Thursday, March 22, 2012

WVTK Local & State News March 22, 2012

A drive-by shooter has some Pittsford residents on edge. Shortly before 11 last night someone fired several shots into a house on Orchard Drive. At least one person was in the home but was not injured. And shortly after one this morning, another shooting took place, this time on Elm Street. Police say three vehicles were shot. They believe all of the shootings are connected but have yet to identify a suspect.

There has been a fatal crash in Crown Point less than a quarter of a mile from the new Champlain Bridge. A Jeep Wrangler and pickup truck collided on Bridge Road. The driver of the Jeep was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital. Police say both are from Vermont. That part of Bridge road was closed for hours and cars rerouted through the state park. Police say alcohol appears to be a factor in the wreck.

In a matter of 12 hours negotiating teams for school boards in the Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union and teachers in four towns went back and forth throughout the night in an effort to agree on a contract for the next few years. At 5:30AM Wednesday a multiyear deal was reached. The tentative agreement still has to be ratified by school boards in Castleton, Fair Haven, Benson and Orwell but it is likened to a done deal. Details of the deal that includes base pay, raises and health benefits for the next few years under the new contract, were not made available Wednesday. The overnight deal was rare. The last time school boards and teachers agreed on a settlement one day before a strike was in 2009 in Winooski. That deal was made at 4AM.

A panel made up of business, political and local leaders grilled both Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service CEO'S for hours Wednesday in Montpelier. It's a line of questioning that is expected to last for several days as they try to decide whether to allow a merger between the two companies. If they do allow the merger to happen GMP says they plan to close the deal shortly thereafter.

The Rutland County GOP will offer a breakfast talk on renewable energy Saturday. The panel discussion is scheduled for 8:30AM at South Station. Admission, which includes a full buffet, is $13. Subjects will include the state’s recently unveiled energy plan, the creation of alternative energy firms, the role of Smart Meters in energy policy, types of electricity generation and energy planning. For more information, or to RSVP, call Joan Cross at 683-4920.

The next Addison County Legislative Breakfast is coming up on Monday at the American Legion in Bristol. It’s a great time to meet with your Addison County legislators. Breakfasts start at 7 and program begins at 7:30. Purchase of breakfast not required to attend but helps the hosts to defray the cost of hosting the event. For more information click HERE!

The warm spring is letting farmers spread manure on their fields earlier than usual. The Agency of Agriculture usually requires farmers to wait until April 1st. The concern is that manure spread onto snow-covered fields can wash into waterways when the snow melts. But the unusually warm and dry weather has changed that this year. Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross says lifting the ban early will help farmers manage their manure resources and is in the best interest of Vermont waterways.

Several business owners met recently in Port Henry to discuss funding possibilities for the renovation of downtown buildings. Presenter Sharon Reynolds, who is the executive director of PRIDE of Ticonderoga, shared information and materials on the New York Main Street Program administered through the state Office of Community Renewal. If awarded the grant will fund both interior and exterior renovations and owners will contribute 50 percent of the construction costs.

Ticonderoga needs to make a better first impression. That’s the feeling of the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership. Some feel that Ticonderoga fails to present itself as a welcoming and historic town due to several shortcomings in the signage. The TMSP design committee is developing plans to improve signage as town entrances, but those plans are on hold while determining whether the vendor signs are necessary. The TMSP committee asked the town board whether law requires the signs or if they could be moved. Once officials get more answers to the legal questions it will move forward with developing a more friendly entrance to Ticonderoga.

Fort Ticonderoga and Amtrak will partner to connect people traveling between New York City and Montreal to the local historic site. Amtrak will offer one free companion rail fare with the purchase of one regular adult rail fare, on the state-supported Adirondack line to and from Fort Ticonderoga April 1st through Oct. 31st. Customers need to purchase tickets a minimum of three days in advance and enter discount code V430. Fort Ticonderoga executive director Beth Hill says “The partnership with Amtrak will enable Fort Ticonderoga to reach a broader destination market from New York City to Montreal.”

Starbucks Coffee Co. said Wednesday it will make Starbucks-branded coffee packs for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.'s new line of Keurig Vue single-cup coffee brewing machines. Starbucks already makes single-serve packs for Green Mountain's other Keurig brewers. But investors had questioned if the relationship would continue when Starbucks announced this month that it would make its own single-cup brewers. The new deal offers a big-name partnership that could boost Vue's sales. The announcement came ahead of Seattle-based Starbucks' annual meeting. Green Mountain stock rose $5.52, or 10.9 percent, to $56.22 by early afternoon.

