The lawyer for a Rutland police officer at the center of a child pornography probe is asking a judge to reconsider a decision that would make the officer's name public today. Rutland District Court Judge Thomas Zonay ruled Wednesday he would release the name — blacked out in copies of search warrant documents released on Tuesday — at 1 p.m. today. But in a motion filed Thursday afternoon, Rutland attorney Matthew Harnett asked the judge to reconsider his decision and keep the name sealed.
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is promising to file a bill that would allow dairy farmers to hire foreign workers through a special visa program for seasonal laborers. Leahy says he's disappointed with new federal rules covering H-2A agricultural workers.
Entergy Corp. is facing another obstacle in its bid to sell off its nuclear power plants. New York's Public Service Commission is recommending against approval of the $3.5 billion deal, saying its against the public interest. Vermont Yankee is among the plants operated by Entergy.
Revenues coming into the state's General Fund in January were nearly 5 percent lower than a forecast by two economists in the middle of the month, adding to fears that any economic recovery will be slow and painful. The results were reported nearly a month after economists Jeff Carr and Tom Kavet, who consult with the administration and Legislature, respectively, said the state's economy appeared to have hit bottom, but that any recovery would be slow and painful. Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville says he is especially concerned about apparent weakness in the state's personal income tax receipts for January. Overall, general fund revenues are down nearly 7 percent from the same time last year.
The death of a 15-month-old boy in the town of Cabot has been ruled as a homicide. Ryah Douglas was found unresponsive in his crib in December and the medical examiner says he was smothered. Police say the child's mother and her boyfriend have been interviewed, but no arrests have been made.
A teacher at the Randolph Technical Career Center has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges. Police said images on a computer flash drive led to the arrest of 58-year-old William Zucca. Police said a staff member turned the flash drive over to police after Zucca allegedly gave it to a student.
Sen. Bernie Sanders says the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should shut down when its license expires in 2012. Speaking on Vermont Public Radio, the Independent senator said that Vermont Yankee signed a contract with the people of Vermont for 40 years and that means it should close as scheduled in 2012. His comments come as Vermont lawmakers weigh the relicensing of the Vernon reactor and amid the discovery that the plant is leaking radioactive tritium underground. The governor and some lawmakers have criticized plant officials and plant owner, New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., for misleading state regulators about underground piping that could carry tritium. Tritium has been linked to cancer if ingested in large amounts.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 11, 2010
The name of the city police officer involved in a child pornography probe will be made public Friday barring appeal.
A day after Rutland District Court Judge Thomas Zonay redacted the name and identifying information related to the officer from documents related to the investigation, the judge said there was no legal basis to continue keeping the officer's identity from the public eye.
There's mixed results in the latest round of tritium readings from test wells at Vermont Yankee. State health officials say a well that previously had the highest readings has shown a drop in the amount of the radioactive substance, but another well is trending upward.
The radioactive leak at Vermont Yankee is grabbing the attention of neighboring states. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch wants an investigation into the leak, while Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to increase testing for radioactive leaks at Vermont Yankee and at the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Patrick's own state.
A Vermont House committee is set to take testimony on a proposal to require businesses to offer paid sick leave to their workers. The bill would allow Vermont workers to earn up to 56 paid sick days a year - that's the equivalent of 7 eight-hour days. Supporters say paid sick leave is important, because it would allow more workers to stay home when they're sick, and not spread illnesses to their co-workers. The House General Housing and Military Affairs committee is taking testimony from workers, child care providers and public health professionals on the legislation.
Ben & Jerry's will be looking for a new CEO. Walt Freese says he plans to leave the post next month after eight years at the helm. Freese says he wants to pursue other opportunities. Ben & Jerry's is known for its quirky flavors and support for social causes.
Vermont lawmakers are being urged to include a restriction on cell phone use by drivers as they address a variety of bills dealing with distracted driving. Several people told a legislative hearing that a ban on cell phone use by drivers is needed.
If you're thinking of trading in your old fridge for a new high-efficiency model, now's the time to do it. New York's "Great Appliance Swap Out" starts tomorrow. The state is putting up cash incentives to get people to buy energy efficient appliances. Officials say about 170,000 consumers will be eligible for rebates totaling $16.8 million if they purchase qualified appliances through Sunday Feb. 21. The program is funded with federal stimulus money and administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It offers rebates for high efficiency refrigerators, clothes washers, and freezers. The rebates range from $50 to $105, with higher rebates up to $555 for the purchase of a three-appliance package.
