WVTK Local & State News May 11, 2011

A handgun and jewelry were stolen from a home on Route 22A while the homeowners were away during the day on Monday. Police believe someone broke into the home sometime between 8AM and 3:30PM on Monday, making off with what was described as a “large” amount of jewelry and a .22-caliber pistol. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call state police. (802) 388-4919

The state of emergency in Essex County has been extended through at least Thursday as flood recovery continues. And officials from both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Office toured all 13 towns in Essex County that declared states of emergency. It’s been estimated that there is more than $6 million in flood damage in Essex County alone. The county continues to ask home and business owners to fill out Individual Assessment forms reporting private property damage.

Officials in St. Albans, Vt., have decided to build a temporary road adjacent to one that's been flooded from overflowing Lake Champlain. The St. Albans Town Select-board voted to build the 300-foot road adjacent to Hathaway Point Road, setting a cap on construction expenses at $50,000.

FEMA officials began their tour of the Green Mountain State yesterday, to assess the flooding damage in seven counties to determine if the state will qualify for additional assistance. FEMA will be here all week to assess the damage and officials say they don't necessarily need to see everything to complete their assessment. But if a town wants them to come back after the water recedes, then they will.

Flooding will close two campgrounds in Moriah for an indefinite period of time. The beach and campground in Port Henry and at Bulwagga Bay were supposed to open in April, but didn't due to flooding and 10,000 dead alewives along the shoreline. Officials then hoped to have them open by Mother's Day, but the water was still too high. They will not reopen until the grounds are deemed safe for residents and visitors.

Rutland City voters rejected the $3.9 million Giorgetti bond yesterday, reversing a vote from Town Meeting Day. The bond for the expansion of Giorgetti Arena passed at town meeting, but a petition signed by 590 city voters put it back on the ballot. Yesterday, it failed by a vote of 1,789 to 1,592, a swing of 304 votes and an increase of 68 over the town meeting turnout. The Recreation Department put together a contingency plan a few years ago in case it was forced to vacate Dana and that services would be impacted if they had to relocate without a new facility like the one proposed in the bond.

Voters in Killington unanimously adopted a reduced municipal budget and rejected an idea to add two new members to its three-man Select Board. The town’s 2011 budget was reduced by more than 6.7 percent since it was last put up to the public and rejected during Town Meeting Day in March. The town tax rate as a result of the reduced budget is 32 cents per $100 of property value, a drop of four cents from what was originally proposed.

A Vermont man is going to prison for 10 years for his role in a cocaine distribution ring. 26-year-old Anthony Carosella, of Leicester, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, was also ordered to pay $98,460 in restitution at his sentencing in federal court in Brattleboro. Prosecutors say that in the fall of 2008, Carosella was part of a conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine that was led by people from Bronx, NY. He also held up an East Middlebury convenience store and stole drugs from pharmacies in Addison and Chittenden counties. In addition to the cocaine conspiracy count, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct commerce by armed robbery and conspiracy to burglarize pharmacies.

The Vermont Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the Rutland City Police Department and the Vermont State Police, executed two search warrants Monday on Williams St. and Cherry St., both in Rutland City. The drug investigation involved sales of heroin and crack cocaine in the Rutland area. During the course of the investigation the task force made numerous controlled purchases of drugs from both residences.

Vermont State Police say the suspect from a bank robbery in Hartland has been arrested in Massachusetts. Police had been looking for Brian Aubuchon who is a suspect in the Mascoma Savings Bank robbery. Around 3:45 yesterday afternoon, members of the Springfield Police Department gang unit arrested him. They say he did have drugs and money in his possession, but no weapon. He is being held on outstanding warrants from Vermont for assault and robbery, and escape from furlough, stemming from a 2010 robbery in Braintree.

Switching to a less-expensive health-insurance plan and cutting 6.5 positions enabled the Crown Point Central School budget to come in with a 1.7-percent tax increase. The budget itself is down 3.1 percent, from $6.2 million to $6.08 million. The budget vote is from Noon to 8PM on Tuesday, May 17, at the school.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is touring the state to drum up public support for his proposed cap on property taxes. The bill would cap annual property tax increases at 2 percent unless 60 percent of a town's voters supported spending more. The bill has already passed the Republican-controlled Senate but has stalled in the Democrat-led Assembly.

A Vermont physician is going to testify on Capitol Hill about the high cost of using emergency rooms for non-urgent services. Dr. Dana Kraus, a family practice physician from Northern Counties Health Care in St. Johnsbury, will be among the witnesses today at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions' subcommittee on health and aging.

Vermont wildlife officials hope to add bats to the state's endangered species list. Since 2006, upwards of 90 percent of the state's little brown and northern long-eared bat populations have died from white-nose syndrome. The Fish and Wildlife Department is submitting a proposal to have the bats added to the list. Endangered status could be granted in about five weeks.

Scientists are worried that recent flooding will lead to more pollution around Lake Champlain. Phosphorus levels in the lake are on the rise. According to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, 77 metric tons of phosphorus were dumped into the lake via the Winooski River during the last week of April after being washed off of flooded farm fields. That's about half the phosphorus the river typically drains into the lake in a typical year.

Senator Bernie Sanders wants the rest of the nation to follow Vermont's lead toward health care reform. Sanders introduced legislation yesterday that would provide federal guidelines and strong minimum standards for states to administer single-payer health care programs.

Congressman Peter Welch is urging the president to pull out of Afghanistan and reform the United States' anti-terrorism strategy. Welch says Osama bin Laden's killing shows that careful military intelligence and special operations forces are effective tools against terrorism. Welch is part of an eight-member bipartisan team, which no longer believes that nation building is the best way to defend the U.S. against terror and which also opposes the $2 billion a week war in Afghanistan.

The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce will host two instructional seminars on the uses of Facebook to enhance business on May 19th. The seminars are entitled Facebook 101 & More and will be held at the Franklin Conference Center in Rutland. They will focus on how to create a Facebook page and instructions along with tips for businesses, organizations or personal pages. Pre-registration and payment are required. For more information or to register call RRCC or visit www.rutlandvermont.com.

The Essex Community Fund, including the Charles Goff Memorial Fund, is now accepting grant applications from qualifying organizations. Application forms are available at the Essex Town Hall, through the Community Fund and on the Adirondack Community Trust website. Essex Community Fund will accept applications through June 3. Successful applicants will be notified in mid-June with grants awarded in July.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is honoring a Vermont man for his contribution to environmental awareness. Martin Wolf, director of product sustainability and authenticity at Seventh Generation, in Burlington, will be toasted today in Boston as part of the EPA's annual Environmental Merit Awards.

The American Red Cross hopes a concert will bring in donations. The Red Cross is currently assisting hundreds of Vermonters who were forced to evacuate because of flooding. But that's not all thousands of tornado victims in the south also need help. To bring in donations there will be a benefit concert event in Stowe, hosted by Nan O’Brien and Tim Kavanagh, featuring country singer Matt Kennon. 100% of the profit goes to the American Red Cross. The concert will be on Saturday May 21st at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. The event starts at 7PM and tickets cost $25. Click HERE for tickets and information.