Category Archives: Washington County

Pedestrian killed by train in Waterbury

WATERBURY — Vermont State Police have confirmed that a pedestrian has been struck and killed by a train in Waterbury.
Police are on the scene of the crash.
A police dispatcher says more information will be released later Thursday.

Couple sold, used coke next to baby

By Eric Blaisdell | STAFF WRITER
BARRE – A Waterbury Center couple allegedly sold and used drugs in front of their 7-month-old child.
Robert J. Farnsworth, 29, faces multiple charges of selling and smoking cocaine with his baby only a few feet away.
Farnsworth pleaded innocent at his arraignment in Washington County criminal court in Barre Thursday on three charges of selling cocaine, one charge of possessing an ounce or more of cocaine, and a charge of endangering a child less than two years old, all felonies. He was released on a $10,000 appearance bond.
If convicted of all charges, Farnsworth faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and a $1,100,000 fine.
The charges, which were levied by the Attorney General’s office, stem from a drug task force investigation into the selling of cocaine in Washington County.
According to the police affidavit, the police used an informant wearing an audio recorder to go into Farnsworth’s home and buy 3.5 grams of cocaine three times at the end of June and beginning of July. Twice when the informant bought the drugs, there was an infant about 10 feet away from Farnsworth as he smoked cocaine.
Farnsworth was first identified as a cocaine seller by the informant who cooperated in exchange for consideration on criminal charges.
Based on the information gathered by the informant, the police were granted a search warrant of Farnsworth’s home and on July 3, they confiscated 75.8 grams of cocaine and arrested Farnsworth and his live-in girlfriend, and mother of the infant, Reava Burnor, 24.
After the arrest in July, Farnsworth admitted to police that he had been selling cocaine since 2008, sometimes as much as nine ounces a week. When asked how many times he sold cocaine, Fansworth told police, “millions bro.” Farnsworth said he would drive down to Connecticut to get the cocaine and would also pick it up in Montpelier.
Burnor was also arraigned Thursday and pleaded innocent to aiding in the sale of cocaine, endangering a child less than two years old, and possession of cocaine, all felonies. If convicted of all three charges, Burnor faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $650,000 fine. She was also released without bail.
Burnor was witnessed by the informant handing the drugs to Farnsworth to weigh out for sale.
Both Farnsworth and Burnor admitted that Farnswoth smoked cocaine in front of their child many times. Burnor said she had gone with Farnsworth twice to Connecticut on his drug runs and she and their baby were with Farnsworth when he picked up 26 grams of cocaine in Montpelier on July 2. Burnor admitted to occasionally snorting cocaine.

Berlin man faced charges after high-speed chase

Staff report
MONTPELIER — A Berlin man is facing several criminal charges following a bizarre chase that allegedly began when he refused to pull over for police early Friday evening in Montpelier and ended some 20 minutes later when he drove off the road and into a culvert in Moretown.
In between being waved over by an officer in the parking lot of a Montpelier service station and being pried from his wrecked 2005 Ford Focus after it crashed on the Moretown Mountain Road, police claim Kerry Miller, 56, was spotted tossing beer cans out the window of his moving car, swerving into oncoming traffic, speeding and, at one point, ramming a cruiser that was involved in the pursuit.
According to Montpelier police, Miller is expected to be charged with drunken driving — his second offense — as well as driving with a criminally suspended license, attempting to elude police, gross, careless and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and aggravated assault when he is arraigned Monday in criminal court in Barre.
It all started shortly before 7 p.m. when a Montpelier police officer allegedly spotted a silver Ford Focus pull into the parking lot of Bob’s Sunoco with its driver’s side door wide open. The driver, who police said was later identified as Miller, allegedly ignored the officer’s attempt to wave him over, drove back out of the parking lot without using a turn signal and sped off with the driver’s side door still ajar.
The ensuing chase led officers out of Montpelier, through Berlin and Northfield on Route 12, and eventually into Moretown on the Moretown Mountain Road.
According to police, Miller allegedly hit speeds of up to 75 mph, while swerving across the centerline and tossing empties from his car. At one point, they claim, he rammed the rear of one of several police cruisers — this one from Montpelier — that were involved in the pursuit.
According to police, the chase ended shortly after Miller turned on to Moretown Mountain Road. Miller, who they say was driving approximately 25 mph at the time, drove off the south side of the road and slammed into a culvert.
Mad River Valley Ambulance responded to the scene and, using the Jaws of Life, ambulance workers were able to remove Miller from the car and transport him to Central Vermont Medical Center. Miller was processed for drunken driving at the Berlin hospital before being transported to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington for further medical evaluation, police said.
Montpelier police were assisted by Vermont State Police, Northfield Police and sheriff’s departments from Washington and Orange counties. None of the officers or members of the public were injured, police said.
In addition to the criminal charges he now faces, police said Miller will be issued several traffic tickets as a result of the incident.

Growing Local festival a success Saturday

Mark Collier / Staff Photo

Galen Kuehnl, age 7 of Plainfield, samples the fruits of his labor with a little help form mom Anna Barasch. Never missing a beat, Kuehnl continues to pedal while quickly devouring a piece of bread laden with the pesto being blended in the blender attached to the stationary bike being ridden by Kuehnl. Kuehnl and his mom were among a small crowd that turned out for the fourth annual Growing Local festival held by Food Works at Two Rivers Center.

