between 100 and 130 trailers still need to be removed from mobile home parks. The offices of the secretary of commerce and lieutenant governor and the Vermont Community Foundation have been successful reaching out to private donors to try to bring that cost down.
A New Hampshire auto dealer will pay an $8,500 penalty to the state of Vermont for misleading ads saying consumers could buy cars at employee or dealer prices. The Vermont Attorney General's office says Subaru of Keene ran radio and newspaper ads in 2010 offering Vermont consumers offering the cars at the special prices. However, the office found there was no such pricing and that employees and consumers negotiated the sale price for their car with no special reductions. The dealer also did not disclose the dealer rebate received on car sales. Attorney General William Sorrell says Subaru of Keene has cooperated fully with the investigation.
There will be a benefit for the Hancock Hotel and the Vermont Home Bakery, which have been a community center for not only Hancock, Ripton, Rochester, Granville and Warren, but also a stop along the way on Routes 100 and 125. The purpose of the benefit is to assist with short-term expenses related to not having a working well and boiler and thus no income since Hurricane Irene. The hotel plans to fix the problems and reopen, but needs the help of surrounding communities. There will be a benefit concert and potluck at noon Saturday.
WVTK Local & State News October 20, 2011
Here in Middlebury Stewart Lane and North Pleasant Street paving is expected to take place today and tomorrow. Southbound Route 7 will be detoured onto Exchange Street, then Seymour Street to Main Street. Traffic Control will be posted at Exchange. Work is expected to begin around 7AM each day. Meanwhile Northbound North Pleasant Street will have lane shifting as the pavers complete areas at Stewart and Elm.
Vermont State Police say someone has stolen about 35 guardrail posts that are being used to repair storm damage caused by Irene. Police say the posts were at the construction site on Route 121 at the intersection for Leach Road in Rockingham. The metal guardrail posts are about 5 feet long. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 875-2112.
The proposed sale of a transitional housing development has put homelessness on Rutland’s agenda. The Board of Aldermen voted this week to release its mortgage on 82 Grove St., paving the way for the Rutland Parent-Child Center to buy the property from The Housing Foundation, Inc. The city acted as a pass-through for $179,000 in grant money when the building was renovated in 2004 to serve as transitional housing. Mayor Christopher Louras had asked that the board discuss the issue in committee before acting because he was worried on the effect it would have on services to homeless families.
The town of Benson may be getting an increase in law enforcement presence sometime this year as town officials consider contracting with the Fair Haven Police Department. Mostly, the town has had issues with people speeding throughout town as well as children and youths staying out to all hours in the night and being loud. In the past the town has contracted the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department and have relied on their town constables and the Vermont State Police, but it was not enough.
With a huge budget shortfall looming, Essex County is considering leasing the money-losing Horace Nye Nursing home to a private entity. The county Nursing Home in Elizabethtown could lose more than $3 million next year. The entire county budget has a shortfall of about $13 million for next year. The Board of Supervisors is looking for ways to save money, including getting out of the nursing-home business.
A Ticonderoga man has been charged with choking a woman, then taking a swing at Police Chief Mark Johns. Daniel M. Harrison was charged with the misdemeanors of unlawful imprisonment and criminal obstruction of breathing. Harrison was taken before Ticonderoga Town Justice James O'Bryan, and then sent to the Essex County Jail when he didn't pay $2,500 bail. Police said a competency evaluation of Harrison is pending.
The Hudson Headwaters Health Network is now part of the Healthcare Information Xchange of New York. The Xchange is a community-based, nonprofit regional health-information organization that covers a 17-county region from Albany through the North Country, including Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. Its members are able to securely share a patient's medical records.
New York Voters seeking to cast absentee ballots in this year's election are facing upcoming deadlines. Voters in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties seeking to obtain absentee ballots must send in their applications by November 1st. Voters can also come in to local election board offices and pick up an absentee ballot by November 7th, which is the day before Election Day.
