WVTK Local & State News December 1, 2011

Farmers have until this Friday to apply for grant money aimed at helping them recover from losses sustained during Tropical Storm Irene. The Community Foundation of Vermont has about $2 million in its flood relief fund for farmers who sustained losses during the August storm. Farmers sustained millions of dollars in crop losses when the flood hit the Green Mountains. Some of grant dollars have already reached farmers, but there is still money left for those who have not applied for funding. Those interested in applying can get an application at www.VtFloodResponse.org.

People in Vergennes say they're ready to wage a new war against an old and growing problem: drugs. Yesterday hundreds of people showed up for a meeting organized by the police chief. The chief wants to make it clear he doesn't think the Vergennes drug problem is worse than anywhere else. He says he is just taking a stand and hopes the community joins him. Chief Merkel says 80-percent of the crimes his officers investigate are drug related including a recent attempted robbery at a convenience store. He says another meeting is scheduled for January when they will start to plan what to do and a top priority is the schools to make sure kids don't start using drugs.

Just in time for the Holiday’s unique and one-of-a-kind gifts will be featured at this year’s Brandon Moonlight Madness discount special event kicking off at 4PM today. Downtown Brandon shops and eateries will offer bargains, sales, specials, drawings and more during the event that brings friends and neighbors together. Many shops will be offering up to 20 percent off storewide. A second Moonlight Madness day will be on December 14th. For more information contact the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce. (802-247-6401)

The missing bronze parking meter from a Rutland sculpture has been found. A janitor found the meter this morning at Rutland's Northeast School. Police are still searching for the person or persons who took the meter from the granite slab where it has stood opposite a bronze depiction of a dog straining on an invisible leash tied to the meter. When, exactly, the meter was stolen remains unclear. But how it was taken seems clear; it was pulled from its apparently unsecured mount.

Without any cuts to programs, services or staff, the Rutland school district budget for fiscal year 2013 is up 1.75 percent. The budget, presented as a draft Tuesday, would go from $44.3 million to $45.1 million if everything in the district were maintained as is. That includes all settled staff union contracts. The impact the new budget would have on taxpayers was not provided.

Preschool classrooms under the auspices of the Children's Development Group have recently opened in Ticonderoga and Elizabethtown schools. The agency specializes in children with special needs, but the classrooms are also for community youngsters. The program includes speech and occupational therapy, physical therapy and psychological services. The agency rents classroom space from Ticonderoga Central School and Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School. By working with preschool youngsters and providing services at that age, it is hoped that by the time they are enrolled in kindergarten or first grade they will have had a chance to catch up with their peers.

A longtime Vermont lawmaker has died. Rene Blanchard passed away Tuesday at the age of 78. The Democrat served three terms in the legislature in the 1990's. Blanchard was also a basketball coach and social studies teacher at Winooski High School. In 2009, he was inducted into the Vermont basketball coaches Hall of Fame.

A spokeswoman for Governor Peter Shumlin says the governor supports and will sign on to an effort to allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana and pharmacists to fill the prescriptions. Shumlin is joining an effort by Rhode Island’s Governor and Washington’s Governor.

A two-month bottle drive has raised more than $8,000 for Vermont farms damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. Vermont Public Interest Research Group says over 130,000 bottles and cans were redeemed to raise the money. The Redeem to Rebuild drive also received donations from non-profit organizations, businesses and individuals.

Vermont State troopers are on the hunt for a notorious kidnapper. 42-year-old Harley Breer served eight years in jail for kidnapping the mother of his ex-girlfriend and has had several brushes with the law since his release in 2009. Now, a judge has issued an arrest warrant for Breer. He faces multiple charges after police say he attacked a female acquaintance and stole her car. The woman was treated for injuries. Police say Breer had been living in the Calais/Woodbury area, but may be in Cabot.

A 27-year-old Vermont man has pleaded guilty to trying to trap a black bear. Game wardens say Jake Duprey of Chittenden was seen on September 20th checking a baited steel cable foot snare. Game wardens say Duprey admitted he had baited the snare with grain and doughnuts in an attempt to catch a bear. He was fined $371 and won't be able to have licenses to hunt, fish and trap for three years and until he completes a remedial hunting course.

