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Route 5A in Westmore closed for two weeks, starting today

Published on in Newport/News/Westmore

WESTMORE — Vermont Route 5A in Westmore will be closed for two weeks, starting today.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has closed the road to stabilize a rock ledge along the road next to Lake Willoughby.

The rock stabilization project will involve scaling loose material from the ledge face and pinning blocks in place to prevent future failures.

This site has a history of rockfall failures, including one that occurred in March affecting travel on Route 5A until large rocks that fell into the road could be removed.

It is anticipated additional failures will occur this winter if remediation is not completed.

The Barton-based contractor J.P. Sicard will perform the stabilization work.

In preparation for the closure, the contractor started placing detour signs along roads leading to the project area to alert motorists about the project.

Ted Ropple promoted to Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at CNB

Published on in Charleston/Newport/News

DERBY — Community National Bank President Kathy Austin recently announced the recent promotion of Edward “Ted” Ropple to Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

Ropple joined the bank in the fall of 2017.

He has worked in the field of Information Security and Technology for over 30 years, spending the last 16 years working in the financial industry.

Prior to entering banking, Ropple held leadership and consulting roles in the civil construction and health care industries.

he attended the University of Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts and holds many technical and industry certifications.

Ropple and his wife Debbie reside in West Charleston.

Memphremagog Watershed Association completes design for stormwater project

Published on in Newport/News

NEWPORT — The Memphremagog Watershed Association (MWA) is pleased to announce the completion of the design for a largescale stormwater remediation project located in Newport City.

The project was completed in partnership with Newport City and Watershed Consulting Associates and with Ecosystems Restoration Program funding from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VDEC).

This project began back in 2017.

That year, VDEC released the Tactical Basin Plan for the Memphremagog Watershed, which indicated that the concentration of phosphorus in Lake Memphremagog exceeded state standards.

“Knowing that we need to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering our lake from the watershed, MWA applied for a grant from VDEC to design a large scale stormwater retrofit,” said Kendall Lambert, MWA Administrative Director. “This project, when installed, is intended to be a high impact project that will stop a significant amount of phosphorus from entering our lake year after year to help us meet our clean water goals.”

The project site is located on West Main Street in Newport at the city-owned parking area adjacent to the entrance to Built by Newport.

This location is downhill from city neighborhoods and right on the edge of Lake Memphremagog.

During rainstorms, runoff from the storm floods down the hill carrying with it sediment and phosphorus which directly enters the lake.

With the grant funding, MWA hired Watershed Consulting Associates in 2017 to design a stormwater retrofit for this location.

Watershed Consulting Associates was tasked with analyzing the existing development, slope, and conditions, and then designing a stormwater practice that will slow and sink the stormwater, removing the sediment and phosphorus from the runoff before it enters the lake- all while fitting into that small parking area.

The final design was completed in October of 2019.

The project will consist of a series of underground chambers buried under the parking area that will act as filters to remove sediment and phosphorus.

Based on VDEC’s Stormwater Treatment Practice Calculator, it is estimated that this project will remove 8.04 lbs of phosphorus per year once installed.

“One of the really nice things about this project is that once it is installed, the casual observer will not know there is a stormwater practice there- the area will still be a parking turnoff- but underneath there will be a stormwater practice that is improving our water quality,” Lambert said.

Currently, the City of Newport and MWA are working together to identify funding sources to move forward with the implementation of this project.

Pending funding, the project will likely be installed by 2021.

Newport and MWA are also currently working together on a similar design project by Newport Marine Service with the design expected to be completed by early 2020.

Two killed in motorcycle-bus crash on Shattuck Hill Road, Derby

Published on in Derby/Newport/News

DERBY — Two Orleans county residents were tragically killed in a motorcycle crash in Derby this afternoon.

Emergency workers responded to Shattuck Hill Road after a call came in regarding a two-vehicle crash at around 3:11 p.m.

Police say 23-year-old Ronald Kennedy of Newport was traveling west on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle before the crash.

