WVTK Local & State News July 22, 2013

Vermont's lone representative to the U.S. House of Representatives says the nation's veterans need better access to their health records from their time in the military.  Representative Peter Welch said earlier today that he's a co-sponsor of legislation that would require the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans' Affairs to find a better way to share records.  Welch says the DoD and the VA have been working on the issue for 15 years, but they haven't solved the problem.  Welch says the 21st Century Health Care for Heroes Act has dozens of sponsors from both political parties so he's hopeful it will pass.

So far this year, eastern equine encephalitis or EEE has not been spotted in Vermont.  Testing is being conducted with mosquitoes collected from 50 sites all over the state.  Lab technicians are looking for 2 things, EEE and West Nile Virus.  However, the Department of Health reported on Friday that the West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes collected July 10 from a trap in Leicester.  It was the first detection of West Nile this year in Vermont.  The Health Department has made a risk assessment of EEE, which is available as a map on its website.  The maps shows a moderate risk stretching from Middelbury down to Brandon.

The Moriah water department will turn the water off on Wednesday, July 24, 9 a.m. to noon to work on the pressure reducer valves.  The water will be off on Tarbell Hill Road down through to the top of Broad Street at the town line, Fisk Road and all of Water District #4.  It is recommended that people shut off the main valve coming into their home to prevent the possibility of siphoning water from a boiler or hot water heater.  People who do not have a main valve or who are unsure of its location can contact the water department at 942-3340.

Burlington's deputy police chief is facing a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.  Vermont State Police say troopers pulled over a motorist on Route 105 in Sheldon for failure to use a turn signal shortly after midnight Sunday.  The operator was Andi Higbee of Colchester. He was arrested for drunken driving and later released on a citation.  He was off duty at the time.  Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling said in a statement that Higbee has been placed on paid administrative leave.  Higbee has a court date scheduled for August 12th.

Senator Patrick Leahy says he wants the Senate Judiciary Committee to take up legislation that would protect journalists and their sources.  Leahy chairs the Judiciary Committee. He says his decision to place the Free Flow of Information Act on the Committee's agenda comes after committee members met last week with Attorney General Eric Holder.  At that meeting they discussed the Justice Department's guidelines for getting information from the press.

The Three-Day Stampede is coming up this weekend in Bristol.  It's the 20th anniversary of the fundraiser, which has raised $1.3 million so far for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The event includes yard sales, barbecues, dancing and crafts.  This year, there is also a new film called "How to Live to be 100" that highlights the community's involvement.  The movie will be screened this Thursday, July 25, at 8 p.m. on the Bristol Green. The Stampede kicks off Friday and lasts through the weekend.  For more information, visit their website: www.threedaystampede.org.

WVTK Local & State News July 19, 2013

The woman who served as town clerk and treasurer for Weybridge is going to federal prison for two years.  Karen Brisson received the sentence Thursday in what the judge called one of the largest and most flagrant cases in a long string of public and private embezzlements in the state.  A forensic audit came up with more than 476-thousand dollars taken from the years 2006 to 2012.  Brisson apologized in court, saying she is sorry for the theft and how she disappointed family, friends and taxpayers.

I-B-M ended its fight to keep confidential the number of Vermont jobs cut in its latest round of layoffs.  Turns out the total was 419 people lost their jobs.  Big Blue was required to give the state details within 24 hours after all the layoffs were final, but had held off, saying it could cause competitive harm to the company.  The Labor Department gave I-B-M until noon yesterday to legally prove that claim, and the company dropped the objection and released the number.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy says Vermont and New York are winning the fight against sea lamprey in Lake Champlain.  Leahy, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $600,000 appropriation for continued treatment of lamprey, an eel-like invasive species that wounds other species native to the lake.  He and other officials also showed off a new 26-foot boat recently acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to handle sea lamprey control on the lake.

A Pittsford man arrested for the murder of his girlfriend tried to kill himself in prison.  35-year-old Christopher Sharrow is charged with murdering 32-year-old Kristen Parker earlier this month.  Vermont Corrections officials say Sharrow tried to hang himself in his cell at the state prison in St. Johnsbury.  He is now hospitalized in stable condition in Boston.  Corrections officials say Sharrow had been on a suicide watch where he was checked every 15 minutes.

