WVTK Local & State News August 29, 2013

Vermont has its first confirmed case this year of a person with West Nile virus.  The state Department of Health issued a statement Wednesday that a Lamoille County resident became ill with it but has since recovered.  A horse in Lamoille County also contracted West Nile, and had to be euthanized.  The illness is spread through infected mosquitoes, and the peak of activity is in late August and early September.

A Vermont caseworker has been charged with a sex crime involving a child after doing a follow-up visit with her in Maine.  Police in Bangor, Maine, say 26-year-old Jeffrey Parfitt of Middlebury is accused of doing an unnecessary and inappropriate exam on the girl after asking her father to leave.  He’s been indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge of unlawful sexual contact.  The Vermont Department of Child and Families has placed Parfitt on administrative leave.

Vermont is joining six other states in considering a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency.  The issue is wood heaters, which the state attorney general says the EPA has not kept up with as far as performance standards are concerned.  The seven states are claiming the EPA’s 25-year-old standards are outdated and do not cover outdoor wood boilers, said to be major air polluters.  The states are giving the federal agency 60 days to reply before the suit is filed.

Williston police are urging residents to lock their doors and windows after two recent daytime burglaries in the Vermont community.  Police say the burglaries occurred Aug. 21 and 23.  Some of the items stolen included cash, jewelry and electronics.  The stolen jewelry included two Norwich University class ring.  In addition to locking doors and windows, police are urging residents to report any suspicious vehicles or people.  Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to call the Williston police or crime stoppers.

A rather unique veterans memorial is now being built in South Burlington.  Groundbreaking ceremonies yesterday in Dorset Park culminated the three-year effort to find sponsors and privately raise the 170-thousand dollars needed for the project.  When finished, it will feature three commemorative structures, one of granite, one of stainless steel and the other of stone, each connected by a pathway.  The project is anticipated to be finished in about a month, with Veterans Day ceremonies already planned.

Port Henry will be celebrating its 123rd Labor Day weekend Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 with numerous games and activities for children and adults.  The festivities open Saturday evening with bluegrass music at the Port Henry beach at 6:30 p.m.  A fireworks show will follow from the pier at 8:30 p.m.  On Sunday, numerous activities kick-off at the beach at 9 a.m.  The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will be offering instructional rides for children on wooden row boats.  There will also be “old time” games for children from 9 a.m. until noon, with prizes throughout the morning.  There will also be craft vendors and the annual chicken barbecue at the beach.