Steven Lawson, 64, of Newport, pulled out of the Derby Trailer Park in a bus and was turning east on Shattuck Hill Road when Kennedy struck his vehicle on the driver’s side.

Kennedy was pronounced dead on the scene, police say.

Kyra Birchard, 20, of Derby, was transported to North Country Hospital by EMS, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police say the investigation into this tragic incident is still ongoing.

Mark with the late Manfried Reider.

Lt. Col Mark C. Biron posthumously honored by Vermont Historical Society

Published on in Island Pond/Newport/News

ISLAND POND — Lt. Col Mark C. Biron was posthumously honored with an Individual Achievement Award by the Vermont Historical Society.

Every year the Vermont Historical Society presents the League of Local Historical Societies & Museums Achievement Awards.

These awards recognize the exceptional work being done by individuals and community heritage organizations throughout the state to collect, preserve and share Vermont’s rich history.

Biron’s award was one of three individual awards presented this year at the Vermont Historical Society Annual Meeting held September 29 in Montpelier.

Individual Achievement awards honor a person’s work and commitment to local history over an extended period of time.

Biron served as president of the Island Pond Historical Society twice.

Once for a period of twelve years, and the second time for one year before he passed away.

In 2007, Biron served in Afghanistan but still remained president of the society.

While in Afghanistan, Biron thwarted a nighttime Taliban raid on his remote mountaintop compound and was able to rouse the other U.S soldiers.

A huge firefight broke out, but all American lives were saved. He received an award and was promoted to Lt. Col.

At the age of 15, Biron got involved with the historical society through his interest in photography.

Early on he realized the importance of preserving the history of the NEK, and so since his twenties served the Island Pond Historical Society in various ways.

He worked as the newsletter editor, writer, photographer, as well as secretary, treasurer, website creator, and president.

He loved the idea of retiring from all his previous roles to become the curator in the museum, and he managed to complete a lot of work during this time.

He arranged displays and drove all over Vermont with his wife Sharon to collect unwanted display stands from other museums.

Biron had a strong vision for the Island Pond Historical museum. He wanted the museum to be fully interactive, to have light and sound, not just static exhibits.

Sharon was made president only twenty days before Mark died in an airplane crash in Island Pond.

Sharon immediately got to work at making sure Biron’s vision for the museum continued.

He wanted the museum to transform into a learning center, and Sharon has been working with Craig A. Goulet to see this through.

Despite the massive tragedy of Biron’s death, they have kept the museum running, developing outreach programs, and have succeeded in strengthening the society, enlarging it, attracting more members, and turning it into a high profile success with a massive NEK presence.

Shelly Morey joins Community National Bank as Community Circle Director

Published on in Derby/Newport/News

DERBY — Community National Bank President Kathy Austin recently announced that Shelly Morey was chosen to serve as the next Community Circle Director and bank Officer, as the bank prepares for the upcoming retirement of current Director Linda Cloutier.

Morey is a native of the Northeast Kingdom and attended Lake Region Union High School.

“I’m grateful to join a great organization with such strong community ties, and I am excited to meet and get to know the Community Circle members,” Morey said. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve the bank and the club’s members.”

During high school and after graduation in 1986, she was employed by Vermont Travel Service where she booked leisure and business trips for individuals and groups, including Community Circle.

In 2002, she took an Administrative Assistant position at North Country Hospital, and, for the last 10 years, worked as the Executive Assistant to the President.

Morey makes her home in Newport with her husband Michael.

Fatal ATV crash in Brownington

Published on in Brownington/Newport/News

BROWNINGTON — A 76-year-old man from Waterbury was killed in an ATV crash in Brownington this afternoon.

Police say they received a report of a two-vehicle ATV crash with injury at around 3:00 p.m.

According to the police report, a Yamaha Rhino collided with a road grader while coming off an ATV trail onto Ticehurst Road.

The operator of the side-by-side, identified as Keith Stone, suffered significant injuries as a result of the crash.

