WVTK Local & State News January 12, 2011

A winter storm headed north to New England is expected to drop up to a foot of snow in southern Vermont. The National Weather Service says the forecast calls for six to 12 inches in Windsor County, five to nine inches in Rutland County and three to five in central and northeastern Vermont. Forecasters say the snow and blustering conditions could make driving hazardous in some areas. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory through 7PM for Addison County. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Rutland County through 7PM. The Weather Channel Says we’ll see Snow today with a High in the 20’s.

According to Brandon’s Police Chief a Salisbury man charged with robbing the Union Street convenience store picked the wrong place to rob. Hours after Justin R. Gillet pleaded innocent Monday to a felony count of attempted assault and robbery with a weapon, Police Chief Christopher Brickell said the charges against him stem from the third hold-up at the store since 2005. 

In the previous cases, the robbers were able to walk away. But in this hold-up the storeowner sounded the alarms and then chased the knife-wielding suspect outside.

He says he didn't do it, but Hinesburg police officer Robert Barrows is accused of attacking his girlfriend Monday night while off-duty. Since then, Barrows has been suspended with pay, and it's up to the Hinesburg Select Board whether or not he keeps his job. Before Hinesburg, Barrows worked for the Shelburne police department, and was cleared of shooting a suspect in the back after being hit by a car with a drunk driver.

Members of the Castleton Town School Board will be speaking against dissolving the town’s bus fleet at the next Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union meeting on January 25. They will appeal for an exemption from a law that would force them to dissolve its bus fleet. Act 153 was updated during the past legislative session in an effort to consolidate the duties of supervisory unions. It includes providing or arranging transportation for its school districts.

A man who was fleeing police in Burlington when he collided with a car at a downtown intersection is now facing a murder charge for the death of the other driver. Burlington Police say 52-year-old Timothy Dowd of Hinesburg was cited yesterday with a charge of second degree murder and other offenses stemming from the December 26 crash that killed 42-year-old Kathryn "Kaye" Borneman.

Central Vermont Public Service has been chosen to test a Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle as part of a demonstration program. CVPS is the only Vermont participant. The program, which has strategically placed Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles worldwide, is intended to gather customer feedback on the vehicles’ performance and educate the general public about plug-in hybrid technology. The plug-in Prius is not yet available for purchase. CVPS spokesman Steve Costello said the study is a natural fit with the company’s efforts to examine plug-in vehicles through CVPS plug ‘n go™.

The state of Vermont is going to continue its Global Commitment to Health program that gives officials greater flexibility in using federal Medicaid money. The program known as Global Commitment to Health is worth $4.26 billion over the next three years. The partnership assures the federal government will cover about 58 percent of the cost of Vermont’s Medicaid program.

The Vermont Health Department says officials are going to work with the state's community water regulators to discuss new federal guidelines about how much fluoride should be added to drinking water. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reduced the recommended amount of fluoride that should be added to drinking water. In Vermont, nearly 60% of the population is served by public drinking water supplies that contain fluoride.

Gov. Peter Shumlin met with the state's law enforcement community yesterday to lay out his vision. Chiefs and sheriffs from around Vermont joined state legislators and municipal leaders. A big issue for many police departments is how the governor and Legislature will approach expected budget cuts to human services programs. They worry those cuts will merely end up shifting the cost to departments.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is being criticized by national Republicans for citing this past weekend's shootings in Arizona in a fundraising letter. The letter that Sanders sent out on Tuesday begins by mentioning the shooting spree in Tucson. The letter also mentions issues such as health care, Social Security and taxes. Brian Walsh of the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Sanders is trying to "raise campaign money off the murder of 6 Americans." Sanders' office issued a statement saying the newsletter covered a number of issues facing the country, and it would have been absurd not to mention the shootings.

A 46-year-old Vermont woman is facing charges she didn't give her 1-year-old grandchild enough to eat. June Sumner pleaded not guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of cruelty to a child under 10. The Department of Children and Families was alerted to the case after people who ate at Sumner's home last summer noticed the child was being denied food and that the child lacked muscle tone.

Police in Burlington are urging women to be cautious while walking alone at night. Burlington police said two women were attacked in the last two months as they were walking alone. The most recent case came early last Thursday. The victim was attacked and hit with pepper spray in the city’s Old North End. She escaped, but her attacked wasn’t found.

According to Essex County emergency officials problems with 911 calls from Time Warner Cable Digital Phone subscribers are easing. The County Enhanced-911 Coordinator said Monday that the main problem in which street numbers didn't display at the 911 center has been corrected. The issues began in December when Time Warner switched its 911-database vendor from Sprint to Intrado.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Hubbard Hall in Elizabethtown, NY yesterday morning around seven. No one was in the building at the time. 
 Hubbard Hall was built in the 1800's and was used as a hospital. Now it housed offices, a restaurant, and gift shop. In 1999, Hubbard Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fire is still under investigation but is not considered suspicious at this time.

Needleman's Bridal and Formal is trying to pay back for all the sacrifices made recently by the many girlfriends, fiancées and wives left behind when their significant other was deployed to Afghanistan. Needleman's is offering free bridal gowns to any bride in the military, or else engaged to a man now in service. There's a range of sizes, and about a hundred gowns to choose from. This would also apply to couples renewing vows.

A nationwide company, with several locations in the Champlain valley, is expanding and hiring. Tractor Supply Company is coming to Shelburne Road, in Shelburne. A grand opening is planned for March 10. The farming and home supply store is hiring assistant managers, team leaders, team members and receivers. Their job fair continues today. It's at the Shelburne Town Hall, in the activity room from 8 AM to 5 PM. Walk-ins are welcome.

The top 100 business in Vermont have many familiar names. They are generating billions of dollars in revenue for Vermont's economy. But many of the largest companies are not generating profits because they are nonprofit organizations. Of the top 10 revenue generators, half are nonprofits; Fletcher Allen Health Care, the University of Vermont, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, Central Vermont Public Service and Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Officials are releasing a newly developed 10-year plan to boost the state's food and farm economy and improve access to healthy local food. The Vermont Farm to Plate Investment Program was created during the 2009 legislative session to improve the state's food system. Over the past 18 months, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund has involved more than 1,200 Vermonters to develop a 10-year strategic plan.

Two Vermont students have been picked as delegates to the 49th annual United States Senate Youth Program. Sam Epstein of Shelburne and Katherine Meyer of Williston were selected from students across the state. They will join 104 other student delegates in Washington in March to participate in the weeklong event.