WVTK Local & State News November 13, 2014

Police in Bristol are looking for 2 missing teenagers. The first one, 12-year-old Wayne LaRose of Monkton was reported missing Tuesday Afternoon. Now they are looking for 17-year-old Shawn Lussier. Lussier was last seen at the recreation field around 3:30 Tuesday Afternoon. He is 5’ 10”, around 180 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes. Police say they do not suspect foul play but they would not say if they believe the cases are related. Anyone with information should call Bristol Police Department at 453-2533.

The state of Vermont has two new vehicles that will help first responders deal with major hazards. The trucks are equipped with specialized equipment that will help with chemical, biological, nuclear and explosives monitoring. The trucks will also be useful in responding to wildfires, and are able to tow other resources to incidents. The heavy duty trucks were purchased with federal homeland security grant funds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted their annual Youth Smoking Survey. The CDC found nearly 23 percent of high school students and six and a half percent of middle schoolers used a tobacco product in the month prior to the survey. 90 percent of those users are smokers. The survey is being released to coincide with the 39th anniversary of the Great American Smokeout which will be held November 20. Research has shown quitting smoking at any age has health benefits.

The father of a 2-year-old girl who died in February has filed a lawsuit against the state of Vermont and the state Department for Children and Families, saying they breached their duties to protect the child, whose stepfather is accused of killing her. Willis Sheldon of Rutland filed the lawsuit today in Rutland County Superior Court. He's asking for unspecified damages and a jury trial. Dezirae Sheldon of Poultney died after arriving at a hospital with severe head trauma. Records show she had a history of child abuse injuries; her mother was convicted last year of cruelty to a child. Dezirae was in state custody prior to her death; an investigation found miscommunication between agencies. The stepfather has plead not guilty to second-degree murder.

The town of Wallingford is holding a forum to address vandalism tonight. The forum is scheduled for 7 o’clock at the Town Hall. Officials want to once again look at creating a neighborhood watch program and coming up with solutions to vandalism, such as the destruction of a wooden canoe launch at Otter Creek.