WVTK Local & State News November 14, 2011

As of Friday afternoon police were still searching for the pair of men who invaded a home in Goshen Thursday morning. Police had received no information about their whereabouts. While other burglaries have been reported in the Goshen area recently, police said they had no evidence that the assailants in the home invasion were linked to any other break-ins. The suspects are described as two white men roughly 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall. The home invasion was described as an isolated incident, however police are encouraging people in the community to remain vigilant and take precautions to deter criminal activity.

A sophomore at Castleton State College has died from an apparent suicide. According to college officials, Brian Dagle of East Lyme Connecticut died at an off-campus house on South Street. The college was notified of his death early Saturday morning. Castleton State campus officials made councilors available to students. A vigil was held Saturday night at the campus wellness center. Vermont State Police are handling the investigation did release a statement saying no foul play is suspected.

Essex VT Police are looking for man who robbed a local gift shop Sunday afternoon. Police say the suspect walked into the Dragonfly Treasures Shop on Carmichael St. around 3:15PM and demanded money from the clerk. No weapon was displayed. The suspect, described as a 5', 9" with blonde hair and Carhart pants, fled in a tan SUV. Call the Essex Police if you have any information: 878-8331.

Town residents in Brandon are brainstorming ways to move forward following the August storm that took out a portion of Route 7 and devastated several roads and homes in Brandon. At a public forum sponsored by the Brandon Downtown Alliance at the Brandon Congregational Church this week, more than 40 town residents listened to a panel of local officials and concerned residents on ways the town can move forward to revitalize Brandon’s downtown community after the storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding Vermonters hurt by Tropical Storm Irene that the deadline for applying for federal assistance is looming. Homeowners, renters and business owners have until tomorrow to apply for aid. According to FEMA so far nearly 7,000 individuals and businesses have applied for aid and about $43 million in disaster assistance has been distributed in grants and low-interest loans.

Vermonters are raising money through barbecues, benefit concerts and campaigns to help those affected by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Irene. Officials say donors have been generous, but figuring out how much more money is needed and raising it months after the storm is the challenge. The Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group says an estimated 5 to 15% of the 7,000 applicants for federal aid are expected to need extra help. The Vermont Community Foundation has collected about $3.3 million in contributions or pledges for funds dedicated to flood-related relief.

You may not be able to see it, but two weeks ago, workers completed installation of a high-tech, fiber-optic cable on the new Lake Champlain Bridge. The new cable will revolutionize electronic data transmission services in the greater Champlain Valley region when completed in late 2012. According to industry reports, the cable is expected to be connected to the Burlington infrastructure while another line will be extended across the terrain linking Whitehall and Rutland next year. This new line will eventually provide broadband access to schools, homes and business; it will also increase data capacity for local telephone companies and wireless carriers.

Moriah Central School Board will hold its regularly scheduled board meeting at 6PM Tuesday in the High School library. Items of interest include: declaration of surplus, staff changes and discussion of December events.

If Rutland splits its pension fund, it will not be because of a state mandate. The proposal to split the pension into one fund for municipal employees and another for school employees has been described as necessary due to a clause in Act 60 requiring the segregation of municipal and education funds. However, state officials said they have issued no directives on the subject and local officials say the current arrangement meets the requirements of the law.

Vermont transportation officials want to hear from residents about the future of public transit systems ranging from buses and trains to ride-share programs. The first meeting is set for tonight in Winooski. A second will be held on Wednesday at Vermont Interactive Television sites around the state. The third meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Rutland.

The state's education finance system will be in the spotlight this week. Several public hearings are planned across the state so that consultants can gather input about how schools are funded in Vermont. The first will take place this Tuesday night at 5:30 in Brattleboro. Vermonters can also weigh in by visiting one of the state's interactive television sites. Lawmakers want to know if the system has improved since the passage of Act 60 almost 15 years ago. The system ties funding to property values.

The governors of Vermont and Massachusetts are urging Congress for more home heating help. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick are spearheading a bipartisan effort to urge level-funding for LIHEAP. The low-income home heating program faces up to a 50% reduction.

Members from the Occupy Vermont movement are trying to figure out their next move after police told them they could no longer use tents after one person died this week. The meeting took place at the North End Studios Saturday afternoon. The usual city hall meeting space had to be changed, because half of it is still taped off as police continue to investigate a fatal shooting.

City Democrats in Burlington worked very hard Sunday afternoon and evening, but still failed to come up with a winning candidate in the race for mayor. The city caucus went through three rounds, and out of 1,085 votes cast, it was dead even for the two remaining candidates, Tim Ashe and Miro Weinberger. Democrats will gather for another caucus within the next month.

A published report says no one keeps records of how many search warrants are issued each year in Vermont to help police enter homes and businesses, record conversations secretly and obtain GPS tracking information on personal vehicles. According to the Burlington Free Press, police who seek the warrants, prosecutors who review the requests and the state judges who ultimately approve them all say they are not required to provide any type of annual report or compile statistics about search warrants.

In honor of Veterans Day more than 6-thousand American flags were planted at the University of Vermont. It was to recognize all the men and women whom have sacrificed their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile Veterans Day was a big day for the Green Mountain Post #1 in St Albans. It is the state's first legion post, founded in 1919. Along with supporting veterans and their families, this post is involved in a number of community fundraisers.

Discussions are under way on whether the New England Culinary Institute might become part of the Vermont State Colleges system. VSC Chancellor Tim Donovan said that the culinary institute founder reached out to him to explore whether the institute might find a home within the state college system, which now has five schools. The institute has been experiencing financial challenges, and they both say it might fit in because the state college system already trains students in a number of fields. If the culinary institute were to become one of the state colleges, it would take an act of the Legislature.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is pushing retailers to clearly show how layaway plans can actually cost a consumer more than using a credit card. Schumer is asking major retail associations to advise their members to more clearly present their layaway fees to customers. The Democrat said the ultimate cost of a layaway with a $5 fee could equal 40 percent interest over two months. Major retailers nationwide are reviving the layaway plan that started during Great Depression as a way to help low-income people without access to credit to buy presents during the holidays.

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