Welch joins Republican to back energy efficiency

Posted on May 24, 2013 by | Comments Off

MONTPELIER — Vermont Congressman Peter Welch is joining Republican Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia to back legislation designed to promote more energy efficiency in homes and other buildings.
One of the bills, The Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Act, would provide rebates to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements. Homeowners who demonstrate a 20 percent energy savings will receive a $2,000 rebate. For every 5 percent in additional energy savings, they can receive another $1,000 – up to a total of $8,000 or 50 percent of the project’s cost.
A second measure, the Better Buildings Act, would help get commercial landlords and tenants together to bring about the best energy savings practices to use when out-fitting space for their tenants’ needs.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Peter Welch

Four arrested after kidnapping incident in Brattleboro

Posted on May 24, 2013 by | Comments Off

Two women were forced into a car at gunpoint in Brattleboro on Thursday just before 1 p.m., Brattleboro Police said, but were freed when police – acting on tips – located and stopped the car.

Three suspects were arrested when the vehicle was found; the fourth suspect was identified during the day and a search for Salahdin Trowell, 30, of Jersey City, N.J., began. Police went to an apartment at 125 Canal Street to arrest him, and removed two adults from the apartment, but Trowell refused to come out. Police rescued a 2-month-old baby from the apartment, and evacuated the apartment building. After a few more hours Trowell was found hiding under a bed and was arrested. Police let residents back into the building at around 5:30 p.m.

Four people were charged, and police say the investigation continues with more arrests expected. Marcus Koritz, 19, of Springfield, Mass., and Jacobina Carter, 38, of Brattleboro, were each charged with two counts of kidnapping and one of burglary, and are being held on $10,000 bail. James Manning, 29, of Jersey City, N.J., was also charged with two counts of kidnapping and one of burglary, and is being held on $25,000 bail. Trowell was charged with two counts of kidnapping and is held on $50,000 bail.

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Posted in Brattleboro, Crime

Rains lead to flooding, washouts in western Vermont

Posted on May 24, 2013 by | Comments Off

WATERBURY — Heavy rainfall throughout Vermont has flooded out some state and local roads.
State emergency management officials say the greatest damage is in Jericho, Underhill, Cambridge, and Essex.
Some roads are closed, including Route 15 between Sand Hill Road in Essex and Route 104 in Cambridge.
A bridge on Route 15 in Westford was washed out.
A flood warning was in effect in parts of Chittenden, Franklin, Caledonia and Lamoille counties. Eleven schools were closed in Chittenden County.
The National Weather Service said the east branch of the Passumpsic River near East Haven was at 6.72 feet Friday morning. Flood stage is 6.5 feet. Lowland flooding was expected in Lyndonville.
The weather service said 2.26 inches of rain fell on Burlington Thursday, tying the maximum daily rainfall record set in 1955.

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Posted in Central Vermont, Chittenden County

Barre women arrested for crack cocaine use with child in car

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Two Barre woman are being held on bail in New Hampshire after allegedly smoking crack cocaine in a car with a two-year old child inside the vehicle Monday.
As reported by MyFoxBoston.com, Sarah Lucas, 32, and Ellen Smith, 31, were arrested by undercover police officers Monday evening at a Mobil Gas station in Manchester, N.H. after police say they had been monitoring the car because the occupants seemed to be engaged in suspicious activity.
Police say they approached the vehicle and saw the driver, Lucas, holding a glass pipe in her hand.
According to the Manchester District Court, both women were arraigned Monday. Lucas pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of controlled drug acts prohibited and Smith pleaded not guilty to one felony count of controlled drug acts prohibited and one misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. Both women are being held for lack of $2,000 bail.
The boy, Smith’s son, was later released to a family member.

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Posted in Barre, Crime

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Magic Hat sues Kentucky brewery over copyright infringement

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Magic Hat Brewing is suing a Kentucky brewery over its corporate logo, which it says is a trademark infringement.
West Sixth Brewing’s logo has a numeral 6 and a star-like symbol. Magic Hat says it’s too much like its No. 9 beer label, which has a 9 and a star-like symbol.
Ben Self, co-founder of West Sixth Brewing, says he will stop the brewery’s online logo petition calling for a stop to “corporate bullying” if Magic Hat drops its lawsuit.
The Burlington Free Press reports (http://bfpne.ws/ZdXCZl ) that Magic Hat wants West Sixth’s to stop using the logo and is seeking “all profits realized by West Sixth as a result of its use of the 6 Marks.”
In a statement, Magic Hat said it had tried to resolve the issue privately and amicably, but that West Sixth had suddenly turned the issue into something it is not, leaving them no recourse other than to sue.