Damage from a boiler explosion last spring and a subsequent legal fight have forced Ticonderoga to move its senior citizen program from the Armory. Six months after a blast destroyed one boiler and seriously damaged another, the Armory still has no heat. With cold weather approaching, town officials have moved their senior citizen center. The Ticonderoga Senior Center has relocated to the lower floor of the Community Building at 132 Montcalm St. The phone number remains the same. It is open 10AM to 3PM weekdays and is closed on holidays and whenever the Community Building is closed.
A former bank employee has admitted to stealing at least $165,000 to pay for personal expenses. Prosecutors say Brian Bouchard of Burlington, took the money while he was employed at Chittenden Bank/People's United Bank. The bank discovered the money was missing earlier this year. Prosecutors say Bouchard paid back the money before being contacted by federal officials. He could face up to 30 years in prison.
Teachers and school boards in a southwestern Vermont school district have resumed negotiations, hours after teachers started walking the picket lines. The two sides met Wednesday afternoon, after failed to reach an agreement after nearly 16 hours of negotiations that ended around 2AM. The issues separating the two sides include salaries and health care benefits.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is moving ahead with its expansion plans. The company will occupy the Gardner Supply building, and attach it to its currently existing building. The expansion means hundreds of new jobs in Essex alone, as well as more business. Green Mountain will also make changes to its Williston site, and is putting in new offices in South Burlington, in addition to renovations already completed in Waterbury.
Social Security recipients will see their monthly check getting a little fatter starting in January. The 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for some 55 million people will mean an additional $39 a month, or about $467 a year, on average. AARP says, "Every dollar makes a difference." Social Security recipients didn't get an increase in 2010 or 2011 because inflation was too low. They were the first two years without a raise since automatic increases were adopted in 1975. More than 124,000 Vermonters receive Social Security.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation have decided to cancel the annual firewood lottery for 2012, due to post-Irene safety concerns. The program allows residents each January to cut up to three cords of designated trees on state land for personal use firewood. The trees are marked as groups of hardwoods close to state forest highways to make cutting and hauling easier.
The state of Vermont is looking for ideas on what to do with its Waterbury office complex, which has been closed since it was flooded by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. The administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin has issued a request for information, seeking ideas from anyone interested in redeveloping the collection of 47 buildings totaling more than 700,000 square feet. The buildings are the former site of the Vermont State Hospital, which other state agencies moved into and renovated when the hospital shrunk to a fraction of its former size in the 1970s and '80s. Shumlin says selling the Waterbury complex is 1 of the options his administration is considering. Part of that consideration is what sorts of offers the state might get from potential buyers.
Vermont's moose hunting season ends today. Wildlife officials say hunters turned out in strong numbers for opening day last weekend. The state issued more than 400 permits for the season.
Work is just about finished on a big wind project in the Northeast Kingdom. The $90 million wind farm in Sheffield will provide power for about 14,000 homes. Power from 16 turbines will be sold to the Burlington Electric Department, the Vermont Electric Cooperative, and the Washington Electric Cooperative. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for next week.
The University of Vermont is trying to tackle a budget gap. According to the Burlington Free Press, the state's largest university will face a projected $36 million deficit in five years. Trustees at UVM will meet Friday and Saturday to discuss the problem. Possible solutions include eliminating several low enrollment academic programs. The board of trustees unanimously approved a 5.8 percent tuition hike this year, part of the 2012 budget that also includes nearly $3 million in spending cuts.
A new survey says hunters spend more than $189 million in Vermont annually. The survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau says about $151 million is spent on equipment, more than $20 million is trip-related and more than $17 million is spent on other items.
Ten states from Massachusetts to Maryland and the District of Columbia are forming a new regional electric vehicle network. The Northeast Electric Vehicle Network announced Wednesday would work to plan and install charging stations throughout the region as well as attracting investment in clean vehicle infrastructure. The network is being supported by a nearly $1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to New York's Energy Research and Development Authority. The 10 states are Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. President Obama has called for 1 million plug-in vehicles to be on the road nationwide by 2015, and the network hopes to account for 200,000 of those vehicles.
