Health risk and behavior reports from the Vermont Health
Department say almost 60 percent of high school seniors text or email while
driving. This was the first year that
the Health Department is assessing texting and driving behavior in
students. More than one third of
students reported texting or emailing while driving. Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen
says that ‘‘significantly fewer students’’ drink, smoke or abuse prescription
drugs. Chen also highlights weight as a
problem for Vermont state
residents. The risk reports show that 30
percent of students and 60 percent of adults have an unhealthy weight.
The Hannaford Supermarket in Middlebury was temporally
closed and evacuated this morning.
Middlebury Fire Chief Rick Cole said a refrigerant supply line had
broken off within a mechanical room, producing a leak of a chemical cooling
agent known as R-22. The substance
spilled onto the floor and then produced a gas as it evaporated and triggered a
store alarm. Vermont
hazmat officials went into the store, isolated the incident, and took care of
the leak. A spokesman said four
employees were taken to Porter Hospital 10:30
this morning.
The Ferrisburgh selectboard will meet next Tuesday to
finalize a budget to present to the voters on Town Meeting Day. Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 5:30 PM .
The current working proposal calls for a 1-cent tax increase.
Police in Rutland
say a man and woman are facing charges in a string of knifepoint robberies of
convenience stores in Rutland County Rutland
and Wallingford this month.
A Rutland
business on Route 7 was destroyed by a fire. Pratico’s Landscaping and Fence went up in
flames last night, bringing out firefighters from several different communities
and shutting down the highway for hours.
The cold made the difficult job of fighting the flames even harder, with
the hydrant frozen solid. While the
official cause has not been determined, it’s believed space heaters may be to
blame.