Stone was transported to North Country Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries sustained in the crash.

The investigation remains ongoing, however, police say at this time it does not appear as though speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.

Anyone with information in regards to the incident is asked to contact the Vermont State Police Derby barracks.

Northeast Kingdom October fishing report

Published on in Newport/Northeast Kingdom/Outdoors

NEWPORT — Department fisheries biologist Pete Emerson who works in the St. Johnsbury office said landlocked Atlantic salmon fishing on the Clyde River should be picking up this week, as we’ve finally received enough rain to fill the waterbodies upstream.

Salmon are starting to show up in the Clyde River trap, so they’re on the move.

If you want to try some salmon viewing, check out the Clyde Street Bridge or the pool just downstream of the bridge, the so-called “Fair Chase Pool”.

Emerson says you can often see adult salmon and even walleye holding in the pool in both spring and fall.

The recent rains and falling temperatures in the Kingdom have also cued the brook trout, and Emerson says they’re moving upstream into the headwater spawning reaches now.

NEK bass and pike anglers have been reporting good fishing in the shallower waters of the Memphremagog main lake, Seymour Lake and Norton Pond.

As summer stratification and thermoclines break down in lakes and ponds across Vermont these species roam more freely, and aggressively feed in the cooler waters.

It’s also a time on some of these lakes when you have a real shot at a lake trout in shallow water, often in the same areas as you’re catching bass and pike.

St. Johnsbury fisheries biologist Jud Kratzer fished the Passumpsic River right in the Village of St. Johnsbury the other day, and he says the river has many deep pools where stocked trout can survive the summer.

Kratzer caught four rainbow trout and spotted a couple of fairly large brown trout but was unable to get them to bite.

He also said he fished West Mountain Pond for wild brook trout and reports that pond brook trout are starting to feed again.

He landed one 9-inch brookie and lost a nice 12-incher at the net.

Fishing on remote brook trout ponds can be very good in the fall.

Good ponds to try include Jobs, Martins, West Mountain, Unknown (Ferdinand), Unknown (Avery’s Gore), South America, and Notch.

Remember using fish as bait is prohibited at most of these ponds to prevent the introduction of other fish species that could be detrimental to wild brook trout populations.

Left to Right: Susie Fitzpatrick, Lindsay Weigel, Heidi Caldwell. Photo courtesy of Shipyard Brewing Co./Three Rivers Whitewater.

Orleans County woman wins first-ever Pumpkinhead Half Marathon in Maine

Published on in Craftsbury/Newport/News

CRAFTSBURY — Last Saturday, over 500 entrants competed in the Pumpkinhead Half Marathon/Festival Days 5K in Eliot, Maine, and a local woman from Orleans County took home first place.

Heidi Caldwell of Craftsbury Common placed first for the women’s division with a time of 1:17:37.

Visitors from across New England and as far as Arizona ran a 13.1-mile course through rolling hills and along the Piscataqua River.

Eric Ashe of Boston, Massachusetts, placed first for men’s with a time of 1:09:29.

The top finishers split a purse of $3,000.

During the festival, members of the community came together to celebrate their town and the start of autumn.

The Second Annual Pumpkinhead Half Marathon will coincide with the 40th Annual Eliot Festival Days on September 26, 2020.

Registrations will open in the spring of next year.

Letter: Correcting Casella “Facts” about the Coventry Landfill by DUMP

Published on in Letter to the Editor/Newport

DUMP LLC is a group of local residents who have been researching volumes of documents relating to the Coventry Landfill expansion for over a year now. We currently are appealing the permit that Casella received for this expansion. John Casella wrote a letter to all the local papers with a bunch of “facts” to support his company. Although much of what he wrote is technically correct, it is what he didn’t include in his facts that is disturbing. This letter is also fact-based to explain to readers what Casella failed to tell us.

