WVTK Local & State News September 12, 2011

Vermont State Police are currently investigating a burglary on Oak Lane in the Town of Bristol. The perpetrator is described as being a male late teens early twenties approximately 5'10"-6'0". Three hundred dollars in cash was stolen from the residence. Anyone with possible information is asked to contact the New Haven State Police Barracks. 802 388-4919

Vermont state police are investigating the thefts of 15 generators from a Red Cross warehouse in North Clarendon. The generators are being sold illegally for less than $100, although they are worth about $1,000 each. Police say the generators are being sold in West Rutland, and anyone who's recently purchased one in that area should return it to the Red Cross. The generators are intended to be used by people without electricity who have medical problems. State police are urging anyone with more information to contact them.

Vermont State Police say a 71-year-old Shrewsbury man who wandered away from his home was found after he'd been missing for seven hours. Joseph Forrest had been last seen by his family at about 3PM last Thursday when he walked away from his Lincoln Hill Road home. Search dogs from the state police and Rutland police department began searching the area along Route 103 in Clarendon, including the railroad tracks that follow the road. Forrest was found about 10:20PM 150-feet down a steep embankment along the railroad tracks. He was taken to the Rutland Regional Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries.

Tropical Storm Irene caused major damage to roads and others structures throughout the Green Mountain State. Crews are out right now working to rebuild them. That hard work is something Hancock select board chair Jack Ross sees in his area. He says the town received a lot of volunteer help, but federal money is needed to do the rest. To help out, FEMA and state officials are holding several meeting for counties approved for funding. While homeowners and businesses have 90 days to apply for help, towns only have until the end of September.

While some Irene relief workers are picking up debris, students and faculty at Vermont Law School are helping out by doing some heavy legal lifting. The South Royalton School is home to two legal clinics that are helping storm ravaged Vermonters fill out their federal disaster declarations and providing advice on insurance claims. The clinic will remain open until September 30th, 10AM to 4PM on Saturdays and 1 to 7PM Monday through Friday. The clinic is located on the top floor of the Vermont Law School library.

The Vermont Department of Labor says it can help find workers for cleanup, repair and demolition work following Tropical Storm Irene. The department says its 12 career resource centers around the state can help match employers with available workers. Last week a Johnson company was seeking 100 workers to help in the cleanup of the state offices in Waterbury. The labor department says by the end of the day, it had referred 150 possible workers to the company.
In the last week the department has taken in over 15 job orders for more than 500 workers.

In a case that is drawing national attention, the state of Vermont and Entergy Corp. go to federal court today over whether the state can force Entergy's Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to close when its initial 40-year license expires next March. The 3-day trial in U.S. District Court in Brattleboro will weigh Entergy's contention that the state is improperly trying to close Vermont Yankee because of safety concerns. Federal law says states have no say over nuclear safety, which is solely the province of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Vermont utility regulators are rejecting new challenges from two towns and a citizens group who wanted construction stopped on a controversial wind project in the Northeast Kingdom. The state Public Service Board this week denied motions by Albany, Craftsbury and the Lowell Mountain Group to halt work pending appeals of their previous orders. Contractors working for Green Mountain Power Corp. on the $150 million project in Lowell have begun clearing fields off Route 100 and are working on a staging area for construction trailers.

A Vermont State Police detective says investigators believe more than one person was involved in the abduction and death of a 78-year-old Sheffield grandmother. On Friday, police and the four sons and daughter of Mary "Pat" O'Hagan held a news conference to ask for additional help in solving her killing. O'Hagan was reported missing from her home on September 11th last year. Her body was found in a remote area of Wheelock about 10 miles from her home on October 3rd. No arrests have been made. Vermont State Police believe multiple suspects were involved in O'Hagan's death.

Musicians gathered on the state house lawn over the weekend to raise money for flood victims. Governor Peter Shumlin kicked off the concert to recognize what the state has endured and to honor those in the state who've lost their lives from the storm. Vermonters came from all over the state to kick off their shoes and enjoy the sounds of local musicians on the statehouse lawn.

New York City escaped serious problems when Tropical Storm Irene came through, and now people there are raising money to help much harder hit Vermont. Residents of the New York area are gathering for a fundraiser to benefit the Stratton Foundation's Flood Relief Fund. It's set for 7PM Tuesday at the SideBar in Manhattan.

The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a 1-day seminar on rabbit and hare hunting, which is the state's longest hunting season. The 1-day, free workshop will be held in Hardwick this coming Saturday for those new to rabbit and hare hunting with beagles. It's intended to be an introduction and will cover topics such as the selection of a dog, time commitment and equipment needed.

The Phish benefit concert taking place next week sold out of all 10,000 tickets in just a few hours Saturday. The line started at the Flynn Center in Burlington and winded its way down four blocks just as tickets went on sale. The jam band is performing a charity show for victims of Irene next week at the Champlain Valley Exposition.

The 10th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks was marked in Vermont by the dedication of a monument containing a piece of bent steel from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. In Bennington, about 600 people gathered Sunday. Don Goodrich, whose son Peter was killed when United Airlines flight 175 hit the south tower, told those gathered that it is through acts of faith, hope and love that ordinary people can counteract the hatred symbolized by the 2001 attacks.

An arts council is being formed in Ticonderoga. The new group hopes to coordinate the activities of existing arts organizations, plan events and promote the arts in the community. Ticonderoga’s town board adopted a resolution in support of the arts council at its August meeting. The new arts council will also work closely with Ticonderoga Central School’s art and music departments. People interested in joining the Ticonderoga Arts Council can contact Deb Malaney at the town hall.

Adirondack Harvest, the community-based farm and local food development and promotion program, is celebrating the fall harvest season with two major food events in Essex County on Saturday, September 17th. One takes place at Ben Wever Farm starting at 4:30PM in Willsboro. The other is at Sugarbush Farm. Join them for their Annual Pig Roast that gets underway at 3PM in Schroon Lake.