WVTK Local & State News April 7, 2011

As of today the Charlotte - Essex ferry crossing re-opens. It will run hourly from each port starting at 6AM from the Vermont side, and at 6:30AM from the New York side. Its last run will leave Vermont at 8:00PM and from New York at 8:30PM. Keep in mind; due to rising gas prices, Lake Champlain Transportation has added a 2.5% gas surcharge to all ferry tickets. Officials say this charge will remain in place until gas prices drop below three dollars.

Thirty-four Main Street in Middlebury is now the new home of The National Museum of the Morgan Horse and Amber Raye Broderick is its new director. Originally the museum was housed in Shelburne, but when the building was sold the museum moved to its Main Street location in Middlebury. Long associated with The American Morgan Horse Institute, the museum has been operating as a public learning facility for the institute since 1988.

The city of Rutland's Board of Aldermen would like to collect taxes from delinquent vendors at the downtown farmers' market, but Mayor Christopher Louras did not support the plan. While the tax does not apply to groceries at the local farmers' market, it aims at carryout prepared food sold by several vendors. City Treasurer Wendy Wilton noted that some vendors pay the tax while others ignore it. She suggested the city enforce a food vendor license plan.

The Port Henry Village Board has somehow kept the new budget's tax levy within $26 of last year's amount. The proposed 2011-12 budget totals $820,419, with the amount to be raised by taxes at $500,694. The village's assessed value dropped from $50 million to $49.82 million, so the tax rate will go up from $10.01 per $1,000 of assessment to $10.04.

Rutland police are looking for a man who allegedly fired a gun at a man during a fight on Cleveland Avenue Tuesday night. The man who fired the gun fled on foot before police arrived and may still be in the city. According to police the incident took place in the midst of an argument over a woman. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rutland police. (802-773-1816)

A Rutland man is headed to jail after he threatened to blow up the Veteran Affairs Hospital in White River Junction. Stratton Sirois pleaded guilty in December to a federal charge of leaving threatening messages at the hospital. The 55-year-old vowed to go on a killing spree because he was about to lose his unemployment benefits. He was sentenced to ten months in jail Tuesday as part of a plea deal.

An entire family is in the hospital following an early morning fire in West Haven on Wednesday. It started shortly after 3AM. Four departments responded and officials say it took them until 7AM to get the blaze under control. Four people were in the home at the time. All were sent to Rutland Regional Hospital for smoke inhalation. The wood frame home is a total loss. Fire officials believe a wood stove sparked the blaze.

The Vermont House has agreed to pull a new 55-cent charge on electric bills from a bill designed to promote renewable energy. Gov. Peter Shumlin says he's working on an alternative to the new tax to fund the Clean Energy Development Fund, but he won't say what his plan is. At issue is how to replace money in the fund that had been coming from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. The Vernon reactor is scheduled to close next year.

The federal government is developing plans to replace the U.S. border facility in the Vermont community of Derby Line. Customs and Border Protection officials say the existing border crossing at the northern end of Interstate 91 has "security and traffic flow deficiencies" that make it a priority for renovation and replacement. CPB says the Derby Line project is part of a nationwide effort to ensure the country's land ports meet modern demands.

The Vermont House has advanced a bill making it easier for someone denied access to public records that sues and wins to collect attorneys' fees. The bill, which won preliminary approval yesterday on a 134-5 vote, also sets up a new panel to study more than 200 exemptions from the public records law and determine if some of them can be scrapped. The measure comes up for final House action today.

It's rough ride around Vermont as potholes are everywhere. This is the worst season in the past few years. Governor Shumlin said the state has spent $1.3 million on pothole patching and that long-term fixes are coming. The paving season starts in a week and 100 miles of interstate and 135 miles of state roads are set to be repaved.

A top Vermont transportation official is pleading with motorists to slow down in highway work zones, as the road-paving season is about to get under way. Two Vermont road workers were killed in traffic accidents last year in Newport and Bennington, and Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter says the agency wants to reduce that number to zero.

It's spring-cleaning time, and for Chittenden County, that means time to get rid of the old appliances. The Chittenden Solid Waste District is holding a free "appliance round up" for old air conditioners, boilers, refrigerators, dishwashers and stoves. It's set for all solid waste drop-off centers on April 15 and continues April 16 at the Williston drop-off center. The free service is open to county residents only, and there's a three-appliance limit. Doors must be removed from latch-style refrigerators and freezers.

New York's Electronic Waste Law allows people to get rid of their old electronic equipment to be recycled free of charge. The law started on April 1st. Now, you can drop off your e-junk at landfills or electronics manufacturers. Drop off policies can differ from location to location so it is best to call ahead. The law makes it illegal to throw away your old electronics items by January 1, 2015.

New York U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing a plan to help small businesses create more jobs. Her proposal is focused on providing more early capital to business start-ups through federal grants for business incubators, tax-free savings accounts for entrepreneurs and tax credits to leverage private investment in new enterprises.

Essex County will likely see about a 9 percent increase in its tax levy as a result of state budget cuts that could leave the county paying $1.4 million more than last year. Many of the reductions come from state mandated medical services the county is obligated to fund. County Manage Dan Palmer said the county would be looking into reducing expenses for non-mandated services, including the county-owned fish hatchery and nursing home.

While U.S. military forces continue to be engaged in conflicts abroad, a survey of the home front by an international think tank finds that U.S. states have become more peaceful since 1995. In a report from the Institute for Economics and Peace says Maine is the most peaceful state, while Louisiana is the least peaceful. The Australia-based organization defines peace as an absence of violence. The top three states are Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Joining Louisiana at the bottom are Nevada and Tennessee.

Fire and emergency personnel are hoping to add more members to their ranks. The Clinton-Essex County Fire and EMS Recruitment and Retention Committee will take part in the first-ever statewide Unified Firefighter Recruitment weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Local fire departments will open their doors to area residents, giving them an opportunity to learn what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical service provider.

Green Mountain College has earned the title of greenest college in the nation from Sierra magazine in its annual "Coolest Schools" survey. GMC earned a score of 88.6 out of a possible 100 in the assessment, which ranks colleges and universities in categories including efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration and financial investments. GMC also tops a list of 100 colleges and universities from across the country recognized for their work on behalf of the planet.

The University of Northwestern Ohio recently awarded the Senior Northwestern Technical Scholarship to Christopher Hogan of Whiting. To be considered for this scholarship, students took tests during the on-campus fall open house. Christopher competed against students from throughout the country and received the top score in agriculture. He is a Diesel Power Technology student at the Hannaford Career Center here in Middlebury. He has been accepted by the University of Northwestern Ohio and is scheduled to start in August.

Rutland Regional Medical Center launched an electronic medical records computer system March 1st. Now doctors and nurses can enter patient information on computers right at the patient's bedside. Then those records can be pulled up anywhere in the hospital. Hospital officials say the new system cost nearly $15 million, all paid for by hospital's capital fund. Nurses say they're glad to no longer have to read doctor's handwriting, which was the most common reason for errors prior to the electronic system.

A big event is coming up-- Ready To Run, a campaign-training event for women. The goal is to get women interested in politics. Governor Madeleine Kunin, the first female governor in Vermont, who served from 1985 to 1991. The Ready to Run: Campaign Training for Women event is being held at UVM. It's Saturday, April 16th from 8AM - 4:30PM Pre-registration is necessary. More information click HERE.