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Posted in Court, Food and Drink

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Firefighters investigate blaze that left family of 5 homeless

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

WHITINGHAM, Vt. (AP) — Firefighters are trying to determine what caused a fire at a house in Whitingham, Vt., that left a family of five homeless.
No one was injured in the fire this week, which was complicated at first by a lack of water supply. Firefighters from Readsboro and Wilmington assisted.
Fire marshals are investigating.

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Posted in Fires, Southern Vermont, Vermont News, Windham County

Police looking for armed robbery suspect

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Police in Bennington, Vt., are looking for a suspect following an armed robbery at a CVS pharmacy.
Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette said officers responded to a 911 call around 9 p.m. Tuesday. The caller said someone had entered the store, jumped over the pharmacy counter and demanded Percocet while showing a handgun. The male suspect left with some medication.
Police arrived within minutes and locked down the store. A police dog helped track the suspect for a while, but the trail was lost at a nearby gas station. Police tell the Bennington Banner (http://bit.ly/10p8yOU) they believe a getaway car was waiting at the gas station.
Surveillance video shows a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a black face mask and gloves. He is holding a black and silver handgun.

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Posted in Bennington, Bennington County, Crime

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Bennington set to start new hydro power project

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

BENNINGTON — A developer has received state and federal permits to generate electricity at a 200-year-old dam site on Vermont’s Walloomsac River.
Bill Scully and his company, Carbon Zero, bought the old Vermont Tissue Mill in North Bennington in 2008. Vermont Public Radio reports (http://bit.ly/1a5HRDd) Scully started his quest to revive the dam that once powered the mill soon after that.
Scully hopes to produce electricity for about 220 homes and for his own businesses, which include a couple of restaurants and a store.
Hey says his project will improve water quality by increasing the flow of water in a channel that’s now dry for part of the year. He says it also will create new, year-round habitat for migrating fish and other aquatic life.

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Posted in Bennington, Bennington County, Energy, Vermont News

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Sky Blue Boys come to Ludlow

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Comments Off

LUDLOW – It’s a venerable tradition as old as American music itself. And that’s why FOLA will be presenting The Sky Blue Boys at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 25.
Two guys with a mandolin and guitar, a musical teamwork built of habit, their voices fused in the special blend produced by kinship. They were called “brothers duets,” and during the 1930s and ‘40s it was the predominant format in country music, practiced by now-legendary teams of brothers on radio stations and stage shows throughout the countryside.
In Vermont, Dan and Willy Lindner – The Sky Blue Boys – have revived the tradition. They have played together for decades. They formed the celebrated Vermont bluegrass band Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys in 1972 and have toured and recorded extensively in that context, as well as sitting in on shows and recording sessions for many of the region’s top acoustic musicians. It’s that clean, evocative sound The Sky Blue Boys now recreate for audiences throughout New England – a reminder of things past, and of things constant.
Tickets are $8; go online to www.fola.us. For information, call 802-228-7239.

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Posted in Arts, Music, Entertaiment

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Vermont AG sues company over Delaware company “trolling”

Posted on May 22, 2013 by | Comments Off

MONTPELIER — The Vermont attorney general’s office is suing a business, accusing it of “patent trolling.”
The lawsuit filed Wednesday says MPHJ Technology, based in Wilmington, Del., and its 40 shell subsidiary companies operating in Vermont, say they have a patent on the process of scanning documents and attaching them to emails via a network.
The attorney general’s office says the company has sent letters containing multiple deceptive statements and demanding money from Vermont small businesses for licensing fees, a practice referred to as “patent trolling.” The suit says at least two of the businesses are nonprofits that assist developmentally disabled people.
A lawyer who represents the company in patent matters says the company disputes the allegations.

There’s a complete write-up on the issue in the online magazine Ars Technica, here.

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Posted in Crime, Vermont News