1. He states that his company just ‘finished” the process to expand the landfill. What he didn’t tell you is that this permit is being appealed. He also didn’t tell you that they still need to acquire a Pre-discharge permit to treat the 11 million gallons of PFAS laden leachate that they collect at the bottom of this dump. It is NOT finished.

2. He praises his company for being the only solution and a necessity because the consumer uses so much. He even says that we can pretend landfills should not exist and we are just emotional. What he fails to tell you is that many other countries are moving to greener waste to energy plants that do not landfill the garbage. Landfills are old technology and not the best way to dispose of what consumers throw away.

3. Casella says that Vermonters need to do more to reduce waste by recycling and repurposing. Although we agree with that – what he doesn’t tell you is that his company is permitted to take 600,000 tons of waste per year and 30% of that comes from out of State and contains primarily asbestos, contaminated soil, construction debris, coal ash and sludge. If Vermonters reduced their waste by 50% or about 225,000 tons, Casella would simply get more of the really bad stuff listed above to fill the gap. Coventry would still get 600,000 tons a year. Just more of it would be the asbestos, contaminated soil, construction debris, coal ash and sludge from out of State. That is an even worse situation for our area. And Casella profits would increase because they charge more for out of state refuse.

4. Casella states that “landfills do not manufacture PFAS”. That is true. What he doesn’t tell you is that they do consolidate it in one area to the tune of 11 million gallons of landfill leachate which reports show contain the highest concentration of PFAS. Then they send it to Wastewater Plants throughout the state to go untreated into our rivers and lakes. And Casella states “the State of Vt has studied volumes of data to determine the safety of Wastewater Plants throughout Vermont”, Casella fails to tell you that the ANR has determined that “Wastewater treatment facilities do NOT effectively treat PFAS”. Furthermore, Mr. Casella does not tell you that the District 7 ACT 250 board ruled not to allow leachate to be treated in Newport WWTF or the Memphremagog Watershed because it has not been proven safe.

5. Casella goes on to blame our Canadian neighbors and our group DUMP LLC for being the real risk to the lake. Fact: our waters flow north. Canadians are not polluting Lake Memphremagog. That statement is absolutely ridiculous. We are the ones committed to protecting the area from not only water pollution but also polluting the air we breathe (which Casella failed to address). We have no profit to gain but we have future generations to protect. We are doing our part. We do agree with Mr. Casella that you all need to educate yourselves. Read our ACT 250 filing on our website. www.nolakedump.com It also has the documents to support our opposition.

Anyone can give you their opinion as Mr. Casella did. He is not entitled to his own facts.

Water is Life and Air is precious.

Sincerely,

DUMP LLC (Don’t Undermine Memphremagog’s Purity)
PO Box 1402 – Newport, VT 05855

Driver leads police on high-speed chase through Derby

Published on in Derby/Newport/News

DERBY — A 39-year-old man is facing charges after leading police on a high-speed chase through Derby yesterday afternoon.

James Castrogiovanni, of Derby, is being charged with driving with a criminally suspended license, attempting to elude a police officer, negligent operation, and excessive speeds.

The Sherrif’s Department says at around 1:30 p.m. Corporal Jacobs attempted to pull over Castrogiovanni on Hinman Settler Road for a motor vehicle violation.

Castrogiovanni failed to stop and a vehicle pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit reached speeds in excess of 100 miles-per-hour.

Corporal Jacobs pursued Castrogiovanni onto Route 105 in Derby where Castrogiovanni continued to travel at a high rate of speed in an attempt to flee from law enforcement officers.

Castrogiovanni eventually stopped on the Salem Derby Road where he was then taken into custody.

Castrogiovanni has a criminally suspended license in the State of Vermont for multiple prior operating under civil suspension convictions.

He was later transported to court where he was then ordered into the custody of the department of corrections for lack of bail.

Castrogiovanni was also issued multiple traffic tickets as a result of the incident.

Localized flooding in parts of Orleans County

Published on in Newport/News/Troy/Westfield

NEWPORT — Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms last night resulted in localized flooding in parts of Orleans and Essex counties, closing some roads.

