WVTK Local & State News September 8, 2011

Still reeling from the damage left by Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont is keeping close tabs on Tropical Storm Lee as it moves up the coast. The National Weather Service has posted a flood watch for Addison, Washington, Orange, Rutland and Windsor counties through this afternoon. The weather service says light to moderate rainfall totaling up to 3 inches could fall through early today.

Traffic is back to normal in the town of Hubbardton following a culvert washout on Route 30 that rerouted traffic through town for about a week. Agency of Transportation engineers worked following Tropical Storm Irene to fix an approximate 20-foot hole in the highway. It was reopened to two-way traffic earlier this week.

An Otter Valley High School student injured in a reported attack at Pine Hill Park in Rutland on Tuesday returned to school yesterday while investigators searched for a suspect. City police spent the afternoon and evening searching the woods for an assailant described by a 16-year-old student who said she was warming up for a track meet on the trail when she was attacked. The girl described her attacker as a white man between the ages of 30 and 50. She said he stood a little over 5-feet, 7-inches tall with an average build, blue eyes and a gray shirt.

To help businesses affected by Irene the Small Businesses Administration is offering up to $2 million dollars in low interest loans. So far they've handed out nearly 650 applications in Vermont. If you're one of those people who are out of work because your company is closed, Department of Labor officials say you might qualify for unemployment. And if you can't get to work because of damaged roads, then there has been a disaster unemployment program set up.

The damage to Vermont's roads and bridges is making business tough for companies that truck their goods to market. Parts of Routes 4, 7 and 9 remain closed. Those are major arteries for moving people and merchandise, and their absence is being felt. Roland Bellavance, president of Barre-based Bellavance Trucking, says about 40 percent of his trucks are having to take detours to get where they're going.

Several hundred Castleton State College students, faculty and staff will clean out mud and muck Friday in Rutland City neighborhoods flooded by Tropical Storm Irene. The college had been scheduled to participate in the volunteer cleanup on Labor Day, but it was postponed Sunday evening due to inclement weather and a flash flood warning in the area.

Vermont State Police are investigating the report of a bank robbery in Rutland. Police say a man robbed the Merchants Bank in the Green Mountain Plaza shortly before 10AM on Wednesday. Authorities say the suspect handed the teller a note demanding cash and fled with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a thin white male, about 6 feet tall, with red hair, a beard and freckles. Police say he was wearing a dark sweatshirt, baggy jean shorts and a grey knit cap. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Rutland.

Robert D. Reed Jr. of Crown Point is headed to state prison for 11 to 19 years, recently sentenced for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. Reed was convicted of felony first-degree sexual abuse, three counts of felony possessing a sexual performance by a child and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. He pled guilty to the charges in June and was sentenced in Essex County Court.

The unmistakable sounds of revitalization can be heard these days in downtown Ticonderoga, thanks in large part to public grants secured by PRIDE of Ticonderoga. In 2010, PRIDE was awarded a $387,000 New York Main St. Grant. The grant was divvied up to 19 downtown building owners to do renovations on their structures. About half of these projects have been completed.

Norwich University is mourning the death of a graduate who was among the victims of a mass shooting in Nevada. 35-year-old Heath Kelly, of Reno, was 1 of 3 Nevada National Guard soldiers killed Tuesday in the shooting at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City. Norwich President Richard Schneider says Kelly was a 1998 graduate. He calls it a profound loss for the military college.

Rep. Peter Welch says Vermonters are entitled to federal recovery funds and this is not the time for lawmakers to play partisan politics. At a press conference Wednesday morning, Welch outlined his plan for securing FEMA funds to help Vermont individuals, businesses and state government rebuild. At least 700 Vermont homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Across the East Coast the preliminary estimate amounts to $1.5 billion dollars, but the federal recovery fund has just $700 million-$800 million dollars left. Today, he'll meet with other East Coast lawmakers, FEMA and White House officials to discuss the steps needed to provide assistance. Welch says he hopes to have additional FEMA funding approved and in place by the end the month.

Patients from the Vermont State Hospital, which was flooded last week by Tropical Storm Irene, have been taken in at the Brattleboro Retreat. Sixteen patients from the Waterbury facility were moved to the Brattleboro Retreat, where officials say they're getting the care they need.

In his first back-to-school message New York State Education Commissioner John King urges students, parents and educators to work hard and get smart this school year. He asks students to challenge themselves with reading and writing. The first-year commissioner urges parents to "dive into their students' school experience" by asking what they learned that day and what it means. King urges educators to constantly ask who is proficient in their school. And how can he or she become more proficient. He says educators should constantly assess how well they are preparing students for college.

A New York state senator is calling on fellow lawmakers to tighten controls over hydrocodone, the key ingredient in Vicodin and other painkillers. Kemp Hannon, chairman of the New York Senate's Health Committee, has filed a bill that would move products containing hydrocodone from Schedule III of the state's Controlled Substances Act to the more restrictive Schedule II.

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority has teamed up with the American Red Cross and Centerplate to host a benefit carnival on Saturday from 1 to 4PM. All proceeds will benefit the North Country Chapter of the American Red Cross. Saturday's event will include activities for the whole family. Tickets will be sold for public skating, hockey shots, curling and Zamboni rides. Plus there will be food and music, so come join in on the fun and help raise funds for a worthy cause!

Old-fashioned apples are back in fashion. After nearly disappearing from the marketplace, apple varieties that were popular decades or even centuries ago are making a come back. The varieties, known as antique or heirloom apples, number in the thousands and carry names such as Sheepnose, American Mother, Lady Sweet and Nickajack. And thanks to growing interest in all foods local and heirloom, they increasingly are showing up at farm stands and markets, at pick-your-own orchards and in ciders and baked goods.

A day of remembrance will be observed Sunday at the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site for those who wish to contemplate or honor heroes from the past and present. The museum and facilities will be free from 9:30AM to 5PM. The site offers quiet and tranquility within its beautiful, open, rolling-meadows and scenic mountain views.

There will be a candlelight vigil observing the 10th anniversary of 9/11 here in Middlebury this Sunday. It will take place on the Middlebury town Green from 7:30PM – 9:30PM. The rain location will be St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The Middlebury Area Clergy Association is sponsoring the event.

The Vermont Lake Monsters have to wait until tonight to find out if they've wrapped up the league semifinals between Vermont and the Auburn Doubledays. Last night would have been game two out of three for the two Single-A baseball clubs, but rainy weather forced a postponement. Vermont pitcher Brent Powers is scheduled to take the mound. The Lake Monsters won Monday's game, 7-1, in their first playoff game in 15 years.