WVTK Local & State News February 23, 2011

An attempted home invasion had residents in Lincoln on high alert last night. Shortly after 7:30 PM Vermont State Police received a call that a male suspect attempted to force his way inside a home on Quaker Street in Lincoln. Police say the man took the elderly homeowners, Floyd and Betty Hall by surprise. Floyd received minor injuries but did not require transport to the hospital. Police say the suspect is a white male, between 20-30 years of age, between 5'5" and 5'7", and about 200 pounds with short dark hair. He was seen fleeing the scene in an unknown vehicle. If you have any information regarding this incident you're urged to call Vermont State Police.

The Addison County Animal Hospital has again received its coveted accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association. The hospital received a comprehensive inspection from a team that visited the facility recently to inspect medical equipment and practice methods, as well as observe pet health care management means. Only 15 percent of small veterinary practices have achieved accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association.

The candidates for Brandon's one contested race on this year's town meeting ballot will hold a candidates' forum sponsored by the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce. The event will be at the Brandon Seniors Citizen Center at 7:30 PM tomorrow. Jim Leary is challenging incumbent Richard Baker for the three-year Select Board seat. For more information, call the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce.

The entire staff and student body at a Rutland high school are undergoing tuberculosis testing. One student at Mount St. Joseph Academy was diagnosed with the disease. The student is recovering at home, but as a precaution the state health department is testing all students and employees for TB. Testing is still underway but so far there are no additional cases.

The Rutland school budget will not drive up property taxes this year if approved by voters. On March 1, Rutland voters will be presented with a plan to operate the city district’s seven schools in 2012 for a drop of less than 1 percent compared to the current budget. The homestead property tax rate will remain flat, at $1.38 per $100 of property value.

Rutland business leaders asked questions yesterday and Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin made promises. Shumlin said there would be no new sales taxes; he supports a plan to run a natural gas pipeline from Burlington to Florence to Bennington to make it easier for Omya Inc. and others to do business. He also wants high-speed rail through Rutland and he won’t take the latest offer from Vermont Yankee to continue supplying power to the state.

Vermont lawmakers are getting down to the nitty-gritty on a broad range of issues as the legislative session nears its midpoint. Among the topics up for discussions in legislative committees on Wednesday is a bill dealing with counseling and other consequences for kids caught with weapons on school property. That's before the House Education Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee is looking at two bills dealing with growing concern about violence in hospital emergency rooms. One would establish new penalties for assaulting a nurse. The other includes a broader range of health professionals. The Senate Government Operations Committee considers a bill that would set up new dispensaries where people with prescriptions to use medical marijuana could get it.

A Vermont Senate committee has advanced a bill aimed at making it easier to build and install some new telecommunications facilities in the state. Backers of the measure say it's needed to allow development of broadband Internet service statewide. There's been concern that if Vermont doesn't speed up the process, it could lose millions of dollars in federal grants earmarked for telecom expansion.

An engineering firm hired by Springfield-based Vermont Telephone Co. has been visiting homes and businesses in Wallingford to collect information as part of VTel’s plans to upgrade broadband services. A Minnesota firm, FEC Engineers, will be conducting initial engineering work in Wallingford and 13 other towns across southern Vermont over the next three months.

Police in Burlington arrested a man they say fired a gun on a city street during an argument yesterday afternoon. It happened outside of a home on Spring Street, when police say Antwaun Twitty was arguing with the mother of his child. The home is also across the street from H.O. Wheeler Elementary School. Police say Twitty was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated domestic assault, reckless endangerment and possession of cocaine.

Several teacher strikes are looming in Vermont, but that is no longer the case in state's largest school district. Teachers and school officials in the Chittenden South Supervisory Union have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract. The two sides had been sparring over salary; health insurance contributions and step pay increases. Terms of the deal won't be announced until it's ratified-- after teachers return from vacation next week.

A Maine heating fuel company and the United Way of Greater Portland are joining forces to help people in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont stay warm through the region's long, cold winter. The Dead River Company and the United Way have started the "Share the Warmth" plan aimed at raising fuel assistance funds. The United Way will distribute the aide to agencies that provide fuel assistance in the three states. It's estimated that one in 10 households needs heating assistance to stay warm during the winter.

Vermont lawmakers are eyeing a crackdown on drivers who put lives in danger when they try to flee from police. A bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday follows a December 26th incident in Burlington in which a driver fleeing from police crashed into another car, killing its driver. The bill would boost attempting to elude police from a misdemeanor to a felony with a possible 15-year prison penalty and $10,000 fine when someone dies or is seriously injured as a result of the driver's actions.

Some Vermont lawmakers are joining a national movement to change the way the Electoral College elects the president of the United States. The Senate voted 20-10 on yesterday to advance a bill that would have Vermont follow six other states and the District of Columbia in promising that if enough other states agree, they'll have their Electoral College members vote for the winner of the national popular vote, rather than the winner of the electors' home states.

Vermont State Police say a Sheffield man is responsible for the fire that destroyed his home and left him in critical condition. Police say 51-year-old Keith Smith was found at a neighbor's house after firefighters responded to the fire on Sunday morning. He’s now in the burn center at the Massachusetts General Hospital where he remained in critical condition on Tuesday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is working on finalizing his version of the state budget. The governor's final spending plan is due by March 1. He is trying to eliminate the state's $10 billion deficit. Aside from cutting government operations by 10 percent, the biggest cuts will impact health care and education. Some lawmakers point out that the governor's budget address lacked specific detail and they are questioning the accuracy of some of his proposals.

More than 300 people stood shoulder to shoulder Tuesday at the Vermont Statehouse, sending out the message of solidarity to their "brothers and sisters" in Vermont. The rally was called by labor unions in the Green Mountain state. A cost-cutting plan offered in Wisconsin by Governor Scott Walker and endorsed by fellow G-O-P members in their Legislature would take away some bargaining rights of public employee unions. In Vermont, Governor Peter Shumlin addressed the crowd, saying collective bargaining wasn't at risk in Vermont, as both Republicans and Democrats work with labor.

John Deere was born in Rutland on Feb. 7, 1804. Not enough people know that basic fact according to Rep. Bob Helm, a lawmaker from Fair Haven. He and more than a dozen other lawmakers hope to change that with a bill they are sponsoring that would appropriate $20,000 for a memorial to Deere that would be placed in Rutland. Deere, who left Rutland to apprentice as a blacksmith in Middlebury, later moved to Illinois.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Dunkin' Donuts are teaming up. Not to sell donuts but they are joining forces to sell K-cups. Dunkin' Donuts coffee will now be available in Green Mountain's popular single-serve K-cups. Terms of the deal were not released. Last week there was speculation that Green Mountain would be teaming up with Starbucks, but Starbucks made a deal with another single-serve maker.