Hardwick officer shoots at motorist
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TIMES ARGUS STAFF
TIMES ARGUS STAFF - Published: June 5, 2009
WOODBURY – A Hardwick police officer fired two shots at a motorist early last Friday morning in Woodbury, and police and prosecutors are investigating the shooting.
Officer Michael Gero responded to a report of an emotionally distraught male who was in violation of court conditions at about 12:07 a.m. on Friday, state police said in a news release.
Gero requested assistance from Vermont State Police. As he waited for backup officers, Gero "staged" at the intersection of Brown Hill and West Woodbury Road in Woodbury, police said.
While positioned at the intersection, the vehicle the male was reported to be operating approached Gero at a high rate of speed, according to police.
Police said Gero thought he was going to be hit by the car, and fired two rounds at the vehicle. Gero was not struck and the vehicle continued down the road.
Gero and state police officers eventually stopped the vehicle, and the operator was identified as Carey Bird, 38, of Hardwick, police said.
State police said they took Bird into custody for DUI and violating his conditions of release.
The incident is being investigated by state police and will be reviewed by Washington County State's Attorney and Vermont Attorney General's Office.
Judicial Conduct Board disciplines judge
MONTPELIER (AP) — The Vermont Judicial Conduct Board is imposing "deferred discipline" against an Orange County judge.
Robert Keiner, chairman of the Judicial Conduct Board, says the action against Assistant Judge Prudence Pease stem from complaints that she favored a party while sitting as a traffic court judge in 2007 and that she commented publicly about a confidential employee matter.
The board didn't file formal charges against Pease, and she didn't admit any misconduct, although she must now take a course in judicial ethics.
Once she does, the complaints will be dismissed. If she fails to, she faces disciplinary action by the board. The board hired special counsel after receiving several complaints about Pease, but the investigator found no merit in all but the two allegations.
Reached by telephone Wednesday, Pease — who has held the job since February 2003 — declined comment, referring inquiries to her attorney, Richard Rubin. Rubin didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on the board's action.
Rutland police search for clues to park vandalism
RUTLAND (AP) — A Rutland alderman says he's willing to offer a reward out of his own pocket to find whoever is responsible for setting fire to a children's ride at a city park.
Alderman Roy Thomas helped build the park 11 years ago after the death of his son Justin.
The Rutland Herald says firefighters were called to the Justin Thomas Memorial Park on Monday night when a plastic car mounted on a spring had been set on fire. The fire melted the ride.
Thomas says he hopes police can find the person responsible to keep that person from setting additional fires.
Thomas and his wife maintain a trust fund for the park. He says if the city won't pay to replace the ride, the trust probably will.
Vt. town and village talking merger — again
ROCKINGHAM (AP) — News of companies merging are commonplace, but bringing together a town and a village is more unusual.
But that's what officials from the town of Rockingham and the village of Bellows Falls in southeastern Vermont are considering – again.
The towns are reprising an on-again, off-again issue discussed over the last few decades.
This time, a joint committee between the village and town will decide how to properly dissolve the village. The two municipalities would then be managed by one board.
Bellows Falls/Rockingham Municipal Manager James Mullen says the move could save $50,000 in annual audits and reports.
State law calls for both municipality boards and voters to approve the change.
Federal judge sends Winooski suit to state court
BURLINGTON (AP) — A federal judge is sending a lawsuit against the city of Winooski by former manager Joshua Handverger back to state court.
Handverger sued his former employer last fall, claiming he was improperly fired and that the city violated his civil rights and Vermont's Fair Employment Practices Act. He is asking for reinstatement and back pay.
The city council fired Handverger last September after some employees complained he was hard to work with and that he was making errors.
His supporters say Handverger upset some people while he was working to untangle the city's finances. U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha says most of the issues in the suit relate to state law.
Gasoline tax increase hits Vt. retailers this week
MONTPELIER (AP) — Gasoline prices historically rise during the summer months, but Vermont just added an extra 3.3 cents per gallon with a new tax assessed to distributors.
The tax quietly took effect Monday. Gov. Jim Douglas signed the $540 million transportation budget into law last week.
It took effect before the start of the fiscal year on July 1 because of declining transportation revenue.
Lobbyist Joe Choquette of the Vermont Petroleum Association says retailers' biggest concern lies along the New Hampshire border. He says New Hampshire seems to have shelved plans to increase its gasoline tax.
The average price per gallon of regular unleaded in Vermont was $2.458, up 8.2 cents from a week ago.
FairPoint cleared for bill collections in NH
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire regulators say FairPoint Communications can start issuing notices of disconnection to some customers who owe the company money.
FairPoint, which bought the landline network in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont and has been dealing with numerous customer service complaints, suspended its collection practices after taking over in January. It asked New Hampshire's Public Utilities Commission to reinstate its collection procedures with 2,775 customers who reportedly owe more than $750 in basic service and $500 in special service.
Officials were concerned FairPoint continued to mail incorrect bills and customers would be unfairly caught up in the collections process. The commission told FairPoint Wednesday to issue half of the notices and report back within a week of the disconnection date on the cases.
Bennington Battle Monument will be lung fundraiser
BENNINGTON (AP) — Visitors will be walking up almost 440 steps of the Bennington Battle Monument on Saturday as part of a fundraiser for the American Lung Association.
It will be the first time in about 50 years that visitors will be able to climb the stairs to the observation deck of the 306-foot monument.
The event is part of the Lung Association's "Climb of Your Life" fundraiser.
Margaret LaCroix of the American Lung Association of New England tells the Rutland Herald the Bennington climb is the only event that will take place in a historic monument.
In other communities the event is taking place in tall buildings.
The Bennington monument's steps were closed to the public in the mid-1950s when an elevator was built.
Readsboro rejects electric sale for second time
READSBORO (AP) — Readsboro voters have rejected for the second time a plan to sell the municipal electric company to the Central Vermont Public Service Corp.
The proposal to sell the Readsboro Electric Co. needed to be approved by 60 percent of town voters.
A total of 231 Readsboro voters cast ballots on Tuesday, and the proposal fell two votes short of 60 percent.
The proposed sale was defeated on Town Meeting Day in March, but townspeople petitioned for a revote.
At a meeting last week, CVPS officials told townspeople if the sale were approved local electric rates would go up 15 percent within three months.
But proponents of the sale said rates would go up even if the town continued to own the utility.
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