There's mixed results in the latest round of tritium readings from test wells at Vermont Yankee. State health officials say a well that previously had the highest readings has shown a drop in the amount of the radioactive substance, but another well is trending upward.
The radioactive leak at Vermont Yankee is grabbing the attention of neighboring states. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch wants an investigation into the leak, while Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to increase testing for radioactive leaks at Vermont Yankee and at the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Patrick's own state.
A Vermont House committee is set to take testimony on a proposal to require businesses to offer paid sick leave to their workers. The bill would allow Vermont workers to earn up to 56 paid sick days a year - that's the equivalent of 7 eight-hour days. Supporters say paid sick leave is important, because it would allow more workers to stay home when they're sick, and not spread illnesses to their co-workers. The House General Housing and Military Affairs committee is taking testimony from workers, child care providers and public health professionals on the legislation.
Ben & Jerry's will be looking for a new CEO. Walt Freese says he plans to leave the post next month after eight years at the helm. Freese says he wants to pursue other opportunities. Ben & Jerry's is known for its quirky flavors and support for social causes.
Vermont lawmakers are being urged to include a restriction on cell phone use by drivers as they address a variety of bills dealing with distracted driving. Several people told a legislative hearing that a ban on cell phone use by drivers is needed.
If you're thinking of trading in your old fridge for a new high-efficiency model, now's the time to do it. New York's "Great Appliance Swap Out" starts tomorrow. The state is putting up cash incentives to get people to buy energy efficient appliances. Officials say about 170,000 consumers will be eligible for rebates totaling $16.8 million if they purchase qualified appliances through Sunday Feb. 21. The program is funded with federal stimulus money and administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It offers rebates for high efficiency refrigerators, clothes washers, and freezers. The rebates range from $50 to $105, with higher rebates up to $555 for the purchase of a three-appliance package.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 10, 2010
The Pittsford Select Board will ask taxpayers if they want their money back at town meeting.
An accounting error caused the town to overcharge taxpayers by $353,000 last year. An item on the town meeting ballot asks voters if they want to use that money to buy down the tax rate.
Meanwhile, the Select Board has level-funded the general fund budget and the highway budget at $948,613 and $822,171 respectively. Those are identical, down to the dollar, to the amounts to be raised by taxes voted last year.
A Rutland city police officer is at the center of a child porn investigation. Child porn websites, pornographic photos and DVDs were just some of the items discovered during a search last fall at the Rutland Police Department. Investigators say they found a rack of 20 pornographic DVDs and three more DVDs containing teen porn in a Rutland city cops office when Vermont State Police searched the police department last fall. Court documents, released Tuesday, don't name the officer but they do detail a search carried out after 150 child porn images were found on the officers laptop. The officer claimed pornographic websites started popping up while he was researching hidden cameras for the department.
A New Hampshire company that makes organic pizza crusts has acquired the rights to a Vermont frozen pizza brand. Rustic Crust of Pittsfield is acquiring the rights to the American Flatbread brand. The agreement allows Rustic Crust to more than double its natural and organic pizza business in 2010-2011. Rustic Crust's bakery will expand to include a hand-built, wood-fired earthern oven similar to ones used by American Flatbread for its frozen flatbread pizzas. The agreement does not affect the Vermont-based American Flatbread restaurants.
State education chief Armando Vilaseca says Vermont needs to cut the number of school districts to help the state save money. Vilaseca is among those testifying before a House panel today on a proposal that would begin laying the groundwork for district consolidation.
Governor Jim Douglas is pushing to dump dozens of state boards and commissions, saying the move could save the state nearly $700,000. Douglas says some of the panels have been inactive for years. He's proposing abolishing 45 panels and having six others modified or consolidated.
School officials and teachers in Burlington remain far apart as they talk contract. The district is pressing teachers for a 5 percent pay cut next year and then 1.5 percent raises for the two years after that. The Burlington Free Press reports teachers are looking for raises of more than 5 percent each year of the deal.
Family and friends are calling a miracle the rapid recovery of a West Rutland high school student after he was hit by a car late in December. The Rutland Herald reports doctors had told Josh Scaralia he wouldn't be able to return to Mount St. Joseph Academy because of his brain injury but he's already gone back to school.
