Coming up this evening the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be holding its After Hours Business Mixer at Countryside Carpet & Paint on Creek Road here in Middlebury. As always you’ll experience great networking opportunities, tasty food, beverages, super door prizes, and the Pot of Gold drawing! The mixer takes place from 5 – 7PM. Please visit www.addisoncounty.com to get more information. We’ll see you there!
CCTA and ACTR will be holding their public hearings to provide community members a chance to respond to the proposed route and schedule for the 116 Commuter bus service coming to Route 116 between Burlington and Middlebury via Hinesburg this spring. The Addison County hearings will take place on Wednesday March 7th at 5PM in Bristol at Holley Hall and Thursday March 8th here in Middlebury at 5PM at the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association on Collins Drive. For more information, please visit any of the following websites: cctaride.org, actr-vt.org or Hinesburgrides.org.
Last night Vermont State Police attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop on a red Chevy Cavalier on Route 7 in Brandon. There were two occupants in the vehicle, both African American males. This vehicle did not stop and led the State Police on approximately a 9-mile pursuit from Brandon to Salisbury. On West Shore Road near the intersection of Route 53, this vehicle crashed into a small wooded area. Both occupants fled into the woods off the east side of West Shore Road. Attempts to locate the two subjects were unsuccessful. Both occupants are believed to have sustained injuries from the crash. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the New Haven State Police Barracks. (802.388.4919)
The clerk who pulled a knife away from a woman who tried to rob a Vergennes convenience store on September 28th and held her down until police arrived will not face charges in the her death. Police say the clerk pulled a knife away from her, and held her on the floor while waiting for police. She died on the way to the hospital. The state medical examiner ruled the 34-year-old's death was a homicide. The medical examiner said she died of an irregular heartbeat during an altercation that was brought about when her chest was compressed while she was "acutely intoxicated with cocaine." Prosecutors said Wednesday that they would not file charges against the clerk.
Vermont Law School and Middlebury College have signed an agreement that guarantees qualified Middlebury students and graduates admission to VLS. Both institutions will benefit from the agreement. VLS administrators anticipate an increase in the number of strong applicants and Middlebury students will have a wider range of opportunities following graduation. The agreement is one of several steps that VLS has taken in recent years to expand coordination with undergraduate institutions. Those efforts also include full scholarships for one or two students from Middlebury and five other schools. There is no limit as to the number of Middlebury students or alumni who may apply to VLS.
Vermont State Police say a human skull has been found along a roadside in Danby in southern Vermont. Police said yesterday that the skull appears to be that of a young female and that trauma to it indicates that she could have been killed. A person reported finding the skull along Danby Hill Road on Sunday. Authorities say the area is being searched for additional remains or other evidence. Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Rutland.
Crown Point officials hope to complete a Monitor Bay project this spring to avoid possible conflicts with the summer boating season. The town is ready to go to bid for work to replace a retaining wall in the bay, which is home to the town board launch and campsite. The project, which will replace a deteriorating wall with a new vinyl barrier, has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Adirondack Park Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2010 Crown Point received a state matching grant for $117,000 for the work. The town will match that amount with labor and materials.
Sale bids are due soon for Essex County's Horace Nye Nursing Home, and if it's sold, the new owner would likely foot the bill for a newly mandated sprinkler system. The county is taking sealed bids on the 100-bed facility until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, with the minimum bid set at $4 million and a $50,000 deposit required. The cost of a sprinkler system has been estimated at $220,000, but those bids won't be sought until March. If the county sells the Nursing Home soon, that cost would likely become the responsibility of the new owner. The Nursing Home is losing more than $3 million a year, and supervisors say the county can no longer afford to carry it. Part of a 10 percent property-tax-levy increase for the county this year was due to the Nursing Home deficit.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently issued an air pollution control construction permit for a proposed biomass and energy center in Fair Haven. The permit, issued on February 10th, is the first air permit issued for a large-scale biomass plant in the state in at least 20 years. Beaver Wood Energy has proposed a 29-megawatt biomass-fueled power plant and wood pellet production facility off Exit 1 in Fair Haven. The project, which the company has called the Fair Haven Energy Center, will also provide space for local food producers and a steady supply of inexpensive heat. After acquiring the rest of the permits necessary they hope to begin construction in 2013.
Central Vermont Public Service and Green Mountain Power are sweetening the pot for ratepayers in hopes of clinching approval for a planned merger. The companies claim the merger will provide $144 million in savings for customers in the first 10 years. But advocates have been calling for CVPS to also pay back $21 million from an emergency rate hike a decade ago. In response, the companies are proposing a $21 million investment in an efficiency program to help customers lower their energy bills.
Gov. Peter Shumlin is opposed to the state buying into VELCO, the Vermont Electric Company. VELCO operates power lines in Vermont. GMP and CVPS are VELCO's largest owners. If GMP and CVPS merge as planned, their owner in Canada would have majority control over Vermont's power grid. Some, like Sen. Vince Illuzzi, worry about giving Gaz Metro that kind of control. Illuzzi wants the state to buy into VELCO to protect the public interest. The governor says that's a bad idea. The utilities are also opposed to Illuzzi's plan.
There's some confusion over Governor Shumlin's position on China as a trading partner. On the campaign trail, he criticized Governor Douglas about his trips to court Chinese investment in Vermont. But now Governor Shumlin is heading to California for a meeting on economic issues with Vice President Joe Biden and China's Vice President. Governor Shumlin said he thinks China could be an important investing partner with Vermont. He meets with Vice President Joe Biden and the Chinese Vice President on Friday.
It may take decades for Vermont to achieve its goals for cleaning up Lake Champlain, where phosphorus flowing in from farms, sewage treatment plants and suburban lawns has fed toxic algae blooms in recent summers. Lawmakers got that sobering assessment during an update on work being done by state and federal environmental agencies to develop a new document controlling how much pollution can flow into the lake. And an official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that the state should not expect a big shot of federal funding any time soon to help it meet those goals.
The University of Vermont has picked a new president. The Board of Trustees will announce the selection next week. The trustees have started contract negotiations with the new president, who was picked from five finalists. The next president will succeed Dan Fogel, who took office in 2002 and resigned August 1st. John Bramley, former UVM provost and professor, has been serving as interim president since Fogel's resignation.
A top Vermont budget officer says a poor month for snowfall hurt Vermont's winter tourism economy in January and created a dent in state revenues. Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding's monthly revenue report released Wednesday showed the state came up about 4.7% shy of the $133 million general fund target that had been set by consulting economists who forecast state revenues. Spaulding says tax collections remain ahead of what they were a year ago, indicating the economic recovery is proceeding slowly but surely.
Federal officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the armed robbery of a convenience store in Montpelier. The Champlain Farms was robbed at gunpoint on February 7th. Authorities say the suspect showed a gun and made off with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a thin, black male, between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-6 inches tall. Police say he was wearing a ski mask, gloves and a blue hooded sweatshirt with white lettering during the robbery. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Burlington office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or the Montpelier Police Department.
The case of pigs concealed in artwork on Vermont State Police cruisers is now closed. State investigators say they know female inmates at the prison work center in Windsor are responsible for making the change in November 2009. However, as to exactly which inmate is ultimately responsible for manipulating the file will likely never be known. State police say someone will have to step forward to admit it, and as of now, all but one of the women in custody when the change was made is free.
A new, bipartisan group is pushing for public funding of campaigns, saying even donors are tired of getting constantly hit up for more cash from politicians. The New York Leadership for Accountable Government says it will promote voluntary public financing of political campaigns, lower maximum levels of contributions, and independent enforcement of campaign finance abuses. The group says it hopes to increase voter turnout and end what it calls an arms race, with politicians pressuring business operators to make more and larger campaign donations. Its members include some of Albany's big campaign donors as well as former elected officials and good-government groups.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has a new system for the Keurig single-serving brewers called Vue. It was unveiled Wednesday in New York, with the president and chief executive Larry Blanford saying the new system is the result of asking customers what they wanted, and developing it. Vue will allow consumers to brew stronger and hotter coffee, as well as up to 18 ounces to fill travel mugs. The new Vue portion pack is also partly recyclable.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 15, 2012
Coming up tomorrow evening the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be holding its After Hours Business Mixer at Countryside Carpet & Paint on Creek Road here in Middlebury. As always you’ll experience great networking opportunities, tasty food, beverages, super door prizes, and the Pot of Gold drawing! The mixer takes place from 5 – 7PM. Please visit www.addisoncounty.com to RSVP to Sue Hoxie and get more information. We’ll see you there!
Organizers of the fourth annual “Middlebury Maple Run — The Sweetest Half” have made improvements this year to the 13.1-mile racecourse. The race kicks off at 9AM on Sunday, May 6th. Due to the increase in annual participants, the starting line of the USATF-certified course is now on South Street in front of the Porter Medical Center, providing a wider and safer starting area. With the closure of the Pulp Mill Covered Bridge, the first two miles of the course have been rerouted. They will also be using B-Tag ChronoTrack timing, a technology that uses an RFID tag that attached to each runner’s bib number, providing more accurate timing. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Addison County Humane Society, H.O.P.E. and Girls on the Run. For more information or to register, visit www.middleburymaplerun.com.
Brandon Town officials approved a contract with local engineers on Monday that will help move forward the reconstruction of Route 7 in the village. The new contract will allow the town to move forward with preliminary construction work, including completing right of way acquisition, and the re-routing of the village’s waterline through the downtown. The project includes a full-depth reconstruction of the roadway, reconstruction of side roads, sidewalks, parking areas, grading, drainage and utilities relocation and is expected to begin next year.
Omya Inc. said it would make a partial switch to liquefied natural gas to operate its Florence calcium carbonate plant. Omya said its goal was to control energy costs and improve the environmental performance of its Vermont operations. The company said it would begin the permitting process to utilize liquefied natural gas in addition to No. 2 fuel oil. Since there is no natural gas pipeline that serves the area, liquefied natural gas would be trucked in as an alternative.
The final of three homes built by Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte is completed and leaders say the ultra-energy efficient model is already catching on. The passive home follows a model created in Europe and gaining momentum in the U.S. It uses building techniques, insulation and a state-of-the-art ventilation system to save up to 90 percent in energy. That translates to about 75 percent savings in energy bills. Habitat for Humanity and Efficiency Vermont teamed up for the initiative. The team built three homes using the model, each for a family that needed affordable housing. The family chosen for this house will move in this weekend.
Some flooded out homeowners in northern New York hope the government will now buy them out. So far, 60 Essex County residents have submitted application forms. 45 of the homes are located within the town of Jay. The town will host an informational meeting this Thursday night for homeowners considering a buyout. It will begin at seven o'clock at the Jay Community center in Ausable Forks.
Vermont's town leaders are heading to Montpelier for the annual Local Government Day held by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The League's Karen Horn says today’s events will aimed at having local officials share their views with lawmakers and learn about the Legislature's plans for help with recovery from Tropical Storm Irene, school funding and health care. There will be policy discussions on those topics at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and then the local leaders will head to the Statehouse to sit in on meetings of legislative committees.
A top Vermont health care official is resisting calls to reduce the number of Vermont businesses that will have to get health care coverage from the health care marketplace or exchange. Governor Peter Shumlin last week agreed with demands from Vermont business groups that employers with between 50 and 100 people don't have to get their coverage from the exchange.
The Vermont House passed a bill yesterday inspired by an eighth-grader from Williston. Last year, Tommy Watson saw an elderly man collapse and die from a heart attack. Now he wants every high school student in the state to know CPR. Watson got one of his state senators to draft the bill. It's passed the House. Now the "CPR In Schools" bill is on its way to the Senate.
Expanding Vermont's bottle redemption law could be a moneymaker for the state. That's the latest argument from activists who are again pushing legislation in Montpelier. They want to include non-carbonated beverage containers like water bottles and sports drink bottles. The current law covers carbonated beverages like soda and beer, and advocates say 85 percent of the bottles and cans are recycled, greatly reducing litter and landfill waste. Along with expanding to more containers, the bill also calls for the state to claim the nickel deposit for every can and bottle that is not redeemed. Supporters say that would generate $3 million in revenue for the state each year. Beverage makers and retailers oppose the bill.
People in Vermont are sounding off on Governor Peter Shumlin's proposed budget for 2013. The state no longer has federal stimulus money to depend on and lawmakers are still waiting to find out how much money FEMA will provide for Irene-related costs. That combination is making organizations, as well as state agencies, extremely anxious about the upcoming year. The state is facing a nearly $50 million budget gap, significantly less than the last few years. However, some lawmakers say it will be more difficult to fill because there are very few areas left to cut. Some agencies are expected to ask for slight increases in their funding but it all depends on how much federal funding the state receives, post Irene.
Vermonters who drive electric vehicles now have another location where they can charge their cars and it's free for the first year. Green Mountain Power and the city of Montpelier have opened an electric vehicle charging station behind City Hall. The Montpelier spot is the third electric vehicle charging station in Vermont.