Vermont State Police are still investigating a car crash in Bridport.  According to investigators, when the arrived at the scene of the crash last Sunday, no one was there.  Witnesses say three people, possibly migrant farmworkers, walked away from the scene.  But police have not figured out who they are.  Police say the car is registered to the woman who heads the immigration advocacy group Migrant Justice.  Police have been unable to interview her.  State Police say they're meeting with the state's attorney next week to see how his office would like to proceed.

Vermont’s unemployment rate climbed to 4.4 percent in June, the second consecutive month-to-month increase.  The comparative national rate in June was 7.6 percent, which was unchanged from May.  Despite the increase, Vermont’s unemployment rate remained the fourth lowest in the country.

Green Mountain Power has selected Positive Energy, a solar developer with offices in Poultney, Vt., and Granville, N.Y., to build the College of St. Joseph Solar Farm atop the Rutland college’s athletic center.  Positive Energy will build the system with assistance from students in the Green Mountain College Renewable Energy and Ecological Design major, and will use materials largely sourced from Rutland-area suppliers.  The College of St. Joseph signed an agreement with Green Mountain Power last month to host the company’s first rooftop solar farm in the city of Rutland.  

WVTK Local & State News July 18, 2013

Vermont State Police are searching for a man who broke into a home in Pittsford and assaulted a 15-year-old girl.  Just after 1 o’clock this afternoon, an unidentified white male entered a residence on Freeman Hill in Pittsford, and assaulted the occupant inside.  The victim had visible bruising and injuries and was transported the Rutland Regional Hospital for treatment of her injuries.  If you have any information regarding this case or saw something in the area of Freeman Hill Road in Pittsford between the hours of noon and 1:30 p.m., contact the Vermont State Police at the Rutland Barracks at 802-773-9101 or submit an anonymous tip to www.vtips.info.

People in Rutland are now doing what they can to help three children left without a mom when Kristen Parker was assaulted and murdered.  Police say Christopher Sharrow, her boyfriend and the father of two of the kids killed her when all three children were home that night.  Numerous fundraisers are either planned or underway, like a four-day bottle drive which began yesterday.  100-percent of all proceeds will go directly to Kristen’s Angels, the foundation for her children.

The American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU just released a report that found across the country police are tracking cars using automatic license plate readers.  And that information is being kept for months or years.  Vermont State Police says some 40 different departments across the state use the readers.  The ACLU of Vermont wants to make sure it's not abused.  As you drive around a camera mounted on the back of a police car might capture your license plate and see if it's on a hot list for potential problems.  The automatic license plate reader not only records the plate, but the time and GPS location.  A new law in Vermont just went into effect this month says the information can only be kept for 18 months.  

A missing Shelburne man has been found safe.  Police say 33-year-old Robert Cosman left his home with camping gear over the weekend and hadn't been seen since.  His truck was found abandoned off Route 14 in Randolph, prompting a widespread search.  But yesterday afternoon, police say Cosman was found at a gas station in Manchester.

It’s full-speed ahead for a Trader Joe’s grocery store in South Burlington.  The Development Review Board has approved the application for the first Trader Joe’s in Vermont, which will be built on Dorset Street next to another grocery, Healthy Living Market.  Trader’s Joes will anchor one of South Burlington’s City Center entrances, and construction could begin as soon as next month.

Home Care Workers in Vermont will vote on which union to join in September.  The State Labor Relations Board has September 9^th as the election date.  The decision followed a series of three-way meetings between the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Labor Relations Board.  There are roughly 7,000 home care workers in the state.

The State hopes to set insurance rates for the health care exchange by next month.  In less than six months, more than 100,000 Vermonters will be required to purchase health insurance plans on a state-run exchange, called Vermont Health Connect.  But the premium rates for those plans, and the details of the plans that will be available on the market, are still unknown.  State health care officials say they hope to have all that information ready for the public by August.  

WVTK Local & State News July 17, 2013

With another day of above-90-degree temperatures, New Englanders are being asked to conserve power, especially in the afternoon and evening.  More and more people are keeping their fans and air conditioners on, and electric companies are saying if customers conserve power now, heat-related brown-outs later will not be necessary.  Green Mountain Power is making the request, along with I-S-O-New England, the power grid operator for the region.  Both say it’s a way to keep supply and demand in balance, with the heat wave not expected to break until the weekend.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is urging IBM to make public the number of employees it laid off last month at its Vermont facilities.  And the governor says if he and his lawyer conclude the Vermont Public Records Act requires it, his administration will release the number whether IBM wants to or not.  IBM doesn't make layoff numbers public. It reported them to the state, but is telling Vermont officials the number is commercially sensitive and exempt from disclosure under the law.  Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan is asking IBM to explain its position on the law by noon tomorrow. 

