WVTK Local & State News August 20, 2014

Paving on Route 7 between Middlebury and Brandon and Brandon and Pittsford is set to begin this week. According to the Agency of Transportation, the 15-mile stretch between Middlebury and Brandon will begin near the McDonald’s in Brandon and end near the South Village Green in Middlebury. Workers will be filling in the potholes and sealing cracks on the road’s surface. Drivers are advised to expect delays.

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) is offering funding to help cover dual enrollment courses for low-income high school students. A press release says eligible high school students can receive $150 to help cover the costs of books, fees, and travel. Funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the dual enrollment program and obtaining a voucher, visit http://vtdualenrollment.org.

There are some new residents at Green Mountain Power's Middlebury hydro building, a colony of state endangered little brown bats. State biologists believe they like the building because of its closeness to Otter Creek and the warmth from the power generation. Green Mountain Power says It’s great to know we are helping the bat population and the animals are welcome to stay.

Champlain College is adding dorms. More than three residential structures are part of a grassy quad on campus. The new residence halls and related infrastructure cost about $30 million. Geothermal wells will provide heating and cooling to the buildings. About 460 students will be occupying the buildings.

A new poll shows Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to maintain a 2-to-1 advantage over his Republican challenger in New York's gubernatorial race. The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday gives Cuomo a 56 to 28 percent lead over Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. That's essentially unchanged from Quinnipiac's poll in May.

Ski resorts in Vermont are upgrading their snowmaking equipment with help from a statewide energy efficiency program. Efficiency Vermont is offering rebates from $500 to up to $4,000 in a snow gun exchange program. Resorts can trade in four older snow guns for every five new ones they buy. The old ones will be scrapped and proceeds would be donated to the Vermont Ski Areas Association's Learn to Ski and Ride programs.