Five Vermont farmers are taking on new roles, helping guide the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency in Vermont. The appointments to the agency's state committee were announced Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who's visiting Vermont this weekend. The committee is an advisory body that will guide the Farm Service Agency in conservation, loans, disaster relief and financial programs in Vermont.
The five, who were nominated by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, are:
John D.E. Roberts, of West Cornwall;
Amanda Ellis-Thurber, of Brattleboro;
K. Michael Howrigan, of Fairfield;
Beth Kennett, of Rochester;
Brendan Whitaker, of Brunswick have been appointed to the agency's state committee.
The Vermont House has voted to give the canteen at the Vermont State Hospital a reprieve. The cafeteria had been slated for closure under cuts called for by the state Department of Mental Health. But its supporters say it is an important part of therapy for many patients. They say it provides socialization that can help patients prepare for return to the community, and that access to it is a privilege that can be used as an incentive for good behavior. On Tuesday, the House voted 115 to 6 - against the wishes of the Appropriations Committee - to join the Senate in giving the Canteen until March 15 to come up with a plan to become revenue neutral. It cost the state about $80,000 to run it last year.
Vermont's top health official says it's reasonable to assume a radioactive substance leaking from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is reaching the Connecticut River. Officials previously have said measurable levels of tritium have not shown up in the river. But Dr. Wendy Davis, the commissioner of the Department of Health, says the volume and direction of flow of tritium-tainted groundwater makes it clear it's reaching the river. A Vermont Yankee spokesman says the plant agrees. Davis says she's in regular contact with health officials in New Hampshire and Massachusetts about the situation at Vermont Yankee. Davis says she's also briefing health commissioners from around New England on the situation in weekly conference calls.
A Rutland city police officer is at the center of a child porn investigation. Child porn websites, pornographic photos and DVDs were just some of the items discovered during a search last fall at the Rutland Police Department. Investigators say they found a rack of 20 pornographic DVDs and three more DVDs containing teen porn in a Rutland city cops office when Vermont State Police searched the police department last fall. Court documents, released Tuesday, don't name the officer but they do detail a search carried out after 150 child porn images were found on the officers laptop. The officer claimed pornographic websites started popping up while he was researching hidden cameras for the department.
A New Hampshire company that makes organic pizza crusts has acquired the rights to a Vermont frozen pizza brand. Rustic Crust of Pittsfield is acquiring the rights to the American Flatbread brand. The agreement allows Rustic Crust to more than double its natural and organic pizza business in 2010-2011. Rustic Crust's bakery will expand to include a hand-built, wood-fired earthern oven similar to ones used by American Flatbread for its frozen flatbread pizzas. The agreement does not affect the Vermont-based American Flatbread restaurants.
State education chief Armando Vilaseca says Vermont needs to cut the number of school districts to help the state save money. Vilaseca is among those testifying before a House panel today on a proposal that would begin laying the groundwork for district consolidation.
Governor Jim Douglas is pushing to dump dozens of state boards and commissions, saying the move could save the state nearly $700,000. Douglas says some of the panels have been inactive for years. He's proposing abolishing 45 panels and having six others modified or consolidated.
School officials and teachers in Burlington remain far apart as they talk contract. The district is pressing teachers for a 5 percent pay cut next year and then 1.5 percent raises for the two years after that. The Burlington Free Press reports teachers are looking for raises of more than 5 percent each year of the deal.
Family and friends are calling a miracle the rapid recovery of a West Rutland high school student after he was hit by a car late in December. The Rutland Herald reports doctors had told Josh Scaralia he wouldn't be able to return to Mount St. Joseph Academy because of his brain injury but he's already gone back to school.
Five Vermont farmers are taking on new roles, helping guide the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency in Vermont. The appointments to the agency's state committee were announced Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who's visiting Vermont this weekend. The committee is an advisory body that will guide the Farm Service Agency in conservation, loans, disaster relief and financial programs in Vermont.
The five, who were nominated by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, are:
John D.E. Roberts, of West Cornwall;
Amanda Ellis-Thurber, of Brattleboro;
K. Michael Howrigan, of Fairfield;
Beth Kennett, of Rochester;
Brendan Whitaker, of Brunswick have been appointed to the agency's state committee.
The Vermont House has voted to give the canteen at the Vermont State Hospital a reprieve. The cafeteria had been slated for closure under cuts called for by the state Department of Mental Health. But its supporters say it is an important part of therapy for many patients. They say it provides socialization that can help patients prepare for return to the community, and that access to it is a privilege that can be used as an incentive for good behavior. On Tuesday, the House voted 115 to 6 - against the wishes of the Appropriations Committee - to join the Senate in giving the Canteen until March 15 to come up with a plan to become revenue neutral. It cost the state about $80,000 to run it last year.