The Vermont attorney general’s office is warning about scam lottery letter being mailed to Vermonters.  The letter from Trans Financial Company- Lottery & Resource Management typically says the recipient has won $250,000 in a sweepstakes.  The letter says the company is working with New Bedford Symphony Orchestra Entertainment and lists a number of businesses with addresses in the U.S. and South Africa.

Vermont State Police are searching for an unidentified man who robbed a convenience store on Route 103 last night.  Police say at 9:30 p.m. a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray T-shirt entered the Mac's Convenience Store in East Wallingford and demanded money from the register.  Investigators say the clerk complied and the robber fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money.  No customers were in the store at the time of the robbery.  Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call state police.

A Hinesburg teen arrested for making meth at his parents' home has accepted a plea agreement.  Police say Jacob Berino was injured when his makeshift meth lab exploded last October. He was later arrested on federal drug charges.  According to court documents, Berino has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture narcotics.  He remains jailed while awaiting sentencing.

Amtrak's Ethan Allen line is now letting people bring their bikes on board.  Café cars are being fitted for bikes to let passengers bring their own wheels when they head north to take advantage of the biking trails.  It's a limited time offer, and Amtrak will use this time to gauge demand for this program on other lines.  Bicycles on Board is also available on lines from Boston to Portland and New York to Charlotte.

WVTK Local & State News July 16, 2013

Physicians and health experts are warning people about the signs of overexposure to the Sun.  Be sure as a possible heat wave looms ( 3 or more days over 90 degrees qualifies) that you take steps to hydrate an avoid direct exposure to the sun as much as possible.  Any outdoor activities should be done when the Sun is not at its strongest, generally between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Pets should not be left in a car for even a single minute under these conditions and anyone who sees a pet left in a car should not hesitate to call 911.

Police have arrested an Addison County man who they say is responsible for a number of burglaries in the area.  Last Night, they arrested 21-year-old Codey Paquin of New Haven.  Police say he's responsible for a string of copper and jewelry thefts in the area, including stealing about $6,000 worth of jewelry from a house in Monkton and stripping about $5,000 worth of copper from two houses. 

Two missing teenagers are back home safe and sound after being reported missing a couple of days ago.  The missing persons were identified as 16-year-old Dylan Hickey and 18-year-old Mikayla Ellis, both of Sudbury.  Both teens have been located and are in good health.  The have since been returned to their parents.  They were found at a family members residence in Pittsford.

An inmate who escaped from a prison work crew has been recaptured.  Vermont State troopers say Mindy Champagne took off last Friday while working along Green Bush Road in Charlotte.  Champagne was serving time for forgery and petit larceny.  Police say Champagne was found last night in the Old North End of Burlington and returned to prison.

The state of Vermont is telling a U.S. House panel it has every right to set up a state health insurance exchange and require individuals and small businesses to purchase their health coverage through it.  State officials wrote to the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to rebut a charge from Republican members of that committee that a mandatory exchange violates the Affordable Care Act.  The committee points to language in the health overhaul law saying it won’t require people to get their health care through an exchange.  Vermont officials are arguing that states are still free to impose that requirement.

A Vermont prison inmate accused of sending threatening letters to President Barack Obama and Governor Peter Shumlin has been sentenced to over four years in federal prison.  22-year-old Dakota Gardner sent the letters last year while incarcerated on a 2009 assault charge at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.  Gardner said when he wrote the letters, he was about to get out of jail, and figured he would be put back in prison if he made the threats. He said he didn't have the control to be out in the community.

New England’s power grid operator is asking customers to conserve electricity during the heat wave.  ISO-New England earlier today asked for voluntary conservation.  They say power is adequate, but supplies are likely to become tight.  ISO-New England suggests customers reduce electricity, particularly between noon and 8 p.m.

WVTK Local & State News July 15, 2013

In an effort to reduce crashes and discourage impaired driving, Vermont State Police have launching Operation Sober Summer.  Just this past June, there were 26 deaths in 25 crashes on Vermont roadways.  In June of 2012, Vermont had 40 deaths in 35 crashes.  Based on this data, the campaign will have patrols in high-crash areas and increase enforcement of aggressive driving laws.

