WVTK Local & State News August 17, 2011

The Lake Champlain Bridge Community has announced that the big celebration has new dates! The activities will be even bigger and better next spring! Plan to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event with your friends and neighbors! Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, 2012 are the new dates for the Grand Reopening Celebration! Event specifics will be announced in the spring, however event planning and fundraising continue! Stay up to date and learn how to get involved now by visiting Champlain Bridge Community Dot Org.

Killington Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay resigned yesterday and has taken back her former job as the assistant town manager here in Middlebury. The Rutland resident has been Killington’s Town Manger for the past few years.

Several counties in New York have been denied federal help for devastating spring flooding. They haven't been denied just once, but twice. Now, it may take a grassroots effort to finally get some help. Some Essex County officials say if individuals write a personal letter to the government, it might make a difference. The main reason counties in New York were denied federal help is because it's heavily populated and the threshold for damage is not high enough. It's a difficult response to hear for officials who worked tirelessly to get the help. They say the FEMA system for selection needs to be changed.

Mary Hogan Elementary teachers and staff are preparing for the first day of school August 31st. Several changes have been made to the back-to-school schedule for this year. This year's bus routes are different. Parents are asked to discard last year's schedule and follow the new schedule. The traditional Muffins at Mary Hogan will be held in the school gymnasium from 8 to 9 AM on the first day of school. Bus routes for all Middlebury elementary, middle school and high school students can be found on the school website.

People who owe the City Of Rutland money could soon wind up in court. The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to allow City Treasurer Wendy Wilton to pursue debts of more than $250 into small claims court. The debts in question were various unpaid fees and bounced checks unrelated to taxes or water and sewer bills. They included health insurance co-pays, property maintenance fees and event fees.

Rutland police have cracked a seven-month-old burglary case thanks to DNA testing. 31-year-old Jordan Bemis faces felony burglary charges for allegedly breaking into Conway's Antiques on Grove Street in February. Police tell the Rutland Herald that biological swaps from a baseball hat and a glove left at the scene helped them identify Bemis as the thief. He faces up to 18 years in prison and pleaded not guilty Monday to the charges.

With a few confirmed cases of rabies in wild animals in Essex County this year, two additional vaccination clinics have been scheduled. A rabid fox was found in Keeseville in May and a raccoon in Crown Point tested positive for the disease. Also, at the end of July, a rabid raccoon turned up in Westport. Here's the clinic schedule: 6 to 7PM Monday, August 22nd, at the Willsboro Highway Garage and 6 to 7PM Tuesday, August 23rd, at the Crown Point Highway Garage. The vaccinations are free but donations are welcome.

State Treasurer Beth Pearce says Vermont could strengthen its Triple A rating on Wall Street if lawmakers support expanding the state's Rainy Day Budget fund next year. Currently the Budget Stabilization Fund, or Rainy Day Fund as it's often called, has a cash reserve that equals 5 percent of the entire state budget, or roughly $65 million. Vermont is one of 15 states that still have a Triple A rating from Wall Street bond agencies. Expanding the size of the Rainy Day Fund to eventually represent 8 percent of the budget could be a key factor in helping the state maintain its high rating.

Montpelier police are equipped with pepper spray, batons, and semi-automatic handguns, but are hoping to add another option to their weapon holster. The police chief is in talks to add tasers to the officers' arsenal, but city residents are split on the issue. Montpelier City Councilors have established a citizen committee to look into the issue. The committee is expected to hold at least two more public hearings on the issue before handing in their recommendation on the weapons to the city council in the fall.

Former Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie is thinking about running for governor again. The Republican candidate who lost last time to Democrat Peter Shumlin says he'll make up his mind soon. Since losing last November, he says in between putting four kids through college and flying for American Airlines he's still keeping up with Vermont politics. Governor Shumlin has not yet said if he'll be running, either, although a recent poll revealed 45-percent of voters approve of him, and he would win in a re-match with Dubie.

The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding the release of information connected to the disappearance of a missing Essex couple. Bill and Lorraine Currier vanished June 8th. Police have released very few details about their investigation in the two months since. Two Vermont judges ruled that search warrants and written statements by police should be made public, but the Vermont Supreme Court disagreed. The ACLU now plans to file paper work asking the court to reconsider its decision. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 13th.

Vermont's first-term secretary of state, Jim Condos, is taking a leadership role among his colleagues around the country on the issue of preservation of state artifacts. Condos has been named co-chair of a committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State devoted to state archives, museums, historical sites and records. In addition to his co-chairmanship, Condos is serving on association committees on voter participation, presidential primaries and others.

Vermont State Police say an historic one-room schoolhouse has been destroyed by arson. Police say the schoolhouse in South Londonderry was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived at 12:45AM Monday. Authorities say the building, which was owned by Friendship Club of Thompsonburg Inc. and used for meetings and gatherings, was unoccupied at the time. Anyone with information is asked to call Vermont State Police in Rockingham or the Vermont Arson tip line at 1-800-32-ARSON.

Teachers and the school boards in the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union have failed to reach agreement on a labor contract raising the possibility that teachers could vote to strike. The two sides met on August 3rd but did not make progress. The school boards voted to impose a contract on the teachers in June, which the teachers could accept, return to the negotiating table or go on strike. The union will meet with members on August 29th to answer questions. On August 31st teachers will be asked to vote on what to do next.

Children at the Learning Adventure Daycare In Grand Isle are upset after vandals repeatedly destroy their playground. Over the past several weeks the center has experienced several acts of destruction. The Learning Adventure has enjoyed sharing its playground with the community for the 20 years it’s been open. Workers never imagined the bad acts from others would force them to make it private. Anyone with information is asked to call the Grand Isle sheriff. (802-372-4482)

The New York Attorney General says his office has reached agreement with a finance company to clear $3.5 million of debt for 995 soldiers who shopped at a retailer outside the Army's Fort Drum that sold computers and other electronics at inflated prices and credit terms. He says Rome Finance Co. Inc. of California also agreed through its bankruptcy trustee to take steps to restore the credit histories of hundreds of people.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is ordering flags to half-staff in honor of a U.S. Navy SEAL who was among 30 troops killed in an August 6th helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Chief Petty Officer Brian Bill, of Virginia Beach, VA was a graduate of Norwich University, in Northfield. He grew up in Stamford, CT. Shumlin ordered the flag lowering, at the Statehouse and all federal and state facilities in Vermont, to begin at sunrise Friday and end at sunset Monday.

A pellet gun caused quite a scare in Burlington Sunday night. Burlington police were called to a wooded area across from Dealer.com on Pine Street for reports of an incident involving a handgun. A homeless couple camping in the area told police that Karl Springer claimed their campsite was his and ordered them to leave at gunpoint. Police say the weapon turned out to be a pellet gun. Springer claims he only showed the weapon when threatened verbally by the male victim. He was arraigned yesterday on simple assault charges.