WVTK Local & State News April 19, 2013

Natura is expanding their voluntary recall for a second time.  This time, they are including all treats, dry cat food and dry dog food from the Innova, California Natural, Evo and Healthwise product lines that have an EXPIRATION DATE ON OR BEFORE 3/24/14.  Do not worry about the lot code, as all lots are now being recalled.  The will honor returns or exchanges on any product purchased from their stores.  Please note, Mother Nature treats and canned foods from all lines ARE NOT included in the recall.  For more information, you can visit their website at www.naturapet.com. 

According to the Vermont Attorney General's office, the Middlebury Police was justified in the use of deadly force back in October 2012.  A press release says both Sgt. Jason Covey and Patrolman Kevin Emilio were justified in believing that they were in imminent danger or serious bodily injury when George Demarais shot at them.  Police say Demarais called 911 and stated that he wanted to commit suicide by cop.  When two of the officers asked him to show his hands he fired at them.  Both officers returned fire and Demarais was fatally wounded.

The Air Force says it's delaying its decision on where to base controversial F-35 fighter jets, now making the announcement this fall instead of this summer.  The Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington is one of the sites under consideration, but the Pentagon says they looked at census date from 2000 when looking at potential sites.  The populations of Winooski and South Burlington have increased by more than ten-percent since then.   The final Environmental Impact Statement laying out where the planes could be based will come out in May or June.

The first arrest has been made under the newly added New York Safe Act.  William Green was arrested, just south of Glens Falls, N.Y. after police say an undercover officer purchased an assault weapon that Green was trying to sell on Facebook.  Officers say the gun is considered an assault weapon under the new law because it has a pistol grip.  Green faces two misdemeanor counts and could get up to a year in prison if convicted.

Addison County Criminal Court Judge Helen Toor on Monday handed out a 4-to-10-year prison sentence to one of the two men involved in a July 4, 2012, armed robbery at a Bristol nursing home.  As part of a plea deal first agreed upon in February, 42-year-old Timothy Boardman of Monkton will get credit for time already served.  Boardman must also pay $141 of court costs.

New York's Public Service Commission has approved a plan to build an electricity transmission line from Canada to New York City.  The 330-mile power line from Quebec to Queens would run mostly under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River.  It still needs federal approvals.  The $2 billion Champlain-Hudson Power Express has been two years in the making.  The aim is to ease bottlenecks and lower the cost of electricity into power-thirsty New York City.

It's been a very sweet season for maple producers across Vermont.  Some say they've made more syrup than ever before.  The Vermont Maple Association leaders say 2012 was such a bad season that made the production of 2013 even better.  Once again, it was the weather conditions, but this time in the sugar makers' favor, with nice cold, right on the edge of freezing and yet with the sap able to run.  While some are still producing syrup in the Northeast Kingdom, for most in the state, the season has ended.