Vermont's top health official says it's reasonable to assume a radioactive substance leaking from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is reaching the Connecticut River. Officials previously have said measurable levels of tritium have not shown up in the river. But Dr. Wendy Davis, the commissioner of the Department of Health, says the volume and direction of flow of tritium-tainted groundwater makes it clear it's reaching the river. A Vermont Yankee spokesman says the plant agrees. Davis says she's in regular contact with health officials in New Hampshire and Massachusetts about the situation at Vermont Yankee. Davis says she's also briefing health commissioners from around New England on the situation in weekly conference calls.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 9, 2010
Supporters of human services programs are blasting budget cuts proposed by Gov. Jim Douglas. The Legislature's budget-writing panel heard from people around the state last night, many testifying through Vermont Interactive Television. Some argued that cutting programs that help the disabled would cost the state more money in the long run.
Vermont health officials are reporting a slight drop in the latest tritium readings from a groundwater monitoring well at Vermont Yankee. It's been about a month since the leak of the radioactive material was first reported at the state's only nuclear power plant.
A 42-year-old Rutland man has pleaded guilty in the beating death of a woman whose body was found buried in the basement of her Poultney home. David Denny faces 22 years to life in prison. Police said 49-year-old Linda Wiggin - a professor at Castleton State College - was killed after an argument in November 2008.
A 62-year-old Vermont man has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography over the Internet. John Perry Ryan pleaded guilty to six counts last year in a plea deal. Prosecutors said 1 of the charges involved a photo of an adult male having sex with a toddler.
FairPoint Communications is hoping to slash its debt by nearly two-thirds as part of a restructuring plan filed in a New York court today. The plan also includes agreements with Vermont and New Hampshire officials to ensure regulators still have oversight, while a similar deal is being negotiated with Maine.
State authorities have settled a complaint with the Dollar Tree store chain. The chain will pay $100,000 in civil penalties and other costs after investigators found several pieces of jewelry contaminated with lead and cadmium$. Tree has since stopped selling metal jewelry.
Retired prison guard Anthony Pavone pleaded not guilty in a northeastern New York courtroom in the killings of his ex-girlfriend and the man she was dating. WPTZ reports Pavone has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. He was arrested late last week after a search that stretched into Vermont and Maine.
Today, students and teachers across the state will open their notebooks for a unique writing lesson. It is called Vermont Writes Day. The computers are open and the students are ready. As the 2nd annual Vermont Writes Day kicks off parents, students and teachers alike have just seven minutes to stop what they are doing and simply write. Geoff Gevalt is the director of the Young Writers Project. He created Vermont Writes Day to help people understand how critical it is to have good writing skills.
Vermont health officials are reporting a slight drop in the latest tritium readings from a groundwater monitoring well at Vermont Yankee. It's been about a month since the leak of the radioactive material was first reported at the state's only nuclear power plant.
A 42-year-old Rutland man has pleaded guilty in the beating death of a woman whose body was found buried in the basement of her Poultney home. David Denny faces 22 years to life in prison. Police said 49-year-old Linda Wiggin - a professor at Castleton State College - was killed after an argument in November 2008.
A 62-year-old Vermont man has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography over the Internet. John Perry Ryan pleaded guilty to six counts last year in a plea deal. Prosecutors said 1 of the charges involved a photo of an adult male having sex with a toddler.
FairPoint Communications is hoping to slash its debt by nearly two-thirds as part of a restructuring plan filed in a New York court today. The plan also includes agreements with Vermont and New Hampshire officials to ensure regulators still have oversight, while a similar deal is being negotiated with Maine.
State authorities have settled a complaint with the Dollar Tree store chain. The chain will pay $100,000 in civil penalties and other costs after investigators found several pieces of jewelry contaminated with lead and cadmium$. Tree has since stopped selling metal jewelry.
Retired prison guard Anthony Pavone pleaded not guilty in a northeastern New York courtroom in the killings of his ex-girlfriend and the man she was dating. WPTZ reports Pavone has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. He was arrested late last week after a search that stretched into Vermont and Maine.
