LATEST VERMONT NEWS
Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers
Police found him sitting on the floor of his old apartment near a bucket of urine, still dressed in his hospital gown. The apartment had been condemned for the squalor - food on the floor, flies - and his smoking in bed. But the mentally ill man, just released from the hospital, had managed to get back in. For the second time in four days, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Ben & Jerry's names new flavor after Hannah Teter
Ben & Jerry's has named its newest ice cream flavor after Vermont native and champion snowboarder Hannah Teter. Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie - maple ice cream with blonde brownie pieces and a maple caramel swirl - marks the first time the ice cream company has named a flavor after an athlete. The maple is a nod to the charity she created, called Hannah's Gold, and her Vermont upbringing.
Attorney Anita Hill named to S. Vt. College board
A Brandeis University professor who rose to national prominence during the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas has been named to the board of trustees of Southern Vermont College in Bennington. Professor Anita Hill was invited to join the Southern Vermont board by College President Karen Gross.
Vt. nuke critics renew campaign against relicense
Hoping to sway lawmakers, two of the state's most famous residents and one of its former governors joined groups opposed to the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in announcing a push for Town Meeting Day votes on whether the plant should keep operating past 2012. Ice cream icons Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield and former Gov. Phil Hoff lent their voices to those who want the Legislature to turn thumbs down on Vermont Yankee's request for a 20-year license extension.
Federal immigration officials target Vermont farms
Federal immigration officials are cracking down on Vermont dairy farmers as part of a national effort, asking them to provide records to prove their workers are legal. Kelly Loftus, a spokeswoman for the state Agency of Agriculture, said immigration officials visited four farms on Thursday.
Northeast states granted green jobs funding
Vermont and seven other states will share nearly $4 million in economic stimulus funding to support a green jobs program. Vermont led an eight-state Northeast Research Consortium that applied for a research grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Vt. 911 callers report plane dropping pot
Vermont State Police have seized $200,000 worth of marijuana believed to have been dropped from a plane into a field near the U.S.-Canadian border. Police say they received several 911 calls about pot being dropped from a yellow plane in Newport Center on Tuesday afternoon.
Phillips mum on attack on former ship
The former captain of the Maersk Alabama says he has nothing to say about the second pirate attack in seven months on his former ship. Richard Phillips of Underhill is referring questions about the attack reported Wednesday off the coast of Somalia to the owner of the ship, Maersk Lines Limited.
Police: Vermont man stole bus, posted video of it
What possesses a man to steal his ex-employer's bus, take it for a three-state joy ride and then post a video of the lark on YouTube? Thirty-eight-year-old Jacob Rehm says he "felt inspired."
Construction could begin this week on VT-NY Ferry
An official says construction could begin this week on a new ferry crossing between Vermont and New York that would take the place of the now-closed Lake Champlain bridge between Addison and Crown Point. Vermont Transportation Agency spokesman John Zicconi says the first phase of construction will be to build access roads to the edge of the lake. Then the in-lake portion of construction can begin.
AP NewsBreak: Panel rejects Vt. college merger
A panel considering the governor's proposal to consolidate the University of Vermont with the five state colleges has recommended against merging the institutions. In a draft report released Thursday, the 5-member task force concluded that UVM and the five Vermont state colleges can continue to work together to become more efficient and offer better programs. But, they decided, a merger wouldn't work because of the difference in the cultures of the institutions and the students they serve.
Uncertainty grows on Vermont Yankee future
A key Vermont lawmaker says he thinks there's still a possibility the Legislature will vote this coming session on whether to extend the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant's license. That word from Rep. Tony Klein, chairman of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, comes after Vermont Yankee's owners missed a Nov. 1 deadline set by legislative leaders for negotiating an agreement with Vermont's utilities on how much power from the plant would cost during a license extension period.
Free, 24-hour ferry promised at closed NY-VT span
Commuters seeking to cross Lake Champlain between Addison, Vt., and Crown Point, N.Y., could be riding a free ferry by the end of the year. WCAX-television of Burlington is reporting the state of New York plans to start a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week free ferry in December.
Vt. slaughterhouse closed for inhumane treatment
A Vermont slaughterhouse ordered closed Friday after video showed calves kicked, shocked and cut while conscious had its operating license suspended three times earlier this year for similar conduct. U.S. Department of Agriculture records show Bushway Packing Inc. of Grand Isle was shut down for a day in May, again in June and again in July after an inspector cited it for inhumane treatment of animals.
Fire strikes historic Vt. general store _ again
When a fire destroyed the beloved, centuries-old Putney General Store 18 months ago, some people here cried. The creaky wooden building where locals arrived for coffee, hardware and gossip, and where tourists ducked in to buy maple syrup by the gallon meant that much to them.