Rainfall in parts of the region exceeded 2-3 inches.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Missisquoi River Near North Troy.

This morning the river was 9.5 feet, with the flood stage at 9.0 feet.

In Westfield, all lanes on Route 100 between Buck Hill Road and the Lowell town line were closed.

In Lyndon, VT 122 is currently closed between the I-91 exit 24 interchanges and the intersection of US Route 5.

Water is over the road near the US 5 intersection and at the Miller’s Run Covered Bridge.

There is water on the edge of the road on US Route 5 in Lyndon, near Lyndonville Hardware.

VTrans says the water is receding and traffic flow is not affected at this time.

Officials say there will be some additional rainfall this morning, but with no additional impacts expected.

Police: Newport woman arrested following break-in, property damage

Published on in Newport/News

NEWPORT — The Newport Police Department says they arrested a woman Monday night following a break-in.

Jennifer Foster, 42, of Newport has been charged with burglary, resisting arrest, unlawful mischief, false reports to law enforcement, and disorderly conduct.

Police responded to a report from a Lake Road resident that a woman had come to his door with blood on her hands.

She allegedly left when the resident stated that he would be calling the police.

After investigating, police allege that Foster had broken into another man’s West Main Street residence directly behind the reporting party’s home before.

Police say she approached the reporting party’s door with injured hands and had damaged various furniture, including a bedside table, door, and shelves inside the West Main Street home.

Police believe it was in damaging the furniture the woman sustained injuries to her hands.

After leaving the reporting party’s home, Foster returned to the victim’s home, where officers found her not long after arriving on West Main Street.

The resident of the home indicated that she did not have permission to be inside the home and that he had not been home for several hours.

Police confirmed that the man had not been in the area until very recently, although Foster claimed in a statement to police that the man had injured her hands and stolen her cellphone.

Police say as they began to place her under arrest, she resisted by throwing an object at an officer and initially refused to be handcuffed before officers successfully restrained her and took her into custody.

EM Brown & Son in Barton receives Spirit of ADA award

Published on in Barton/Newport/News

BARTON — The Vermont Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities recently announced the employer award recipients for the 2019 Spirit of the ADA awards.

EM Brown & Son in Barton was one of the employers recognized for hiring and retaining employees with disabilities.

The award was presented to Art LaPlante and Mark Royer

The awards are given to employers who reflect the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act in their employment practices.

Awardees successfully met the following criteria:

1. Recruitment outreach and equal accessibility in the application, interviewing and hiring procedures for people with disabilities.

2. Use of on-the-job accommodations, modifications, progressive employment methods, and/or creative solutions for successful training and employment of people with disabilities.

3. Accessible physical structures, buildings, work stations and equipment, and services.

4. Support for the employment of a person(s) with a disability as an overall employment strategy.

Two-car crash in Orleans

Published on in Barton/Newport/News/Orleans

ORLEANS — Police say a 66-year-old woman from Barton suffered minor injuries after a crash in Orleans on Wednesday.

Police responded to the two-vehicle crash on Barton Orleans Road at around 10:53 a.m.

According to the report, Michael Boylan, 65, of Essex Junction, was attempting to make a u-turn when he collided with another vehicle.

The driver of the second vehicle was identified as Sharon Bickford.

Police say Bickford was transported by EMS to North Country Hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

MAC Center to present Victoria Mathiesen – A Retrospective

Published on in Arts and Entertainment/Newport/News

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is getting ready to host an opening reception celebrating the extraordinary work of renowned artist, Victoria Mathiesen.

The event will take place October 4, from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. in the Downstairs Connection.

“Notably, a retrospective looks back, and at a certain age looking back seems to be more a part of life than looking forward though that is not exactly true if you are a painter,” Mathiesen said.

Mathiesen works in both oil and watercolor, switching between both as need dictates.

Architecture, particularly that of her first home in the UK, has always provided a rich source of beautiful structures and an insight into the artist’s past.

