Derby

DERBY — Authorities say smoking materials placed in an aluminum can is what caused a fire that broke out at a single-family home on Main Street in Derby yesterday.

The fire was noticed at around 6:20 p.m.

The home was being used as an Airbnb rental and was occupied by three people, but nobody was home at the time of the fire.

Firefighters say they were able to quickly extinguish the fire on the porch and were successful in limiting the fire’s extension into the house.

The home sustained significant damage to the front and side porch and smoke and heat damage to the interior.

Derby Line Fire Chief Craig Ellam contacted fire investigators to demine the area of origin and the cause.

The investigation concluded that the fire began on the side porch in a sitting area where there were a table and some chairs.

“The cause of the fire was smoking materials placed in an aluminum beverage can,” Paul Cerutti, Assistant State Fire Marshal, said in a statement.

Cerutti says that the house did not have working smoke or CO alarms.

“I found the bases where the alarms had been, but no alarms,” he said.

The Derby Line Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Newport City Fire Department.

DERBY — A 79-year-old man hit a 6-point buck crossing the southbound lane of I-91 on Sunday evening.

At around 6:26 p.m. police say they responded to the single-vehicle crash just south of Exit 28.

Police say the driver, Fernand J. Pomerleau, of Goffstown, NH, was traveling at around 65 miles-per-hour when the buck ran out from the woods and directly into the path of his vehicle.

Pomerleau’s vehicle sustained extensive front end damage and was unable to be driven from the scene.

Ray’s Auto had to remove the vehicle, and the Derby Line Fire Department assisted in cleaning up fluids from the roadway.

Police say there were no injuries during the incident.

NEWPORT CITY — Police say a Derby man was arrested after he attempted to buy a gun through a neighbor and threatened to kill everyone at Northeast Kingdom Human Services as well as the Derby Village Store.

According to a statement issued by State Police Trooper Joshua Mikkola, on Friday, August 23, police received a report from an employee at North East Kingdom Human Services, that 38-year-old John Barclay called and made threats to harm staff. 

During the investigation, police say they spoke with Barclay both on the phone and in person. 

“In conversation, Barclay divulged to the troopers his intent to harm others as well, to include staff at the Derby Village Store,” Mikkola said in a statement.

Police also say that Barclay attempted to buy a gun through his neighbor.

Barclay was placed under arrest and transported to the Derby Barracks for processing.

He was later lodged at Northern State  Correctional Facility. 

DERBY — Community National Bank President and CEO Kathy Austin recently announced the promotion of Louise Bonvechio to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Cashier and Corporate Secretary of Community National Bank and Treasurer and Corporate Secretary of Community Bancorp.

Bonvechio has worked for Community National Bank for over 25 years.

“Louise is very deserving of this promotion as she competently manages all aspects of the Bank’s fiscal functions while providing outstanding leadership for the organization,” Austin said.

This year she completed the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and earned a Leadership Certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Bonvechio is very involved in serving the local communities.

She is Board Chair of Rural Edge, a Director and Treasurer of the Emory Hebard State Office Building Condo Association and a member of the ReNewport Catamount Arts Creative Hub committee.

She recently served as a Trustee and Treasurer of the Goodrich Memorial Library and chaired the ReNewport Community Visit, a Vermont Council on Rural Development program.

Other recently held positions include a member of the Regional Advisory Board for the North Country Career Center and a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Member Advisory Panel.

Bonvechio was presented with the Vermont Bankers Association’s Outstanding Community Service Banker Award in 2017.

She and her husband Brian make their home in Newport.

NEWPORT — Police say they arrested a habitual sex offender earlier this week after he allegedly assaulted a local woman.

Timothy Souliere, 56, of Derby, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, unlawful restraint, simple assault, and habitual offender.

He was arraigned yesterday in Orleans District Court and was held without bail.

On Tuesday, July 16, police say a woman reported that she had been attacked by Souliere on July 11, in a hallway of an apartment building on Governor Drive.

Police say Souliere was known to the woman.

According to a statement issued by police relating to the incident, an investigation indicates that Souliere assaulted the victim while she was walking to her apartment.

Souliere is a registered sex offender and is on the Vermont Sex Offender Registry for life.

He is a habitual offender with two felony convictions of lewd and lascivious conduct in Vermont as well as a felony conviction of sexual assault in Arizona.

NEWPORT — The Newport Police Department says they arrested a woman over the weekend on multiple charges, including assaulting a police officer.

Makayla Belmore, 19, of Derby, is facing charges of assault on a law enforcement officer/protected professional, obstruction of justice, and aggravated disorderly conduct.

Early Sunday morning police say they responded to North Country Hospital to have an officer on standby after Belmore, who had an active trespass notice, had come to the emergency room as a patient.

The responding officer and a member of hospital security entered her room after hearing yelling coming from inside.

Police say when they entered the room, she threw a cup full of liquid that struck the officer.

“She then resisted the officer and staff’s efforts to restrain her, attempting to sit up and strike both the Newport Police officer and the security officer,” a statement issued by police reads.

Police say Belmore at one point kicked the security officer in the face and twice spit in the face of the police officer while continuing to violently resist efforts to restrain her.

