WVTK Local & State News April 28, 2011

A state of emergency for Essex County has been issued for 5 days. Town officials estimate there could be more than $1 million worth of damage in the Moriah, Port Henry area. They are hoping weather will cooperate and the water will recede. This way they can reopen the nearly two-dozen roads that are closed. Officials say they don't have a total cost yet for all the damage.

Moriah Central School superintendent William Larrow said they never expected such a disaster in their district yesterday morning. The Broad Street bridge collapse during flooding and is on the same road as the school's entrance. School officials are working closely with the town to assess safety after heavy rains washed out miles of dirt and pavement roadways. Moriah Central serves Witherbee, Mineville, Moriah Center and the Village of Port Henry. There are some 13 buses that go out every morning. Moriah Central School is closed today. The district says it hopes to reopen the school on Friday.

In just one night, Burlington received nearly two-and-three-quarters inches of rain. The city already has its wettest April on record and Lake Champlain is just a few inches shy of a new record water level. Flooding Wednesday was extensive along the Lamoille and Missisquoi Rivers, especially in the towns of Johnson, Cambridge, North Troy and Jeffersonville. A lot of roads remain closed, with more rain expected through Friday. Some towns may eventually be looking to assistance through federal disaster aid and state emergency aid.

Sen. Bernard Sanders will host a town hall meeting today in the Middlebury Union High School cafeteria. The forum is one of three around the state the senator held this week to discuss the impact of proposed federal budget cuts. The event includes a dinner at 6 PM followed by the meeting at 6:30.

An overheated chest freezer started a blaze that seriously damaged a home on Crescent Street in Rutland early yesterday morning. Firefighters were called to 120 Crescent St. during the early morning hours for a structure fire that destroyed most of an attached garage and part of an apartment built above it. The seven people living there are receiving shelter and assistance from the Red Cross. No injuries were reported.

A Cosmetology program is coming to Stafford Technical Center. The school will hire two instructors to teach in a salon being built in-house. A second program that was planned for this coming semester, heavy equipment operation, is not happening due to the lack of enrollment in the program for this fall. Architecture engineering design and computer technology programs were eliminated in exchange for heavy equipment operation and cosmetology.

A Vermont man charged with leading police on a high-speed chase during which he was shot and then continued to flee has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 26-year-old Jeffrey Davis, of Johnson, was being held on $100,000 bail yesterday. The eight charges include three counts of aggravated assault with a weapon.

The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf in Burlington was burglarized. It happened sometime Tuesday night. The director said someone broke into two meat freezers, breaking off their locks and hinges with crow bars. Then, they stole four to 500 pounds of meat. The police have been contacted and are investigating the incident.

Two days after Republicans took aim at Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin's fundraising, state Democrats filed a complaint alleging that former Republican Gov. Jim Douglas' campaign solicited campaign contributions from a registered lobbyist during the 2009 legislative session. The Democratic Party's executive director said that on March 2, 2009, Douglas and his campaign solicited a contribution from lobbyist Clare Buckley before the Legislature had adjourned for the year. He sent a copy of the letter Buckley received to Attorney General William Sorrell asking for an investigation. Sorrell said his office would look into it.

A bill designed to expand pre-kindergarten in Vermont won initial approval in the House on Wednesday, but not without a fight from Republicans, who argued it would add to the financial burdens of an already overtaxed education system. The House voted 99-36 to approve the bill and is expected to consider the legislation for final approval today. The bill would eliminate a cap on the number of pre-K students who can enroll in a given school district.

There's new information out showing fewer kids in Vermont are getting necessary vaccinations, according to the Vermont Department of Health. This week is national infant immunization week. Those at the state health department stress vaccines are safe and effective against 14 different diseases, including measles and mumps.

Attempts to raise the cigarette tax in Vermont have sparked debate about cross-border commerce. Some fear that raising that tax and lower gas taxes in New Hampshire will cause Vermont consumers to shop in the Granite State.

The University of Vermont expects to spend about $300,000 to find a replacement for retiring President Dan Fogel by March of next year. On Tuesday, a 20-member Presidential Search Committee held its first meeting. The Burlington Free Press said the schedule calls for the trustees to interview eight to 12 semi-finalists in November. The finalists will be brought to campus in January or February with a decision planned for March.

The Essex County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about an ongoing mail and email scam. The scam advises recipients that they will receive a significant inheritance. The writer claims to be an attorney representing an estate worth millions. He says he is unable to track any living relatives of the deceased. You are warned to be careful about sharing any personal information and remember if it looks to good to be true it probably is.

Direct Air will start non-stop flights between Plattsburgh and Lakeland/Orlando, Florida that will include a continuation to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The company will operate two flights per week in both directions, starting Nov. 19th.

The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Chamber Day" today. Chamber staff, Ambassador Club Members, board members and other volunteers will be hand delivering the 2011 membership plaques to TACC members within the area. This evening the chamber will hold its April "After Business Mixer" at Sugar & Spice Country Shoppe from 5:30 to 7PM. Sponsors providing door prizes will be Achieve Fitness, Century 21 Adirondacks and Frenchman's Restaurant.

A Take Back the Night event will be hosted in the student lounge of the branch campus of North Country Community College from 6:30 to 8:45 PM this evening. The event, held to raise awareness of sexual violence, will include a panel of speakers, music and end with a candlelight vigil. The goal is to create safe communities and respectful relationships.

The USDA's undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services will speak at Vermont Foodbank's annual conference on hunger. The fifth annual conference will be held Tuesday at the Lake Morey Inn in Fairlee and is open to the public. Attendees must register ahead of time. The registration fee of $30 for members of non-profit organizations and $10 for each additional member and $40 for the general public covers the keynote speech, afternoon workshops and lunch.