WVTK Local & State News October 27, 2014

The historic Osborne House in Middlebury has a new home. Earlier today the building was moved from 77 Main St., where it stood since the 1800s, to the east side of the intersection of Cross and Water streets. The Cross Street Bridge was closed from 2 a.m. until approximately noon, to accomodate the moving of the structure across the Otter Creek.

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is going to study the possibility of creating a cap-and-trade system to reduce the amount of phosphorous pollution that runs into Lake Champlain from rivers and streams. Commissioner David Mears says the state is going to spend about $100,000 to hire experts to determine whether a phosphorus trading program might work in much the same way such a system helped reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, a component of acid rain. Some say the biggest challenge to cleaning up Lake Champlain is reducing phosphorous pollution.

State police are investigating a fire that destroyed an abandoned home in Rutland this morning. Not much is left to the actual structure at 13 Pine Street after the early morning fire. Officials say the blaze was so hot it spread to two neighboring buildings and about a dozen people were evacuated. There are no reports of any injuries. Until now, the home has been frequently occupied by squatters who break in and live there for a short period of time.

The second meeting of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP) over Vermont Yankee is scheduled for Thursday. A press release says the agenda include discussion of Entergy's Site Assessment Report for Vermont Yankee, an update on Emergency Planning Zone changes, and the discussion of draft NDCAP charter. The meeting is open to the public and is being held in the cafeteria at Vernon Elementary School from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Ticonderoga Ferry has wrapping up service for another year. The ferry, which runs from Shoreham to Ticonderoga, finished its last run of the season on Sunday evening. The ferry will be up and running again in May of next year.