WVTK Local & State News May 2, 2011

President Barack Obama says Osama bin Laden has been killed in a ground operation in Pakistan. During a late evening TV address from the White House, Obama said the operation was done by a small team of Americans, and that bin Laden's body has been retrieved.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy released this statement Sunday: "When Secretary Clinton called me at home to alert me that the President would be announcing that Bin Laden was dead, many thoughts and emotions came quickly to the surface. I thought of the countless lives ended and disrupted by this malevolent figure. Thousands of Americans and thousands more of other nationalities were innocent victims of his self-righteous venom, and so many brave men and women have died in the struggle to bring him to justice. Our thoughts and prayers again are with the 9-11 families and our service members overseas. We are also mindful of the need for continued vigilance."

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer released this statement Sunday: "This is a thunderous strike for justice for the thousands of my fellow New Yorkers -- and citizens from all over the world -- who were murdered on 9/11. It took close to ten years, but the world's most wanted terrorist has finally met his deserved fate. New York's heart is still broken from the tragedy of 9/11, but this at least brings some measure of closure and consolation to the victims and their families. "This is a massive accomplishment for the countless military and intelligence personnel who have been urgently dedicated to this task for the past decade. Because Bin Laden's evil dogma has poisoned the minds of so many others, we cannot let up in the war on terror. This successful mission sends a definitive message to those who would test the resolve of the people of the United States of America: do not doubt our resolve; if you do us harm, we will find you, we will mete out justice, and we will prevail."

Vermont emergency management officials said flooding is making it hard for drivers to get to the Lake Champlain ferry dock at Chimney Point in Addison. A spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management, said Friday the ferry is still running but that the area should be avoided by motorists if at all possible, since one road is closed and the other is reduced to one lane.

The man once known as Mr. Vermont for his economic accomplishments, Elbert G. “Al” Moulton, died at 85 yesterday. He was the first to serve as commissioner of development in the state. In a 12-year period, Moulton served under four governors. In 1968, he was a primary player in the creation and passing of Vermont’s famous billboard law, which continues to prohibit, billboards to this day. He did the same for the creation of another Vermont land-use management law — Act 250. In addition, he was chairman of the Republican Party and had a hand in creating many of the state’s regional development corporations.

Thousands swarmed the Vermont State House Sunday in support of single-payer healthcare. It was the annual "Healthcare is a Human Right" rally in Montpelier. Activists gathered to celebrate the passing of a single-payer healthcare bill in Vermont's Senate last week but not everyone was happy. Some are fighting a last-minute amendment that slipped into the Senate's version of the bill. It prevents illegal immigrants from being covered under a state-run insurance plan.

The Red Cross is assisting more than 100 families across Vermont due to all this flooding, and it's taking a toll on its budget. Red Cross officials say it can cost up to $2,000 per family, which is tough on an organization that relies almost solely on donations. If you would like to donate to the American Red Cross of Vermont and New Hampshire you can click HERE.

A bridge in Moriah may have to wait to be repaired. The bridge on the Titus Road collapsed just seconds after a car crossed over it. Officials suspect water from the Mill Brook eroded the pillars holding it up and the increased traffic due to detours caused it to cave in. It was the second bridge to collapse in Moriah. The Broad Street Bridge also washed out. While the Broad Street Bridge will reopen in a few weeks, the bridge on the Titus Road will have to wait. It's expected to cost at least a half million dollars fix the Titus Road Bridge.

The Town of Moriah Water Department has canceled the flushing of fire hydrants scheduled for the week of May 2 due to the flooding. This will be rescheduled at a later date.

Two local men are facing felony charges after a series of larcenies and a residential burglary in Ticonderoga. Officers arrested Kody J. Whitford from Ticonderoga. Officers also arrested an 18-year-old male who was with Whitford. They have also arrested Cody J. Taylor of Ticonderoga for his involvement in the burglary. The burglary occurred late April 19 to a residence on Third Avenue in Ticonderoga, and the larcenies had been occurring to vehicles left unlocked at several parts of town over several days.

The state of Vermont is stopping video arraignments of criminal defendants because they're not saving as much money as expected. The Rutland Herald says that beginning July 1, people facing arraignment on criminal charges will be escorted to court for what are frequently two or three minute appearances, rather than being taped in jail.

Improperly installed breath test machines mean prosecutors are dropping charges in dozens of drunk driving cases. Pending civil suspension cases in over five counties will be dropped because a Datamaster machine was not set up properly in the Royalton state police barracks, and those cases rely solely on breath test results.

Police say several people were injured when a motorcyclist going 137 mph crashed in a makeshift homeless encampment near Interstate 89. Police say the crash happened after the motorcyclist led police on a chase from Williston to South Burlington on Saturday morning. The motorcycle veered off the highway at a curve before crashing near the intersection of Interstate 189 and U.S. Route 7.

The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that the public can view election ballots and tally sheets 90 days after the elections. The justices wrote in a 4-1 opinion Friday that preserving the integrity of elections requires ballots to be sealed for three months. After that, clerks can destroy the material. If that doesn't happen, the public can see it.

The Vermont National Guard plans to train at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho throughout the month of May. Guard members will be firing small arms and machine guns in training sessions that will start after 7:30 AM and end no later than 10 PM, except on Sundays, when trainings run from 10 AM to 4 PM. Guard officials say the firing range is closed to the public and off limits to all nonmilitary personnel at all times in the interest of safety.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has proposed issuing fewer moose hunting permits this year, saying the state's goals have been met in reducing the herd. The department has proposed 405 moose permits for the 5-day season in October and 50 for the archery moose season.

Gov. Peter Shumlin is promising the Vermont government's help with reconstruction of a downtown Brattleboro landmark that was wiped out by fire. The April 17 fire reduced the five-story Brooks House to a shell. The brick structure housed 10 storefronts and nearly 60 apartments. The Times Argus of Barre says Shumlin vowed the government's help with reconstruction as quickly as possible.

Got a story to tell? The Vermont Folklife Center here in Middlebury can help you decide how to do it. They are holding a daylong workshop on oral histories May 13. "Oral History: Community Memory and Passionate Listening," will delve into theories and methods as well as hands-on training in interview techniques, with the participants working in teams to do live interviews with invited guests using recording equipment that's provided to them. It's limited to 14 people. For information and registration, call (802) 388-4964 or click HERE.

Ticonderoga Central School teachers will flip burgers and wait on customers during the second annual McTeacher Night this Wednesday at the Ticonderoga McDonald's. Teachers will work 4:30 PM to 7 PM. The owner of McDonald's has agreed to donate all proceeds from McTeacher Night to the Ticonderoga Elementary School playground project. Last year's McTeacher Night raised $5,000 for the playground fund. Nearly 100 volunteers erected a new playground at Ticonderoga Elementary School last fall. It's not complete, though. Money is needed to build a Fort Ticonderoga-style façade and complete landscaping.

Named in 2010 as America’s “Coolest School,” Green Mountain College in Poultney announced last week that it would offer a distance-learning master’s degree in sustainable food systems in January 2012. The program builds on the surging interest in food and agriculture issues in the U.S. and on the success of the college’s undergraduate major in sustainable agriculture, a popular issue in Vermont. The program received accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. For more information on the MSFS program, click HERE.