Those opposed to the proposal of basing F-35 fighter jets with the Vermont Air National Guard are asking for more time to collect public comment.  The time frame, which started May 31st is scheduled to end today.  May 31st was when the Pentagon released a revised environmental impact statement concerning basing the louder and faster jets at the guard’s base at Burlington International Airport.  Opponents say this is the only base being considered where so many residents are affected, and it’s not fair to cut off time for public comment.

Four people were arrest for drugs over the weekend.  A search warrant revealed 102 bags of heroin at a house in Clarendon late Sunday night.  Authorities arrested 22-year-old Demetrius Earle, 23-year-old Benjamin Earl of Clarendon, and 20-year-old Kristi Sawyer of Rutland, as well as an unnamed subject.  More than $1,200 in cash was also found at the residence.

Fire investigators said a fire that destroyed a home on Mead Road in West Rutand was accidental and mostly likely due to a failure with a power strip device.  Police said firefighters reported the fire Sunday afternoon and found heavy smoke and fire coming out from a front window.  Damage to the residence was extensive and will most likely result in a total loss.  Police said the homeowners were not home at the time of the fire. 

The Vermont Health Department has advised several people in the Rutland area to leave their homes within a week because of high pesticide levels used to treat bedbugs.  The state suspended the license of Cary Buck of AAA Accredited Pest Control in North Clarendon, who's accused of spraying homes with a kind of pesticide that’s been banned from indoor use since 2001.  So far, five homes have tested positive for the banned pesticide.  The Environmental Protection Agency says high levels of exposure can cause dizziness, nausea and confusion. Buck says he hasn't used the pesticide since it was banned for indoor use.

It’s a dirty business, but someone had to do it, and they had fun at the same time.  The 20th annual mud volleyball tournament over the weekend in Rutland was a huge success, and a big fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont. Thirty-two teams meant 350 mud volleyball players getting down and dirty Sunday.  The clean result, though, was ten-thousand dollars raised to help families affected by epilepsy.

WVTK Local & State News July 12, 2013

Farmers are being urged to document the damage their farms suffered after an unprecedented rainy period left parts of some farms underwater and saturated fields across the state. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross say the federal Farm Services Agency is expected to request an emergency disaster declaration, but that won't happen until after crops are harvested in the fall.

There is a happy ending for a missing girl in West Rutland.  Police say family members were worried when the 14-year-old left home.  They said she suffers from severe asthma and didn't have her medication with her.  Police used dogs and helicopters to search for the teenager Thursday night.  She was found and is at home safe.

At a public hearing yesterday, the majority of people who spoke out say, the town of Middlebury should step back and consider long-term community needs before seriously considering a new municipal building and a gym.  The proposal say Middlebury College would contribute $5.5 million toward the estimated $7.5 million project, which calls for the town to demolish and remove the current municipal building and gym and give that parcel to the college, which would turn it into a park.  The community would also be responsible for moving the Osborne House from its current location to a town-owned parcel at the intersection of Cross and Water streets.  And then that piece of land would be used for the new municipal building.  Most of the selectboard says this is a win for the tax payers.

IBM is expected to release the totals from the latest round of layoffs tomorrow.  State officials say preliminary estimates are that more than 300 people are losing their jobs at Big Blue’s facility in Essex Junction.  That figure is based on the number of people showing up at state-run seminars on seeking new work.  All of the layoffs will be final today.

Authorities have issued a warning about an advertising scam which claims you can make money for placing a company logo on your vehicle.  The Lamoille County Sheriff's Department says the scheme popped up on Craigslist.  The fraudulent promotion claimed Pepsi would pay drivers 300-dollars a week to put the company's logo on your vehicle.  But police called Pepsi and confirmed the ad was fake.  Authorities say never respond to online ads before verifying the promotion with the company.

South Burlington police are looking for a robber who stole cash from a register.  Police say at about 9:40 last night, the man pretended to buy a pack of gum at a Shell station on Shelburne Road.  When the clerk opened the register, he reached over the counter, grabbed money, and fled the store.  If you know who he is, you're asked to call South Burlington police.  This is similar to robberies this week in Essex and Colchester, and police are looking into whether they're connected.