New York State Police say a Lake Placid was found dead after he went missing last week while hunting. The body of 63-year-old Russ Beede was found near Mount Jo Wednesday afternoon. State police and forest rangers had been looking for him for days. He was reported missing Sunday. At this time we don't know how he died. State police say they didn't believe foul play is involved in his death.

The state of New York is asking to be heard in a lawsuit by the state of Vermont against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's issuance of a 20-year license extension to the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. New York is seeking friend-of-the-court status in the case and is agreeing with Vermont and the Coalition that the license extension was granted improperly. New York State is also trying to shut the twin Indian Point reactors in Westchester County.

Fast food chain, Chick-fil-A is blocking a Vermont T-shirt business from trademarking its logo. The company says the T-shirt business's logo, "eat More Kale" is too similar to the Chick-fil-A logo, "Eat Mor Chikin". Eat-More-Kale owner, Bo Muller-Moore says he got a letter from the Atlanta-based company in 2005 asking him to shut down his Web site and send his T-shirts to Atlanta to be destroyed. Chick-fil-A dropped the complaint when Muller-Moore hired a lawyer. But when the Eat More Kale creator tried to Federally trademark his logo this year, Chick-fil-A blocked it.

Senator Bernie Sanders is working to build a bi-partisan group to support additional funds for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program. Last year, Vermont received roughly $23 million in LIHEAP funds. But the Obama Administration has proposed cutting the appropriation in half. Sanders’ doesn't think this is a partisan issue. The state has received more than $40,000 applications for LIHEAP funds so far. That's already more than last year.

Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss is not seeking re-election. The Progressive mayor made the announcement yesterday morning. He says the decision was a personal one. Kiss has been criticized for the financial problems facing the municipally owned telecom provider, Burlington Telecom.

A Vermont woman who was burned and disfigured when her ex-husband doused her with industrial lye four years ago has been approved for a face transplant at a Boston hospital. Carmen Tarleton of Thetford underwent a series of screenings this summer at Brigham and Women's Hospital to determine if she was suitable for the procedure.

Clinton County officials are hoping some hungry airlines will put in bids to provide daily service in and out of Plattsburgh International Airport. The county is looking for a new carrier to replace Colgan Air, which announced in September that it would no longer be providing daily service to Boston once a replacement is found. Airlines have until December 20th to submit bids.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is a featured guest at an event being held by two New Hampshire nonprofits to honor community volunteers. Working Families Win New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance are teaming up for the awards event on Sunday at 2PM at the Stonewall Farm in Keene. Volunteers involved in the movement for improving the economy of the Monadnock Region are being honored.

Holiday in Hague will be held this Saturday. The festivities begin at 10AM with the opening of the senior’s Christmas Shop located at the Hague Visitor’s Center. Juniper Gifts and The Carriage Barn both located on Route 8 will also be open for holiday shopping. The Baptist Church will be serving homemade soup beginning at Noon. The Carillon Garden Club will be selling wreaths, sprays and other handmade items at the Hague Community Center beginning at 1PM. Ending the event will be caroling and a tree lighting ceremony.

Santa will be coming to Schroon Lake after all. A month after the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce announced it had dropped sponsorship of its annual Old Tyme Christmas celebration, a group of residents have joined to bring a holiday event to the community. Santa’s arrival is scheduled along with children’s games, refreshments and a holiday movie Saturday, December 10th. The event will begin at 4PM with children’s face painting and activities at the Strand Theatre on Main Street. Santa will arrive at the theatre at 6PM to meet children. At 8PM the movie “Happy Feet 2” will be screened. The Schroon Lake Senior Citizens Center will be part of the festivities, serving cookies and hot chocolate 6 to 8PM.

Food, art, performances and music from around the world will be on display at Vermont's International Festival. The 3-day festival will be held at the Champlain Fairgrounds in Essex Junction starting on Friday. Organizers say the event has been growing in its 19 years and this year has nearly 50 arts and crafts, as well as food vendors, performers and community booths. The Vermont International Festival takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the fairgrounds. Admissions costs $6 for adults, $3 for children and is free for kids six and under.