WVTK Local & State News April 12, 2011

There is a Flood Watch In Effect Through 8 this morning for Addison, Rutland and Essex County, NY.

The Weather Channel Says: Sun & Clouds Today – High In The 50’s

Middlebury voters will head to the polls today for a second time to vote on a $3 million bond issue to finance various road improvement projects throughout town. That initial vote was improperly warned and therefore must be ratified. Voting takes place at the municipal building.

Middlebury voters will vote tomorrow on a proposed 2011-2012 Mary Hogan Elementary School spending plan that represents a 2.22-percent increase compared to this year. The vote will take place at the school district annual meeting at 7:30PM in the school gym. The proposed budget maintains current-staffing levels, does not add any new programs and recognizes an enrollment increase of 10 students, for a total of 400.

A Bridport man accused of accidentally shooting his neighbor while target shooting has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment and simple assault charges. Thirty-six year-old Tracy Stone was arraigned yesterday in the shooting last August that critically injured Peter Damone. Damone did attend the arraignment and said Stone used poor judgment and must be held accountable. But he also said he doesn't want him to go to jail and has forgiven him.

Officials in Vermont and New York are planning a celebration to mark the opening of the new Lake Champlain Bridge. A meeting is scheduled for today in Addison to discuss the project. Organizers say the celebration will likely be held in October, but the exact date will depend on when the bridge is finished. Plans are also under way to commemorate the previous bridge, which was built in 1929.

Waterfront Video will be closing their Middlebury location in May after 13 years in the Marble Works. Management cited building issues and a changing movie rental industry as the primary reasons for the business’s decision to close. Waterfront will continue to operate its flagship store in Burlington.

Rutland City firefighters responded to a fire that broke through the roof above the Double Dragon Buffet in the middle of the Rutland Shopping Plaza yesterday around noon. The fire forced the evacuation of most of the stores, but the Fire Chief said there were no injuries due to the blaze, which started in the restaurant's kitchen. The actual cause of the blaze was still under investigation.

The former treasurer of Ira has admitted to his part in an embezzlement case. Donald Hewitt pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Brattleboro. Authorities say Hewitt stole more than $400,000 in town money over the years. Sentencing is set for August 8th. He could get 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Demolition to make way for the new Community College of Vermont campus on West Street in Rutland is expected to be finished by the end of the week. CCV announced last week it plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus. The building will serve as CCV’s new Rutland home, replacing the building on Evelyn Street. CCV’s president said last year that the student population had grown 58 percent in five years, reaching 900, and that it was the second-fastest growing segment of the school.

A controversial bill under consideration in Montpelier may cause you to pay more while shopping online. The bill before the state Senate requires online sellers with more than 10-thousand in sales to Vermont customers in the preceding year, to collect the state sales tax. Advocates of the bill estimate the state could lose 25-million in sales tax revenue to online sales during the next fiscal year. But not all local businesses in Vermont are on board with the bill. Some retailers say the legislation could damage the relationship between them and their larger online partners. The bill has already passed the Vermont House and it will be discussed in the Senate Finance Committee today.

This year more marinas on Lake Champlain are working toward being more environmentally friendly. Champlain Marina was the third on the lake to be designated a "Vermont Clean Marina." That basically means the marina and its customers are meeting a certain set of criteria to protect the lake from pollution. The Vermont Clean Marina designation is relatively new, and marinas and regulators are still discussing the details of what exactly the criteria are and should be.

The fate of federal college grants remains up in the air, as the United States House and Senate debate the budget for the current fiscal year. The Pell Grant is one program targeted for major cuts. If the House version of the budget wins out, it would cut Pell Grants by nearly $6 million. And Senator Bernie Sanders office says that could mean the average student would see a 17% reduction in their federal grant.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin says he has a way to pay for promoting renewable energy development without relying on a surcharge on consumers. He said he wants to use money in the Clean Energy Development Fund to pay up-front grants, rather than tax credits. Shumlin says he expects the grants already have been accepted by enough developers to save the state nearly $3 million.

A day set aside to note the pay disparities between American women and their male counterparts has special relevance in Vermont. The Vermont Commission on Women says that according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Vermont women working full-time earn wage 81.9% of what men do. Equal Pay Day symbolizes the time of the new year when wages paid to American women catch up to those paid to men from the previous year.

Changing Essex County's occupancy-tax law to give more to the county for local promotion will be considered before the law is renewed. The current law gives 95 percent of the money to the Lake Placid-Essex County Visitors Bureau and 5 percent to the county for administration. The group spends the larger share on advertising and promotion of the Lake Placid-Wilmington area. Some feel the law should be amended to give a larger share to the county itself.

The first poll since New York's cost-cutting state budget was adopted on time shows even the long ridiculed state Legislature is viewed better, even though citizens see themselves as losers. The Siena College poll shows Gov. Andrew Cuomo increased his already high approval rating. But the poll also shows 41 percent feel New Yorkers are losers in the budget that cut spending by 2 percent. Just 27 percent feel New Yorkers are winners.

Ticonderoga Middle School is celebrating Middle School Week this week. Each year the Ticonderoga Middle School designates one week for Middle School Week and sponsors special events throughout that week. A career fair will be held this morning. Students from grades 8-11 will be able to meet representatives from different careers and discuss opportunities. Parents who have a child entering grades 6-8 can attend a meeting tomorrow at 5:30PM to hear about the student expectations, academics and activities.

Burlington City Councilors are getting ready to crack down on smoking in the downtown. The resolution would not cut out smoking entirely, but it would limit it to designated smoking areas. There is no word on where these areas would be, or how many there would be, and the public has mixed reviews. The ordinance committee will now deliberate on the details and evaluate business owners and the public’s opinion.

A group of well-published poets will appear at the New Haven Community Library this Thursday at 7PM in celebration of national poetry month. The Spring Street Poets are comprised of seven Addison County writers and will share some of their new poems. They perform in public only three to four times a year.

A team of 97 Mount Abraham Union High School students attended a nationwide music competition in New York City early this month and achieved some top awards. Mount Abraham was the only school representing Vermont in the New York Heritage Music Festival, which drew 13 schools from states as far away as Virginia, Texas and California.

Time to check your Powerball tickets because two bought in Vermont for Saturday's drawing are worth a lot of money. Lottery officials say one ticket bought at Beverage King in Bomoseen will bring the winner 40-thousand dollars. The player matched 4 of the 5 numbers. The other ticket was bought at the Price Chopper in Rutland. That winner will get 10-thousand dollars for also matching 4 of 5 numbers. Saturday's numbers are 5 -- 14 -- 32 -- 53 -- 56. The Powerball was 11 and the multiplier is 4.

The Vermont House is set to take up legislation that would give citizens greater ability to participate in state environmental enforcement actions. The bill, up for House action on today, calls on the Agency of Natural Resources to provide public notice of a proposed penalty against a polluter, and allows members of the public 30 days to comment on the proposed enforcement actions.

Things are looking up in Bennington: The Bennington Battle Monument is getting ready to open for the season. The 306-foot structure, which is Vermont's tallest building, opens its doors Saturday for its annual season. Bennington Battle Day will be celebrated August 13th and 14th.