The Vermont attorney general is asking the court for more time to respond to a motion filed by Vermont Yankee's owners over legal fees. Entergy Corp. wants more than $4.6 million to cover what it says were its costs in fighting off Vermont's effort to close the nuclear plant. The state has until next week to respond to Entergy's motion about the fees. Attorney General Bill Sorrell has asked for an extension until March 9.
The Republican Governor's Association and the losing candidate in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign are asking a court to dismiss a state lawsuit alleging they illegally coordinated their efforts. The RGA and Brian Dubie's campaign say the state's lawsuit violates their free speech rights.
Prosecutors are asking a judge to reconsider his decision to hold a new sentencing hearing for a Milton man serving a 40 to 60-year prison term for setting a fire that killed four people in 1999. Eric Williams claimed his attorney failed to present a meaningful argument on his behalf.
Opponents of wireless smart meters are taking their fight to Town Meeting. The new technology allows customers to save electricity, and gives utilities the ability to respond quickly to power outages. But the wireless meters have also raised health and privacy concerns. And now voters in several southern Vermont towns will get a chance to weigh in at next month's town meetings. Smart meters are on town meeting warnings in Manchester, Sandgate and Dorset. Organizers are hoping to get enough signatures to put the issue before at least three other towns. Many of the communities are in Central Vermont Public Service Corporation territory. Spokesman Steve Costello says CVPS plans to begin installing the meters by the end of the month and says the potential benefits are huge.
While many Vermont college students are faced with tuition hikes full time students at Burlington College this fall will not have to. The Board of Trustees voted to freeze tuition for the next four years at its current rate just over 22-thousand dollars. It is a time of change for Burlington College. It just moved to a bigger campus at the former Catholic diocese headquarters. Also, the school is looking for a new President after Jane Sanders stepped down last year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he's confident a deal will be struck to create tougher teacher evaluations before his Thursday deadline. If no deal on a "template" for evaluations for teachers and principals is set by then, he'll impose his own in his budget amendments, which give the governor extraordinary power. Hanging in the balance is about $1 billion in federal aid that the state committed to in 2010, when it won competitive grants based on school reform. School districts will have a year to agree to specific evaluations or lose state aid.
New York officials say about 7,500 motorists around the state have gotten tickets since a tougher law against texting while driving kicked in last July. They say another 111,000 tickets were written for violating laws against using handheld devices behind the wheel. The new law made using handheld devices a primary offense, meaning police could begin stopping people for using them, rather ticketing them only when there was another reason for the stop. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the stepped up enforcement should send a message to motorists about the danger of distracted driving.
Ticonderoga High School’s bowling coach, Donna Fleury, has been named Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. She led the Sentinel girls to a 48-16 record this season, just missing the CVAC championship. She coaches both the boys and girls teams. This is the first time Fleury has been CVAC Coach of the Year, but it’s not the first time she’s been honored for her bowling accomplishments. She has been named Bowler of the Year by the Glens Falls Bowling Association several times.
The Valentine's Day phantom has struck again. On February 14th of every year the phantom wakes up early to plaster Montpelier with hearts. Even after years of this annual display, no one knows how many cupids the tradition takes. As usual, police are turning a blind eye to the mischief, calling it a crime of love.
The lack of snow this winter will not stop Brandon’s Art in the Snow Wine and Arts Festival this weekend. The festival will play host to open art studios, workshops, cooking classes and a wine tasting trail. Hosted by the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and the Brandon Artists’ Guild, the two-day event is slated to kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday with more than 20 local artists and craft makers opening their studio spaces, while five local wineries host a wine trail. For the weekend, the Brandon Chamber of Commerce is also offering a package promotion for visitors that includes $50 in Brandon Bucks to the first 20-two night room reservations booked at participating inns and bed and breakfasts in town. Get more information at www.artinthesnow.com!
Organizers of the fourth annual “Middlebury Maple Run — The Sweetest Half” have made improvements this year to the 13.1-mile racecourse. The race kicks off at 9AM on Sunday, May 6th. Due to the increase in annual participants, the starting line of the USATF-certified course is now on South Street in front of the Porter Medical Center, providing a wider and safer starting area. With the closure of the Pulp Mill Covered Bridge, the first two miles of the course have been rerouted. They will also be using B-Tag ChronoTrack timing, a technology that uses an RFID tag that attached to each runner’s bib number, providing more accurate timing. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Addison County Humane Society, H.O.P.E. and Girls on the Run. For more information or to register, visit www.middleburymaplerun.com.
Brandon Town officials approved a contract with local engineers on Monday that will help move forward the reconstruction of Route 7 in the village. The new contract will allow the town to move forward with preliminary construction work, including completing right of way acquisition, and the re-routing of the village’s waterline through the downtown. The project includes a full-depth reconstruction of the roadway, reconstruction of side roads, sidewalks, parking areas, grading, drainage and utilities relocation and is expected to begin next year.
Omya Inc. said it would make a partial switch to liquefied natural gas to operate its Florence calcium carbonate plant. Omya said its goal was to control energy costs and improve the environmental performance of its Vermont operations. The company said it would begin the permitting process to utilize liquefied natural gas in addition to No. 2 fuel oil. Since there is no natural gas pipeline that serves the area, liquefied natural gas would be trucked in as an alternative.
The final of three homes built by Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte is completed and leaders say the ultra-energy efficient model is already catching on. The passive home follows a model created in Europe and gaining momentum in the U.S. It uses building techniques, insulation and a state-of-the-art ventilation system to save up to 90 percent in energy. That translates to about 75 percent savings in energy bills. Habitat for Humanity and Efficiency Vermont teamed up for the initiative. The team built three homes using the model, each for a family that needed affordable housing. The family chosen for this house will move in this weekend.
Some flooded out homeowners in northern New York hope the government will now buy them out. So far, 60 Essex County residents have submitted application forms. 45 of the homes are located within the town of Jay. The town will host an informational meeting this Thursday night for homeowners considering a buyout. It will begin at seven o'clock at the Jay Community center in Ausable Forks.
Vermont's town leaders are heading to Montpelier for the annual Local Government Day held by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The League's Karen Horn says today’s events will aimed at having local officials share their views with lawmakers and learn about the Legislature's plans for help with recovery from Tropical Storm Irene, school funding and health care. There will be policy discussions on those topics at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and then the local leaders will head to the Statehouse to sit in on meetings of legislative committees.
A top Vermont health care official is resisting calls to reduce the number of Vermont businesses that will have to get health care coverage from the health care marketplace or exchange. Governor Peter Shumlin last week agreed with demands from Vermont business groups that employers with between 50 and 100 people don't have to get their coverage from the exchange.
The Vermont House passed a bill yesterday inspired by an eighth-grader from Williston. Last year, Tommy Watson saw an elderly man collapse and die from a heart attack. Now he wants every high school student in the state to know CPR. Watson got one of his state senators to draft the bill. It's passed the House. Now the "CPR In Schools" bill is on its way to the Senate.
Expanding Vermont's bottle redemption law could be a moneymaker for the state. That's the latest argument from activists who are again pushing legislation in Montpelier. They want to include non-carbonated beverage containers like water bottles and sports drink bottles. The current law covers carbonated beverages like soda and beer, and advocates say 85 percent of the bottles and cans are recycled, greatly reducing litter and landfill waste. Along with expanding to more containers, the bill also calls for the state to claim the nickel deposit for every can and bottle that is not redeemed. Supporters say that would generate $3 million in revenue for the state each year. Beverage makers and retailers oppose the bill.
People in Vermont are sounding off on Governor Peter Shumlin's proposed budget for 2013. The state no longer has federal stimulus money to depend on and lawmakers are still waiting to find out how much money FEMA will provide for Irene-related costs. That combination is making organizations, as well as state agencies, extremely anxious about the upcoming year. The state is facing a nearly $50 million budget gap, significantly less than the last few years. However, some lawmakers say it will be more difficult to fill because there are very few areas left to cut. Some agencies are expected to ask for slight increases in their funding but it all depends on how much federal funding the state receives, post Irene.
Vermonters who drive electric vehicles now have another location where they can charge their cars and it's free for the first year. Green Mountain Power and the city of Montpelier have opened an electric vehicle charging station behind City Hall. The Montpelier spot is the third electric vehicle charging station in Vermont.
The Vermont attorney general is asking the court for more time to respond to a motion filed by Vermont Yankee's owners over legal fees. Entergy Corp. wants more than $4.6 million to cover what it says were its costs in fighting off Vermont's effort to close the nuclear plant. The state has until next week to respond to Entergy's motion about the fees. Attorney General Bill Sorrell has asked for an extension until March 9.
The Republican Governor's Association and the losing candidate in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign are asking a court to dismiss a state lawsuit alleging they illegally coordinated their efforts. The RGA and Brian Dubie's campaign say the state's lawsuit violates their free speech rights.
Prosecutors are asking a judge to reconsider his decision to hold a new sentencing hearing for a Milton man serving a 40 to 60-year prison term for setting a fire that killed four people in 1999. Eric Williams claimed his attorney failed to present a meaningful argument on his behalf.
Opponents of wireless smart meters are taking their fight to Town Meeting. The new technology allows customers to save electricity, and gives utilities the ability to respond quickly to power outages. But the wireless meters have also raised health and privacy concerns. And now voters in several southern Vermont towns will get a chance to weigh in at next month's town meetings. Smart meters are on town meeting warnings in Manchester, Sandgate and Dorset. Organizers are hoping to get enough signatures to put the issue before at least three other towns. Many of the communities are in Central Vermont Public Service Corporation territory. Spokesman Steve Costello says CVPS plans to begin installing the meters by the end of the month and says the potential benefits are huge.
While many Vermont college students are faced with tuition hikes full time students at Burlington College this fall will not have to. The Board of Trustees voted to freeze tuition for the next four years at its current rate just over 22-thousand dollars. It is a time of change for Burlington College. It just moved to a bigger campus at the former Catholic diocese headquarters. Also, the school is looking for a new President after Jane Sanders stepped down last year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he's confident a deal will be struck to create tougher teacher evaluations before his Thursday deadline. If no deal on a "template" for evaluations for teachers and principals is set by then, he'll impose his own in his budget amendments, which give the governor extraordinary power. Hanging in the balance is about $1 billion in federal aid that the state committed to in 2010, when it won competitive grants based on school reform. School districts will have a year to agree to specific evaluations or lose state aid.
New York officials say about 7,500 motorists around the state have gotten tickets since a tougher law against texting while driving kicked in last July. They say another 111,000 tickets were written for violating laws against using handheld devices behind the wheel. The new law made using handheld devices a primary offense, meaning police could begin stopping people for using them, rather ticketing them only when there was another reason for the stop. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the stepped up enforcement should send a message to motorists about the danger of distracted driving.
Ticonderoga High School’s bowling coach, Donna Fleury, has been named Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. She led the Sentinel girls to a 48-16 record this season, just missing the CVAC championship. She coaches both the boys and girls teams. This is the first time Fleury has been CVAC Coach of the Year, but it’s not the first time she’s been honored for her bowling accomplishments. She has been named Bowler of the Year by the Glens Falls Bowling Association several times.
The Valentine's Day phantom has struck again. On February 14th of every year the phantom wakes up early to plaster Montpelier with hearts. Even after years of this annual display, no one knows how many cupids the tradition takes. As usual, police are turning a blind eye to the mischief, calling it a crime of love.
The lack of snow this winter will not stop Brandon’s Art in the Snow Wine and Arts Festival this weekend. The festival will play host to open art studios, workshops, cooking classes and a wine tasting trail. Hosted by the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and the Brandon Artists’ Guild, the two-day event is slated to kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday with more than 20 local artists and craft makers opening their studio spaces, while five local wineries host a wine trail. For the weekend, the Brandon Chamber of Commerce is also offering a package promotion for visitors that includes $50 in Brandon Bucks to the first 20-two night room reservations booked at participating inns and bed and breakfasts in town. Get more information at www.artinthesnow.com!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 14, 2012
A reminder that the Middlebury Select Board will hold its regular meeting tonight at 7PM in the Town Offices Conference Room. Items to be covered include approval of wage increases for Election Workers, authorization of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application, an update on the Town Plan Schedule and an update on the FY2011 Audit. The complete agenda can be viewed anytime on the Town’s Website.
An Addison County Democrat wants to keep imposter grapes from masquerading as Vermont wine. Winemakers, however, say his legislation would do more harm than good to the state’s growing wine industry. Sen. Harold Giard has introduced legislation that would limit the percentage of out-of-state grapes sold in wines bearing the “Vermont” label. Giard said he was moved to act after learning that wine sold at many Vermont wineries is made from the juice of grapes grown elsewhere. Some winemakers feel they are already subject to a host of state and federal regulations that prohibit producers from misleading consumers about the origins of the wine.
The Pulp Mill Bridge project is underway. The bridge on Seymour Street will be closed until November as construction workers give the bridge a major structural facelift. The two-lane covered bridge, spanning Otter Creek and linking Weybridge and Middlebury, was built in the 1800s. Alpine Construction of New York is working on the nearly $2 million repair project. Repairs to the antique bridge will include a new base, roof, and siding. Also, the bridge truss work will be beefed up to better support increased traffic on the bridge and both approaches to the bridge will get cosmetic touch ups.