The Slate Valley Museum will host a unique Halloween adventure in one of Vermont's remaining ghost towns. The vanished community of West Castleton once served as a slate industry center. This Saturday officials from the Granville, NY museum will lead participants on a tour of the former West Castleton Slate Company. The event will include ghost stories and stories of some of the real horrors of the slate industry. Visitors will sit around a campfire at the site. The tour begins at 4:30PM at the Lake Bomoseen State Park. A recommended donation of $5 per person will go toward the museum’s Tropical Storm Irene recovery effort.
The state is seeking volunteers to help clean up from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Peter Shumlin has named this Saturday as Vermont Clean Up Day. Some victims of Irene are still facing daunting tasks and need the help, whether it's donating money or lost goods, or volunteering to help clean up flood-torn communities. Visit http://www.vtcleanup.org/ to lean how you can help!
Vermont State Police say someone has stolen about 35 guardrail posts that are being used to repair storm damage caused by Irene. Police say the posts were at the construction site on Route 121 at the intersection for Leach Road in Rockingham. The metal guardrail posts are about 5 feet long. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 875-2112.
The proposed sale of a transitional housing development has put homelessness on Rutland’s agenda. The Board of Aldermen voted this week to release its mortgage on 82 Grove St., paving the way for the Rutland Parent-Child Center to buy the property from The Housing Foundation, Inc. The city acted as a pass-through for $179,000 in grant money when the building was renovated in 2004 to serve as transitional housing. Mayor Christopher Louras had asked that the board discuss the issue in committee before acting because he was worried on the effect it would have on services to homeless families.
The town of Benson may be getting an increase in law enforcement presence sometime this year as town officials consider contracting with the Fair Haven Police Department. Mostly, the town has had issues with people speeding throughout town as well as children and youths staying out to all hours in the night and being loud. In the past the town has contracted the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department and have relied on their town constables and the Vermont State Police, but it was not enough.
With a huge budget shortfall looming, Essex County is considering leasing the money-losing Horace Nye Nursing home to a private entity. The county Nursing Home in Elizabethtown could lose more than $3 million next year. The entire county budget has a shortfall of about $13 million for next year. The Board of Supervisors is looking for ways to save money, including getting out of the nursing-home business.
A Ticonderoga man has been charged with choking a woman, then taking a swing at Police Chief Mark Johns. Daniel M. Harrison was charged with the misdemeanors of unlawful imprisonment and criminal obstruction of breathing. Harrison was taken before Ticonderoga Town Justice James O'Bryan, and then sent to the Essex County Jail when he didn't pay $2,500 bail. Police said a competency evaluation of Harrison is pending.
The Hudson Headwaters Health Network is now part of the Healthcare Information Xchange of New York. The Xchange is a community-based, nonprofit regional health-information organization that covers a 17-county region from Albany through the North Country, including Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. Its members are able to securely share a patient's medical records.
New York Voters seeking to cast absentee ballots in this year's election are facing upcoming deadlines. Voters in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties seeking to obtain absentee ballots must send in their applications by November 1st. Voters can also come in to local election board offices and pick up an absentee ballot by November 7th, which is the day before Election Day.
Damage from a boiler explosion last spring and a subsequent legal fight have forced Ticonderoga to move its senior citizen program from the Armory. Six months after a blast destroyed one boiler and seriously damaged another, the Armory still has no heat. With cold weather approaching, town officials have moved their senior citizen center. The Ticonderoga Senior Center has relocated to the lower floor of the Community Building at 132 Montcalm St. The phone number remains the same. It is open 10AM to 3PM weekdays and is closed on holidays and whenever the Community Building is closed.
A former bank employee has admitted to stealing at least $165,000 to pay for personal expenses. Prosecutors say Brian Bouchard of Burlington, took the money while he was employed at Chittenden Bank/People's United Bank. The bank discovered the money was missing earlier this year. Prosecutors say Bouchard paid back the money before being contacted by federal officials. He could face up to 30 years in prison.
