WVTK Local & State News April 3, 2015

The Vermont legislature's House Ways and Means Committee is moving forward with a plan to tax sugary beverages. The plan approved yesterday would place a half-cent tax on sweetened beverages that include regular and diet sodas, juices with added sugar and some syrups and powders. The proposal would generate an estimated 17-million-dollars a year for the state.

Police investigating the death of a Middlebury College Student say there are no signs of foul play or third party involvement in the untimely death. Just before 10 am, yesterday morning Middlebury Police and EMTs were called to the dorms for a report of an unresponsive male student. EMT’s arrived on the scene and were unable to revive 20-year-old Nathan Alexander. The body of the sophomore from Colorado has been transferred to the Office of the Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

Crews from 5 towns responded to a fire at the A. Johnson Lumber Company in Bristol. Many times a fire in a lumber yard can be very costly but firefighters yesterday fought the flames and quickly got the blaze under control before it had a chance to spread. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but it is not considered suspicious.

Vermont has its first solicitor general to oversee state and federal court appeals handled by the attorney general's office. Attorney General William Sorrell has appointed Assistant Attorney General Bridget Asay to the position. The attorney general's office said that Assay will have supervisory authority for the roughly 100 appeals handled by the office each year. The office says she will be responsible for the professional development of attorneys who handle appeals and will play a big role in the state's participation in friend of court briefs, mostly before federal appeals courts.

The Vermont Lottery has launched a new scratch off. A press release says the $5 scratch ticket called Dollars 'N Dirt is available starting today. The game features 12 instant wins of a 2015 Polaris Sportsman 570 SP and $4,444. All taxes, title and registration is included in the vehicle prizes. The ticket also includes a second chance drawing for the opportunity to win a 4-seat, 2015 Polaris RZR XP 4 100.