WVTK Local & State News October 12, 2011

A small section of Vermont Route 30 in Hubbardton will be closed so repairs can be made to culvert that was heavily damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. The Vermont Agency of Transportation says the repairs will take two days and are considered temporary to allow travel on Route 30 through the winter. Permanent repairs will be made after winter. Work will start on Thursday and be completed by Friday evening. The road will be closed to all traffic during that time.

The 1820 Pulp Mill Covered Bridge will get a major facelift next summer. Middlebury and Weybridge town officials said the ailing wooden bridge would be extensively rehabilitated, including fixing 19th-century design errors. The construction project, scheduled for 2012 will cost $2.6 million. Construction will create some traffic snarls for commuters using the bridge, which connects Middlebury and Weybridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is called a Burr-arch bridge.

Vermont State Police are currently investigating the report of a Burglary at a seasonal camp off of Swamp Road in the Town of Cornwall. The victim reported only toilet paper was taken from his camp, which he located on the lawn at his camp. Anyone with information or leads concerning the case is asked to contact Vermont State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (1-802-388-4919)

Vermont State Police are currently investigating the report of a Burglary at a residence off of Route 116 in the Town of Starksboro. Someone entered the residence and stole various items. Anyone with information or leads concerning the case is asked to contact Vermont State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (1-802-388-4919)

This Friday is the last date for the 2011 season of the Middlebury Arts Walk. For the last six months Arts Walk has enlivened downtown Middlebury on the second Friday of the month from 5 to 7PM by bringing new artists to town, as well as old favorites. For more information and a walking map just visit www.MiddleburyArtsWalk.com.

Court records show a former Vermont elementary school teacher charged with possessing and distributing child pornography has agreed to a plea deal. Defense attorney Peter Langrock of Middlebury told the Burlington Free Press that 29-year-old Will J. Parini of Starksboro will plead guilty to 1 of 2 felony charges. The change of plea hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Parini pleaded not guilty to the charges in April. Jury selection was scheduled for his case on October 19th.

Rutland Plywood Corp. is getting into the power business. The Ripley Road factory has received a permit to generate power using waste steam. The company will sell electricity to the Sustainably Priced Energy Development Program, a state initiative referred to as SPEED for short. SPEED is intended to supply 20 percent of the state’s power by 2017. The Public Service Board issued a certificate of public good last month green lighting the installation of a turbine with a 400-kilowatt capacity and connecting it to the grid.

The Rutland Police Commission has rewritten its policy for hiring future police chiefs, including the successor to Chief Anthony Bossi, whose contract with the city expires in a little more than a year. The commission voted to share their hiring power by bringing more opinions into the process. The new 13-member search committee would search for, interview and ultimately vote to hire a new chief. But while every member’s vote will count, a new chief can’t be hired without the approval of at least three police commissioners.

On Tuesday a republican many people hoped would run for president announced his endorsement for Mitt Romney. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made the announcement in Lebanon. Christie says Romney is the best candidate to represent republicans and has the best chance to beat President Barack Obama. This endorsement could mean potential campaign contributions and support that were meant for Christie, will go to Romney, especially from the Tea Party. Christie had been considering a run for president but last week announced he would not.

Jobs, taxes, and turning the economy around that was the focus at the GOP debate at Dartmouth Tuesday. The eight Republican candidates for President tackled the topics for about two hours. Candidates fielded a range of questions on the economy. Some suggested minor tweaks while others, suggested blowing up the current tax system and starting fresh. The candidates will know just how well they did with the local voters when the nation's first primary takes place in more than a year. The New Hampshire Primary hasn't been scheduled yet. Due to conflicts with dates set in Iowa and Nevada, it could be held as early as December 3rd.

The Republican Presidential Debate was not the only show taking place in Hanover Tuesday. Hundreds of protestors outside the debate hall hoped the candidates would hear them. They filled a cordoned off section of the Dartmouth College green. Each group had its own cause from the economy to AIDS research.

Vermont lawmakers are set to get a progress report and the latest cost estimates on the massive road repairs made necessary by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. The House and Senate Transportation committees are meeting at the Statehouse to hear the latest news on the how the road work is coming, what the prospects are for federal funding and how much the state may have to end up raising to fix roads damaged by the August 28th storm. They're also to get similar reports on local roads and an update on repairs to the state's rail network.

Sen. Patrick Leahy says he's planning to introduce legislation to make it a federal crime for people to mislabel products as containing maple syrup. Leahy said Tuesday the legislation is needed to protect Vermont's maple crop from fraud. The move came in the aftermath of a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation that found a man who had been selling fake Vermont "maple" syrup, when the product contained no syrup. Leahy's proposal would create a new federal felony offense and increase the sentences that prosecutors can seek for people who defraud consumers and farmers by intentionally mislabeling maple products.

Members of the House and Senate committees responsible for state buildings are pushing for a quick decision on the future of the Vermont State Hospital. At a meeting Tuesday of the Legislature's Mental Health Oversight Committee, Rep. Mary Hooper and Sen. Joseph Benning both pressed the committee to give an indication soon of its view on how to replace the state hospital, which has been closed since Tropical Storm Irene flooded it. The roughly 50 patients who had been at the Waterbury facility are currently being housing at other hospitals and officials say they're placing significant burdens on those facilities.

Gov. Peter Shumlin is calling on Vermonters to join together to continue cleaning up after flooding from Tropical Storm Irene and to get ready for winter. Shumlin declared October 22nd, the state's first ever 'Vermont Clean Up Day.' He says the event is inspired by the generosity showed helping the state recover from Tropical Storm Irene and it's modeled on Vermont's springtime Green Up Day. Clean Up Day is designed to ensure all Vermont families and communities affected by the storm are prepared for winter. Clean Up Day will signal a single-day push for financial donations for Irene recovery. In future years, the event will become a way to help all Vermonters in need prepare for the coming winter.

Due to the recent warm weather in September and in the beginning of October, fall foliage across the region is being set back. Foresters in Vermont say that the foliage across the Green Mountain State is about 4-6 days late. They attribute the delay to warm temperatures at night. Usually most of the state peaks in color just prior to the Columbus Day Weekend. However the peak this year is happening in the next couple of days and into this upcoming weekend.

Farmers markets and Vermont go hand in hand and provide a great way to purchase fresh produce, meats, cheeses, maple syrup and other products directly from the local people who raise or create them. But some towns don't have their own farmer's markets. And others close down for the winter, leaving a hole in the local foods market. However Virtual Farmer’s Markets are beginning to take hold here in Vermont. For example Suzy Hodgson, owner of Philo Woodland Farm in Charlotte, produces pork and lamb. She is one of the founders of a virtual farmers market called Yourfarmstand.com.

The widespread devastation in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene caught the attention of people around the country wanting to help rebuild Vermont, including 13-year-old Brandon Bailey of Rutland Town. Bailey, along with Youth Arts Forum, a nonprofit organization to highlight and showcase young performing artists, is hosting the “Kids Helping to Rebuild a Community” benefit concert at the West Rutland Town Hall on Saturday to raise money to help rebuilding efforts after the storm. All proceeds will go to the United Way of Rutland County. The event will take place at the West Rutland Town Hall and offer approximately five hours of entertainment, starting at 5PM Saturday.