WVTK Local & State News October 19, 2011 (Afternoon Update)

You can expect traffic delays for the rest of the week in Middlebury. Crews are paving Stewart Lane and North Pleasant Street. During the work, Southbound Route 7 will be detoured onto Exchange Street, then Seymour Street to Main Street. Traffic Control will be there to help you get though the construction zone.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency extended the deadline for individuals and municipalities to apply for federal disaster assistance. The new deadline for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance is now November 15. With the cold weather approaching, FEMA officials want to make sure any Vermonters who may have been distracted with storm cleanup, get a chance to seek federal assistance.

The VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has canceled the personal firewood lottery for the 2012 season. The program allows Vermonters to cut up to 3 cords of designated standing trees for personal use firewood from state lands for $10 a cord. Officials say the areas scheduled for firewood cutting are not safe due to damage from Tropical Storm Irene to roads, trails, and bridges. The department will however continue to supply firewood for needy Vermonters through the “Wood Warms” program.

The City of Vergennes and the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring two family-friendly events. The 4th Annual Haunted Warehouse, previously known as Haunted Forest, will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at the former Kennedy Brothers Marketplace. The 5th Annual Pumpkins in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 29th in City Park. The Haunted Warehouse is designed for older children, although kids under 10 will be admitted with parents’ permission, and Pumpkins in the Park is an event for all ages.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will be adding 400 new jobs in Essex. Green Mountain Coffee is adding a new addition to its production facility is Essex. The expansion will accommodate new roasting, grinding and packaging work. Green Mountain Coffee expects to be moved in and staffed at the expanded Essex location by next fall.

Social Security recipients will get their first raise in nearly 3 years. In January, recipients will see a Cost of Living Increase of about 3.5 percent. The increase will effect about 125,000 Vermonters. The average recipient will receive about $38 more per month.

The state is seeking volunteers to help clean up from Tropical Storm Irene. Governor Peter Shumlin has named this Saturday as Vermont Clean Up Day. Some victims of Irene are still cleaning up and need help. To find out how you can help, visit VTCleanUp.org.