Construction work is underway at Middlebury College for what will be Middlebury’s largest solar-power station. Ground was broken in late January. Last week, two arrays were completed and more are on the way. The project got an early start with sunny and warmer-than-normal weather last week. Weybridge-based Backspin Renewables is doing the work. AllEarth Renewables of Williston is building the campus “solar farm” employing its own AllSun Trackers units. In total, the mini power station will produce, on average, 200,000 kilowatt-hours each year it remains in operation.
The energy committee in Fair Haven is spearheading a project that could provide up to 10 kilowatts of hydroelectric power for the town. The four-person committee is looking into the possibility of installing a water turbine at the town’s water treatment facility with the hopes of generating approximately 50 percent of the building’s demand for electricity. With the support of town officials, the energy committee recently submitted a letter of intent to the state Department of Environmental Conservation putting them on a green project priority list for water system improvement funds.
Discovery of some extra funds by the Essex County Department of Social Services has rescued the After-School Program that was about to be cut for Moriah and Willsboro schools. State funding had been abruptly shut down for the program, which serves elementary-age children, so it needed $31,000 in a hurry. After some searching, Social Services found the money in its budget. Adirondack Community Action Programs operates the After-School Program. The program has 85 elementary school children enrolled from the two schools. It covers grades pre-K to six with after-school educational activities and games.
Some people are wondering about the proceeds raised to help victims of Tropical Storm Irene during concerts by Phish and Grace Potter. The money went into the State's Long Term Disaster Relief Fund formed last September by Governor Peter Shumlin, but it's only been during the past three weeks, which 30 case managers began handing it out. The fund has more than three million dollars, but so far only 80-thousand has been given, partly because victims of the storm have to apply first to FEMA and private insurance.
Sen. Patrick Leahy is pushing legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which he says is the centerpiece of the federal government's attempts to stamp out domestic and sexual violence. Leahy says federal funding has enabled the network to help 7,000 adults and nearly 1,400 children in Vermont during the past year, and has enabled Sorrell's office to add a position dedicated to combating domestic violence. The law also provides training to police and prosecutors and housing for victims and their children.
Nearly $22 million in Irene recovery money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will take months to reach Vermont. At a public hearing yesterday in Montpelier, state officials fielded suggestions for how the money should be used. Jennifer Hollar is Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Affairs and she says the state has to develop a plan for how to use the money, submit it to the federal government and then wait for it to be reviewed. Hollar says it will be summer before applications for the money are accepted and the funds may not be available until August, a full year after Irene.
Senator Bernie Sanders says Vermont would greatly benefit from a transportation bill that would bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the state. The $109 billion bill goes before the U.S. Senate this week. Sanders’ says the legislation is important, but given the repair needs of the nation's roadways he characterizes it as a modest piece of legislation. The State’s Secretary of Transportation says about one third of Vermont's bridges are structurally deficient. And even before Tropical Storm Irene, a national report ranked the state's rural roads as some of the worst in the country.
A 42-year-old Vermont man has pleaded not guilty to charges he stole original papers and cards written by the poet Robert Frost and received more than $20,000 for them. Hartford police say Timothy Bernaby of Hartland was arrested Friday on a charge of grand larceny. He is free on $5,000 bail. If convicted he could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The union that represents Vermont state workers has ratified a new contract that restores a 3% pay cut and adds a two percent increase in each of the next two years. The Vermont State Employees Association announced the results of ballot counting from the ratification vote on Monday. Union officials praised what they called the cordial tone of negotiations with the administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin. The union says it's the first time in decades that the VSEA bargaining units were able to reach a deal with an administration without having to resort to a mediator or fact-finder.
Very little snow means a very big loss for the tourism industry in Vermont, this winter. It's not just ski resorts that are taking a hit, either. Deputy Commissioner of Tourism, Steve Cook, says December is normally one of the busiest months for ski areas, but with less people on the slopes business took a hit. Profits at resorts, hotels, and restaurants fell short by more than $500,000 over the course of the month which created an even bigger loss for small shops and other retailers: about $940,000. That means Vermont missed out on a total of more than $1.5 million worth of business in December, alone. Cook says the numbers are significant but they aren't high enough that the state can't recover. He feels a couple of big snowstorms could certainly make up any of these gaps.
Vermont's largest hospital has made its interim chief executive permanent. Burlington's Fletcher Allen Health Care announced Monday that Dr. John Brumsted will move from interim to permanent president and CEO. He had served on an interim basis since August, when former hospital chief Dr. Melinda Estes left.
A new report by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources says flooding from Tropical Storm Irene shows the state needs to be better prepared for future flooding. The state's "Climate Change Team" says climate change data predicts that Vermont will get more extreme rain events in the future, so "flood resiliency" may be a critical adaptation to climate changes.
Brandon Music is pleased to welcome Rutland native, Olivia Gawet, in a concert of vocal music, accompanied by Rip Jackson on piano at 2 P this Sunday (Feb. 19) in the Music Cafe. Price of admission is $10, with funds going to support the renovation of the new Compass Music and Arts Center in Brandon. In addition, donations are welcome to the non-profit, Compass Music and Arts Foundation, Inc. Also, on Saturday (Feb. 18) Ruth Hamilton will be on hand from 1 to 4PM, talking about the artistic process she uses in creating a painting. Her current exhibit of work is in our gallery until the end of the month and is a "must-see". We hope you'll join Brandon Music during "Art in the Snow" weekend! Get details at www.brandon-music.net.
A Hague woman is preparing to walk nearly 40 miles to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Lori Ross of Hague will participate in the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C., May 5th and 6th. It’s a 39-mile trek around the city. The course will include the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the White House. Your support and donations would greatly be appreciated. Learn more online at www.avonwalk.org.
Accomplished musician and educator Cynthia Huard of Middlebury College developed a passion for music early in life. She has made her mark as a stellar pianist and harpsichordist in the USA and in Europe. Cynthia will perform in concert, on piano this Saturday (Feb. 18) at 8PM in Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall. For more information just visit: www.middlebury.edu/academics/music
An Addison County Democrat wants to keep imposter grapes from masquerading as Vermont wine. Winemakers, however, say his legislation would do more harm than good to the state’s growing wine industry. Sen. Harold Giard has introduced legislation that would limit the percentage of out-of-state grapes sold in wines bearing the “Vermont” label. Giard said he was moved to act after learning that wine sold at many Vermont wineries is made from the juice of grapes grown elsewhere. Some winemakers feel they are already subject to a host of state and federal regulations that prohibit producers from misleading consumers about the origins of the wine.
The Pulp Mill Bridge project is underway. The bridge on Seymour Street will be closed until November as construction workers give the bridge a major structural facelift. The two-lane covered bridge, spanning Otter Creek and linking Weybridge and Middlebury, was built in the 1800s. Alpine Construction of New York is working on the nearly $2 million repair project. Repairs to the antique bridge will include a new base, roof, and siding. Also, the bridge truss work will be beefed up to better support increased traffic on the bridge and both approaches to the bridge will get cosmetic touch ups.
Construction work is underway at Middlebury College for what will be Middlebury’s largest solar-power station. Ground was broken in late January. Last week, two arrays were completed and more are on the way. The project got an early start with sunny and warmer-than-normal weather last week. Weybridge-based Backspin Renewables is doing the work. AllEarth Renewables of Williston is building the campus “solar farm” employing its own AllSun Trackers units. In total, the mini power station will produce, on average, 200,000 kilowatt-hours each year it remains in operation.
The energy committee in Fair Haven is spearheading a project that could provide up to 10 kilowatts of hydroelectric power for the town. The four-person committee is looking into the possibility of installing a water turbine at the town’s water treatment facility with the hopes of generating approximately 50 percent of the building’s demand for electricity. With the support of town officials, the energy committee recently submitted a letter of intent to the state Department of Environmental Conservation putting them on a green project priority list for water system improvement funds.
Discovery of some extra funds by the Essex County Department of Social Services has rescued the After-School Program that was about to be cut for Moriah and Willsboro schools. State funding had been abruptly shut down for the program, which serves elementary-age children, so it needed $31,000 in a hurry. After some searching, Social Services found the money in its budget. Adirondack Community Action Programs operates the After-School Program. The program has 85 elementary school children enrolled from the two schools. It covers grades pre-K to six with after-school educational activities and games.
Some people are wondering about the proceeds raised to help victims of Tropical Storm Irene during concerts by Phish and Grace Potter. The money went into the State's Long Term Disaster Relief Fund formed last September by Governor Peter Shumlin, but it's only been during the past three weeks, which 30 case managers began handing it out. The fund has more than three million dollars, but so far only 80-thousand has been given, partly because victims of the storm have to apply first to FEMA and private insurance.
Sen. Patrick Leahy is pushing legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which he says is the centerpiece of the federal government's attempts to stamp out domestic and sexual violence. Leahy says federal funding has enabled the network to help 7,000 adults and nearly 1,400 children in Vermont during the past year, and has enabled Sorrell's office to add a position dedicated to combating domestic violence. The law also provides training to police and prosecutors and housing for victims and their children.
Nearly $22 million in Irene recovery money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will take months to reach Vermont. At a public hearing yesterday in Montpelier, state officials fielded suggestions for how the money should be used. Jennifer Hollar is Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Affairs and she says the state has to develop a plan for how to use the money, submit it to the federal government and then wait for it to be reviewed. Hollar says it will be summer before applications for the money are accepted and the funds may not be available until August, a full year after Irene.
Senator Bernie Sanders says Vermont would greatly benefit from a transportation bill that would bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the state. The $109 billion bill goes before the U.S. Senate this week. Sanders’ says the legislation is important, but given the repair needs of the nation's roadways he characterizes it as a modest piece of legislation. The State’s Secretary of Transportation says about one third of Vermont's bridges are structurally deficient. And even before Tropical Storm Irene, a national report ranked the state's rural roads as some of the worst in the country.
A 42-year-old Vermont man has pleaded not guilty to charges he stole original papers and cards written by the poet Robert Frost and received more than $20,000 for them. Hartford police say Timothy Bernaby of Hartland was arrested Friday on a charge of grand larceny. He is free on $5,000 bail. If convicted he could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The union that represents Vermont state workers has ratified a new contract that restores a 3% pay cut and adds a two percent increase in each of the next two years. The Vermont State Employees Association announced the results of ballot counting from the ratification vote on Monday. Union officials praised what they called the cordial tone of negotiations with the administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin. The union says it's the first time in decades that the VSEA bargaining units were able to reach a deal with an administration without having to resort to a mediator or fact-finder.
Very little snow means a very big loss for the tourism industry in Vermont, this winter. It's not just ski resorts that are taking a hit, either. Deputy Commissioner of Tourism, Steve Cook, says December is normally one of the busiest months for ski areas, but with less people on the slopes business took a hit. Profits at resorts, hotels, and restaurants fell short by more than $500,000 over the course of the month which created an even bigger loss for small shops and other retailers: about $940,000. That means Vermont missed out on a total of more than $1.5 million worth of business in December, alone. Cook says the numbers are significant but they aren't high enough that the state can't recover. He feels a couple of big snowstorms could certainly make up any of these gaps.
Vermont's largest hospital has made its interim chief executive permanent. Burlington's Fletcher Allen Health Care announced Monday that Dr. John Brumsted will move from interim to permanent president and CEO. He had served on an interim basis since August, when former hospital chief Dr. Melinda Estes left.
A new report by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources says flooding from Tropical Storm Irene shows the state needs to be better prepared for future flooding. The state's "Climate Change Team" says climate change data predicts that Vermont will get more extreme rain events in the future, so "flood resiliency" may be a critical adaptation to climate changes.
Brandon Music is pleased to welcome Rutland native, Olivia Gawet, in a concert of vocal music, accompanied by Rip Jackson on piano at 2 P this Sunday (Feb. 19) in the Music Cafe. Price of admission is $10, with funds going to support the renovation of the new Compass Music and Arts Center in Brandon. In addition, donations are welcome to the non-profit, Compass Music and Arts Foundation, Inc. Also, on Saturday (Feb. 18) Ruth Hamilton will be on hand from 1 to 4PM, talking about the artistic process she uses in creating a painting. Her current exhibit of work is in our gallery until the end of the month and is a "must-see". We hope you'll join Brandon Music during "Art in the Snow" weekend! Get details at www.brandon-music.net.
A Hague woman is preparing to walk nearly 40 miles to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Lori Ross of Hague will participate in the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C., May 5th and 6th. It’s a 39-mile trek around the city. The course will include the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the White House. Your support and donations would greatly be appreciated. Learn more online at www.avonwalk.org.
Accomplished musician and educator Cynthia Huard of Middlebury College developed a passion for music early in life. She has made her mark as a stellar pianist and harpsichordist in the USA and in Europe. Cynthia will perform in concert, on piano this Saturday (Feb. 18) at 8PM in Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall. For more information just visit: www.middlebury.edu/academics/music
Monday, February 13, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 13, 2012
Tomorrow evening the Middlebury Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 7PM in the Town Offices Conference Room. Items to be covered include approval of wage increases for Election Workers, authorization of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application, an update on the Town Plan Schedule and an update on the FY2011 Audit. The complete agenda can be viewed anytime on the Town’s Website.
