WVTK Local & State News June 9, 2011

Afternoon Update...

Almost 1,500 Vermont electric customers were without power earlier today after overnight thunderstorms knocked down power lines in different parts of the state. The Central Vermont Public Service Corp. reported that at its peak Wednesday evening, about 11,000 customers were without power. CVPS says Rutland County was hit the hardest, with about 5,000 customers without power at the peak of the storm. With weather forecasters predicting more strong thunderstorms through this evening more outages are possible.

With high gas prices and summer travel underway, Irving Oil is launching a rewards program for customers. Now visitors to any of the 289 participating Irving locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island can save at the pump and possibly win free gas for a year through Irving Rewards. In Vermont, customers can save at 28 participating Irving locations including the Rutland and Middlebury areas. The more you fill up at Irving between now and August 31st the more you'll save on gas this summer.

It's farmers’ market time again in Hinesburg. The annual market opened for the season June 2nd at the Community Church of Hinesburg on Route 116. Along with regular vendors who bring their handmade crafts and produce and baked goods, several new vendors have signed up to be on location each Thursday through Sept. 29th.

Lincoln teen Andrew Rainville was one of the winners of a statewide video contest held last month. Rainville's video will be used to advertise the teen summer reading program for the Vermont Department of Libraries. The contest was sponsored by the Vermont Department of Libraries. Rainville won $250 and the Lincoln Library received $100.

Moses-Ludington Hospital has signed an affiliation agreement with Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Science that will place pharmacy students at the Ticonderoga facility. The placement is part of Albany College's experiential program and will provide the students with supervised practical experience and training. The program is a core component of the college's Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Ticonderoga school officials will submit a revised budget proposal to voters. The board of education has trimmed $88,000 from the proposed 2011-12 budget that was rejected by residents May 17th. The new proposal calls for a 3.9 increase in the tax levy.  The budget re-vote will be Tuesday, June 21st from Noon to 8PM in the Ticonderoga High School lobby and at the Hague Community Center.

Landlords are now responsible for garbage at their apartment buildings in Moriah. Facing a growing cost to dispose of neglected trash, the town has turned to the New York State building codes for help. The state makes property owners, including landlords, responsible for garbage disposal. Moriah officials hope enforcement of the state code will alleviate a problem in the community.

United Way officials in Vermont say they want to collect information to help make the case to the federal government that the state should be eligible for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency due to recent flooding and storm damage. The United Way say is asking that anyone who has flood or storm damage to call 2-1-1 and report it, even if they have insurance or question their eligibility.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is touting his success in getting a Smithsonian museum in Washington to switch from foreign-made to American-made goods. He raised an alarm last year, saying he had gone holiday shopping at the National Museum of American History gift shop and found busts of American presidents and other items made in China. The senator made an issue of it, and now the gift shop has switched to American-made merchandise.

A Vermont school district is hoping to cut its annual electric bill in half by installing more energy efficient lighting fixtures and removing hundreds of fixtures that are no longer needed. St. Johnsbury school directors are eyeing $127,000-$130,000 project to would remove, replace and relocate hundreds of light fixtures at the town school. The changes recommended by Efficiency Vermont could cut the $45,000 annual lighting cost in half and improve lighting in the building.

Economists say Vermont's economic picture is starting to improve in part because the financial fortunes of the state's top 3,000 income tax filers are getting better. The state's income tax revenues are up more than 10% from where they were a year ago. The growth in state income tax revenues this year reflects gains made by the small group of wealthy Vermonters.

The summer bass tournament season starts Saturday with the ABA Bassmaster Weekend Series. More than 150 anglers will compete for a $6,000 prize in the one-day tournament, which is sponsored by Toyota. An additional $1,000 will be awarded to the angler who reels in the heaviest bass of the day. Registration for the event will take place 3PM to 6PM Friday at the Naked Turtle in Plattsburgh. The weigh-in will be held at Dock Street Landing in Plattsburgh at 2PM Saturday.

Second Blessings Thrift Center in Crown Point has opened for the season. Operated by the First Congregational Church, the shop will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10AM to 2PM. The schedule may expand as summer comes. Appointments will also be accommodated.

---------

Central Vermont Public Service is reporting that severe thunderstorms did widespread damage last night, knocking out power to nearly 11,000 customers at the peak around 8 PM. Rutland County was hit the hardest with about 5,000 customers out at the peak. Windsor and Orange counties were also hit hard, as was Addison County. They had more than 850 customers out in Chittenden County and more than 600 out in Bennington County, with scattered outages in Windham County as well. As of 9:45 PM they were down to 6,700 customers without power. You can get the most recent CVPS outage information anytime at www.cvps.com.