Today, students and teachers across the state will open their notebooks for a unique writing lesson. It is called Vermont Writes Day. The computers are open and the students are ready. As the 2nd annual Vermont Writes Day kicks off parents, students and teachers alike have just seven minutes to stop what they are doing and simply write. Geoff Gevalt is the director of the Young Writers Project. He created Vermont Writes Day to help people understand how critical it is to have good writing skills.
Monday, February 8, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 8, 2010
The Addison County Green Energy Expo will jump on the local food bandwagon this year. In addition to booths and workshops on green building, living off the grid, and alternative energy sources, organizers say they plan to fill the cafeteria of Middlebury Union High School with exhibits by local farmers and food producers. The event, sponsored by the Addison County Chamber of Commerce, the Addison County Relocalization Network and several other local organizations, takes place March 13.
The Ilsley Public Library is inviting people to talk about civil liberties over lunch. Starting Feb. 17 and running through May, the library will host discussions on the third Wednesday of the month. Each will focus on a different book, from novels to a treatise on the Bill of Rights.
Police in Burlington are asking federal authorities to help investigate whether two massage parlors where violent sexual assaults took place might be part of a network that exploits women who are in the country illegally. A Burlington man is charged with assaulting Korean women at the two parlors.
The Putney Historical Society has already raised $720,000 to rebuild the Putney General Store. The Society bought the store after it was burned in a 2008 fire. It was then destroyed by an arson last November. No arrests have been made in the arson case.
Two schools in Vermont are among the colleges and universities that produced a high number of Peace Corps volunteers last year. The University of Vermont came in 13th among medium-sized schools. Middlebury College ranked third among small schools.
Plans for downtown development in South Burlington have received a boost from the Vermont Downtown Board. The Board approved the city's application as a New Town Center, allowing the city to seek Tax Increment Financing for property being developed around Market Street.
A student leader at the University of Vermont says students can't abide more tuition and fee increases. Ash, vice president of the Student Government Association, spoke at a trustees meeting Friday. She says students understand the economic model that focused on both high tuition and high financial aid, but students are no longer willing to keep spending more to get more.
Nuclear power will be the topic of a debate at the University of Vermont. William Tucker, author of "Terrestrial Energy: How Nuclear Power Will Lead the Green Revolution" and "End America's Energy Odyssey" will argue on Monday in favor of increased use of nuclear power. Arguing against it will be Tyson Theron Slocus, director of the group Public Citizen's energy program.
The Vermont attorney general says a Mount Tabor man has been sentenced to two years of probation and must pay $29,000 in cleanup costs for illegally burying 23 55-gallon drums of hazardous materials including waste oil on his property. David B. McLellan was sentenced on Thursday after being convicted of 3 felonies.
A plan to add more flights between New York's Plattsburgh International Airport and Boston could mean a loss of customers for Vermont's Burlington International Airport. Plattsburgh is poised to receive $2.1 million in federal subsidies to begin flying 34-passenger turboprops between Boston and Plattsburgh up to three times a day in the coming months.
The Ilsley Public Library is inviting people to talk about civil liberties over lunch. Starting Feb. 17 and running through May, the library will host discussions on the third Wednesday of the month. Each will focus on a different book, from novels to a treatise on the Bill of Rights.
Police in Burlington are asking federal authorities to help investigate whether two massage parlors where violent sexual assaults took place might be part of a network that exploits women who are in the country illegally. A Burlington man is charged with assaulting Korean women at the two parlors.
The Putney Historical Society has already raised $720,000 to rebuild the Putney General Store. The Society bought the store after it was burned in a 2008 fire. It was then destroyed by an arson last November. No arrests have been made in the arson case.
Two schools in Vermont are among the colleges and universities that produced a high number of Peace Corps volunteers last year. The University of Vermont came in 13th among medium-sized schools. Middlebury College ranked third among small schools.
Plans for downtown development in South Burlington have received a boost from the Vermont Downtown Board. The Board approved the city's application as a New Town Center, allowing the city to seek Tax Increment Financing for property being developed around Market Street.
A student leader at the University of Vermont says students can't abide more tuition and fee increases. Ash, vice president of the Student Government Association, spoke at a trustees meeting Friday. She says students understand the economic model that focused on both high tuition and high financial aid, but students are no longer willing to keep spending more to get more.
Nuclear power will be the topic of a debate at the University of Vermont. William Tucker, author of "Terrestrial Energy: How Nuclear Power Will Lead the Green Revolution" and "End America's Energy Odyssey" will argue on Monday in favor of increased use of nuclear power. Arguing against it will be Tyson Theron Slocus, director of the group Public Citizen's energy program.
