WVTK Local & State News February 7, 2012

Vergennes City residents will have the opportunity to meet again to tackle drug concerns on Wednesday. Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel estimated about 100 area residents attended a January 11th meeting that was the follow-up to last month’s forum on drug trafficking and substance abuse in the Vergennes area. Merkel said those who attended broke into groups to brainstorm what is hoped to be an effort to curb illegal drug use and sales in the area. Topics included what sort of programs to have in Addison Northwest Supervisory Union schools, what steps to improve services and local support for those seeking treatment for drug problems, how to lobby lawmakers for more effective anti-drug programs, how to create a community-wide atmosphere of zero-tolerance, how to help families create a positive environment, and what roles civic organizations could play in such an effort. The next gathering is set for 7 tomorrow evening at Vergennes Union High School, in the library.

There will be an information meeting for the Middlebury Business Development Fund on Thursday at 7:00 PM in the Ilsley Library Public Meeting Room. In preparation for the Middlebury Business Development Fund vote at Town Meeting in March, the committee will present for discussion the proposal contained in two articles on the Town Meeting Warning, one to establish the fund and the second to raise 1 cent on the tax rate annually for the next five years for the fund. These articles will be voted from the floor at Town Meeting on Monday, March 5th. You can visit the Town’s website for more information.

John Billard admits he was legally drunk when he caused a deadly four-car pileup last year, but the 68-year-old will not be going to jail. Billard claims that slippery conditions on the road and not his blood alcohol level were to blame for the accident. Prosecutors couldn't prove that alcohol was the only factor for the crash. So, as part of plea deal, he will not go to jail and instead will serve six months of home confinement.

On February 2nd, Vermont State Police in New Haven were notified of a theft from the New Haven Maplefields Mobil. It was reported that an employee was allegedly stealing lottery tickets. Through investigation it was found that Rosemarie Souza of Bristol stole 4-5 “scratch off” lottery tickets worth $10 a piece. Souza was cited to appear in Addison District Court to answer to the charges of Petit Larceny. She will be required to appear in court on March 5th.

Ticonderoga Central School officials are asking residents for ideas as they face a $1.7 million budget deficit. While the district expects to gain about $300,000 in state aid in the 2012-13 budget, it will lose nearly $1.7 million in “one shot” funding that was used in the current spending plan. Before making those cuts, the Ti school board wants to hear from residents. A meeting has been scheduled Wednesday, February 15th at 7PM in the high school cafeteria to gather public comments. Superintendent John McDonald stressed people should come to the meeting prepared to participate. There will be a short presentation and then people will be asked for their opinions.

A smoky fire inside a kitchen duct at the Table 24 restaurant in downtown Rutland was quickly extinguished by firefighters yesterday but forced the evacuation of the restaurant and the nearby Community College of Vermont campus where alarms were triggered by the thick smoke. According to the Rutland Deputy Fire Chief the fire was started in the duct system but didn’t spread beyond to the structure. He said the system would need to be replaced before the restaurant could reopen.

The Vermont Small Business Development Center will present a workshop on Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs on Thursday from 10 – 11:30AM. The workshops will highlight how to fund the development of innovative ideas and intellectual property. Grants can lead to sole source government contracts. The Rutland workshop will be held at the Rutland Economic Development Corp. offices on Quality Lane. The fee is $20. Register HERE. For more information, call Scott Holson at 281-5236.

President Barack Obama will visit Vermont. The White House has confirmed that President Barack Obama will visit Vermont on Friday, March 30, to attend campaign events. Obama visited Vermont in 2007 to attend a presidential campaign fundraiser and in 2006 for a campaign event for Bernie Sanders who was running for the U.S. Senate.

Congressman Peter Welch wants people in Vermont to know, that if Tropical Storm Irene damaged your home or business, you could be entitled to a tax break. Welch says any damage that wasn't covered by insurance or by a donation can be written off on federal tax returns. Welch is worried Vermonters filing on their own may not know about the federal tax deduction for Irene damage and may miss out on money from the federal government.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and legislative leaders said Monday they wanted to make it possible for more of the state's small businesses to offer lower premium health insurance plans sometimes known as "bronze plans" until the state can implement its single payer health care system. Speaking Monday in Montpelier, Shumlin and leaders from the House and Senate, all Democrats, said they would also allow businesses with more than 50 employees to remain outside the federally mandated health care exchange until 2016.

