Newport - page 29

NEWPORT — Newport Car Wash, and members of the community are coming together to help a local woman who is battling cancer.

The Newport Car Wash, located next to the fire station, is having a bake sale, bottle drive, pumping for tips, and more, all to help raise money for Terry Corr. The fundraising event will start on Thursday, October 9, and run through the 12th.

On October 11, they will be offering hamburgers and hot dogs at a very reasonable price, and there will even be a bounce house available for kids.

The car wash is seeking donated baked goods, which can be dropped off by Wednesday. Anyone wishing to drop off bottles or cans can do so between the 9th and the 12th.

All proceeds will be donated to Terry. Make sure to stop in and support our fellow community member.

If you have kids, bring them out Saturday for the bounce house.

UPDATE: The dog was located. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out and locate the animal so quickly.

Below is a flyer for a dog that went missing this morning, last seen in Newport. He may have been put in a tan truck. Please contact owners if you know where the dog may be.

No charges will be filed against Christian Cornelius in the fatal stabbing incident that took place at his home in July. Prosecutors say that 31-year-old Cornelius acted in self-defense. The statement below was issued by Orleans County State’s Attorney Alan Franklin. It has been posted in its entirety. We do apologize for the awkward formfitting of the text, as it is a photo of the original statement, which was put out on Tuesday.

NEWPORT — Police are looking for an unidentified man who stole three bottles of wine and an air conditioner from Price Chopper.

According to a release issued by the Vermont State Police, the man was at Price Chopper on Friday, September 26, at approximately 11:00 a.m.

During his visit to the store he stole the items and was caught on surveillance cameras leaving the parking lot in a red Jeep.

During the investigation police were able to obtain the surveillance footage, and have released these photos in an attempt to identify the suspect.

Anyone with information regarding the man in these photos or the red Jeep, is being asked to contact the Vermont State Police Derby Barracks at 802-334-8881.

NEWPORT — Manon Cote, 47, of Newport, was sentenced on Monday in United States District Court in Brattleboro to 15 months of imprisonment, following a forgery charge which stemmed from Cote’s embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a car dealership in Newport.

Cote was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following completion of her prison term, and pay restitution of about $368,000. Cote was directed to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on November 18 to begin serving her sentence.

On March 21, 2013, a federal grand jury in Burlington returned a three count indictment charging Cote with mail and wire fraud and forging checks of an organization. Cote pled guilty to the forgery charge last October.

Cote was employed as office manager for DeLaBruere’s Auto Sales, Inc., a new and used car and truck dealership in Newport.

Between 2006 and January 2012, Cote embezzled about $380,000 from DeLaBruere’s, primarily stealing cash from the daily receipts she was responsible for depositing into the company’s bank account. Cote tried to cover up the thefts of cash by writing company checks to unauthorized payees in amounts equal to the sum of cash she was stealing, then depositing the checks back into the company bank account.

In issuing those checks, Cote used without authority the signature stamp of the owner of DeLaBruere’s. Cote stole additional company funds by improperly issuing checks to herself, by using company funds to pay personal loans, and by using the company credit card for personal reasons.

NEWPORT — Police have not yet released the names of the five people who were transported to the hospital last night after a single vehicle crash that took place on Lake Road.

According to information released by Newport Police, the single-vehicle crash took place at around 9:37 p.m., Thursday night.

The vehicle was traveling north on Lake Road near Bogner Drive when it left the roadway, traveling down a steep embankment.

All five passengers sustained injuries and were transported to the North Country Hospital. One occupant had to be extricated by the Newport City Fire Department. The vehicle sustained extensive damage.

Police have said that alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the crash.

Newport Police Department, Newport City Fire Department and Newport Ambulance responded to the scene. Vermont State Police, Orleans Ambulance, Mississquoi Ambulance and Derby Line Ambulance also responded as mutual aid.

There is no more information about the accident available at this time.

NEWPORT — AnC Bio, also known as Jay Peak Biomedical Research Park, was issued a Land Use Permit by the District 7 Environmental Commission. This should allow work to begin on the facility by October.

The permit was issued on Wednesday, and states that there will be no work done on vaccines at the facility. The FDA will also need to inspect both the building and each research project carried out at the site.

The construction of the AnC Bio facility will include a 84,943-square-foot addition to be built on what remains of the Bogner plant.

The new building will be a four-story tall research and manufacturing site, specializing in medical devices and artificial organs. The AnC Bio project is estimated to cost close to $70 million, and is funded by the EB-5 Investment Program.

It is said that AnC Bio will eventually employ as many as 450 people, and the construction phase should employ a number of local workers.

EB-5 investment has driven the Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative, laid out by Jay Peak president and partial owner Bill Stenger, along with the majority owner Ariel Quiros. It is an immigration program allowing immigrants and their immediate family members to receive conditional visas in exchange for their investment in a U.S. business.

In Vermont, which is part of the “rural program,” if $500,000 and 10 jobs’ worth of economic activity is attributed to that investment within two years, the visas become green cards.

NEWPORT — Town officials said that an 8-inch water main broke on Tuesday night, causing a 30,000-gallon reservoir to drain.

Most residents were without water as a result of the break. Officials have said that repairs are underway, which will allow the reservoir to start refilling, with about two-thirds of the town by noon having their services restored.

It is expected that everyone should have their water back on by early evening.

The incident caused Newport Town School to be closed on Wednesday, but they should be open tomorrow.