A Vermont man is due in court to answer charges he stole original papers and cards written by the poet Robert Frost and received more than $20,000 for them. Hartford police say Timothy Bernaby was arrested on Friday on a charge of grand larceny. Police say after he stole the papers he sold them.
Three New Yorkers are behind bars as of this morning after police found thousands of dollars of drugs and weapons in their Rutland hotel room. State police executed a search warrant inside a room at the Holiday Inn and found more than 80 grams of cocaine, 150 bags of heroin, 27 grams of pot, a .9 mm handgun, and more than $3,000 in cash. The three from New York are all being lodged at the Marble Valley Corrections Facility and are due in court today.
State officials will be at Rutland Free Library today to hear about what worked, what did not and what still needs to be done in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. The Community Recovery Partnership initiative will hold a town meeting-style discussion at 7PM today at the Rutland Library. Noelle MacKay, state commissioner of Economic, Housing and Community Development, said the meeting is one in a series designed to reveal the tasks and needs before Vermont communities that suffered during the flooding.
The Central Vermont Community Action Council will provide hands-on training in fundamental techniques for improving your home’s efficiency at the Hannaford Career Center here in Middlebury on Saturday, March 17th. The Middlebury Energy Committee is hosting this event in collaboration with Hannaford Career Center. Participants will learn the basics of building science, how to find and seal trouble spots and practice installing rigid foam insulation, door weather stripping, and spray foam gun sealing in the attic and basement. This will prepare you to participate in Efficiency Vermont’s Do-It-Yourself program that provides financial incentives for owner-installed weatherization improvements. A $50 registration fee includes training and lunch. For more information or to register, just visit: www.weatherizationskillshop.com.
Crown Point residents will soon be able monitor local government on the Internet. The town is developing a new website that will allow for regular updates and provide current information. The supervisor said the new website will have town meeting dates, agendas for upcoming meetings, minutes of past meetings and other information. New software at the town hall will allow the website to be maintained locally instead of through the current design company at an additional expense to the town.
Ticonderoga Central School District is facing the possibility of severe cuts to stay under the state's 2 percent tax-levy cap. To find out what ideas people might have to overcome the crisis, the School Board is holding a community forum at 7PM this Wednesday in the High School cafeteria. The district is starting its 2012-13 budget process almost $2 million short. The possibilities include layoffs and deep program cuts. School officials are asking for the community’s help as team to find solutions for the budget issues.
Police have arrested 42-year-old Christopher McCarthy of Rutland in connection with an armed robbery of the West Rutland Rite Aid on Saturday. The robbery took place around 4:15 in the afternoon. He was found and arrested around 8:20PM and is being held at Marble Valley Correctional Center for lack of $75,000 bail.
According to a consultant hired by the Rutland Central Supervisory District the town of Proctor has a number of options to choose from regarding the future of the junior-senior high school. With a declining school enrollment that dropped to just 158 students in grades 7 through 12 this year, Proctor taxpayers are finding themselves up against the realities of a state education tax formula that dictates the fewer the students, the higher the cost to educate them. Options included sticking with the status quo, creating a unified or regional school district with West Rutland, tuitioning students to either Rutland City, Mill River Union High School or Otter Valley Union High School or allowing school choice so parents could pick what institution their children attended.
Medical and mental health officials planning to open a methadone clinic in Rutland believe an industrial site off Park Street could be the right site. But some city officials, including the mayor, said that while they support a methadone clinic, they don’t like the proposed location. No decision has been made regarding the clinic’s site. But with a $500,000 operating budget approved by the state Department of Health, officials who are working to start the drug treatment center are hopeful that it can open this summer.
Officials from Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven have announced a Vermont State Late Model Championship Series for the 2012 stock auto-racing season. Four long-distance stock car events for Late Model race teams will determine the Vermont State Late Model Champion. The American Canadian Tour-type Late Model division is the most popular form of stock car racing in the northeastern US and eastern Canada, serving the needs of racers and fans at fifteen different race tracks and two regional touring divisions.
While it wasn't known at the time, as searchers frantically tried to reach a vehicle submerged in Lake Champlain, no one was in it. But State Police didn’t discover that until after multiple dives Sunday morning. The vehicle was found underneath about 16 inches of ice. Alburgh fire authorities say a pressure crack in the ice is likely the reason it gave way beneath the vehicle. It remains under investigation.
A key state lawmaker says he will continue his bid to get the state to look at purchasing a 51% ownership stake in its high-tension power transmission grid. Senator Vincent Illuzzi has been leading the charge to call on the state to acquire majority ownership in the Vermont Electric Power Company, or VELCO.
It's February, and already flocks of robins are being spotted around Vermont. Bird experts say it's because the birds never left for the winter. The weather has been mild enough for the robins to hang around. While some usually winter in Vermont, they're staying in greater numbers than normal, according to the conservation program manager at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington. More than two-thousand American robins were noted during the annual Christmas bird count, shattering a 64-year-record.
Vermont lawmakers will decide this winter how their state will design a health insurance exchange. The federal Affordable Care Act requires states to create exchanges by 2014 or have the government do it for them. The exchanges are Internet-based marketplaces where small employers and individuals will be able to compare health insurance plans and make insurance purchases. The idea is to increase their negotiating clout with insurance companies. Some employers worry that they could be offered coverage such as high-deductible plans that would be a good deal for small businesses' bottom lines, but a bad deal for consumers' wallets.
A renewable energy industry group is calling for the state to expand the amount of power Vermont gets from generators paid above-market prices set by the state. But other business groups say they worry that expanding the state's so-called standard offer program will drive up electric rates.
Some of the leaders of Vermont's independent colleges didn't appreciate President Barack Obama's recent comments about the need for colleges and universities to keep costs down. The schools' presidents say they're working to keep costs down. But they also say that given the likelihood of a college degree boosting lifelong earnings, a college education is still the best investment a person can make.
The hospital in the Vermont town of Randolph is going to use a $35,000 grant to help promote breast cancer awareness. Gifford Memorial Hospital says the Avon Breast Health Outreach Program is designed to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of the early detection of breast cancer.
A group dedicated to protecting snakes is working with the state to learn more about Vermont's endangered poisonous rattlesnakes. Vermont and nearby sections of New York are at the extreme northern edge of the rattlesnake's range. Biologists estimate there are several hundred rattlesnakes living in two areas in western Rutland County. Last summer, the groups used radio transmitters to track the snakes up to two miles from their winter dens. Sometimes the snakes had crossed roads and private property. The snakes rarely bother people, but a system has been in place for years so that when people find the snakes on their property experts will safely remove them and release them far from people.
Vermont's Organic Farmers have gathered for a winter meeting for the 30th year. The movement has grown from a just few, to thousands. The multi-billion dollar industry employs thousands of Vermonters. The 2008's farm-bill is due to expire at the end of September, Sen. Patrick Leahy says he'll make sure $23 Billion in proposed Agricultural cuts won't hit the small Vermont farmer. Regardless of what happens in Washington, Governor Shumlin says the state's organic farmers, especially the fresh faces, are poised to lead the nation in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.
Green Works-Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association have announced the winners of the 2011 Industry Award Program here in Vermont. Both residential and commercial projects in the state were recognized including many here in the Champlain Valley. Green Works-Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association is a non-profit, statewide industry organization. Awards were given out recently at their annual Winter Meeting and Trade Show at the University of Vermont.
Ticonderoga High School’s music program has been selected to host the 2012 All-County Music Festival. Top student musicians from high schools throughout the area will take part in the program this Thursday at Ti High. Performers will spend the entire day in Ticonderoga rehearsing with students from other schools under the direction of various music teachers. The day will conclude with a public concert at 7PM in the school auditorium. Tickets are $2 a person and $10 for a family.
Vermont's hometown recording artist, Grace Potter did not make the final cut at Grammy's Sunday night. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "You and Tequila" that she performed with country music star Kenny Chesney. The Best Country Duo award ended up going to The Civil Wars - 'Barton Hollow.'
A Vermont man is due in court to answer charges he stole original papers and cards written by the poet Robert Frost and received more than $20,000 for them. Hartford police say Timothy Bernaby was arrested on Friday on a charge of grand larceny. Police say after he stole the papers he sold them.
Three New Yorkers are behind bars as of this morning after police found thousands of dollars of drugs and weapons in their Rutland hotel room. State police executed a search warrant inside a room at the Holiday Inn and found more than 80 grams of cocaine, 150 bags of heroin, 27 grams of pot, a .9 mm handgun, and more than $3,000 in cash. The three from New York are all being lodged at the Marble Valley Corrections Facility and are due in court today.
State officials will be at Rutland Free Library today to hear about what worked, what did not and what still needs to be done in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. The Community Recovery Partnership initiative will hold a town meeting-style discussion at 7PM today at the Rutland Library. Noelle MacKay, state commissioner of Economic, Housing and Community Development, said the meeting is one in a series designed to reveal the tasks and needs before Vermont communities that suffered during the flooding.
The Central Vermont Community Action Council will provide hands-on training in fundamental techniques for improving your home’s efficiency at the Hannaford Career Center here in Middlebury on Saturday, March 17th. The Middlebury Energy Committee is hosting this event in collaboration with Hannaford Career Center. Participants will learn the basics of building science, how to find and seal trouble spots and practice installing rigid foam insulation, door weather stripping, and spray foam gun sealing in the attic and basement. This will prepare you to participate in Efficiency Vermont’s Do-It-Yourself program that provides financial incentives for owner-installed weatherization improvements. A $50 registration fee includes training and lunch. For more information or to register, just visit: www.weatherizationskillshop.com.
Crown Point residents will soon be able monitor local government on the Internet. The town is developing a new website that will allow for regular updates and provide current information. The supervisor said the new website will have town meeting dates, agendas for upcoming meetings, minutes of past meetings and other information. New software at the town hall will allow the website to be maintained locally instead of through the current design company at an additional expense to the town.
Ticonderoga Central School District is facing the possibility of severe cuts to stay under the state's 2 percent tax-levy cap. To find out what ideas people might have to overcome the crisis, the School Board is holding a community forum at 7PM this Wednesday in the High School cafeteria. The district is starting its 2012-13 budget process almost $2 million short. The possibilities include layoffs and deep program cuts. School officials are asking for the community’s help as team to find solutions for the budget issues.
Police have arrested 42-year-old Christopher McCarthy of Rutland in connection with an armed robbery of the West Rutland Rite Aid on Saturday. The robbery took place around 4:15 in the afternoon. He was found and arrested around 8:20PM and is being held at Marble Valley Correctional Center for lack of $75,000 bail.
According to a consultant hired by the Rutland Central Supervisory District the town of Proctor has a number of options to choose from regarding the future of the junior-senior high school. With a declining school enrollment that dropped to just 158 students in grades 7 through 12 this year, Proctor taxpayers are finding themselves up against the realities of a state education tax formula that dictates the fewer the students, the higher the cost to educate them. Options included sticking with the status quo, creating a unified or regional school district with West Rutland, tuitioning students to either Rutland City, Mill River Union High School or Otter Valley Union High School or allowing school choice so parents could pick what institution their children attended.
Medical and mental health officials planning to open a methadone clinic in Rutland believe an industrial site off Park Street could be the right site. But some city officials, including the mayor, said that while they support a methadone clinic, they don’t like the proposed location. No decision has been made regarding the clinic’s site. But with a $500,000 operating budget approved by the state Department of Health, officials who are working to start the drug treatment center are hopeful that it can open this summer.
Officials from Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven have announced a Vermont State Late Model Championship Series for the 2012 stock auto-racing season. Four long-distance stock car events for Late Model race teams will determine the Vermont State Late Model Champion. The American Canadian Tour-type Late Model division is the most popular form of stock car racing in the northeastern US and eastern Canada, serving the needs of racers and fans at fifteen different race tracks and two regional touring divisions.
While it wasn't known at the time, as searchers frantically tried to reach a vehicle submerged in Lake Champlain, no one was in it. But State Police didn’t discover that until after multiple dives Sunday morning. The vehicle was found underneath about 16 inches of ice. Alburgh fire authorities say a pressure crack in the ice is likely the reason it gave way beneath the vehicle. It remains under investigation.
A key state lawmaker says he will continue his bid to get the state to look at purchasing a 51% ownership stake in its high-tension power transmission grid. Senator Vincent Illuzzi has been leading the charge to call on the state to acquire majority ownership in the Vermont Electric Power Company, or VELCO.
It's February, and already flocks of robins are being spotted around Vermont. Bird experts say it's because the birds never left for the winter. The weather has been mild enough for the robins to hang around. While some usually winter in Vermont, they're staying in greater numbers than normal, according to the conservation program manager at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington. More than two-thousand American robins were noted during the annual Christmas bird count, shattering a 64-year-record.