LaFrance and Barclay guide Spaulding in final game of North-South Challenge
RUTLAND – The Rutland Raiders have high aspirations this season with a 5-0 start but the Spaulding Crimson Tide is still the defending Division champion, and showed exactly why Saturday as the North-South Challenge concluded. ... - By CHUCK CLARINO Staff Writer
Sanders hosts meetings on health care
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is wading into the health care debate that has so many Americans riled up, hosting a pair of town meetings Saturday -- one in Rutland, one in Arlington.
Addison County prosecutor retiring after 24 years
Addison County State's Attorney John Quinn is retiring at the end of the month. Quinn accepted the same retirement incentive program offered to state employees as Rutland State's Attorney James Mongeon.
Prison inmate files suit over riot response
A Vermont prison inmate is suing 18 correctional officers and other officials involved with quelling a riot last year at the Rutland jail.
Rutland library fix could cost almost $1 million
A new study says it could cost almost $1 million to repair existing deficiencies in the Rutland Free Library's Court Street building.
2 NY plead guilty in Rutland assault
Two New York men charged in an attack that left a Vermont man unconscious outside a restaurant last winter have been released from jail.
Vt's longest serving prosecutor to retire
Vermont's longest serving prosecutor will be retiring at the end of the month. James Mongeon of Rutland County became the county's top prosecutor in 1980.
White River-Rutland bus service could resume
Bus service between Rutland and White River Junction could resume this fall. Marble Valley Regional Transit District and Stagecoach Transportation Services of Randolph say they'd like to fill the void created when Vermont Transit abandoned the route last year.
HIV-positive man charged with spitting on cop
Police in Rutland say they've lodged a felony assault charge against a man with HIV who spit in the face of a police officer.
Town of Rutland to host new solar power project
Vermont's largest electric utility is set to break ground on a 50-kilowatt solar power array along Route 7 in the town of Rutland.
Rutland man dies in crash
A Rutland man is dead after a crash at a Rutland intersection Wednesday morning. Police say 75-year-old George Wolf was traveling south on US Route 7 when his vehicle collided with a pickup truck traveling through the same intersection on Route 103.
Robbers hit Rutland County, Vt, Humane Society
Vermont police say someone has broken into the Rutland County Humane Society and taken an undisclosed amount of money.
Officials say enraged driver sparks fire
Authorities say a case of road rage caused a fire to break out in Wal-Mart parking lot in Rutland.
Union hopes to get dibs on possible Vt hosp jobs
The Vermont State Employees Association hopes to get hiring priority if the Rutland Regional Medical Center takes on some of the patients from the troubled Vermont State Hospital.
Inmate tries to escape from Vermont jail
Police say an inmate at the jail in Rutland, Vt., tried to scale a 12-foot fence in a bid to start a new life.
Police investigate cruiser crash in Rutland, Vt.
A Rutland, Vt., police officer and another driver were hurt after the officer apparently blacked out and crashed head-on into a car at an intersection in the city.
Rutland officials warn of city shutdown
Rutland officials are warning there may be an interruption in city services if the municipal budget isn't passed by June 30.
9 arrested after 18-month drug, gun investigation
Federal authorities say they have arrested nine people in Rutland County on drug and gun charges after an 18-month investigation.
Rutland police charge boy with playground fire
A 15-year-old Rutland boy is facing charges he set fire to a plastic ride in a park earlier this month.
Wild horses up for adoption
Vermonters will get a chance to take home a piece of the wild west. About a dozen wild horses and burros are up for adoption at the Rutland fairgrounds.
State insurance program may get more expensive
Vermont's state-subsidized Catamount Health insurance program may soon get more expensive. The Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus report that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care -- two companies that manage the Catamount program -- told lawmakers earlier this year they were likely to ask for premium increases by July 1.
Some upset by recommendation to change rail plan
The Vermont Agency of transportation's rail director says the governor's Rail Advisory Council was wrong when it recommended redirecting money from a Rutland County project to one in Essex Junction.
16-year-old boy charged in "sexting" case
A 16-year-old Rutland boy has been charged with sending indecent photos of himself to a 14-year-old former girlfriend, but he won't be prosecuted under a new law that specifically addresses so-called "sexting."
Rutland police search for clues to park vandalism
A Rutland alderman says he's willing to offer a reward out of his own pocket to find whoever is responsible for setting fire to a children's ride at a city park.
2 more cases of swine flu in Vermont
The Vermont Health Department says two more cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the state, including a second at Rutland High School.
Vt. school keeps kids engaged as summer nears
It can be hard for kids to concentrate on their classes once summer-like weather hits, but Rutland High School has figured out how to spice up those last days of school.
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