WVTK Local & State News June 1, 2011

A tractor-trailer crash on Route 7 in Charlotte forced police to close the road yesterday. Police say the tractor-trailer was traveling up hill on Route 7 when the driver lost control. It went down an embankment, taking out a telephone pole. Police say it then went back on the road and flipped over blocking all lanes on Route 7. 

The driver, who is unidentified, was taken to the hospital. 

Route 7 was closed for about four hours.

The town board in Ticonderoga will hold a public hearing at 6 PM June 9th in the Community Building on a proposed law to ban metal detectors from town-owned property. Trustees are concerned the community's rich History is attracting treasure hunters. If the proposed town law is adopted, violators will be fined $50 for each offense.

A Fair Haven woman faces a felony criminal charge for allegedly neglecting three horses to such a degree that one of the animals had to be put down. Police arrested Melynda K. Kallahan after discovering two mares and a stallion that she owned tied to trees in a makeshift pen that was set up on land owned by Hubbardton Forge. She didn’t have permission to pen the animals on the land and the company was unaware the horses were there. Kallahan was issued a citation to appear in court this month on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty. The two surviving mares were taken to Spring Hill Horse Rescue in Clarendon.

The second year of the resurgence of the Killington Stage Race proved fruitful for the town this past weekend, drawing 100 more racers than last year. The department is planning an economic impact study of the race’s financial benefit in town and is gathering surveys from racers and those who catered to them. Survey results are expected to be released in the next few weeks. There were a total of 660 racers this year.

Panera Bread has moved another step closer to Rutland. The national chain of sandwich shops has submitted an Act 250 application for its proposed 4,000-square-foot restaurant and drive-through in front of the old Hannaford building. The District One Environmental Commission will issue a permit unless a hearing on the application is requested by June 14th. Panera expects to employ a total of 30 full-time and part-time workers.

Vermonters will get a chance next week to have their say on the future of regional rail. State officials in New York and Vermont have scheduled a meeting at 7 PM June 7th at the Mechanicville Senior Center in Mechanicville NY, and at 7 PM June 8th at the Holiday Inn in Rutland Town for public comment on an intercity passenger rail study being conducted by the two states. The meetings next week will offer a variety of options for increasing rail service in southwestern Vermont and upstate New York.

The city of Burlington is considering banning smoking on Church Street and it's getting some support. There’s a group of people upset by second-hand smoke in downtown Burlington and they want all smoking banned on Church Street. Yesterday, the Burlington City Council Ordinance Committee held a meeting to discuss a possible ban. The city already bans smoking inside restaurants and bars. But regulating it outside could be a tougher fight. A handful of local businesses are opposed to any kind of ban, worried that it could snuff out tourism.

Vermont State Police say the Memorial Day weekend came and went with no fatal car accidents in the state, the second year in a row that's happened. Lt. John Flannigan, of the traffic safety unit, says there were 42 crashes over the 4-day period, 10 of them alcohol-related. There were 662 speeding tickets written and 63 safety belt violations. Vermont State Police troopers conducted high-visibility enforcement actions and worked with state, county and law enforcement to try to keep roads safe.

A Canadian man has pleaded guilty for his part in what Vermont prosecutors say was a bank fraud scheme. Martin Belanger, of Quebec, entered the plea Tuesday in federal court in Rutland. He's jailed awaiting his sentencing, which is set for Oct. 6th. Prosecutors say that during a three-month period in 2010 and 2011, Belanger defrauded People's United Bank and Passumpsic Savings Bank of about $92,000.

The State of Vermont is getting tougher on repeat drunk drivers. Governor Peter Shumlin signed Nick's Law yesterday, named for 18-year-old Nick Fournier, who was killed in a crash with a repeat drunk driver in 2007. The bill lowers the legal blood alcohol content for some offenders. If you are caught on your 3rd offense at .16 or above, your legal limit for the next three years is lowered to .02. This law does not apply just for alcohol; any substance-impaired driver will be subject to the same penalties.

Insisting it's not about Pete the Moose, Gov. Peter Shumlin is hailing a new law that makes Vermont's wildlife a public trust, not something owned by any one individual. The Governor signed into law a bill that requires wild deer and moose living on an Irasburg game preserve to be killed within three years, to prevent the spread of disease. But the law spares the life of the famous Bull Moose known as Pete.

Explosive experts made quick work of moving 800 yards of ledge in Charlotte Tuesday morning. The owners of the Old Lantern Inn on Greenbush Road are expanding their wedding and event business. They are hoping by late fall, the new bed and breakfast facility will offer overnight accommodations. They hope the expanded business will attract destination weddings and add local jobs.

For the second time Burlington Electric is hoping will voters approve a multi-million dollar bond request. Taxpayers will have their say on the 13-point-5 million dollar general revenue bond on June 28th. The money would pay for a variety of initiatives including investments with Velco and upgrades at the Highgate converter. 7.2 million dollars would go toward the department's smart grid project.

Students at Stafford Technical Center erected a kiosk yesterday to remember those buried in the Poor House Cemetery in Rutland. Years ago those who passed away while living in the Poor House were buried at an unmarked site, which later became a waste transfer station. City officials wanted to remember those buried on site and proposed students construct a stand in memoriam. The city will install a fence and replant grass to improve the look of the memorial site and help it to stand out.

Vermont State Police say a man is facing charges he hosted an underage drinking party for 150 graduates of Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Police say troopers were called to a location off West Loop Road in Elmore on Sunday night. About 140 partygoers were processed as minors having consumed alcohol. 51-year-old James Casey, of Morristown, N.J., who was there, admitted hosting the party for his daughter and her classmates from Deerfield. He was cited into court July 27.

The Town Of Brandon used Memorial Day to mark the 150th anniversary of the Town Hall. The building has not housed town offices in decades, but an effort to revive and restore it began in the late 1990s. Though still a work in progress, the Town Hall now hosts a variety of community events. One of the organizers of Friends of the Brandon Town Hall said the group has raised roughly $500,000 from various sources and has another $900,000 to go. About 100 people gathered in the building Monday to hear speakers discuss the Hall’s history and the efforts to restore it.

The Vermont Ski Museum is changing its name to recognize the history of another downhill sport. The Stowe fixture will now be called the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum. Officials say they want to acknowledge the deep roots of snowboarding in the state. Snowboards have always been included in exhibits and there are plans to display more. The museum is also changing its logo to include boards.