The Vermont attorney general says a Mount Tabor man has been sentenced to two years of probation and must pay $29,000 in cleanup costs for illegally burying 23 55-gallon drums of hazardous materials including waste oil on his property. David B. McLellan was sentenced on Thursday after being convicted of 3 felonies.
A plan to add more flights between New York's Plattsburgh International Airport and Boston could mean a loss of customers for Vermont's Burlington International Airport. Plattsburgh is poised to receive $2.1 million in federal subsidies to begin flying 34-passenger turboprops between Boston and Plattsburgh up to three times a day in the coming months.
Friday, February 5, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 5, 2010
A massive manhunt is over for the prime suspect in Sunday's double murder in Dannemora. 52-year-old Anthony "Tony" Pavone is now in custody. Police noticed his truck in the parking lot of a motel in Binghamton last night. Pavone turned himself over to police this morning at 4 AM. Pavone is currently being transported to Plattsburgh.
Police in Vergennes are investigating a holdup at the Marble Works pharmacy. Police say a masked man entered the pharmacy yesterday morning and pointed a gun at the clerk. Investigators will not say if the thief took money or prescription drugs, but say he did take something. No customers were inside the pharmacy at the time and no one was hurt.
The Essex County Department of Health has lifted the boil-water order for Crown Point that went into effect January 31. Officials said the order is no longer necessary based on repairs made to the water main and satisfactory sample results. The order was lifted yesterday afternoon.
People on both sides of Lake Champlain impacted by the Champlain Bridge closure spoke out at a hearing in Rutland on Wednesday. The Senate Economic Development Committee took testimony from residents about the hit they took at their jobs and in their personal lives. The committee is working to craft a relief program for affected businesses. The Addison County Economic Development Corporation hopes to turn some of the potential relief money into grants and revolving loans for businesses in the area.
The state of Vermont, which last year enacted a law banning drug companies from providing free lunches to doctors, now may go a step further by requiring the companies to disclose the free drug samples they give to physicians. If the state enacts the requirement, it would be the first to do so. Attorney General William Sorrell, who recommended in a recent report that the drug companies be required to disclose what it gives to doctors and other providers, is to testify before lawmakers at a hearing Friday in the Statehouse.
Tritium levels in groundwater samples taken from a newly-dug well at Vermont's only nuclear plant are more than nine times higher than previously recorded levels. And while that's causing concern among Vermont Yankee's neighbors, plant officials say technicians appear to be getting closer to figuring out where the radioactive material is leaking from.
Vermont is 1 of 5 states without a comprehensive law against human trafficking, but a bill being considered by state senators could change that. The measure would expand existing sex offender laws to include enslaving and trafficking in adults for reasons other than sexual exploitation.
A Vermont man accused of killing his neighbor's dog has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. Police say Dennis Gonyaw went to the neighbor's home and shot the 11-month-old Siberian husky because the dog was harassing his cows.
The state attorney general has reached a settlement with two candy companies that used the name "Vermont" in products - even though the candy wasn't made in Vermont and didn't even have any ingredients from the state. Russell Stover Candies and Whitman's Candies paid $10,000 to resolve the case.
Kevin Pearce has been moved to a Denver hospital specializing in brain injuries from a hospital in Utah, where a New Year's Eve accident left the Vermont snowboarder critically injured. Pierce hit head on the halfpipe during practice. Doctors say he's able to walk and do daily activities with some help.
Police in Vergennes are investigating a holdup at the Marble Works pharmacy. Police say a masked man entered the pharmacy yesterday morning and pointed a gun at the clerk. Investigators will not say if the thief took money or prescription drugs, but say he did take something. No customers were inside the pharmacy at the time and no one was hurt.
The Essex County Department of Health has lifted the boil-water order for Crown Point that went into effect January 31. Officials said the order is no longer necessary based on repairs made to the water main and satisfactory sample results. The order was lifted yesterday afternoon.
People on both sides of Lake Champlain impacted by the Champlain Bridge closure spoke out at a hearing in Rutland on Wednesday. The Senate Economic Development Committee took testimony from residents about the hit they took at their jobs and in their personal lives. The committee is working to craft a relief program for affected businesses. The Addison County Economic Development Corporation hopes to turn some of the potential relief money into grants and revolving loans for businesses in the area.
