WVTK Local & State News May 14, 2013

The Vermont Health Department is holding the second of 3 clinics to test people for the mosquito-borne disease, eastern equine encephalitis, today.  EEE killed two Vermonters last year.  The clinic will be held from Noon to 7 PM at the Sudbury Town Hall.  The study of volunteers is to determine how many people have been exposed to the virus, but have not gotten seriously ill.  A clinic was held last month in Brandon and another will be held on May 29 in Whiting.

Voters in the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union will head to the polls today to decide whether to support a proposal put forth by the Vergennes Union High School board for a five-year, $600,000 loan to put a new roof on the school’s leaky classroom wing and auditorium.  If voters back the $600,000 loan, payments would add about $10 of annual taxes per $100,000 of assessed home value.  Those who are eligible for prebates would not pay the full amount of that increase.

Police in Bristol have arrested a 17-year-old on charges of selling drugs on school property.  Saturday night, they were called to the recreation fields for a report of a 13-year-old girl in need of medical attention.  The girl was treated and transported from the school by the Bristol Rescue Squad.  On Sunday, 17-year-old Zachariah Matthew Rusk was arrested.  Police say additional evidence obtained during a search warrant of his home may link him to other drug activities.

Vermont lawmakers are expected to give final approval to a nearly $1.4 billion general fund budget for the next fiscal year and wrap up their work for 2013.  Lawmakers yesterday took final action on several bills, including one decriminalizing possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.  House and Senate leaders also gave up their effort to retool Vermont's income tax to make it more progressive.  Lawmakers are expected to work into this evening to give final approval to the budget for fiscal 2014, which begins July 1.

Polls will be open until 7 o’clock tonight for residents to vote for a third time on a proposed budget for the Rutland Town School District.  On Town Meeting Day, voters defeated a proposed budget of over $8-million by a 22-vote margin.  That margin was even wider on March 26, when voters defeated a second proposed budget of $7,999,000 by a vote of 255 to 229.  Residents who live east of Route 7 can vote at the school. Residents living west of Route 7 can vote at the Town Hall.

According to a news announcement released by the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks, they are still investigating the reports of a possible endangered juvenile female on the West Proctor Road in Rutland Town.  They say at this point in the investigation no more information has been obtained then the original report of the caller regarding a possible endangered juvenile female.  No juvenile female was located in the area as a result of search efforts and there still is no reports of a missing six-or seven-year-old female, from within Vermont or surrounding states. 

After more than a year without first response service, Monkton is poised to get its rescue squad back.  Four Monkton EMTs, led by assistant fire chief Kevin Alexander, are applying for licensure from the Vermont Department of Health and hope to be up and running in June.