They say she also made repeated verbal threats against both officers.

She was placed under arrest and subsequently arraigned yesterday and released with conditions.

NEWPORT — The University of Vermont Extension will expand a program proven to reduce risky behavior in youth, including substance misuse, called PROSPER, to schools in Newport and Derby.

The program, named PROSPER, for Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience, was developed jointly at Iowa State University and Pennsylvania State University in 2001 and has been implemented in communities around the country since then.

Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in nearly 80 published research studies.

The two-year program targets sixth and seventh graders.

“We’re honored and pleased to be able to expand the PROSPER program to three communities in the Northeast Kingdom,” said Chuck Ross, director of UVM Extension. “The program has generated impressive results nationally and in the three Vermont schools where it’s in place. We have every reason to expect similar success in St. Johnsbury, Newport and Derby.”

The PROSPER expansion to St. Johnsbury and Newport will be funded with a $599,124 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within USDA.

Funding for the Derby expansion is coming from Iowa State.

The program will be implemented at Newport City Elementary School in Newport, and Derby Elementary School and North Country Union Junior High School in Derby, which serves both Newport and Derby.

The PROSPER program in Newport launched on July 1, with Derby following three months later.

The PROSPER Model

The PROSPER program builds competency and confidence in sixth and seventh graders and improves family functioning as bedrock strategies for preventing behavior problems in youth.

In sixth grade, PROSPER engages families in an after-school program called Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth Ages 10-14.

The program shifts to an in-school focus during seventh grade with the delivery of Lifeskills programming.

During both years, teachers and counselors in the school deliver a set curriculum that research has shown to be effective.

Critical to the program’s success is the work of a team of eight to ten community members, including parents, teachers and other school personnel, Department of Health representatives and community members.

The community team helps fine-tune the messaging of the program to the specific needs of the school, does fundraising to ensure the program is sustainable after the five-year grant expires, conducts outreach to the community about PROSPER and oversees the program’s implementation via monthly meetings.

DERBY — A three-car crash in Derby on Friday sent two people to the hospital, police say.

The crash took place in the westbound lane of U.S. Route 5, in front of the Vianor Tire and Sears Store parking lots.

According to police, Linda Kudla, 65, of Derby, was stopped, signaling to turn left into the Sears Store parking lot, waiting for traffic to clear so she could proceed across the eastbound lane.

Police say Chelsey Christino, 24, of Newport, was also traveling west and stopped in traffic behind Kudla.

According to the report, the third vehicle was being operated by Tucker Crowe, 17, of Island Pond.

Police say by the time Crowe noticed the two cars were stopped, he was unable to stop and collided with Christino’s vehicle.

The force of the impact caused Christino to collide with Kudla.

Christino and her passenger, Tristin Webb, 20, of Newport, were transported to the North Country Hospital by the Newport Ambulance.

Police say Kudla’s vehicle was able to be driven from the scene.

NEWPORT — A 27-year-old man from Newport was sentenced to serve three to eight years behind bars for stealing two vehicles.

David Fletcher appeared in court for a sentencing hearing on May 16 after being convicted by a jury on felony charges of grand larceny, two counts of vehicle operation without owner consent, and a misdemeanor charges of careless or negligent operation.

Back on October 18, 2017, police responded to a report of a stolen truck from the Eastside restaurant. Hours later, police were dispatched to another report of a stolen truck from a home in Derby.

The victim in Derby told police that he had picked up two hitchhikers and gave them a ride back to what he believed to be their truck, which was partially submerged at the Derby Fish & Game Club pond.

He was unable to help them remove the vehicle from the pond, and dropped them off at the Border Motel.

Within the hour his truck was stolen.

Fletcher admitted to taking both vehicles on a cell phone video that was later turned over to police.

At the time that both crimes were committed, Fletcher was on furlough for burglary, and assault charges.

“The State requested a more significant jail sentence because of this defendant’s record and the fact that he was on furlough at the time of the offenses,” State’s Attorney Jennifer Barrett said. “The court imposed a sentence that deviated below the State and Department of Correction’s recommendations.”

DERBY – A 68-year-old woman from Derby was involved in a rollover crash on I-91 on Wednesday.

Police say the vehicle was resting on its roof in the median when they arrived on scene.

The driver, identified as Louise Harris, was headed north when she struck the guardrail and overturned the vehicle.

Harris was wearing a seat belt at the time, and no injuries were reported.

By the time police arrived, they say Harris had already been helped by a good Samaritan who stopped to assist.

The passing lane of I-91 North was temporarily shut down while the vehicle was removed.

DERBY — A 31-year-old driver from California was involved in a rollover crash on I-91 on Friday.

State troopers were called to the Interstate near mile-marker 171 in the town of Derby, at around 8:45 a.m.

Police say the driver, identified as Adrian Hernandez, of LaPuenta, CA, lost control of his Ford van and spun into the median.

The van overturned in the median and came to rest on the driver’s side.

According to the report, no injuries were reported at the scene.

PEACHAM — The search for a missing woman from Derby ended tragically today, after police say she was found deceased.

Cecile Aubin, also known as Cecile LaClair, was located in the town of Peacham.