“The idea that I can recreate on paper aspects of a thousand-year-old cathedral or a five-hundred-year-old cob cottage is simply astounding to me, and something I treasure deeply,” Mathiesen said.

This is her first exhibition at the MAC Center for the Arts since joining after moving permanently to Vermont many years ago.

“Someone remarked somewhere that all you had to do was hang a camera out the window and you had a beautiful picture,” Mathiesen sais. “I can’t remember who said it, but it is true, in all seasons but one. Fortunately, mud season is relatively short. It is also untrue of myself since for me photography is a means to an end, and not an end in itself, something I am constantly reminded of when I see the beautiful work of photographers. Painting, however, is the end in itself. Living here in this lovely environment provides a different way of seeing the world and one which I attempt to convey in what I do.”

This is event is free and open to the public. The Exhibit runs thru November 2, 2019.

For more information, visit www.maccenterforthearts.com, or call 802-334-1966.

Newport man facing charges after fleeing police with children inside car

Published on in Newport/News/North Troy

NEWPORT — A Newport man with an active arrest warrant led police on a pursuit through North Troy with two children inside the vehicle, police say.

At 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, police attempted to stop a vehicle on Vermont Route 105 by East Hill Road for a registration violation.

The vehicle accelerated and attempted to flee from police, leading them on an 8-mile pursuit through the Village of North Troy.

Police say the vehicle reached a top speed of 76 miles-per-hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone.

The vehicle came to a stop in the Community National Bank parking lot in Troy.

The driver was identified as Jake Buck, 32, of Newport.

Police say Buck had an active warrant.

“Investigation of the vehicle revealed there were two juveniles in car seats,” a release issued by Sergeant Debra Munson reads.

Buck was taken into custody, processed in Derby for the additional charges, and lodged at Northern State Correctional Facility on his active warrant.

He was scheduled to appear in court this morning to answer to charges of attempting to elude, careless and negligent operation, excessive speed, criminal DLS, reckless endangerment, and child cruelty.

Fatal crash in Barton

Published on in Barton/Newport/News

BARTON — An 85-year-old woman from St. Johnsbury died from injuries after a single-vehicle crash in Barton on Saturday.

Police responded to the intersection of US Route 5 and Kinsey Road at around 4:00 p.m.

The driver, identified as Isabelle Handy, 80, of St. Johnsbury, and the passenger in the vehicle, Marion Handy, both sustained significant injuries and were transported to North Country Hospital by EMS.

Police say the vehicle had left the roadway at a sharp curve and crashed over an embankment.

Marion Handy was life-lighted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Tragically, in the early morning hours, police say Handy succumbed to her injuries from the crash and was pronounced deceased.

Bridge over Barton River in Orleans set to reopen Monday

Published on in Newport/News/Orleans

ORLEANS — Route 58 over the Barton River in Orleans is scheduled to reopen to one-way alternating traffic across the new bridge on Monday

The bridge is located approximately 0.4 miles east of the intersection of VT Route 58 and US Route 5.

The sidewalk at the location of the bridge has been closed and pedestrians will still be required to use the signed pedestrian detour.

The contractor says the granite curb will be set Wednesday and Thursday next week and sidewalk work will follow.

The full project completion is scheduled for June of 2020.

Diane Mansfield of North Troy honored with Caregiver Excellence Award

Published on in Newport/News/North Troy

NORTH TROY — Diane Mansfield of North Troy was recently acknowledged with the “Caregiver Excellence Award.”

Terry Collins, the director and general manager of the Northeast Kingdom Homecare, presented Mansfield with the award.

Mansfield has worked as a caregiver since 1995 and has been employed by NEKHC since 2015.

NEKHC says she has taken the initiative to help her client by learning how to work with individuals who are visually impaired.

She works closely with the Association of the Blind to better help her clients gain confidence and independence.

Mansfield has completed both online courses, the Caregiver and the Alzheimer’s/Memory courses from the Institute for Professional Care Education, as well as two sets of classes on sign language.

