WVTK Local & State News October 23, 2013

So far just over 11-hundred Vermonters have selected a new health insurance plan.  That means just over one-percent of those projected to enroll have actually done so.  That’s according to Vermont Health Connect.  Governor Peter Shumlin says Vermont’s Health Exchange is getting better, but nearly three weeks after the launch of the new website, Vermonter still cannot actually buy health insurance.  The system cost just over 172 million dollars to develop.

It’s not just the health care marketplace exchange websites having problems.  Technical issues with the online Common Application for the University of Vermont is having U-V-M extend its deadline for early action and spring semester applications.  The Common Application is used by over 500 colleges and it’s the only way to apply to U-V-M.  While the deadline was originally November 1st, it's now pushed out to November 11th.  Applicants for the University of Vermont are also being urged not to wait until the last minute.

A backpacker is going to have a rude awakening when he tries to return to his car parked at the Long Trail parking lot on Forest Road 10 in Rutland.  There’s not much left of the 2002 Subaru Legacy with Washington state plates after fire swept through it.  The car was parked within the Green Mountain National Forest, and was caught in the fire sometime between sunset Sunday and 3:30 a.m. on Monday.  Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call State Police.

Police in South Burlington are looking for a woman who vanished from their town about two months ago.  That’s when anyone can remember seeing Melissa Dawn Simmons, and now her mom has reported the 40-year-old woman missing.  She is telling State Police her daughter was last known to be staying at the Ho-Hum Motel on Shelburne Road, after moving to Vermont to be closer to her estranged husband and child who live in northern New York.  State Police says according to her mother, Simmons suffered some sort of head injury.

A garden and park will be constructed in Port Henry for families who have lost a child.  Luci and Tom Carpenter of Moriah, whose son Brian died in a car accident in 2005, are leading the effort to create a Lake Champlain Memorial Garden & Angel of Hope Monument.  It will be located at the Moriah town hall, Park Place, Port Henry.  The Angel of Hope Monument is a replica of the angel monument inspired by the book “The Christmas Box.”  The book, written by Richard Evens, is the story of a mother’s grief and eventual solace over the loss of her child.  The Carpenters are forming a committee to help with the project. Committee members will assist in fund raising, design, promotion and other areas. Interested people can call Luci Carpenter at 518-572-6427.

An Addison County farmer wants to know who made off with his pumpkins.  Scott Stone of New Haven found out yesterday that someone had taken his pumpkins and broke into the cash box at his farm stand.  It wasn’t immediately known how many pumpkins or how much cash was taken.  Vermont State Police said a hatchback-type station wagon was seen on camera at the time of the theft.