WVTK Local & State News August 18, 2011

Dairy farmers have less than a week left to decide if they'll participate in a class action settlement with Dean Foods. Farmers could receive a one-time payout of $3,000 to $5,000. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by six farmers, including 2 in Vermont, who claimed that Dean Foods and two other entities colluded on setting the price that farmers are paid for milk. The deadline to claim the payment is Tuesday.

State police in New York are warning about a virus-laden email that appears to be a notice of a speeding ticket. They say the bogus email is likely to have "Uniform Traffic Ticket" in the subject line and an attached zip file described as a ticket from the Department of Motor Vehicles that can be filled out and mailed to a local court. Opening that attachment can infect the user's computer. Reports of the email have been coming in from across the country, starting overnight Wednesday. Investigators with the Computer Crime Unit haven't yet identified the type of infection carried by the email. The email and its attachment shouldn't be opened. If they are, update and run anti-virus software.

While individuals in the North Country were denied aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for spring flood damage, area farmers will be eligible for some help. Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties were declared disaster counties. The disaster designation of the three counties means farmers will be eligible for assistance from the Farm Service Agency, which includes emergency loans and participation in the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program. Farmers in the eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration of August 16th to apply for assistance.

The Vermont State Police in New Haven are investigating a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred at the Red Gate fishing access located on Fort Cassin Rd. in Ferrisburgh. The theft occurred on August 13th between the hours of 12:30 and 5:00PM. Taken from the vehicle was a green LL Bean backpack and a duffel bag. Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (388-4919)

The Vermont State Police in New Haven are investigating a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred at the Bristol Waterworks located on Plank Rd. in New Haven. The theft occurred on August 14th between the hours of 10:30AM and 1:10PM. Taken from the vehicle was a purse. Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (388-4919)

The Vermont State Police in New Haven are investigating a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred at the Snake Mountain Parking area located on Mountain Road in Addison. The theft occurred on August 14th between the hours of 11:30AM and 2:50PM. Taken from the vehicle was a screen print fabric purse, which was dark blue with pineapples on it and a yellow Northface daypack. Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (388-4919)

The Rutland Town Select Board voted Tuesday to have the Planning Commission indefinitely table a proposed zoning ordinance. Rutland Town has no zoning, and the commission had been working on an ordinance following a vote in which the majority of voters said they favored some level of zoning.

A proposed multiuse pedestrian path project along the historic Funkhouser Trolley line connecting three western Rutland County towns is likely off the table after one of the towns pulled its support. The Ira Select Board announced Monday it would no longer support the project after receiving a phone call from property owners along the proposed path who did not support the project. Without the support of Ira, Castleton and West Rutland are holding off on the application for a transportation enhancement grant with the state Agency of Transportation worth $37,500 for a feasibility study.

Vermont health officials say radioactive tritium from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has reached the Connecticut River. Dr. Harry Chen, the state health commissioner, said yesterday that samples of water taken July 18th and July 25th from the river confirmed the migration of the substance.

A Vermont fuel distribution company has agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty for environmental violations. Champlain Oil Company delivers gasoline and diesel to gas stations around the region and also operates the Jiffy Mart convenience store chain. State inspectors discovered problems with the leak detection system at the company's underground storage facilities. No actual leaks were found and the state says Champlain Oil is working to install remote leak detection equipment.

The state of Vermont is in line to get more than $4.2 million in federal highway grant money. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Wednesday that the funding will pay for numerous highway-related projects, ranging from protecting rail crossings to transportation job training. Vermont got $2.2 million for installing active protection at 15 unprotected crossings on Amtrak's Vermonter route, $1 million for work on Route 4A and Vermont 30 in Castleton, $352,000 to improve access at the St. Johnsbury Waypoint and $326,000 to support a Chittenden County travel demand management pilot program, among other things.

Senator Patrick Leahy is calling on members of the Congressional debt reduction super committee to include a war tax to pay for U.S. military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan in their final package. Leahy says these wars were never paid for and have cost the American people several trillion dollars in additional debt. Leahy says the accumulated debt from the two wars far exceeds the budget targets of the super committee and he argues that the imposition of a war tax means that many key domestic programs won't have to face major cuts.

Vermont police agencies will be stepping up their vigilance on drunk driving. Starting Friday, a "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign will bolster enforcement efforts across the state, with law enforcement agencies all over participating. The number of alcohol-impaired driving deaths in Vermont dropped to 24 last year from 26 in 2009, but Lt. John Flannigan of the Vermont State Police says the goal is simple - to arrest anyone they find driving drunk or impaired.

A Vermont maker of specialized military eyewear is expanding its presence in Europe, with the announcement of a new contract to supply the German military with protective eyewear through 2013. The addition of Germany as a customer for Revision adds to its already existing status as the sole supplier of military eye protection gear to Canadian, British, Dutch, Belgian and Danish forces.

Authorities will make a plea for help today in the murder investigation of Celina Cass. Police are calling her death suspicious, but have not identified any suspects in connection with her disappearance. An autopsy also failed to pinpoint the cause of death. Today the attorney general's office will announce a new reward for information. The FBI is already offering $25,000 dollars for any tips that lead to a break in the case.

The mattress manufacturing company that plans to relocate to Manchester is in a tax dispute with its current home in Hoosick, New York. Officials there say WCW Inc. owes more than a million dollars in unpaid taxes. The Town Of Manchester sees little cause for concern and says they've visited the Hoosick site. They're convinced that the building is worth less than it's assessed for, and that WCW will pay its fair share in Manchester.

Edward Bennett, former newspaper editor and publisher in Claremont, NH has died. He was 86. Bennett died August 8th here in Vermont after a brief illness. He was editor and publisher of the Claremont Daily Eagle, now the Eagle Times, from 1961 to 1972. Bennett joined the paper in 1947 as the state editor. He bought the Vermont Standard in 1977 and edited it for six years. In addition, he was a volunteer firefighter in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Hundreds of Cadillac owners drove to Barton Wednesday and shattered a previous Guinness world record. A Guinness judge was on hand to count and confirm the 298 Cadillac’s that were in the parade. That number dethrones the previous record of 102, set nine years ago in the Netherlands. 

The parade went from Barton Academy to the Orleans County Fair. Organizers of the parade say this record is a tribute to the founder of the Cadillac, Henry Leland. Leland was born and raised in Barton.

It is with great pride and excitement that the Ausable Valley Habitat for Humanity, serving Elizabethtown, Essex, Jay, Keene, Lewis, Westport and Wilmington, announces the completion of its tenth home on Goff Road in Westport. There will be an Open House on Saturday, August 20th from 3 to 6PM. The AVHFH services Essex County providing decent, affordable homes to qualified partner families. Each selected family must provide 500 hours of volunteer labor on the new home, complete a financial planning course and repay a non-interest bearing loan, which is provided by the organization.

A once-endangered bird is once again thriving in Vermont. There have been 72 nesting Loon pairs documented this year, up from 65 pairs last year. The loon population shrank to dangerous levels in the 1980s due to the use of DDT and other pesticides. In 1983, only seven nesting pairs of loons were recorded in the state. The birds were placed on the endangered species list but were removed once numbers started to rebound.

NY Alert is how the Empire State alerts people to emergencies, natural disasters and even sex offenders. Officials in Essex County say they need to get the word out so more people can be reached. Essex County started using the program a few months ago, out of the 38 thousand people who live there, nowhere near that number know about NY alert. Essex County is working to ensure all residents in the area are signed up to receive the alerts.