WVTK Local & State News January 6, 2011

An insurance investigator who surveyed the fire damage at Naylor & Breen Builders Inc. in Brandon couldn’t determine the cause of the fire. 

Owner Robert Naylor said that an investigator spent half a day this week examining the charred remains of the workshop and office but could say little about what caused the blaze. Meanwhile the company hasn’t missed a day of work. Since Sunday, Naylor & Breen’s office has moved right next door to the destroyed site and the workshop has a new home as well.

According to Sate Police, police at sobriety checkpoints around Rutland County made two drunken driving arrests last weekend. They also made one arrest for possession of marijuana. Almost every passenger was wearing a seat belt as well. Police from Rutland City, Brandon, Castleton, Fair Haven, the Poultney constable, Rutland County Sheriff’s and the Rutland barracks of the Vermont State Police participated in the checkpoints.

Vermont lawmakers had to do what voters couldn't - elect Democrat Peter Shumlin as governor and Republican Phil Scott as lieutenant governor. The two were the leading vote-getters in the Nov. 2 election, but they didn't amass the vote majorities they needed under Vermont law, so their elections were thrown to the Legislature.

Peter Shumlin is about to take over as Vermont's new governor, with promises to jumpstart the state's economy and close a projected $150 million budget gap for the next fiscal year. Shumlin is scheduled to take the oath of office this afternoon and then deliver an inaugural address. The speech is expected to continue on a central theme of his summer and fall campaign - the need to bring new jobs to Vermont.

Gov. Jim Douglas says a healthier population, lower crime rates, cleaner air and a better ability than many states have to bounce back from the economic recession are key parts of his legacy as he leaves office. Douglas made those remarks in his farewell address to lawmakers yesterday, just hours after they convened to begin their 2011 session. He was greeted as he entered the House chamber with a raucous standing ovation.

The Vermont House has elected Morristown Democrat Shap Smith to his second term as speaker, while the Senate has chosen Windsor County Democrat John Campbell as its president pro tem. Smith says he thinks Vermont can continue to make progress despite facing an estimated $150 million budget shortfall. Campbell says he wants to continue to push the idea of health care as a right in which all Vermonters share.

During his 45 minute State of the State address Democrat Andrew Cuomo revealed his plan to totally revamp state government, taking on the state's economic crisis. One of the main focuses this session will be dealing with the state's $10 billion deficit, which is only expected to grow over the next few years. One of the governor's main focuses will be to reduce spending by cutting state and local governments and a major reduction in spending.

Vermont's senior senator was sworn in for his seventh term in office Wednesday. Patrick Leahy is currently the second-longest serving senator in the Senate. Leahy was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C. and is also the longest serving U.S. Senator from Vermont in the state's history.

New chemical tests confirm a Hinesburg man was drunk when he crashed into another driver and killed her. Burlington Police say Timothy Dowd had a blood alcohol content of .134 percent when he fled a traffic stop and led them on a chase late last month. The pursuit ended near City Hall Park when Dowd T-boned a car driven by Kaye Borneman.

The former Saputo Cheese factory in Hinesburg has been sold to Redstone property Management Company. They have big plans for the building and the 15 acres there. Plans include a potential residential project, a brewpub or restaurant and maybe even a health club. Redstone hopes to have at least 12 retailers in the Saputo property and they already have one lined up to sign a lease.

A Vermont ski resort has been hit with $80,000 in environmental fines. The state attorney general's office says the Stratton Corporation and the fire district that provides water to the resort were responsible for two illegal discharges. Along with the fines, the state says the resort has taken corrective action to prevent similar accidents.

Federal officials stood before Vermonters at Johnson State College yesterday to help towns and municipalities apply for disaster assistance. The state declared the windstorm of December 1 a disaster, qualifying towns and some companies in Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille counties for funding.

There are very few large animal veterinarians in Vermont. The large animal veterinarians attribute their shortage around the state to a couple of reasons, but one of those is that they don't get paid as much as veterinarians that work on small animals. In 2009, a group submitted a statewide legislation proposal to attract large animal veterinarians to Vermont. It was well received, but not well supported. The other option to get VT vets is through a federally funded program.

Senators from Massachusetts, Vermont and Ohio are asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates to provide planned interim funding for an alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. They signed a letter stating that Congress intended to fund the engine program through March 4, despite the Pentagon's opposition to it. Nonetheless, the senators complain that program funds are slated to run out on Friday.

A dog named Emma is back on dry land after being pulled from the icy waters of the North Branch of the Winooski River. Montpelier firefighters say the dog was in the water for about 40 minutes yesterday after it fell through thin ice before 8AM. Firefighters used a neighbor’s canoe and a ladder to reach the dog. The dog was taken to a veterinarian for treatment of hypothermia.

Poultney has been selected to host the third annual Vermont Downtown Conference in partnership with the Preservation Trust of Vermont Conference on April 29. 

According to the Vermont Downtown Program coordinator the selection of Poultney as host for this year’s conference was easy including the fact that the Downtown Preservation Committee in Poultney is completely volunteer.