Lawmakers have endorsed two bills that backers believe will help improve the quality of education in Vermont. One bill affects the role of the commissioner of Education, and the other expands public school choice. The House considered the issue of education leadership, and by a margin of 114 to 17, it passed legislation that will give a Governor more input into the discussion of education issues. Meanwhile, the Senate has given its approval to a bill that expands public school choice throughout the state. Currently, families can elect to send their children to any public school on a regional basis. The bill expands that option to any public school in Vermont.

Groups critical of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant are observing the facility's 40th birthday by renewing their calls for the plant to be shut down. Vermont Yankee's initial 40-year license expired yesterday. It has won approval from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate an additional 20 years. The state Public Service Board has yet to rule on the plant's future, but it's expected the Vernon reactor will continue operating in the meantime.

The Vermont House is preparing to consider a $5 billion budget that spends about $124 million on recovery from Tropical Storm Irene. The spending plan for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1st, represents a 6.4% increase over the current year. But House Speaker Shap Smith says it won't require raising broad-based taxes like those on income and sales.

Vermont's mild winter means there's more money for road repair this spring. Governor Peter Shumlin and legislators have announced an additional $5 million that's available to level and repair damaged sections of road. The extra money means a total of about 123 miles of road will be leveled.

A Vermont Electric Cooperative worker has died in an accident while working on a power line in Essex. The name of the worker has not been released. Essex Police Detective Lt. George Murtie told the Burlington Free Press that the man fell onto electrical wires and was killed Wednesday afternoon. The utility said the work being done was considered to be routine maintenance. The accident happened on Sawmill Road near the Essex-Jericho border.

New Hampshire lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have made their state the first to repeal a gay marriage law through legislation, a move opposed by the governor. The Republican-controlled House voted 211-116 on Wednesday to kill the bill that would have repealed the 2-year-old law and restored a law that allowed civil unions in 2008 and 2009.

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s “Harp and Soul” harp and flute duo will present performances at schools in Leicester and Lincoln next Tuesday. The VSO’s traveling ensembles visit all corners of the state as part of an outreach program known as “Musicians-in-the-Schools.” These lively performances are met with overwhelming enthusiasm, as the musical ambassadors spread the word that classical music can be fun! Flutist Anne Janson and harpist Heidi Soons make up the dynamic SymphonyKids duo Harp and Soul. In their fresh and engaging program, they explain how the harp and flute work and sound, including some of their special effects. Harp and Soul will perform at the Leicester Central School at 10:30AM and at the Lincoln Community School at 1:30PM.

Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, “Monty Python's Spamalot”, will visit historic downtown Rutland for two performances, 4PM and 8PM, Sunday, April 1st, at the Paramount Theatre. The original cast recording of Monty Python’s Spamalot won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and one legless knight. Visit www.paramountvt.org for tickets and details!

As summer-like temperatures warm Vermont, there's another sign of the season rattling some cages around the state. It's pothole time, and this year the state is already over its normal budget when it comes to filling the holes and gouges caused by winter. The state usually spends one-point-44 million on repairs, but so far this year more than one-point-77 million has already been spent. One V-Trans manager says it's a combination of costs going up, from patching material to labor costs.

NASA is again rescheduling the launch of 5 rockets from Virginia due to bad weather. The rockets are part of a study of the jet stream. The launch had been set for today at NASA's space center on Wallops Island but has now been pushed back to early Friday. Bad weather has postponed the launch several times. The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment (ATREX) will help scientists understand the jet stream, which is located 60 to 65 miles above Earth's surface. The rockets will release a chemical tracer to form white clouds that allow scientists and the public to visualize the winds. Residents from South Carolina to southern New Hampshire and Vermont might be able to see the clouds for up to 20 minutes.

The Catamount Trail Association has recently signed on The North Face as the title sponsor for the 5th Annual Race To The Top Of Vermont on August 26th. The 40 year-old company based in California, is well known for delivering an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear. The North Face 5th Annual Race To The Top Of Vermont will once again bring together some of the top runners and mountain bikers in the country to the Stowe Mountain Resort to race up the famed 4.3 mile Toll Road on Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest mountain. The event will also include the non-competitive hike and the 1st Annual Catamount Cubs Run For Fun. For more information about The North Face Race To The Top Of Vermont, go to www.catamounttrail.org or call 802-864-5794.

If you've always thought more cowbell is a good thing then an event next month aims to please. Phish drummer John Fishman will lead the world's largest cowbell ensemble on Saturday April 14th and you can join in. The idea is to raise money for victims of Irene. And celebrate the 15th anniversary of Ben and Jerry's Phish food ice cream at the same time. Tickets to the event cost 25 dollars and include a cowbell and t-shirt. There is an after party at Nectars for a 50-dollar donation. Get more info right now by clicking HERE!