Vermont lawmakers will decide this winter how their state will design a health insurance exchange. The federal Affordable Care Act requires states to create exchanges by 2014 or have the government do it for them. The exchanges are Internet-based marketplaces where small employers and individuals will be able to compare health insurance plans and make insurance purchases. The idea is to increase their negotiating clout with insurance companies. Some employers worry that they could be offered coverage such as high-deductible plans that would be a good deal for small businesses' bottom lines, but a bad deal for consumers' wallets.
A renewable energy industry group is calling for the state to expand the amount of power Vermont gets from generators paid above-market prices set by the state. But other business groups say they worry that expanding the state's so-called standard offer program will drive up electric rates.
Some of the leaders of Vermont's independent colleges didn't appreciate President Barack Obama's recent comments about the need for colleges and universities to keep costs down. The schools' presidents say they're working to keep costs down. But they also say that given the likelihood of a college degree boosting lifelong earnings, a college education is still the best investment a person can make.
The hospital in the Vermont town of Randolph is going to use a $35,000 grant to help promote breast cancer awareness. Gifford Memorial Hospital says the Avon Breast Health Outreach Program is designed to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of the early detection of breast cancer.
A group dedicated to protecting snakes is working with the state to learn more about Vermont's endangered poisonous rattlesnakes. Vermont and nearby sections of New York are at the extreme northern edge of the rattlesnake's range. Biologists estimate there are several hundred rattlesnakes living in two areas in western Rutland County. Last summer, the groups used radio transmitters to track the snakes up to two miles from their winter dens. Sometimes the snakes had crossed roads and private property. The snakes rarely bother people, but a system has been in place for years so that when people find the snakes on their property experts will safely remove them and release them far from people.
Vermont's Organic Farmers have gathered for a winter meeting for the 30th year. The movement has grown from a just few, to thousands. The multi-billion dollar industry employs thousands of Vermonters. The 2008's farm-bill is due to expire at the end of September, Sen. Patrick Leahy says he'll make sure $23 Billion in proposed Agricultural cuts won't hit the small Vermont farmer. Regardless of what happens in Washington, Governor Shumlin says the state's organic farmers, especially the fresh faces, are poised to lead the nation in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.
Green Works-Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association have announced the winners of the 2011 Industry Award Program here in Vermont. Both residential and commercial projects in the state were recognized including many here in the Champlain Valley. Green Works-Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association is a non-profit, statewide industry organization. Awards were given out recently at their annual Winter Meeting and Trade Show at the University of Vermont.
Ticonderoga High School’s music program has been selected to host the 2012 All-County Music Festival. Top student musicians from high schools throughout the area will take part in the program this Thursday at Ti High. Performers will spend the entire day in Ticonderoga rehearsing with students from other schools under the direction of various music teachers. The day will conclude with a public concert at 7PM in the school auditorium. Tickets are $2 a person and $10 for a family.
Vermont's hometown recording artist, Grace Potter did not make the final cut at Grammy's Sunday night. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "You and Tequila" that she performed with country music star Kenny Chesney. The Best Country Duo award ended up going to The Civil Wars - 'Barton Hollow.'
Friday, February 10, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 10, 2012
Sate Police from New Haven responded to a report of vandalized mailboxes on Ferson Rd in the Town of Leicester late Wednesday night. The initial investigation revealed that 2 mailboxes had been struck and broken with a rounded object. This is one of several reports of vandalism in the area in the last 2 months. Meanwhile police responded to a report of vandalism at the Park & Ride off of Route 7 at the junction of 22A in the town of Ferrisburgh. 6 of the parking lights had been shattered. It is suspected that a firearm was used to shoot-out the protective glass and light bulbs. Please contact Trooper Armstrong at the New Haven State Police Barracks with any reports of suspicious activity or information on either of these incidents.
Glenn Garvey of Brandon and Nathan Jones of Washington were supposed to be splitting wood on a work crew just a few hundred yards from Northeast Regional Correctional Facility where the two men were serving time. But at 10:30 yesterday morning police say the two inmates snuck away, escaping into the woods. Corrections officers’ notified VT State police when they realized the duo had disappeared. Border patrol took to the air and State police launched a ground search. The two men are now facing felony escape charges. They were processed at the St. Johnsbury barracks and will be arraigned today.
A teenager is recovering from a severe attack at the Northlands Job Corps in Vergennes. Police say 22-year-old Frederick Teal of Brooklyn, NY and his girlfriend 17-year-old Eleanor Wilcox of Providence, RI are both charged with aggravated assault. Police aren't naming the victim because he's a minor. Police say the incident occurred on Tuesday. The teenager is being treated at the hospital for a broken neck.
A Leicester man answered Monday to two felony charges of drunken driving. Robert J. Munger pleaded innocent in Rutland criminal court to two counts of drunken driving, fourth offense. He was released on conditions that included a 7PM to 6:30AM curfew. He was arrested last month after state police stopped him on Route 7 in Brandon. If convicted of both charges, Munger faces up to 20 years in jail.
Planning for this year’s “Middlebury Maple Run – The Sweetest Half” is well underway. Now in its fourth year, the half marathon and two-person relay race will take place on Sunday, May 6th with a start time of 9:00AM. Registration has been open since early November and entrants are 50% ahead compared to this time last year. The race has grown steadily since its founding in 2009. This year race organizers are planning on a field of approximately 1,000 participants with 800 runners completing the half marathon course and 200 two-person relay teams. Runners can register online or download and mail a paper entry form. Prices increase again on April 22nd and t-shirts are guaranteed to every person who registers before then. For details and entry forms just visit www.middleburymaplerun.com.
From now until the bidding begins on March 9th, more and more items will be added to the Middlebury Rotary Club Online Auction site. In addition to bidding on merchandise, you may donate items to the auction by clicking on the “donate item” box on the left hand side of the club’s home page on the website. Residents may bid on items online March 9th through the 23rd. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to Vermont Special Olympics, Vermont Make-A-Wish, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, Dolly Parton Literacy Foundation as well as several Addison County charities. To bid online just visit: www.biddingforgood.com/middleburyrotary
Vermont State Police are currently investigating an attempted burglary at a private residence in Bristol. Someone attempted to force entry through a rear sliding door at a private residence. During the incident the door handle and screen were damaged. There was approximately $100.00 in estimated damages. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
Crown Point Town officials have learned they will receive money from the federal and state governments to reimburse local taxpayers for much of the cost of Hurricane Irene repairs. The town spent $191,000 to make road and bridge repairs following the storm and $136,464 of that money is eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency and New York State funding. Crown Point officials have been informed FEMA will reimburse the town the maximum 75 percent allowed while the state will pay for 12.5 percent of the damage. That means $119,406 for the town.
The Ticonderoga Emergency Squad is settling into its new home. The ambulance service has moved into its new building at 118 Champlain Avenue, located between Champlain Avenue and The Portage. The Ticonderoga Emergency Squad had been located in a small garage behind the Community Building since 1963. The new building is on the site of the old Ticonderoga Civic Center and was sold to the ambulance squad in 2009 by the town of Ticonderoga.
The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce is working hard every day to better serve the Ticonderoga area in an array of ways including expanding their current partnerships and creating new ones to assist members and the business community. The chamber is currently working with the North Country Small Business Development Center. Services provided by the North Country SBDC will be available at the chamber office on the second Tuesday of each month from 9AM to 3PM unless otherwise advertised. They are encouraging chamber members and area business to take advantage of the free services available to them through the North Country Small Business Development Center. To learn more about the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce visit www.ticonderogany.com or visit their office on Montcalm Street in downtown Ti.
Despite concerns of some Essex County lawmakers, the county will pay for an environmental evaluation of Horace Nye Nursing Home prior to a sale. The County Board of Supervisors has authorized the county purchasing agent to seek proposals for an environmental report on Horace Nye. The review has a $3,000 estimated cost. The board voted this week to do the evaluation, plus solicit quotes for title work at the Nursing Home.
Vermont lawmakers are taking testimony on a bill that would elevate the office of the state's chief education official from a commissioner to a cabinet-level secretary. Supporters say the move would strengthen the state's education policy, but critics fear it will mean a loss of local control over education decisions.
A bill cosponsored by Vermont Congressman Peter Welch that would give the president a line item budget veto has been approved by the U.S. House. The bill would allow the president to remove spending items from large appropriations bills and send them back to Congress, where the line item would face a separate override vote. Welch says this is a practical tool that every president should have to check unnecessary federal spending. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Police in Milton have busted about a dozen people involved in the sale of illegal drugs. The investigation began back in October and ended with an arrest yesterday. Police executed search warrants and confiscated prescription drugs, cocaine and marijuana, along with 17-thousand dollars in cash and several vehicles. The suspects are expected to be arraigned March 1st in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.
A Burlington bank manager is convicted of fraud for stealing 165-thousand dollars for personal use. Brian Bouchard of Burlington pleaded guilty to one charge of bank fraud for stealing money from the Chittenden Bank/Peoples United Bank. A bank customer noticed funds missing from an account and notified bank officials. Bouchard admitted to the bank and FBI agents he had stolen the money.
The University of Vermont has pledged 13-million-dollars toward green energy initiatives. The money will be placed into a revolving fund to finance on campus energy efficiency improvements. Vermont is the 34th college in the country to commit to the Sustainable Endowment Institute's Billion Dollar Green Challenge. The school's pledge so far is the largest in the country, surpassing the 12-million-dollars pledged by Harvard.
Vermont State Police are continuing to investigate reports from senior citizens of phone scam attempts being made. Some of these individuals making the calls have strong accents possibly indicating the calls are originating from other countries. Vermont State Police are urging citizens to not provide their personal information such as Bank Account Numbers or Social Security numbers to anyone they do not know.
Police are warning contractors to beware of copper thieves. Authorities say metal thefts are on the rise. In the most recent case, St. Albans police arrested a 44-year-old man after he allegedly swiped about 760 feet of copper pipe from a construction site in Enosburg.
The Vermont House has advanced legislation that would raise the statewide education property tax rates by 1 cent per $100 of value. There are lots of factors that go into calculating school taxes, including local spending beyond what the state accounts for, but a penny on the tax rate equals $20 on a $200,000 house. Preliminary approval of the bill came Thursday afternoon on a 101-42 roll call vote after the House defeated an amendment that would have moved $27 million from the state's general fund into its education fund.
Vermont is receiving $6.7 million in a settlement between states and the nation's biggest mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses. Attorney General William Sorrell says the settlement provides $3.1 million to Vermont residents and $3.6 million to state funds that may be used for housing-related or other purposes.
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed legislation allowing people to attach the new "I am Vermont Strong" license plate to the front of their vehicles. The signing occurred yesterday amid fanfare at the Statehouse, where Shumlin bought the first plate and presented it as a gift to the Corliss family of Berlin, who were flooded out of their mobile home by Tropical Storm Irene.
A Peterborough, NH man was killed yesterday afternoon when the plane he was piloting crashed during an emergency landing at Lebanon Municipal Airport. Paul Schlieben was unable to make the take off, attempted an emergency landing and crashed just off the runway. The crash happened around 2PM He was the only person on board the single-engine Cessna 182. National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on site this morning.
Remember the pig hidden within the decal on the doors of some Vermont State Police cruisers? There's now a movement under way to keep it there. The white pig hidden within the red cows was first noticed last week years after a prison inmate who designed the 16-inch decals added it. Cid Sinclair, of Barre, has created a "Save the Pigs" Facebook page seeking to keep the pigs on the cruisers. He says times are tough and the pigs are an opportunity for Vermonters "to laugh together as one." The page has more than 500 supporters.
Even with a lack of snow in Ti, The third annual Ticonderoga WinterFest will take place tomorrow. WinterFest activities will kick-off at 10:45 in the morning with a one-mile Snowman Fun Run, which is sponsored by LaChute Road Runners Club. WinterFest will continue from 11AM to 2PM People are asked to sign in at the registration desk in the public parking lot next to the Elks Building and sign up for prizes donated by supporters. Complete event details can be found at www.ticonderogany.com.
Glenn Garvey of Brandon and Nathan Jones of Washington were supposed to be splitting wood on a work crew just a few hundred yards from Northeast Regional Correctional Facility where the two men were serving time. But at 10:30 yesterday morning police say the two inmates snuck away, escaping into the woods. Corrections officers’ notified VT State police when they realized the duo had disappeared. Border patrol took to the air and State police launched a ground search. The two men are now facing felony escape charges. They were processed at the St. Johnsbury barracks and will be arraigned today.
A teenager is recovering from a severe attack at the Northlands Job Corps in Vergennes. Police say 22-year-old Frederick Teal of Brooklyn, NY and his girlfriend 17-year-old Eleanor Wilcox of Providence, RI are both charged with aggravated assault. Police aren't naming the victim because he's a minor. Police say the incident occurred on Tuesday. The teenager is being treated at the hospital for a broken neck.
A Leicester man answered Monday to two felony charges of drunken driving. Robert J. Munger pleaded innocent in Rutland criminal court to two counts of drunken driving, fourth offense. He was released on conditions that included a 7PM to 6:30AM curfew. He was arrested last month after state police stopped him on Route 7 in Brandon. If convicted of both charges, Munger faces up to 20 years in jail.