NEWPORT — The Newport Fall Foliage Festival Scarecrow Contest Awards have been announced and several local businesses and organizations are among the best.

“The effort, time and creativeness put into this year’s scarecrows was fabulous,” Newport Live event organizer Bruce James said. “It was such a colorful show and exhibition that the judges had a tough time coming up with the best.”

Awards were handed out in five categories. And the winners are:

Newport City Motel and Suites “Most Creative”
Community College of Vermont “Most Traditional”
Vermont Health Department “Most Colorful”
Community National Bank “Most Humorous”
Newport Parks & Recreation “Most Scary”

The Newport City Motel and Suites scarecrows depicted Vermont’s four seasons with costumed scarecrows appropriate for each season.

The Most Traditional award to the Community College of Vermont was for a scarecrow with a traditional burlap bag head and fall leaves.

Vermont Health Department’s scarecrow of “Mr. Gill Finley, Mercury Health Inspector” was of a scarecrow fishing, complete with pole, lures, rubber boots and cooler.

“Penny”, the Community National Bank’s scarecrow sat on bales of hay and held a handful of “dollar bills”. The Newport Parks & Recreation Department dressed the downtown granite trout in a red “skirt” and flowing straw hair, to garner the Most Scary award.

Winners will receive an advertising package from Moo 92, Golf Greens Fees from Newport Daily Express or a Moo 92 Office Pizza Party from Moo 92 and Village Pizza.

The Newport Live organization reminds everyone to start thinking of ideas for the window “Snowman Contest” as part of Newport’s Santa Festival and Parade, Saturday December 6th in downtown Newport.

NEWPORT — Kingdom Swim and open water swimmers from all over the nation who participated this past July raised a total of $2,755 for North Country Hospital’s Patient Care Initiative Fund.

Twenty percent of adult registration fees supported the fund.

Swimmers also raised money through a raffle with several significant prizes, including a slot in the Arizona SCAR Challenge, a slot in Ned Denison’s Cork Distance Swim Camp, a guided swim in San Francisco Bay from Alcatraz to San Francisco, a slot in next year’s Kingdom Swim, and a $100 gift certificate at the EastSide Restaurant.

The Fund supports uncovered medical expenses of low income Vermonters such as gas cards to help with transportation costs involved in receiving treatment or therapy.

For more info contact Wendy Franklin at 802-334-7331 or Phil White 802-249-9100.

This story, titled “Should Newport be Worried About Empty Storefronts?” aired on WCAX on Thursday. The report looks at the empty shops on Main Street in downtown Newport, and the setback that took place when the deal fell through to convert the lakefront property at Waterfront Plaza into the visitor and convention center.

NEWPORT — The Newport Fall Foliage Festival is holding a scarecrow contest this year. The contest is expected to add a lot of fun to this year’s festivities. Families and businesses will make scarecrows and place them outside their homes, businesses, and along Newport’s Main Street.

Contest Rules:

1. Prizes will be awarded for the following categories:

Most Traditional
Most Creative
Most Colorful

2. No Scarecrow kits allowed.

3. Scarecrows must be self supporting and no taller than 7 feet once installed.

4. Submission is free.

5. Entries should be in good taste. No religious or political messages. No blood or gore, as this is a family event.

6. Scarecrows must be displayed in front of a business or photo of scarecrow at your home.

7. Fill out the Official Scarecrow Contest Entry form by clicking here.

Judging will take place on Saturday, September 20, at 1 p.m. The winners will be announced on Monday.

Both Businesses and Families should pre-register to make sure their scarecrows are judged.

For more information on the Scarecrow Contest or the Newport Fall Foliage Festival Schedule of Events, go to FallFoliageFestival.com or write event coordinators at NewportLive@Live.com.

NEWPORT CENTER — A 44-year-old woman from Newport Center is facing multiple charges after being picked up by police on Friday.

According to a report issued by police, Tina Matten is being charged with Violation of Court Conditions of Release, Violation of Relief From Abuse Order, and Resisting Arrest.

Matten had an earlier run-in with police back in April, when police were advised that during the course of an argument, she had rammed her vehicle into another. While officers were on their way to the scene for this earlier incident, Matten and the victim had continued to argue, and a brief struggle over a firearm had ensued.

A single round from the firearm had been discharged during that struggle, but nobody was injured during the incident.

Vermont State Police were called out to Newport Center on Friday where they encountered Matten in violation of conditions set by the court relating to this earlier incident.

According to Trooper Rob Helm, while being arrested, Matten “actively tried to keep her arms from being handcuffed.”

Matten was lodged at Northern State Correctional Facility, and will be in court on September 16.

NEWPORT — As of Thursday night, more than half of the North Country Union High School football team was displaying symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease. Six players have confirmed cases, while around 20 players could also be infected.

The outbreak has led to Friday’s game against Burr and Burton Academy to be postponed, school officials said.

Yesterday, several football players were sent to the nurse’s office after displaying symptoms of the illness. So far, other sports programs at the school have not been affected, and all other North Country games are still scheduled.

Hand, foot and mouth disease usually starts with a fever, poor appetite, a vague feeling of being unwell, and sore throat. One or two days after fever starts, painful sores usually develop in the mouth.

A skin rash develops over one to two days. The rash has flat or raised red spots, sometimes with blisters. The rash is usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the knees, elbows, buttocks or genital area.

There is no specific treatment for the illness. Treatment mostly consists of relieving symptoms. Usually within five to seven days, the illness has passed.