The state of Vermont is coming to the aid of businesses reeling in the wake of damage from spring flooding. Gov. Peter Shumlin called on the Emergency Board to approve a $1 million appropriation. He says the money will support $3 million in no- and low-interest loans to commercial businesses damaged by spring flooding. Vermont businesses along Lake Champlain and in central have been hit hard by the flooding that started in late April and continues to cause problems. The state and its congressional delegation have asked the White House to declare a disaster, but no declaration has been issued.

A proposed biomass and wood-pellet production facility in Fair Haven is delayed as Beaver Wood Energy contractors are working on closing financial deals to cover additional costs of the permit process. The closing of these deals has put a hold on the process of obtaining a certificate of public good from the Public Service Board.

According to police citations two Champlain Valley Union High School students have been busted for allegedly dealing drugs. Tyler Barnes, a sophomore, and Taylor Gingras a senior, were cited into court for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Both are members of the varsity football and lacrosse teams. Police say the investigation started when an administrator at the school was trying to find the owner of a stolen cell-phone that had been confiscated. Police say they have identified a number of other students who may face charges.

Rutland Police are providing a new way for residents to report criminal activity anonymously and allows officers to maintain a dialogue with tipsters. You can find it on the main page of the city’s website at www.rutlandcity.com. A new feature allows officers to send messages back to posters if additional information is needed.

City officials in Burlington, Vt., say they've signed a new 5-year labor agreement with a union that represents 215 city workers. The agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees calls for cost-of-living adjustments. The contract has now been ratified by the City Council and by union members.

After deliberating for 4 hours on Wednesday, a Clinton County jury has found Anthony Pavone guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. Pavone showed no emotion as the verdict was read, but there was palpable relief visible on the faces of the families of the victims. Pavone, a former New York state prison guard, was charged with fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Howard, and the man she was dating, Timothy Carter, in January of 2010.

Vermont Congressman Peter Welch is calling on the federal government to eliminate ethanol subsidies. He called a news conference today at a Lake Bomoseen marina to talk about the harmful effects of ethanol, which he says drives up the cost of animal feed, boosts grocery store prices and is bad for the environment. Welch says Congress should eliminate the nearly $6 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies to the ethanol industry.

Vermont State police are warning businesses in the Rochester-Royalton area to watch out for fake money. They say someone passed a phony $20 at the Macs Valley Market in Rochester on June 1 and the bills are turning up at other merchants in the area. Police say it's not clear if the person who used the fake bill knew it was counterfeit. Investigators are urging merchants to check all bills to make sure they are real and notify police immediately if they find fake cash.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to establish a new, less generous pension system for future state, local and school employees is expected to face resistance in the waning days of the current legislative session. Cuomo says the measure should save taxpayers $93 billion over 30 years without counting New York City savings under a separate proposal included at the request of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Vermont Farm Show will return to Chittenden County. Organizers say they are moving the 3-day event to the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. The midwinter tradition celebrates agriculture with contests and activities. It also gives businesses a chance to pitch their products to potential buyers. Organizers say they were running out of room at the Barre Civic Center and Auditorium where it has been held. And the bigger space allows them to do more things.

Chittenden County is one of the least economically stressed counties in the country according to a new analysis conducted by The Associated Press. The AP's Stress Index ranks communities on a scale of 1 to 100 based upon unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. In April, only 19 other counties in the nation had lower stress levels than Chittenden County. Nevada and California reported the highest levels of stress while Vermont and New Hampshire's levels were among the five lowest.

Recreation officials in Burlington say damage from Lake Champlain flooding has forced the closing of sections of the Burlington Bike Path. Citing significant erosion, the city's Parks and Recreation Department said the sections will be closed indefinitely while repairs and damage assessments are done. Hardest-hit are Lakeside Avenue north through Perkins Pier, a section north of Starr Farm and the 127 Recreation Path north of Ethan Allen Homestead.

Vermont transportation officials say a culvert failure in Enosburg has forced the closing of a portion of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. The closing, around mile marker 17.5, was needed because a culvert under 20 feet of fill has failed due to rain-soaked earth, making a section of the 26-mile trail unstable and starting to slide. Engineers are examining the problem in hopes of figuring out a solution. Construction will start soon after that, but no timetable is being given for the reopening.