She has also has gone on to receive her LNA Certificate.

Caregivers enable our elders to age in place in their homes, providing safety and comfort.

They provide peace of mind for family members who can’t always be there to care for elderly parents and grandparents, as well as critically important respite to those who have assumed the work of caring for older family members.

Vermont is the second oldest state in the nation and is expected to overtake Maine as the oldest by 2032.

Caregivers fill an increasingly important role in Vermont’s communities.

East Charleston man sentenced for lewd and lascivious conduct

Published on in East Charleston/Newport/News

NEWPORT — An East Charleston man was in court last week for sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.

Aaron Crown, 37, plead guilty to two felony charges.

During a contested sentencing, Judge Robert Bent imposed a sentence of 3-10 years suspended with probation split to serve 2 years and 6 months in jail.

The state advocated for a sentence of 7-10 years to serve in jail.

“I commend the bravery of the child survivor who came forward and reported the sexual abuse at the hands of this offender,” State’s Attorney Jennifer Barrett said.

Barrett went on to remind the public that if you are the victim of sexual abuse, to contact local law enforcement at:

Newport Police 334-6733
Vermont State Police 334-8881.

Journey to Recovery hosting free BBQ, meet and greet, concert this Thursday

Published on in Newport/News

NEWPORT — This Thursday the Journey to Recovery Community Center at the United Church is inviting the public to meet the new executive director, and take part in a free barbecue and concert.

The event will take place on September 19, starting at 5:00 p.m.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet new director Shawn Gallagher and enjoy a very special presentation by musician Ben Fuller.

A Vermont native and country singer, Fuller, sold everything and moved to Nashville to make a name for himself in the country music realm.

Along the road, he faced his demons and found his purpose and drive.

He is committed to working to bridge the gap between individuals with and without substance use disorder, through music, encouraging dialogue on the topic with the intention of reducing stigma and bringing attention to the opioid epidemic.

Police: Holland man stopped for operating under suspension, violating conditions of release twice this month

Published on in Holland/Newport/News

HOLLAND — A 37-year-old man from Holland will have to face a judge after police say he was cited for operating under suspension and violating conditions of release on two occasions, within days apart.

On September 5, while on duty for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Walters says he initiated a traffic stop on Church Street in Orleans.

The operator of the vehicle was identified as Justin Mills.

Mills’ Vermont Operator’s License was found to be criminally suspended in the state of Vermont.

According to the police report, “in addition, two open containers of alcohol were located in the vehicle in violation of Mills’ conditions of release ordered on three different dockets by the Orleans County Court.”

Mills was cited and released from the incident.

On September 9, Deputy Walters says he initiated another traffic stop on a vehicle on Main Street in Derby.

The operator was again identified as Mills.

As a result, Mills was arrested for operating under suspension and violating conditions of release.

Mills is due in court to answer to the charges of operating under suspension X2 and violation of conditions of release X6.

Fire in Derby caused by smoking material placed in an aluminum can

Published on in Derby/Newport/News

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.

Mosquitos in Newport City test positive for West Nile virus

Published on in Newport/News

NEWPORT — Mosquitoes collected in Newport City have tested positive for West Nile virus at the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory.

Each week, mosquitoes are collected at various locations around the state by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. 

As of August 27, the Department of Health Laboratory tested 11 mosquito pools, a group of up to 50 mosquitoes of the same species, collected in Newport City.

One of these pools tested positive for West Nile virus.

During the summer months, mosquitoes are regularly monitored at sites around the state for mosquito-borne diseases.

When the virus is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, most people don’t get sick, but some get symptoms like fever, joint pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The sickness can become quite serious in some people, and those age 50 or older are at the highest risk.

Only around one out of every 150 cases develop serious symptoms which primarily affect the central nervous system.

Vermont hasn’t had any reported human cases so far this year but the virus is consistently found in the state year after year since the disease was brought to the United States from overseas in the late 1990s.

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