 

Cabot man killed in Marshfield crash

Staff report
MARSHFIELD – A Cabot man was killed in an early morning accident that closed a section of Route 2 for several hours on Sunday.
According to police, Danville Road resident Nelson Abbott, 63, was ejected from his 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe after it swerved off the road, slammed into a utility pole and overturned. Abbott died from his injuries and the vehicle was destroyed.
Although the accident, which occurred shortly after 3 a.m., is still under investigation, police said they do not believe alcohol was a factor. Abbott, they said, was not wearing his seat belt.
According to police, Abbott was driving west on Route 2 near the intersection of Star Pudding Farm Road when he misjudged a curve in the road. Abbot’s vehicle traveled across the east-bound lane and then off the pavement where it hit a utility pole and rolled.
Police were forced to close Route 2 near Twinfield Union High School so that utility crews could deal with downed power, cable and telephone lines. That section of the state highway was reopened to traffic shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Police are asking anyone with information about the accident to contact the Middlesex barracks at 229-9191.

Chain restaurant permit in the works

By David Delcore
Staff Writer

BERLIN – You can add a mystery restaurant to the growing mix of establishments that could be coming soon to the Barre-Montpelier Road.

Town Administrator Jeff Schulz confirmed this week that owners of the shopping center now anchored by Big Lots intend to apply for a permit to build a free-standing restaurant that would be constructed next to Pizza Hut. The chain restaurant, which Schulz said he wasn’t at liberty to name, would represent the newest addition to the Central Vermont Shopping Center and further fuel the recent revival of a retail strip once dubbed Berlin’s “million-dollar mile.”

Though still in its infancy, the project recently cleared a key hurdle recently thanks to a 13-year-old permit the shopping center’s owner obtained for a bank that was never built. That permit, Schulz concluded, is still valid and site and utility improvements were made at the time – effectively preserving Pomerleau Real Estate’s right to pursue a revised version of the project that wouldn’t be allowed under current flood plain regulations.

The deciding factor, according to Schulz, was that the bank was part of a broader project that included interior renovations to the L-shaped plaza that were completed as proposed. The proposed restaurant would be built next to Pizza Hut, which is part of the 106,000 retail complex.

Although Schulz has determined the bank permit is still valid, he has concluded the proposed restaurant will require a trip to the town’s development review board. Based on changes to the project, which was permitted in 1999, the board must review and approve an amended site plan before construction can commence.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Rutland Herald.

Washington man arrested for domestic abuse

By David Delcore
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — A summer scene befitting a Norman Rockwell portrait was spoiled Monday morning when more than a dozen police cruisers, an armored vehicle and the big box truck that houses Vermont’s equivalent of a S.W.A.T. team set up shop in Washington to take what proved to be one unarmed man into custody.

The mission, which featured what Sgt. Mike Kamerling described as a “just in case” response, was a success and Alfred Perreault, 68, was arrested without incident less than 48 hours after he allegedly assaulted his wife, Sara, at their Route 110 home over the weekend.

The Saturday evening altercation triggered a bizarre chain of events that, Kamerling says, began when Sara Perreault was transported to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin where she was treated for injuries allegedly inflicted by her husband and ended shortly after 10:30 a.m. Monday when specially trained members of the state police “Tactical Support Unit” entered their home and arrested him.

Alfred Perreault was home alone at the time, though Kamerling says that wasn’t the case when police responded to the reported domestic dispute shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday.

According to Kamerling, Alfred Perreault left the home before police arrived on Saturday, but his car was spotted back in the driveway on Sunday.

Neighbors say police staked out the Perreaults’ home, which was locked, looking for some sign of activity throughout the day on Sunday and Kamerling confirmed they obtained a search warrant on Monday after repeated attempts to contact Alfred Perreault by telephone had failed.

According to Kamerling several calls – some placed by family members and others by authorities – went unanswered on Sunday and again on Monday.

For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Times Argus.

Car break-ins reported in Plainfield

PLAINFIELD — State police are investigating several larcenies from vehicles along East Hill Road and Maple Hill Road that occured on Monday, May 28 or Tuesday, May 29. The break-ins were reported to police Tuesday, and most of the cars were unlocked, police said.
These incidents are under investigation and anybody with information is asked to contact Trooper Darryl Cremo at 802-229-9191 or Vermont Crime Stoppers at 1-800-529-9998.

Man killed in Hardwick crash

A Hardwick man is dead after the 2002 Ford Mustang he was driving crashed, according to Hardwick Police. Joshua Billings, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash, police said. The passenger in the car, Ryan Bacon, 26, of Greensboro, was taken to Copley Hospital by the Hardwick Rescue Squad and airlifted from there to Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington. He is listed in fair condition.

Police were called to the crash, at Country Club Road and Breezy Avenue in Greensboro, for a single car crash at around 8:09 p.m. on Monday. When they arrived, they found the Mustang off the road on its roof in a wooded area. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to contact Hardwick Police at 802-472-5475.

Poetry tennis in Marshfield

MARSHFIELD — At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sherry Olson and Jo Chickering will present a back-and-forth reading. These two local poets will share their work in a presentation held like a conversation at the Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.

For information, call 426-3581 or email [email protected].