Teachers and school boards in a southwestern Vermont school district have resumed negotiations, hours after teachers started walking the picket lines. The two sides met Wednesday afternoon, after failed to reach an agreement after nearly 16 hours of negotiations that ended around 2AM. The issues separating the two sides include salaries and health care benefits.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is moving ahead with its expansion plans. The company will occupy the Gardner Supply building, and attach it to its currently existing building. The expansion means hundreds of new jobs in Essex alone, as well as more business. Green Mountain will also make changes to its Williston site, and is putting in new offices in South Burlington, in addition to renovations already completed in Waterbury.
Social Security recipients will see their monthly check getting a little fatter starting in January. The 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for some 55 million people will mean an additional $39 a month, or about $467 a year, on average. AARP says, "Every dollar makes a difference." Social Security recipients didn't get an increase in 2010 or 2011 because inflation was too low. They were the first two years without a raise since automatic increases were adopted in 1975. More than 124,000 Vermonters receive Social Security.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation have decided to cancel the annual firewood lottery for 2012, due to post-Irene safety concerns. The program allows residents each January to cut up to three cords of designated trees on state land for personal use firewood. The trees are marked as groups of hardwoods close to state forest highways to make cutting and hauling easier.
The state of Vermont is looking for ideas on what to do with its Waterbury office complex, which has been closed since it was flooded by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. The administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin has issued a request for information, seeking ideas from anyone interested in redeveloping the collection of 47 buildings totaling more than 700,000 square feet. The buildings are the former site of the Vermont State Hospital, which other state agencies moved into and renovated when the hospital shrunk to a fraction of its former size in the 1970s and '80s. Shumlin says selling the Waterbury complex is 1 of the options his administration is considering. Part of that consideration is what sorts of offers the state might get from potential buyers.
Vermont's moose hunting season ends today. Wildlife officials say hunters turned out in strong numbers for opening day last weekend. The state issued more than 400 permits for the season.
Work is just about finished on a big wind project in the Northeast Kingdom. The $90 million wind farm in Sheffield will provide power for about 14,000 homes. Power from 16 turbines will be sold to the Burlington Electric Department, the Vermont Electric Cooperative, and the Washington Electric Cooperative. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for next week.
The University of Vermont is trying to tackle a budget gap. According to the Burlington Free Press, the state's largest university will face a projected $36 million deficit in five years. Trustees at UVM will meet Friday and Saturday to discuss the problem. Possible solutions include eliminating several low enrollment academic programs. The board of trustees unanimously approved a 5.8 percent tuition hike this year, part of the 2012 budget that also includes nearly $3 million in spending cuts.
A new survey says hunters spend more than $189 million in Vermont annually. The survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau says about $151 million is spent on equipment, more than $20 million is trip-related and more than $17 million is spent on other items.
Ten states from Massachusetts to Maryland and the District of Columbia are forming a new regional electric vehicle network. The Northeast Electric Vehicle Network announced Wednesday would work to plan and install charging stations throughout the region as well as attracting investment in clean vehicle infrastructure. The network is being supported by a nearly $1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to New York's Energy Research and Development Authority. The 10 states are Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. President Obama has called for 1 million plug-in vehicles to be on the road nationwide by 2015, and the network hopes to account for 200,000 of those vehicles.
The Slate Valley Museum will host a unique Halloween adventure in one of Vermont's remaining ghost towns. The vanished community of West Castleton once served as a slate industry center. This Saturday officials from the Granville, NY museum will lead participants on a tour of the former West Castleton Slate Company. The event will include ghost stories and stories of some of the real horrors of the slate industry. Visitors will sit around a campfire at the site. The tour begins at 4:30PM at the Lake Bomoseen State Park. A recommended donation of $5 per person will go toward the museum’s Tropical Storm Irene recovery effort.
The state is seeking volunteers to help clean up from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Peter Shumlin has named this Saturday as Vermont Clean Up Day. Some victims of Irene are still facing daunting tasks and need the help, whether it's donating money or lost goods, or volunteering to help clean up flood-torn communities. Visit http://www.vtcleanup.org/ to lean how you can help!
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