Planning for this year’s “Middlebury Maple Run – The Sweetest Half” is well underway. Now in its fourth year, the half marathon and two-person relay race will take place on Sunday, May 6th with a start time of 9:00AM. Registration has been open since early November and entrants are 50% ahead compared to this time last year. The race has grown steadily since its founding in 2009. This year race organizers are planning on a field of approximately 1,000 participants with 800 runners completing the half marathon course and 200 two-person relay teams. Runners can register online or download and mail a paper entry form. Prices increase again on April 22nd and t-shirts are guaranteed to every person who registers before then. For details and entry forms just visit www.middleburymaplerun.com.
From now until the bidding begins on March 9th, more and more items will be added to the Middlebury Rotary Club Online Auction site. In addition to bidding on merchandise, you may donate items to the auction by clicking on the “donate item” box on the left hand side of the club’s home page on the website. Residents may bid on items online March 9th through the 23rd. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to Vermont Special Olympics, Vermont Make-A-Wish, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, Dolly Parton Literacy Foundation as well as several Addison County charities. To bid online just visit: www.biddingforgood.com/middleburyrotary
Vermont State Police are currently investigating an attempted burglary at a private residence in Bristol. Someone attempted to force entry through a rear sliding door at a private residence. During the incident the door handle and screen were damaged. There was approximately $100.00 in estimated damages. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
Crown Point Town officials have learned they will receive money from the federal and state governments to reimburse local taxpayers for much of the cost of Hurricane Irene repairs. The town spent $191,000 to make road and bridge repairs following the storm and $136,464 of that money is eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency and New York State funding. Crown Point officials have been informed FEMA will reimburse the town the maximum 75 percent allowed while the state will pay for 12.5 percent of the damage. That means $119,406 for the town.
The Ticonderoga Emergency Squad is settling into its new home. The ambulance service has moved into its new building at 118 Champlain Avenue, located between Champlain Avenue and The Portage. The Ticonderoga Emergency Squad had been located in a small garage behind the Community Building since 1963. The new building is on the site of the old Ticonderoga Civic Center and was sold to the ambulance squad in 2009 by the town of Ticonderoga.
The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce is working hard every day to better serve the Ticonderoga area in an array of ways including expanding their current partnerships and creating new ones to assist members and the business community. The chamber is currently working with the North Country Small Business Development Center. Services provided by the North Country SBDC will be available at the chamber office on the second Tuesday of each month from 9AM to 3PM unless otherwise advertised. They are encouraging chamber members and area business to take advantage of the free services available to them through the North Country Small Business Development Center. To learn more about the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce visit www.ticonderogany.com or visit their office on Montcalm Street in downtown Ti.
Despite concerns of some Essex County lawmakers, the county will pay for an environmental evaluation of Horace Nye Nursing Home prior to a sale. The County Board of Supervisors has authorized the county purchasing agent to seek proposals for an environmental report on Horace Nye. The review has a $3,000 estimated cost. The board voted this week to do the evaluation, plus solicit quotes for title work at the Nursing Home.
Vermont lawmakers are taking testimony on a bill that would elevate the office of the state's chief education official from a commissioner to a cabinet-level secretary. Supporters say the move would strengthen the state's education policy, but critics fear it will mean a loss of local control over education decisions.
A bill cosponsored by Vermont Congressman Peter Welch that would give the president a line item budget veto has been approved by the U.S. House. The bill would allow the president to remove spending items from large appropriations bills and send them back to Congress, where the line item would face a separate override vote. Welch says this is a practical tool that every president should have to check unnecessary federal spending. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Police in Milton have busted about a dozen people involved in the sale of illegal drugs. The investigation began back in October and ended with an arrest yesterday. Police executed search warrants and confiscated prescription drugs, cocaine and marijuana, along with 17-thousand dollars in cash and several vehicles. The suspects are expected to be arraigned March 1st in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.
A Burlington bank manager is convicted of fraud for stealing 165-thousand dollars for personal use. Brian Bouchard of Burlington pleaded guilty to one charge of bank fraud for stealing money from the Chittenden Bank/Peoples United Bank. A bank customer noticed funds missing from an account and notified bank officials. Bouchard admitted to the bank and FBI agents he had stolen the money.
The University of Vermont has pledged 13-million-dollars toward green energy initiatives. The money will be placed into a revolving fund to finance on campus energy efficiency improvements. Vermont is the 34th college in the country to commit to the Sustainable Endowment Institute's Billion Dollar Green Challenge. The school's pledge so far is the largest in the country, surpassing the 12-million-dollars pledged by Harvard.
Vermont State Police are continuing to investigate reports from senior citizens of phone scam attempts being made. Some of these individuals making the calls have strong accents possibly indicating the calls are originating from other countries. Vermont State Police are urging citizens to not provide their personal information such as Bank Account Numbers or Social Security numbers to anyone they do not know.
Police are warning contractors to beware of copper thieves. Authorities say metal thefts are on the rise. In the most recent case, St. Albans police arrested a 44-year-old man after he allegedly swiped about 760 feet of copper pipe from a construction site in Enosburg.
The Vermont House has advanced legislation that would raise the statewide education property tax rates by 1 cent per $100 of value. There are lots of factors that go into calculating school taxes, including local spending beyond what the state accounts for, but a penny on the tax rate equals $20 on a $200,000 house. Preliminary approval of the bill came Thursday afternoon on a 101-42 roll call vote after the House defeated an amendment that would have moved $27 million from the state's general fund into its education fund.
Vermont is receiving $6.7 million in a settlement between states and the nation's biggest mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses. Attorney General William Sorrell says the settlement provides $3.1 million to Vermont residents and $3.6 million to state funds that may be used for housing-related or other purposes.
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed legislation allowing people to attach the new "I am Vermont Strong" license plate to the front of their vehicles. The signing occurred yesterday amid fanfare at the Statehouse, where Shumlin bought the first plate and presented it as a gift to the Corliss family of Berlin, who were flooded out of their mobile home by Tropical Storm Irene.
A Peterborough, NH man was killed yesterday afternoon when the plane he was piloting crashed during an emergency landing at Lebanon Municipal Airport. Paul Schlieben was unable to make the take off, attempted an emergency landing and crashed just off the runway. The crash happened around 2PM He was the only person on board the single-engine Cessna 182. National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on site this morning.
Remember the pig hidden within the decal on the doors of some Vermont State Police cruisers? There's now a movement under way to keep it there. The white pig hidden within the red cows was first noticed last week years after a prison inmate who designed the 16-inch decals added it. Cid Sinclair, of Barre, has created a "Save the Pigs" Facebook page seeking to keep the pigs on the cruisers. He says times are tough and the pigs are an opportunity for Vermonters "to laugh together as one." The page has more than 500 supporters.
Even with a lack of snow in Ti, The third annual Ticonderoga WinterFest will take place tomorrow. WinterFest activities will kick-off at 10:45 in the morning with a one-mile Snowman Fun Run, which is sponsored by LaChute Road Runners Club. WinterFest will continue from 11AM to 2PM People are asked to sign in at the registration desk in the public parking lot next to the Elks Building and sign up for prizes donated by supporters. Complete event details can be found at www.ticonderogany.com.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 9, 2012
There will be an information meeting for the Middlebury Business Development Fund tonight at 7:00 PM in the Ilsley Library Public Meeting Room. In preparation for the Middlebury Business Development Fund vote at Town Meeting in March, the committee will present for discussion the proposal contained in two articles on the Town Meeting Warning, one to establish the fund and the second to raise 1 cent on the tax rate annually for the next five years for the fund. These articles will be voted from the floor at Town Meeting on Monday, March 5th. You can visit the Town’s website for more information.
Middlebury College has made the Princeton Review list of best value private colleges in the nation. Middlebury costs over 50-thousand-dollars a year, but the report says that more than half of the students are recipients of need-based scholarship or grant aid. The report indicates that graduating students on average only have around 20-thousand-dollars in student loan debt. Middlebury is the only Vermont public or private school to make the list.
Last March eCorp English moved into Middlebury. The company relocated from France with the help of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-interest loans. eCorp English teaches people around the world how to do their jobs in English. Their goal was to employ 125 people in Middlebury by next year. But right now eCorp has just 12 full-time employees and could be on the verge of bankruptcy. The company has had difficulty making payroll and paying other bills in recent weeks. However the CEO has said they have just secured an infusion of funds to make good on back pay.
The next Addison County Chamber “After Hours Business Mixer” will take place a week from today. You are invited to join the Chamber at Countryside Carpet & Paint on Creek Road here in Middlebury. Great networking opportunities, tasty food, beverages, super door prizes, and of course the Pot of Gold drawing! The mixer takes place on the 16th from 5 – 7PM. Please RSVP to Sue Hoxie by visiting www.addisoncounty.com.
The Rutland Board of Aldermen approved a contract for the search for a new police chief after receiving assurances about how it would be funded. The Board voted this week to authorize Mayor Christopher Louras to sign the contract with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The organization will get $28,000 plus expenses to advertise the position and vet candidates before making a hiring recommendation. The contract received the unanimous endorsement of the search committee.
Unusual weather conditions have forced race organizers to cancel the Romance Half Marathon Race and Tour that was scheduled for Saturday. Race officials made the decision based on the unseasonably warm weather, lack of snow and an unfavorable forecast going into the weekend. The 25-kilometer cross-country ski event was designed to be a classic technique ski tour starting at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton and following the Catamount and other trails in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. Participants could also opt to ski a 15- kilometer course. The event is organized to promote the trails systems in the region as a winter sports destination. The event has been rescheduled for February 2013.
Even with a lack of snow in Ti, The third annual Ticonderoga WinterFest will go on Saturday despite the most mild winter season in memory. WinterFest activities will kick-off at 10:45 in the morning with a one-mile Snowman Fun Run, which is sponsored by LaChute Road Runners Club. WinterFest will continue from 11AM to 2PM People are asked to sign in at the registration desk in the public parking lot next to the Elks Building and sign up for prizes donated by supporters. Complete event details can be found at www.ticonderogany.com.
The redistricting plan proposed for the Vermont Senate would place the town of Charlotte with Addison County instead of Chittenden County. That potential change concerns some voters in Charlotte, who believe that the town doesn't align well with rural Addison County. If the plan is approved, Charlotte would become one of 24 towns sharing two senators from Addison County. Supporters of the change say it would prevent adding yet another senator to Chittenden County, which already has six members in the Senate. They say Chittenden is already more than well represented. The Senate Reapportionment Committee is asking for public input, and has scheduled a hearing in Montpelier for next Wednesday at 4:30PM at the Statehouse to take comments.
Essex County still wants to hike its county sales tax by ¼ percent. Previous requests have gone nowhere, so the County Board of Supervisors voted this week to again ask the State Legislature for an extra quarter percent in sales tax. The increased tax is permitted via Home Rule Law legislation, but the state never acted on the county's first two requests. The county now collects a 3¾ percent sales tax, which coupled with the state's 4 percent, makes the total sales tax 7.75 percent in Essex County.
Vermont's health commissioner is offering a compromise on his push to eliminate the exemption from school immunization for the children of parents who have philosophical objections. Dr. Harry Chen has been pushing an end to allowing parents to skip immunizations for philosophical reasons. He says the shots are an important public health measure. A religious exemption would remain. Chen has been running into stiff opposition from some parents who have questions about the health effects of some vaccines and who believe they should get to make decisions about their children's health care. On Wednesday, Chen proposed a compromise to a Senate committee. Parents could use the philosophical exemption, but would need to get a note from a primary care provider saying they'd been educated about vaccine risks and benefits.
A key Vermont lawmaker says he expects to offer an amendment on a budget bill that could put the state on a path toward majority ownership of the backbone of its electricity grid. Sen. Vincent Illuzzi's comments came near the end of a hearing on Wednesday on legislation that would have the state take 51% ownership of the Vermont Electric Power Company. Illuzzi has been pushing majority state ownership of VELCO since it was announced its two largest current owners - Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service - were planning to merge into one company owned by the Montreal-based energy firm Gaz Metro. Illuzzi says his amendment, which he expects to offer on a mid-year budget adjustment bill, is needed to protect the public interest.
Governor Peter Shumlin is urging local voters across the state not to increase local school funding next year. Shumlin says Vermonters can't afford to pay higher property taxes. He says rejecting budgets that he feels are too high would be the best way to send a clear message.
Police in Chittenden County say vandals have been using BB guns to shoot out windows of homes, businesses and cars, including moving cars. Car tires have also been slashed. No arrests have been made, but Williston police have identified five suspects who they believe committed at least 60 acts of vandalism over the past few weeks. The young men, ranging in age from 16 to 21, could face serious charges. Anyone in Chittenden County who has found a broken window or a flat tire in recent weeks should call their local police to report the incident.
The University of Vermont and city of Burlington plan to start a pilot program to increase weekend police patrols in some neighborhoods. The patrols will start in April. Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling said they will address noise complaints and other "quality life" issues.
