WVTK Local & State News October 17, 2011

State Auditor Tom Salmon, CPA, would like to remind municipalities, schools and non-profit organizations who may be eligible for FEMA assistance that the one-page “Request for Public Assistance” form (Form 90-49) must be submitted by the close of business TODAY. The Request for Public Assistance Form (RPA) may be found HERE. For more information contact the Vermont Agency of Transportation. (802-828-3889)

The American Cancer Society held its fourth annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” in South Burlington Sunday afternoon. Walks like this one, happen all across the nation as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Last year alone, these walks raised over 60 million dollars for the American Cancer Society. Organizers say the event isn't just about raising money. According to Event manager Amy Deavitt "Vermont has over 7,000 breast cancer survivors and new patients being diagnosed every day. Organizers say this years' walk was their largest ever for the state of Vermont and they expect to raise over a quarter million dollars. A big thanks you to as well to all that supported Team WVTpinK this year!

Three Vermont colleges have joined with 29 other leading institutions to launch the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. Middlebury College, Green Mountain College and Burlington College have pledged to be part of a $1 billion investment in self-managed revolving funds to finance energy efficiency upgrades on campuses. Middlebury College has pledged to raise $1 million for the program and will start its fund, named the Green Revolving Loan Fund, with an initial $300,000 anonymous donation. The college will raise the remaining $700,000 from donations, capital budget allocations and endowment investments. For more information visit www.greenbillion.com.

Vermont State Police were dispatched to a reported family fight in the Town of Weybridge last week. Upon arrival, investigation by officers revealed that Omar Jones was involved in a family fight where two people were injured. While police were taking Jones into custody he began to fight with the police. Jones was taken into custody and transported to the New Haven State Police Barracks for processing and cited into Addison County District Court to answer the charges.

The Vermont State Police continue to investigate a house fire that occurred last Wednesday on Route 116 in Bristol. The investigation is on-going and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The Vermont State Police is asking anyone with information to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 1-800-32 ARSON (up to a $5,000 reward) or the New Haven Barracks.

State Police are warning homeowners about a contractor who they say is scamming customers. 33-year-old Leonard Percy runs Percy's Building Construction out of North Troy. Police say he recently had a customer pay him several thousand dollars as a down payment on a project, but never finished the work. Investigators believe there may be other victims in Lamoille, Franklin, and Chittenden Counties. Percy has been previously charged for home improvement fraud and is currently listed on the Vermont Attorney General's Home Improvement Fraud Registry.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced two taxpayer-funded grants totaling $165,555 for the Green Mountain Farm Direct and the Northeast Organic Farming Association to expand access to locally produced food for Vermont seniors, low-income families and others. Green Mountain Farm Direct is slated to receive just over $97,000 to build a mobile farmers market that will deliver fresh foods to senior meal sites, low-income housing sites, and community centers.

Vermont transportation officials say they've opened two temporary bridges to replace bridges that were closed when the remnants of Hurricane Irene devastated the state. The Vermont Agency of Transportation said temporary bridges were opened Saturday on Route 100 in Jamaica and on Route 73 in Rochester. The bridge openings eliminate lengthy detours for area residents. The opening of the Route 100 Bridge marks the first time the 216-mile highway has been open in its entirety since Irene.

Officials in Moretown are hoping to resume real estate transactions in the next week or so after local documents were damaged during Tropical Storm Irene. Most real estate transactions have come to a halt in the town because those saturated documents are needed to prove the property can be sold. Moretown was 1 of a number of communities in Vermont and New York that have seen municipal and county records damaged and possibly destroyed by floodwaters.

Authorities say a man just arrested by Vermont State Police committed suicide at the Williston barracks yesterday. 43 year old Michael Weisler, of Waterville, was arrested Saturday on a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a young girl. He was due in court today to be arraigned on the lewd and lascivious charge.

Governor Peter Shumlin says he's putting together a plan to ease property tax burdens in communities that have suffered enormous damage from Tropical Storm Irene. Shumlin is concerned that the state's current education funding system could result in unfair burdens for some homeowners. Although the details of the plan won't be released until later this week, the goal of the program is to make certain that property taxpayers in communities hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene don't face additional tax burdens.

An estimated 400 to 500 people rallied and marched in Burlington to voice their frustration with a financial and governmental system they said rewards the rich while the rest of the country struggles. The rally was 1 of 4 events held Saturday in Vermont in support of the Occupy Wall Street protest that emerged in New York City last month and has spread to other cities around the globe.

There was a legal victory for Green Mountain Power in its effort to build a wind project on Lowell Mountain. The utility received a temporary restraining order against protestors who have been camping within the range of debris that could be spread by blasting. The court says the campers cannot disrupt the blasting one-hour before or after the scheduled blasting. This is only a temporary order. A full hearing will be held this week in Orleans County.

Vermont State Police are investigating how a large boulder found its way into the middle of an interstate highway, damaging two vehicles that crashed into it. Police say they responded to calls of a large rock in the middle of the southbound lanes of Interstate 91 in Norwich a little after 3AM Saturday. When they arrived, they found a boulder approximately the width of a travel lane and too heavy for a person to carry. Police say they don't know how the boulder got in the road and are asking the public for information.

The Moriah Central School Board will meet at 6PM Tuesday in the High School library. Items of interest are bid openings, discussion on September bids and policy changes. The public is welcome to attend this meeting.

Motorists with a clean driving record ticketed in Essex County may soon get their tickets thrown out. It will cost them $150 a ticket, but District Attorney Kristy Sprague said they'll get an outright dismissal instead of a reduction to a lesser charge. The money will be divided between the town where the violation occurred and the county. The new program, called eTraffic Diversion, is under consideration to go into effect January 1, 2012.

Proposed cuts to a critical home-heating program could seriously affect residents in the North Country this winter. A bill in the House is calling for $343 million in funding for the Low Income Home Heating Program for New York (LIHEAP). The amount is substantially lower than the $428 million proposed in the Senate. The program is designed to give those who qualify help paying for fuel oil, kerosene, wood, electricity, natural gas, propane, coal or other sources of heat for their homes in the winter.

The historic Essex Inn, which has been closed for several years, has been renovated and has reopened as an inn and dining establishment. Rick and Karen Dalton purchased the Essex Inn about a year and a half ago, and have completely renovated it while keeping its 19th-century charm. The Daltons do not plan on running the inn part, but will use part of the facility as the new headquarters for the College for Every Student (CFES) organization they run. Dalton was working at Middlebury College about 20 years ago when he and Karen founded the CFES program. For more information just visit www.essexinnessex.com.

The benefit concert organized by 13-year-old Brandon Bailey to help the continuing rebuilding efforts in the area raised approximately $1,050 on Saturday. All proceeds will go to the United Way of Rutland County. Bailey organized “Kids Helping to Rebuild a Community” with Youth Arts Forum after seeing the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Irene. It featured more than 10 acts from local and out-of-state musicians.

Young hunters will take to the woods accompanied by an adult during Vermont's annual youth deer hunting weekend next month. Any hunter who is 15 or younger and has completed a hunter safety course may buy a hunting license and obtain a free youth deer hunting tag. An unarmed adult who holds a Vermont hunting license must accompany young hunters. This year's youth hunting weekend is November 5-6, the weekend before the start of the rifle season.