WVTK Local & State News June 25, 2013

More thunderstorms are ahead for this week, and power crews are gearing up.  Green Mountain Power says on Sunday night alone, ten-thousand people lost power mostly in the Rutland area.  G-M-P says with more storms predicted, its entire staff is on standby and even has contract crews lined up as well.  A spokeswoman for the electric company says they want to have plenty of crews to tackle the problems while still having fresh crews available the next day, ready for the next storm.

The Bristol Police Department received a call reporting the armed robbery of a female on Main Street yesterday morning.  Earlier, Vermont State Police reported a robbery at a residence in Bristol with numerous items stolen, including guitars and electronics; however, police have not said that the two Bristol crimes are related.  The public is asked to report any information relating to these two incidents to Bristol Police Chief Kevin Gibbs. 

A driver is in critical condition after wet weather caused a tractor trailer to fall off the Winooski Bridge on I-89.  Four vehicles collided in a chain reaction crash that sent the truck through the guardrail and into the Winooski River below.  The crash closed a portion of I-89 South Monday evening between exits 15 and 16.  The passengers in the three cars involved sustained non-life threatening injuries.  Police are asking motorists to seek alternate routes as the Winooski Bridge is still down to one lane for an undetermined amount of time for cleanup.

The College of St. Joseph and Green Mountain Power will work to build a 75-kilowatt solar farm on the roof of CSJ’s gymnasium.  It will be the utility’s first rooftop array in the city.  GMP will own and maintain the project while the college will get credit for 10 percent of the output — a deal similar to the one the utility made for a solar farm on the grounds of Rutland Regional Medical Center.  If the project is approved by the Public Service Board, GMP plans to start construction in the fall.

Residents in Brandon will go back to the polls next month to vote on a newly reduced municipal budget for the fourth time.  The Brandon Select Board last night approved a budget of $3.1-million.  Residents will vote on the new proposed budget from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 9 at the Neshobe Elementary School. An informational meeting will be held on July 8.

Opponents are trying a new tactic to draw attention to F-35 noise levels.  They want Vermonters to hear how loud the jets could be.  Organizers played six minutes of takeoff sound recorded outside of Vermont.  They amplified it to 115 decibels using eight speakers right next to City Hall Park in Burlington.  The U.S. Air Force is considering whether to bring the F-35 to Vermont.  The Vermont Air Guard says the planes can be flown in a way that minimizes noise.