WVTK Local & State News March 28, 2011

The father of a Middlebury College student who was missing in Syria says his son has been found and is safe and well. 21 year-old Tik Root had been missing in Syria since March 18th. His father, Tom Root of Ripton, said Saturday he got "great news" from the Syrian Embassy, Sen. Patrick Leahy and others that his son has been found and is all right. Tom Root says his son remains in the hands of the Syrian authorities, who are currently responsible for him. Tik Root, a U.S. citizen, had been studying Arabic in Damascus. His father said he had been detained at a demonstration by Syrian security forces.

It's on to the Vermont Senate for an ambitious health care reform bill that would put Vermont on the path toward a single-payer health care system. The bill first would have the state come into compliance with last year's federal health reform law by creating a health insurance marketplace, called an exchange, that would let people more easily comparison shop for health insurance. The exchange would later be converted to the new Green Mountain Care system. The Senate is expected to pass the bill, but with some changes possible.

The Vermont chapter of the National Education Association says it is behind universal healthcare coverage for all Vermonters. The Vermont NEA says it is working with the Shumlin administration to fine tune the single payer healthcare reform bill. NEA officials say when it comes to healthcare; the union has done more to control cost than many other entities in the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sealing a deal with the Legislature on a tentative $132.5 billion state budget that would be historic for its spending cuts as well as its timeliness. Cuomo says the budget will set New York on a new course after decades of overspending and overtaxing that have driven residents out of state for better opportunities. It would reduce spending overall by more than 2 percent.

Fourteen of 28 Rutland County towns will celebrate their 250th birthday this year and a grass-roots group is trying to gather interest among their community members. A state representative from Mount Holly, is asking all residents from Castleton, Brandon, Clarendon, Danby, Killington, Mount Tabor, Pawlet, Pittsford, Poultney, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford and Wells to get their representatives to write a resolution for adoption by the entirety of the Vermont Legislature.

The Rutland Redevelopment Authority plans to study the city’s housing needs. The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously last to support the organization’s application for a $10,000 municipal planning grant from the state to fund the study. Mayor Christopher Louras said the recent census data showing Rutland’s population falling for a second census period in a row pointed out the need for such a study.

A downtown Rutland landmark is scheduled for a facelift. The Downtown Rutland Partnership announced its annual micro-grant awards this week. Among them was a painting project at Pip’s Barbershop that includes touching up the owl pictured on the side of the building. The organization awarded six grants. Executive Director Michael Coppinger said they received 16 applications, which were reviewed by a committee that did not see the names of the applicants.

Everyone knows that speeding is against the law. But one Rutland County legislator believes that some towns in Vermont have more than just traffic safety in mind while issuing speeding tickets and he says he’s got the numbers to prove it. Rep. Bob Helm, of Castleton, has introduced a bill that would cap the amount of revenue towns could receive annually from issuing speeding tickets.

A gut-wrenching scene found in one North Country home. 22 cats were taken from a mobile home in Bombay, New York Friday. Animal activists rescued the animals that were severely neglected. They were living in feces and with all kinds of medical problems from dehydration to feline leukemia. Several of the cats were euthanized and the remaining animals are being treated in four different shelters in Vermont and New York. Once the cats recover the shelters will try to find them homes.

Ice Cream Maker Ben & Jerry’s needs 25 Waterbury employees to volunteer to take a job in St. Albans. The factory in Waterbury is a popular spot for tourists but Ben & Jerry's Sean Greenwood says when it comes to making ice cream the factory in St. Albans does a better job. That means cutting 25 jobs in Waterbury. But to avoid layoffs the company is hoping enough people volunteer to switch to the St. Albans factory. St. Albans will handle the bulk of the ice cream making while Waterbury will focus on specialty flavors.

Essex County's visiting nurses may soon be issued tablet computers to replace their pens and note pads. County Public Health Director Karen Levison has preliminary approval to buy 15 of the units for $20,000. The nurses with the county's Home Care Agency would carry the tablets to use for electronic medical documentation. The county would contract with remote data-collection provider Sansio to provide software for mobile medical documentation.

FairPoint Communications says it will settle $7 million in service quality penalties imposed by the state by expanding broadband Internet access to areas of Vermont currently without it. Under an agreement with the Department of Public Service announced Friday, the expansion will enable the company to pay penalties it owed for service quality problems that began when it took over the former Verizon landline network serving northern New England.

Vermont State Police are investigating a weekend fire that killed a person in the town of West Pawlett. The fire was early Saturday morning in Dutchie's General Store on Railroad Avenue. State Police say while the fire remains under investigation, at this time it does not appear to be suspicious.

A Vermont police chief says a number of young people in Lyndonville are identifying themselves as members of a gang and threatening others with knives. Police Chief Jack Harris says officers have gathered evidence about the gang activity, which includes on-line threats and racist material.

A Vermont college professor will give a presentation about Ireland's economic crisis in an appearance in Burlington. Anthony O'Halloran, visiting professor at Champlain College, will speak about the long-term consequences of the nation's high unemployment, falling real estate prices and pessimistic mood in the speech, set for 7 PM Thursday at the college's Alumni Auditorium. The speech is free and open to the public.

Fashion both old and new will be on display at the Shelburne Museum this summer. The exhibit will include works from early Parisian designers, current fashion icons, as well as upcoming designers. Eight fashion students from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York will create garments for the show. The exhibit "In Fashion: High Style 1690-2011" opens June 18th and runs through October 30th.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' filibuster on corporate greed, a hit on YouTube, is now a book. The eight-hour speech on the U.S. Senate floor, which saw Sanders railing about tax breaks for the rich, Wall Street greed and what he called the nation's war on working families, has been turned into "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of the Middle Class," published by Nation Books.

The second of two scenic byway plans for the region is nearing approval. It’s a move designed to attract more tourists to a driving route spanning from Andover to Pittsfield. Earlier this month, a 50-mile stretch of Route 4 from West Rutland to Hartford received final approval as the “Crossroads of Vermont” scenic byway. The next step is final approval of the “Scenic Route 100 Byway” by the Vermont Transportation Board and a decision is expected in the next few weeks.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says it wants to make it easier for boaters and anglers to find places to launch their boats or fish from shore. To do that, the department is asking owners or managers of boating and fishing facilities to fill out an online questionnaire so the state can get the information to the public.

Vermont lawmakers this week take up a transportation-funding package that includes resurfacing a rough stretch of Vermont Route 108 between Cambridge and Bakersfield and buying a train station in White River Junction. The chairman of the Transportation Committee says the panel came up with an overall spending plan of $553.7 million with about $267 million of it coming from the federal government. That overall target matches the request made in January by the Shumlin administration.

Champlain College is holding its big job fair on today. About 100 employers, including the Vermont National Guard, are expected to attend. There are also a series of seminars on topics from starting your own business to social media. The event takes place from 1:30 to 5:30 PM. The job fair is free and open to the public. You can find more information click HERE.