Police have not released much information, but say her death is not suspicious at this time.

Authorities say the cause and manner of her death is pending an autopsy.

It was reported that Aubin left a residence on Pine Hill Road in Derby sometime around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 21.

She was last seen leaving the residence in her orange Subaru Impreza.

Police say there is no more information available at this time.

DERBY — Police are looking for a woman from Derby that went missing last week.

Cecile Aubin, also known as Cecile LaClair, left a residence on Pine Hill Road in Derby sometime around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 21.

It was reported that Cecile has not reached out to any family members, which is highly unusual for this long.

She was last seen leaving the residence in her 2010 orange Subaru Impreza, with Vermont registration FTB220.

The vehicle is registered to Cecile.

She is described as a white female, 5’6″, 120 lbs, hazel eyes with black shoulder length hair.

Police are asking anyone with any information about her whereabouts or the location of her vehicle to call 802-334-8881.

DERBY — Police were called out to North Country Junior High School in Derby this afternoon after they say a juvenile made several verbal threats.

At around 12:50 p.m. Vermont State Police responded to NCUJHS.

According to a statement issued by police, they investigated the incident and found the threats made were not credible.

“Vermont State Police stress this is an isolated incident and at no point was there any threat to students or staff,” a statement issued by Sgt. Sean Selby reads.

Police say that the investigation is ongoing.

DERBY — A 35-year-old man from Newport escaped with minor injuries after rolling his vehicle on I-91 on Saturday night.

Police and emergency crews responded at around 9:00 p.m. to a report of a single-vehicle rollover crash near mile marker 171 on I-91 south, in Derby.

The driver was identified as Nathan Kemnitz.

Police say Kemnitz reported minor injuries and was transported to North Country Hospital.

According to the report he traveled off the side of the road down a slight embankment.

The vehicle rolled and landed back on four wheels.

Newport Ambulance and Derby Fire were at the scene to assist.

DERBY — A 44-year-old man from Maine escaped uninjured after rolling his vehicle in Derby on Sunday.

At around 8:50 a.m. police responded to the single-vehicle rollover on West Street.

The operator was identified as Jeffrey Andrews, of Strong, ME.

Police say he was traveling west in a 2009 Subaru Forrester at approximately 40 miles-per-hour before the incident.

Andrews failed to maintain control of his vehicle leaving the north side of the roadway crashing into boulders and rolling over into the roadway.

He was not injured, however, the vehicle was totaled.

According to the police report, the roads were slick and snow covered at the time.

EAST CHARLESTON — The NorthWoods Stewardship Center recently announce that Trevor Evans of Derby will receive this year’s George Buzzell Forest Stewardship Award.

The award is given annually to a person who has made significant contributions to sustainable forestry and education in the Northeast Kingdom.

Evans has shown an exceptional commitment to managing his own forestland in Derby since the 1980s and is an active member of many forestry organizations.

Over the years, he has been sharing his knowledge and passion for good forestry with students, landowners, and foresters.

In addition to his outstanding efforts to promote sustainable forestry, Evans was a friend and colleague of the late George Buzzell, and the two collaborated on managing his forestland.

“Evans carries the spirit and dedication that George brought to his work, and NorthWoods is honored to recognize this with the 2018 George Buzzell Forest Stewardship Award,” Sam Perron, Sustainable Forestry Coordinator at NorthWoods, said.

Evans will be presented with the award at a ceremony on February 5, 2019, at 6 p.m. at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center.

All are invited to attend.

DERBY — Police are looking for a 31-year-old fugitive considered armed and dangerous after he fled police with several children in his vehicle.

According to police, Lucas Putvain was spotted traveling on West Street in Derby when he saw a marked state police vehicle.

Putvain fled at a high rate of speed. He was last seen traveling east.

Police say they did not initiate a pursuit because of the children in the vehicle.

Putvain is wanted for an armed robbery that took place in Newport back in November, in which he and an accomplice ordered a man into a vehicle at gunpoint.

Putvain is charged with assault and robbery, unlawful restraint in the first degree, and in possession of a deadly weapon while committing a crime.

Police say he is armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

Anyone with information regarding Putvain should immediately contact the Vermont State Police.

DERBY — The Derby Walmart had an early visit from Santa when an anonymous man paid off all the layaway items in the store, several local news outlets have reported.

Walmart shopper Julie Gates told WCAX that she encountered the anonymous man in the store.

“This can’t be, who can afford to pay for [everyone’s] layaway?” she said. “And he said ‘Santa Clause can.'”

Customer Tammy Desautels also told WCAX that her items had been paid for.

“It was kind of like surreal when they said no balance due, then it was really a reality,” she said.

Walmart could not provide a total amount that the man spent. It is also unknown how many people went home with free gifts.

The man did not want to be recognized for his good deed, and the only known photo of him was taken as he was walking away.

“There were people ahead of me who were eight, nine-hundred dollar layaways,” Gates said.

Customers purchase items on layaway by handing over an initial deposit to ensure the store holds the product.

When the shopper pays the item off in full, they can take it home. The payment method allows customers to obtain a product without putting down a major sum in one sitting.