Officials with Vermont health, education and social services agencies are joining together to prevent youth suicides. The Vermont Youth Suicide Prevention Platform 2012 was launched Monday at an event at the Statehouse in Montpelier. The platform contains 10 goals to help reduce suicide that include promoting awareness that suicide is a public health problem to supporting training to recognize at-risk behavior and delivering effective treatment to improving access to mental health and substance abuse services.

The state of Vermont has set aside more than $18 million for a new computer system at the Department of Motor Vehicles over six years, but officials say it's still not working properly. The Burlington Free Press reports officials are working to recoup the costs from the vendor, Hewlett Packard, the fourth company to hold the contract for the computer system.

Police in Vermont say seven people have been arrested in connection with about 100 burglaries in five states. Most of the burglaries, 60 of them, happened in Vermont. Another 30 were in New Hampshire, plus four in Maine, four in Massachusetts and one in Virginia.

Four months after Colchester voters rejected the town buying Camp Holy Cross, the 26-acre lakefront property has a new owner. Bruce Barry, owner of Barry's Transmission Specialist in South Burlington, bought the land from the Catholic Diocese of Burlington. Barry says the sale price was $4-million. He says has no immediate plans for the property but is eyeing it for home development.

Many Vermont family incomes are on the rise. The editors of the Vermont Economy Newsletter say the median family income rose about 1-percent in 2010 to roughly $66,600 dollars. Co-editor Art Woolf says this is the first time since the recession that the median income has gone up. Woolf points to improvements on the jobs front for the increased wages. He expects tax figures from 2011 to show similar gains.

A couple of terrific “Art in the Snow” Events are coming up at Brandon Music on Saturday February 18th and Sunday the 19th. Brandon Music is pleased to welcome Rutland area vocalist, Olivia Gawet, in the first of a series of benefit concerts to raise money for the new Compass Music and Arts Center. The performance will take place on Sunday, February 19th at 2 PM in the Music Café. She will be accompanied on the piano by Rip Jackson, who is the Minister of Music at Grace Congregational Church in Rutland and Director of the Rutland Area Chorus and Orchestra. There will be a $10.00 admission fee, with all proceeds going to the new Center. On Saturday, the 18th, Ruth Hamilton will be in the gallery from 1 to 4 PM with one of her pieces she is currently working on to give some insight into her creative process. Both of these events are part of Brandon’s “Art in the Snow” weekend, February 18th & 19th. Get more info right now at www.brandon-music.net.

Ticonderoga Middle School students were offered a chance to learn the basics of ice fishing and ice safety recently. Representatives of the Hague Fish and Game Club visited the Ticonderoga Middle School and taught students about ice fishing basics. The next day, the students were able to put their lessons to the test on the ice. Members of the fish and game club and school faculty brought the students onto the ice by the Ticonderoga ferry landing. The students enjoyed the nice weather and put their lessons to work equipped with jig poles and ice fishing cleats. The president of the Hague Fish and Game Club said he hopes the club can bring this opportunity to other schools in the area such as Putnam and Moriah.

This year, the third-annual Ticonderoga Winterfest will benefit a local food program for the poor. The community event will include snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating, broomball, snowmobile rides, wagon rides and a footrace. The event will take place from 11AM to 2PM Saturday and will be held in Ticonderoga's Percy Thompson Bicentennial Park downtown. The event is free, but organizers are suggesting a $2 donation or bringing two non-perishable food items for the Ticonderoga Food Pantry. Get details at www.ticonderogany.com.

The 29th annual Vermont Travel Industry Conference will be held April 12th and 13th at the Killington Grand Hotel. The event will feature a keynote presentation on industry trends, workshops, one-on-one meetings with experts, a presentation by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing highlighting the 2012 marketing initiatives and a trade show. For more information on participating in the event, submitting an awards nomination, or sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference, visit the Vermont Travel Industry Conference website at www.vtic.org.

A Vermont athlete from Essex Junction is headed to Washington to represent the state's Special Olympics athletes at the National Special Olympics Annual Capitol Hill Day. Seventeen-year-old Daniel Goodrow is headed to Washington Tuesday where he will visit the state's congressional delegation and push for congressional support for Special Olympics programs that enhance his life and others who seek inclusion in their communities, schools and workplaces.

A big-time musical artist will headline this year's Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Bonnie Raitt is coming to Vermont. The nine time Grammy-winning artist began her career in the 1970s and has since been inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Raitt will take the stage June 3 in Burlington. Tickets have yet to go on sale.