WVTK Local & State News August 4, 2011

Vermonters who haven't applied for FEMA public assistance only have until August 15 to do so. FEMA representatives say it doesn't matter if you called 211. People need to call 1-800-621-3362 in order to register for federal assistance and low-interest loans. FEMA asks people not to wait. Some damage may not become evident until later and then it will be too late to apply. You are eligible for federal help if you live in the designated counties: Addison, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington. You can also register online by clicking HERE.

Investigators trying to determine what caused the death of an 11-year-old New Hampshire girl have taken away a silver pickup truck that had been parked near her home. On Wednesday morning, investigators were focusing their attention on the Stewartstown home of Celina Cass.

Agri-Mark has agreed to settle claims by the Vermont Attorney General's office that the Massachusetts Company misrepresented the "rBST-free" nature of the milk used to make some of its Cabot Creamery Cooperative products. The settlement requires Agri-Mark to pay $65,000 to the state, donate $75,000 worth of dairy products to local food banks, and to take steps to prevent misrepresentations in the future and accurately inform the public as to the rBST status of its products.

Two people are in custody after an early Wednesday morning shooting in Hinesburg. Vermont state police say 27-year-old Dean Heffernan and 26-year-old Katherine Heffernan fired shots at a car of a Hinesburg man on Mechanicsville Road and Route 116 in Hinesburg. State police say the two were going after the guy over drugs. Besides aggravated assault, they are facing additional charges because state police say they found drugs inside their home.

Vermont State Police say an autopsy has determined that a Ferrisburgh man who fell overboard into Lake Champlain died after being struck by the boat. 46-year-old Rene Viau did not resurface after falling off the small boat on July 23rd when it went out of control near Kellogg and Porter bays. Police say he was not wearing a life jacket.

Vermont State Police New Haven are currently investigating a vandalism and larceny involving a motor vehicle parked at the Skylight Pond Trail Parking area on Forest Road #59 in Ripton. Someone broke into a secured 2002 Honda Civic, which was parked at the trailhead area and stole miscellaneous items. The approximate value of the items stolen is $250. Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact State Police New Haven. (802-388-4919)

A Brandon man pleaded innocent Tuesday to a charge of cultivating more than 10 plants of marijuana. Scott Clark appeared in criminal court in Rutland to answer to the charge for allegedly growing approximately 16 plants of marijuana on the deck of his home in Brandon. A woman at Clark’s residence informed the Brandon Police Department she believed marijuana was being grown at the house. Upon visiting the house, police officers found 16 individual marijuana plants growing on the outside deck.

At a time when cities and towns across the country are looking more closely at their finances, Vergennes is studying how its employees' wages compare to other communities. The wage study will evaluate the city workforce over the next year. It'll match-up positions in similar sized towns in Vermont. Peter Garon is one of the aldermen in the City of Vergennes who will oversee the wage study. He says the idea is to determine where the city stands. In its study, Vergennes will look at all of its 14 non-union employees, from the city manager to the Department of Public Works. Their annual salaries range from $30,000 to $70,000.

The Westport Zoning Board made quick work of approving the proposed Rolling Hills project. That was quickly followed by unanimous approval of a negative declaration that says construction of the private club and working farm would not result in a significant adverse environmental impact. Rolling Hills, which will still need to submit final plans to the Zoning Board, is planned for the former Sandy Treadwell property.

Vermont's second-largest power company, which could soon be the state's largest, is seeking a 3.2% rate increase. Green Mountain Power said Wednesday that capital expenditures and a slight increase in power costs are behind the need for what would be its second rate hike in as many years. The company says a residential ratepayer using 600 kilowatt-hours a month would see the monthly bill climb from $96.53 to $99.62.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is warning people about the latest designer drug called bath salts. Almost 30 states have already banned the products, including New York and now, Vermont is on its way to joining them. The state Department of Health has already issued a temporary ban on the salts. The governor says it's been approved to last four months, leaving the state enough time to seek a permanent ban. If the ban is made permanent, bath salts would be added to the same list as meth and crack cocaine.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced the creation of a new page on his office's web site devoted to the history of Vermont's public records law. Condos says the special web presentation is designed to enhance the public's understanding of the law and the right to know about the activities of government.

Governor Peter Shumlin is poised to win re-election. That's according to a new poll being released by the North Carolina Democratic Firm public policy polling. The poll shows Shumlin beating six potential Republican challengers with Election Day still 15 months away. Former gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie appears to have the best chance of defeating Shumlin. Dubie has a higher approval rating than Shumlin, but the Republican rival still trails the governor by 8 percentage points in the hypothetical poll.

A sign of the tough economic times, the Postal Service is looking at mail processing operations at one of its Plattsburgh offices, and thinking about shifting those functions to Burlington. The Post Office announced that it would be conducting what it calls an Area Mail Processing (AMP) study. The AMP study involves a review of the mail processing and transportation operations to determine capacity needs at a facility in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity.

A ski boot-maker is moving out of the Green Mountain State. Garmont North America is moving its Williston headquarters to Portland, Oregon. Garmont, which is based in northern Italy, is considered a global leader in outdoor and snow sports footwear. Officials say the company is moving out west to elevate the brand's profile in the North American outdoor market. The move has already begun and will be completed by the end of the year. Garmont has 21 employees in Vermont.

A new federal report says Vermont leads the nation in the rate of young people who drink alcohol and is second in the country for youthful marijuana use. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that New Hampshire ranked second in youthful alcohol abuse and eighth in marijuana use.

There's a new drug treatment facility operating in Vermont, this one in St. Albans. The Turning Point Center is 1 of 11 in the state. It offers free meeting space, help and peer support for people dealing with alcohol and drug problems.

Lottery officials in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont have held a second Tri-State Lotto drawing to make up for a mistake, and will pay players who have tickets matching either numbers. The Tri-State Lotto Commission says because someone made an error during the live draw of the Tri-State Pick 4 daily numbers on Tuesday, a second draw was made Wednesday. The two sets of winning numbers are 0-9-4-2 (0-9-four-two) and 3-2-8-1 (3-2-eight-one.)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has created a task force to investigate salaries and other compensation at nonprofit agencies where he says about 2,000 workers are paid more than $100,000 a year. The task force will be led by the State Inspector General and focus on organizations that receive state funding. Cuomo says there currently are no rules governing executive and administrative compensation at nonprofit groups.

A think tank reports that New Yorkers moving to other states in the last decade totaled more than the populations of Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, White Plains and West Babylon combined. The Empire Center for New York State Policy found 1.6 million New York residents moved to other states between 2000 and 2010. While many New Yorkers continued to seek out hotter economies and warmer retirements, U.S. Census Bureau numbers show the state's population grew by 2 percent over the decade to 19.4 million, which was largely fueled by immigrants moving into New York City.