President Barack Obama has opened a re-election campaign office in Lebanon, NH. The office is located in the Rivermill Complex on Mechanic Street. Political pundits say New Hampshire could be a key swing state in the upcoming November election.
Details of President Obama's trip to Vermont next month have been released. The president will host two fund raising events on March 30th at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington. The first event is open to people who donate at least 100-dollars, with 500-dollars getting a rope-line handshake, and five grand for a photo with the president. A 100 person lunch follows, costing 75-hundred-dollars a person and ten-thousand a plate.
The warm winter and lack of snow is taking its toll on the snowmobiling industry in Vermont. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers says the season is half over, and there are a very limited number of snowmobile trails open in the state. While the ski mountains can make snow when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, the snowmobile industry does not have that luxury. While the start of the year has been slow, the association says it is too early to figure the financial impact of the lack of snowfall.
The Vermont Supreme Court rejects a bid by Hinesburg Sand & Gravel to increase its compensation for a 76-acre sand pit on Redmond Road. The decision effectively ends the 20-year court battle between the Chittenden Solid Waste District and Hinesburg. The district has owned the land since 2009 when it paid the company four-million, but use of the land had been stalled while the two sides fought over the property's value.
As of February 2nd the New York state government began requiring boards to give the public access to their records scheduled for discussion at meetings. Those packets that members of the town board, school board or any public board have with them during the meeting must now be made available for the public to review before or during the meetings. This change to the Open Meetings Law was made so those interested in the work of public bodies should have the ability, within reasonable limitations, to see the records “scheduled to be discussed” during open meetings prior to the meetings.
The Ticonderoga Middle School Drama Club, under the direction of Andre Gordon, will present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” a family musical, in the school auditorium next Tuesday and Wednesday at 7PM. Tickets are $5 for people age 12 and older.
Efficiency Vermont is holding their 14th annual Better Buildings By Design Conference this week in Burlington. The two-day conference offers information about the latest technical innovations and best practices in energy-efficient construction and design. The executive director of Efficiency Vermont says that innovations in efficiency could save Vermonters a significant amount of money that's currently being spent on out-of-state fuel services. Wednesday's keynote speaker addressed how realtors can play a role in transforming the market for energy-efficient design, construction and sales.
Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean says the fight for workers' rights is far from over. In Montpelier Wednesday, Dean was the recipient of the first "John Murphy Labor Award." Murphy was a longtime Vermont legislator and labor supporter who died in November. Labor leaders say they chose Dean for the award because of his record of standing up for workers. In these days of high CEO pay, Dean says he supports the Occupy Wall Street movement and fighting for the 99-percent.
Middlebury College has made the Princeton Review list of best value private colleges in the nation. Middlebury costs over 50-thousand-dollars a year, but the report says that more than half of the students are recipients of need-based scholarship or grant aid. The report indicates that graduating students on average only have around 20-thousand-dollars in student loan debt. Middlebury is the only Vermont public or private school to make the list.
Last March eCorp English moved into Middlebury. The company relocated from France with the help of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-interest loans. eCorp English teaches people around the world how to do their jobs in English. Their goal was to employ 125 people in Middlebury by next year. But right now eCorp has just 12 full-time employees and could be on the verge of bankruptcy. The company has had difficulty making payroll and paying other bills in recent weeks. However the CEO has said they have just secured an infusion of funds to make good on back pay.
The next Addison County Chamber “After Hours Business Mixer” will take place a week from today. You are invited to join the Chamber at Countryside Carpet & Paint on Creek Road here in Middlebury. Great networking opportunities, tasty food, beverages, super door prizes, and of course the Pot of Gold drawing! The mixer takes place on the 16th from 5 – 7PM. Please RSVP to Sue Hoxie by visiting www.addisoncounty.com.
The Rutland Board of Aldermen approved a contract for the search for a new police chief after receiving assurances about how it would be funded. The Board voted this week to authorize Mayor Christopher Louras to sign the contract with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The organization will get $28,000 plus expenses to advertise the position and vet candidates before making a hiring recommendation. The contract received the unanimous endorsement of the search committee.
Unusual weather conditions have forced race organizers to cancel the Romance Half Marathon Race and Tour that was scheduled for Saturday. Race officials made the decision based on the unseasonably warm weather, lack of snow and an unfavorable forecast going into the weekend. The 25-kilometer cross-country ski event was designed to be a classic technique ski tour starting at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton and following the Catamount and other trails in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. Participants could also opt to ski a 15- kilometer course. The event is organized to promote the trails systems in the region as a winter sports destination. The event has been rescheduled for February 2013.
Even with a lack of snow in Ti, The third annual Ticonderoga WinterFest will go on Saturday despite the most mild winter season in memory. WinterFest activities will kick-off at 10:45 in the morning with a one-mile Snowman Fun Run, which is sponsored by LaChute Road Runners Club. WinterFest will continue from 11AM to 2PM People are asked to sign in at the registration desk in the public parking lot next to the Elks Building and sign up for prizes donated by supporters. Complete event details can be found at www.ticonderogany.com.
The redistricting plan proposed for the Vermont Senate would place the town of Charlotte with Addison County instead of Chittenden County. That potential change concerns some voters in Charlotte, who believe that the town doesn't align well with rural Addison County. If the plan is approved, Charlotte would become one of 24 towns sharing two senators from Addison County. Supporters of the change say it would prevent adding yet another senator to Chittenden County, which already has six members in the Senate. They say Chittenden is already more than well represented. The Senate Reapportionment Committee is asking for public input, and has scheduled a hearing in Montpelier for next Wednesday at 4:30PM at the Statehouse to take comments.
Essex County still wants to hike its county sales tax by ¼ percent. Previous requests have gone nowhere, so the County Board of Supervisors voted this week to again ask the State Legislature for an extra quarter percent in sales tax. The increased tax is permitted via Home Rule Law legislation, but the state never acted on the county's first two requests. The county now collects a 3¾ percent sales tax, which coupled with the state's 4 percent, makes the total sales tax 7.75 percent in Essex County.
Vermont's health commissioner is offering a compromise on his push to eliminate the exemption from school immunization for the children of parents who have philosophical objections. Dr. Harry Chen has been pushing an end to allowing parents to skip immunizations for philosophical reasons. He says the shots are an important public health measure. A religious exemption would remain. Chen has been running into stiff opposition from some parents who have questions about the health effects of some vaccines and who believe they should get to make decisions about their children's health care. On Wednesday, Chen proposed a compromise to a Senate committee. Parents could use the philosophical exemption, but would need to get a note from a primary care provider saying they'd been educated about vaccine risks and benefits.
A key Vermont lawmaker says he expects to offer an amendment on a budget bill that could put the state on a path toward majority ownership of the backbone of its electricity grid. Sen. Vincent Illuzzi's comments came near the end of a hearing on Wednesday on legislation that would have the state take 51% ownership of the Vermont Electric Power Company. Illuzzi has been pushing majority state ownership of VELCO since it was announced its two largest current owners - Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service - were planning to merge into one company owned by the Montreal-based energy firm Gaz Metro. Illuzzi says his amendment, which he expects to offer on a mid-year budget adjustment bill, is needed to protect the public interest.
Governor Peter Shumlin is urging local voters across the state not to increase local school funding next year. Shumlin says Vermonters can't afford to pay higher property taxes. He says rejecting budgets that he feels are too high would be the best way to send a clear message.
Police in Chittenden County say vandals have been using BB guns to shoot out windows of homes, businesses and cars, including moving cars. Car tires have also been slashed. No arrests have been made, but Williston police have identified five suspects who they believe committed at least 60 acts of vandalism over the past few weeks. The young men, ranging in age from 16 to 21, could face serious charges. Anyone in Chittenden County who has found a broken window or a flat tire in recent weeks should call their local police to report the incident.
The University of Vermont and city of Burlington plan to start a pilot program to increase weekend police patrols in some neighborhoods. The patrols will start in April. Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling said they will address noise complaints and other "quality life" issues.
President Barack Obama has opened a re-election campaign office in Lebanon, NH. The office is located in the Rivermill Complex on Mechanic Street. Political pundits say New Hampshire could be a key swing state in the upcoming November election.
Details of President Obama's trip to Vermont next month have been released. The president will host two fund raising events on March 30th at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington. The first event is open to people who donate at least 100-dollars, with 500-dollars getting a rope-line handshake, and five grand for a photo with the president. A 100 person lunch follows, costing 75-hundred-dollars a person and ten-thousand a plate.
The warm winter and lack of snow is taking its toll on the snowmobiling industry in Vermont. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers says the season is half over, and there are a very limited number of snowmobile trails open in the state. While the ski mountains can make snow when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, the snowmobile industry does not have that luxury. While the start of the year has been slow, the association says it is too early to figure the financial impact of the lack of snowfall.
The Vermont Supreme Court rejects a bid by Hinesburg Sand & Gravel to increase its compensation for a 76-acre sand pit on Redmond Road. The decision effectively ends the 20-year court battle between the Chittenden Solid Waste District and Hinesburg. The district has owned the land since 2009 when it paid the company four-million, but use of the land had been stalled while the two sides fought over the property's value.
As of February 2nd the New York state government began requiring boards to give the public access to their records scheduled for discussion at meetings. Those packets that members of the town board, school board or any public board have with them during the meeting must now be made available for the public to review before or during the meetings. This change to the Open Meetings Law was made so those interested in the work of public bodies should have the ability, within reasonable limitations, to see the records “scheduled to be discussed” during open meetings prior to the meetings.
The Ticonderoga Middle School Drama Club, under the direction of Andre Gordon, will present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” a family musical, in the school auditorium next Tuesday and Wednesday at 7PM. Tickets are $5 for people age 12 and older.
Efficiency Vermont is holding their 14th annual Better Buildings By Design Conference this week in Burlington. The two-day conference offers information about the latest technical innovations and best practices in energy-efficient construction and design. The executive director of Efficiency Vermont says that innovations in efficiency could save Vermonters a significant amount of money that's currently being spent on out-of-state fuel services. Wednesday's keynote speaker addressed how realtors can play a role in transforming the market for energy-efficient design, construction and sales.
Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean says the fight for workers' rights is far from over. In Montpelier Wednesday, Dean was the recipient of the first "John Murphy Labor Award." Murphy was a longtime Vermont legislator and labor supporter who died in November. Labor leaders say they chose Dean for the award because of his record of standing up for workers. In these days of high CEO pay, Dean says he supports the Occupy Wall Street movement and fighting for the 99-percent.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
WVTK Local & State News February 8, 2012
Vergennes City residents will have the opportunity to meet again to tackle drug concerns tonight. Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel estimated about 100 area residents attended the January 11th meeting. Merkel said those who attended broke into groups to brainstorm what is hoped to be an effort to curb illegal drug use and sales in the area. The next gathering is set for 7 this evening at Vergennes Union High School, in the library.
There will be an information meeting for the Middlebury Business Development Fund tomorrow at 7:00 PM in the Ilsley Library Public Meeting Room. In preparation for the Middlebury Business Development Fund vote at Town Meeting in March, the committee will present for discussion the proposal contained in two articles on the Town Meeting Warning, one to establish the fund and the second to raise 1 cent on the tax rate annually for the next five years for the fund. These articles will be voted from the floor at Town Meeting on Monday, March 5th. You can visit the Town’s website for more information.
Vermont State Police are investigating burglaries at 2413 and 2525 Shacksboro Road in the Town of Shoreham. These residences are located next to one another and were entered by force with no one home at the time. Items taken include a flat screen TV, digital cameras, jewelry, watches, blank checks, a digital photo frame, and possibly a .22 cal Rifle. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the VSP in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
Four attacks against women walking in Rutland’s lower Church Street area has city police advising caution and asking anyone with information for help. In two incidents on Church Street, one on Williams Street and one on Elm Street last month, three women reported that a man assaulted them before fleeing on foot. None of the women were seriously injured. The attacker, described as a white man in his mid 20s. Police are on the lookout for suspicious activity in the area and said women walking at night should exercise vigilance. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rutland City Police. (802-773-1816)
The Vergennes Opera House is currently soliciting donations for its upcoming Used Instrument Sale & Auction being held on March 10th and 11th. All types of musical instruments and accessories are welcome including guitars, trumpets, drums, amps, saxophones, and keyboards. Instruments or equipment should be in good working order or easily repairable. For more information and a donation form call 802-877-6737. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House. The Used Instrument Sale is part of the Opera House’s “Local Music Showcase Weekend” which also features a benefit concert on March 10th with “Panton Flats” and a Young Musicians Recital on March 11th featuring up-and-coming talent.
Police have cited a co-principal at Vergennes Union High School for DUI. Investigators say Edwin Webbley of Bristol, ran into the back of his garage with his vehicle Monday evening. His wife called police seeking assistance and said her husband was very drunk and was a danger to himself and others. Police say they determined Webbley was driving drunk. He was taken into custody and cited for DUI. He's due in court February 27th. Thomas O'Brien, the superintendent for Addison Northwest, said Webbley is on medical leave.