The state of Vermont, which last year enacted a law banning drug companies from providing free lunches to doctors, now may go a step further by requiring the companies to disclose the free drug samples they give to physicians. If the state enacts the requirement, it would be the first to do so. Attorney General William Sorrell, who recommended in a recent report that the drug companies be required to disclose what it gives to doctors and other providers, is to testify before lawmakers at a hearing Friday in the Statehouse.
Tritium levels in groundwater samples taken from a newly-dug well at Vermont's only nuclear plant are more than nine times higher than previously recorded levels. And while that's causing concern among Vermont Yankee's neighbors, plant officials say technicians appear to be getting closer to figuring out where the radioactive material is leaking from.
Vermont is 1 of 5 states without a comprehensive law against human trafficking, but a bill being considered by state senators could change that. The measure would expand existing sex offender laws to include enslaving and trafficking in adults for reasons other than sexual exploitation.
A Vermont man accused of killing his neighbor's dog has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. Police say Dennis Gonyaw went to the neighbor's home and shot the 11-month-old Siberian husky because the dog was harassing his cows.
The state attorney general has reached a settlement with two candy companies that used the name "Vermont" in products - even though the candy wasn't made in Vermont and didn't even have any ingredients from the state. Russell Stover Candies and Whitman's Candies paid $10,000 to resolve the case.
Kevin Pearce has been moved to a Denver hospital specializing in brain injuries from a hospital in Utah, where a New Year's Eve accident left the Vermont snowboarder critically injured. Pierce hit head on the halfpipe during practice. Doctors say he's able to walk and do daily activities with some help.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
WVTK Local & State News February 4, 2010
Federal regulators are reassuring Vermont's congressional delegation that the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is getting close scrutiny in the wake of recent tritium leaks. In a letter to lawmakers, Nuclear Regulatory Commission chair Gregory Jaczko says the agency will keep pressure on Entergy to pinpoint and fix the source of the leak.
Neighbors of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant are keeping open an extra wary eye these days, following the discovery of tritium in groundwater in test wells at the Vernon plant site. One local man says he'd like to see the plant shuttered, adding that with the tritium discovery, he's not swimming or fishing in the Connecticut River.
A provision in the Douglas administration's Capital Bill would fund a feasability study for merging the Shaftsbury and Rutland State Police barracks. One official tells the Benning Banner a move would take several years and would require finding a location with good radio and phone coverage.
An internal probe has been wrapped up into the death of a former Vermont Police Academy instructor, although the Rutland Herald reports it isn't known what the investigation found. A trainer at the academy, David McMullen, took his own life on academy grounds last month.
A Vermont Senate committee is considering a bill that would end Vermont's status as 1 of 5 states - and the only one in the Northeast - without a comprehensive law against human trafficking. Sex offender legislation passed last year addressed trafficking of underage people for sexual purposes. The new bill would extend to enslaving and trafficking in adults and deal with other types of labor aside from sexual exploitation. The Senate Judiciary Committee worked on making adjustments to language on Thursday to address concerns from farm groups that some of the definitions in the bill might be construed as applying to migrant farm workers. Committee members say they want to make sure the law only would apply to involuntary work situations.
Neighbors of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant are keeping open an extra wary eye these days, following the discovery of tritium in groundwater in test wells at the Vernon plant site. One local man says he'd like to see the plant shuttered, adding that with the tritium discovery, he's not swimming or fishing in the Connecticut River.
A provision in the Douglas administration's Capital Bill would fund a feasability study for merging the Shaftsbury and Rutland State Police barracks. One official tells the Benning Banner a move would take several years and would require finding a location with good radio and phone coverage.
An internal probe has been wrapped up into the death of a former Vermont Police Academy instructor, although the Rutland Herald reports it isn't known what the investigation found. A trainer at the academy, David McMullen, took his own life on academy grounds last month.
A Vermont Senate committee is considering a bill that would end Vermont's status as 1 of 5 states - and the only one in the Northeast - without a comprehensive law against human trafficking. Sex offender legislation passed last year addressed trafficking of underage people for sexual purposes. The new bill would extend to enslaving and trafficking in adults and deal with other types of labor aside from sexual exploitation. The Senate Judiciary Committee worked on making adjustments to language on Thursday to address concerns from farm groups that some of the definitions in the bill might be construed as applying to migrant farm workers. Committee members say they want to make sure the law only would apply to involuntary work situations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=small}