Green Mountain Power Corp. and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. have launched a merger website, www.gmpcvpsmerger.com. The joint GMP-CVPS site contains information on the pending merger for customers, including the package of merger benefits, as well as a calendar highlighting the state and federal regulatory approval process now underway. The site also includes status updates on required approvals necessary for the sale of CVPS to GMP’s parent, Gaz Metro Limited Partnership, and the merger of the two Vermont utilities.
Moriah’s town board meetings have finally returned home. The meetings are now held the second Thursday of each month at 6PM at the newly expanded and renovated court building, adjacent to the town hall at Park Place in Port Henry. The move to the court necessitated a change in the meeting day. Moriah’s town board had met the second Tuesday of each month for decades, but the switch was made to the second Thursday to accommodate the court schedule.
The Moriah Chamber of Commerce is reorganizing with hopes of forging an alliance with the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce. Membership in the Moriah chamber has dwindled in recent years. At the same time two new groups formed in the community that include the Moriah Economic Development Group and PH7, a group that focuses on activities in the village of Port Henry. The Moriah Economic Development Group and PH7 will become committees of the reorganized Moriah chamber. Immediate goals of the reorganized Moriah chamber are to increase membership, to improve the annual Champ Day celebration and to make the annual Labor Day festivities bigger and better.
Essex County lawmakers say modifications must be made to the new judge's bench in the main county courtroom to prevent witnesses from potentially assaulting the presiding jurist. Recently completed courtroom renovations created a blind spot between the judge's bench, witness stand, jury box and court clerk's desk. A master carpenter will be hired to perform the corrective modification.
Amtrak says the railroad responsible for maintaining the tracks traveled by a passenger train in Vermont has moved from one of the poorest-performing sites to a top performer within a year. It’s a turnaround for Vermont Rail Systems, which was issued a contract violation notice last year from Amtrak. Amtrak says the travel time between Rutland and Whitehall, part of the Ethan Allen Express route, is 15 minutes faster. Travel north is 25 minutes faster. The Ethan Allen Express has gained more than 1,200 riders along the Vermont-supported route between Albany and Rutland from October 2011 to December 2011.
Three Vermont groups are going to share up to $34 million as part of a 5-year grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to promote energy efficiency. The organizations will provide technical, analytical and outreach assistance to the national ENERGY STAR program in the commercial, institutional, and industrial sectors.
Health officials say fish found in a northern Vermont lake show about the same levels of 2 radioactive isotopes as those found earlier in the Connecticut River near the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. Fish taken from Lake Carmi in Enosburg Falls showed levels of radioactive material in their bones. The findings are believed to be tied to atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs decades ago and to the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.
More than 300 students from the Vermont State Colleges are demanding the state boost its funding for its state college system. The young people descended on the Statehouse yesterday to rally and point out that Vermont provides its colleges the second-lowest funding per student in the country, with the result that tuition at the schools is among the highest for public colleges in the country.
The latest standardized test results show that fewer than half of Vermont 11th graders were proficient in math and science and state education officials want to find some way to improve that figure. Commissioner Armando Vilaseca says the state is surveying schools to see what math courses students are required to take.
1 of 7 suspects in a five-state burglary ring has been arrested in New Hampshire. 21-year-old Logan Critchfield was arrested yesterday in Keene and charged with burglary and being a fugitive from justice. He is 1 of 7 people suspected of committing 60 burglaries in Vermont, 30 in New Hampshire, four in Massachusetts, four in Maine and one in Virginia. Police say thieves mostly targeted small businesses without alarm systems in the early morning hours, often breaking through a window to take cash and other items. Four suspects were arrested Saturday; two were already in custody in New Hampshire on unrelated charges.
A Vermont judge says the Essex police may get fingerprints from a suspect police believe broke into the home of a couple who disappeared in June. The suspect was required to appear at the police station on January 12th. Acting Police Chief Brad LaRose said the man is considered a suspect in the burglary of the home of William and Lorraine Currier in June. He says the suspect has abided by the court order. The suspect's name is blacked out in court records released to the Burlington Free Press. The Curriers were last seen leaving their jobs on June 8th. Their car was found in a parking lot of an apartment complex about a mile from their home. The Curriers has not been found.
A Vermont company that manages billions for large investors has been sold. Dwight Asset Management was founded in Burlington almost 30 years ago. Today, it employs about 100 people in its downtown headquarters. The company handles investments for corporations, insurance companies, retirement funds and foundations. It currently manages about $42 billion. Dwight's parent company, Old Mutual Asset Management, has now sold the company to Goldman Sachs for an undisclosed price. No word on what impact the sale might have on local employees.
A self-described Presidential historian pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing hundreds of pages of historic documents from institutions including UVM. Barry Landau now faces up to 15 years in jail for stealing and planning to sell rare works from museums and libraries along the east coast. From the FDR Presidential library in New York to the Maryland Historical Society, even UVM, where multiple items disappeared including signed letters from Presidents Taft, Wilson and both Roosevelt’s’. Prosecutors say Landau spent years planning the thefts. Landau's assistant also pleaded guilty.
This Saturday from 7- 9PM, Bristol’s Holley Hall will host “A Century of American Humor”, a Vaudeville-style variety show of skits, songs, and poems. The local production will include the wit of W.C. Fields and Dorothy Parker, comedy routines of Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, and Bert and I, as well as radio and television classics such as “The Bickersons,” “Baby Snooks,” and “Edith Ann.” Admission is by voluntary donation and refreshments will be available. The show is a fundraiser to improve the acoustics in Holley Hall and is sponsored by the Bristol Recreation Department.
There will be an information meeting for the Middlebury Business Development Fund tomorrow at 7:00 PM in the Ilsley Library Public Meeting Room. In preparation for the Middlebury Business Development Fund vote at Town Meeting in March, the committee will present for discussion the proposal contained in two articles on the Town Meeting Warning, one to establish the fund and the second to raise 1 cent on the tax rate annually for the next five years for the fund. These articles will be voted from the floor at Town Meeting on Monday, March 5th. You can visit the Town’s website for more information.
Vermont State Police are investigating burglaries at 2413 and 2525 Shacksboro Road in the Town of Shoreham. These residences are located next to one another and were entered by force with no one home at the time. Items taken include a flat screen TV, digital cameras, jewelry, watches, blank checks, a digital photo frame, and possibly a .22 cal Rifle. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the VSP in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
Four attacks against women walking in Rutland’s lower Church Street area has city police advising caution and asking anyone with information for help. In two incidents on Church Street, one on Williams Street and one on Elm Street last month, three women reported that a man assaulted them before fleeing on foot. None of the women were seriously injured. The attacker, described as a white man in his mid 20s. Police are on the lookout for suspicious activity in the area and said women walking at night should exercise vigilance. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rutland City Police. (802-773-1816)
The Vergennes Opera House is currently soliciting donations for its upcoming Used Instrument Sale & Auction being held on March 10th and 11th. All types of musical instruments and accessories are welcome including guitars, trumpets, drums, amps, saxophones, and keyboards. Instruments or equipment should be in good working order or easily repairable. For more information and a donation form call 802-877-6737. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House. The Used Instrument Sale is part of the Opera House’s “Local Music Showcase Weekend” which also features a benefit concert on March 10th with “Panton Flats” and a Young Musicians Recital on March 11th featuring up-and-coming talent.
Police have cited a co-principal at Vergennes Union High School for DUI. Investigators say Edwin Webbley of Bristol, ran into the back of his garage with his vehicle Monday evening. His wife called police seeking assistance and said her husband was very drunk and was a danger to himself and others. Police say they determined Webbley was driving drunk. He was taken into custody and cited for DUI. He's due in court February 27th. Thomas O'Brien, the superintendent for Addison Northwest, said Webbley is on medical leave.
Green Mountain Power Corp. and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. have launched a merger website, www.gmpcvpsmerger.com. The joint GMP-CVPS site contains information on the pending merger for customers, including the package of merger benefits, as well as a calendar highlighting the state and federal regulatory approval process now underway. The site also includes status updates on required approvals necessary for the sale of CVPS to GMP’s parent, Gaz Metro Limited Partnership, and the merger of the two Vermont utilities.
Moriah’s town board meetings have finally returned home. The meetings are now held the second Thursday of each month at 6PM at the newly expanded and renovated court building, adjacent to the town hall at Park Place in Port Henry. The move to the court necessitated a change in the meeting day. Moriah’s town board had met the second Tuesday of each month for decades, but the switch was made to the second Thursday to accommodate the court schedule.
The Moriah Chamber of Commerce is reorganizing with hopes of forging an alliance with the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce. Membership in the Moriah chamber has dwindled in recent years. At the same time two new groups formed in the community that include the Moriah Economic Development Group and PH7, a group that focuses on activities in the village of Port Henry. The Moriah Economic Development Group and PH7 will become committees of the reorganized Moriah chamber. Immediate goals of the reorganized Moriah chamber are to increase membership, to improve the annual Champ Day celebration and to make the annual Labor Day festivities bigger and better.
Essex County lawmakers say modifications must be made to the new judge's bench in the main county courtroom to prevent witnesses from potentially assaulting the presiding jurist. Recently completed courtroom renovations created a blind spot between the judge's bench, witness stand, jury box and court clerk's desk. A master carpenter will be hired to perform the corrective modification.
Amtrak says the railroad responsible for maintaining the tracks traveled by a passenger train in Vermont has moved from one of the poorest-performing sites to a top performer within a year. It’s a turnaround for Vermont Rail Systems, which was issued a contract violation notice last year from Amtrak. Amtrak says the travel time between Rutland and Whitehall, part of the Ethan Allen Express route, is 15 minutes faster. Travel north is 25 minutes faster. The Ethan Allen Express has gained more than 1,200 riders along the Vermont-supported route between Albany and Rutland from October 2011 to December 2011.
Three Vermont groups are going to share up to $34 million as part of a 5-year grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to promote energy efficiency. The organizations will provide technical, analytical and outreach assistance to the national ENERGY STAR program in the commercial, institutional, and industrial sectors.
Health officials say fish found in a northern Vermont lake show about the same levels of 2 radioactive isotopes as those found earlier in the Connecticut River near the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. Fish taken from Lake Carmi in Enosburg Falls showed levels of radioactive material in their bones. The findings are believed to be tied to atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs decades ago and to the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.
More than 300 students from the Vermont State Colleges are demanding the state boost its funding for its state college system. The young people descended on the Statehouse yesterday to rally and point out that Vermont provides its colleges the second-lowest funding per student in the country, with the result that tuition at the schools is among the highest for public colleges in the country.
The latest standardized test results show that fewer than half of Vermont 11th graders were proficient in math and science and state education officials want to find some way to improve that figure. Commissioner Armando Vilaseca says the state is surveying schools to see what math courses students are required to take.
1 of 7 suspects in a five-state burglary ring has been arrested in New Hampshire. 21-year-old Logan Critchfield was arrested yesterday in Keene and charged with burglary and being a fugitive from justice. He is 1 of 7 people suspected of committing 60 burglaries in Vermont, 30 in New Hampshire, four in Massachusetts, four in Maine and one in Virginia. Police say thieves mostly targeted small businesses without alarm systems in the early morning hours, often breaking through a window to take cash and other items. Four suspects were arrested Saturday; two were already in custody in New Hampshire on unrelated charges.
A Vermont judge says the Essex police may get fingerprints from a suspect police believe broke into the home of a couple who disappeared in June. The suspect was required to appear at the police station on January 12th. Acting Police Chief Brad LaRose said the man is considered a suspect in the burglary of the home of William and Lorraine Currier in June. He says the suspect has abided by the court order. The suspect's name is blacked out in court records released to the Burlington Free Press. The Curriers were last seen leaving their jobs on June 8th. Their car was found in a parking lot of an apartment complex about a mile from their home. The Curriers has not been found.
A Vermont company that manages billions for large investors has been sold. Dwight Asset Management was founded in Burlington almost 30 years ago. Today, it employs about 100 people in its downtown headquarters. The company handles investments for corporations, insurance companies, retirement funds and foundations. It currently manages about $42 billion. Dwight's parent company, Old Mutual Asset Management, has now sold the company to Goldman Sachs for an undisclosed price. No word on what impact the sale might have on local employees.
A self-described Presidential historian pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing hundreds of pages of historic documents from institutions including UVM. Barry Landau now faces up to 15 years in jail for stealing and planning to sell rare works from museums and libraries along the east coast. From the FDR Presidential library in New York to the Maryland Historical Society, even UVM, where multiple items disappeared including signed letters from Presidents Taft, Wilson and both Roosevelt’s’. Prosecutors say Landau spent years planning the thefts. Landau's assistant also pleaded guilty.
This Saturday from 7- 9PM, Bristol’s Holley Hall will host “A Century of American Humor”, a Vaudeville-style variety show of skits, songs, and poems. The local production will include the wit of W.C. Fields and Dorothy Parker, comedy routines of Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, and Bert and I, as well as radio and television classics such as “The Bickersons,” “Baby Snooks,” and “Edith Ann.” Admission is by voluntary donation and refreshments will be available. The show is a fundraiser to improve the acoustics in Holley Hall and is sponsored by the Bristol Recreation Department.
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