Randolph firefighters quell house fire
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Times Argus Staff - Published: July 11, 2009
RANDOLPH – A fire that damaged a house in Randolph on Wednesday is not suspicious, but the cause is still unknown, according to investigators.
At noon on Wednesday firefighters responded to a South Pleasant Street home owned by Edward and Millie Green for a report of a fire.
Firefighters saw flames and smoke coming from a second story window but were able to quickly extinguish the blaze and save the building, a state police fire investigator said in a news release.
The Vermont State Police and the Division of Fire Safety performed the origin and cause investigation.
No major injuries were reported, police said, but one of the family cats is still missing.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call state police Detective Sgt. Matthew Nally at (802) 229-9191 or the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program (VATAP) at 1-800-32-ARSON
1,230 moose hunting permits awarded
WATERBURY (AP) — Vermont wildlife officials say the state's annual lottery for choosing who gets moose hunting permits randomly picked 1,230 winners out of more than 14,000 applicants.
The winners, chosen Thursday in a computer-generated selection process, was open to anyone who paid — $10 for Vermont residents, $25 for others. Those who applied but didn't a permit last year were given bonus points, increasing their odds of winning Thursday.
In addition to the regular drawing, a special drawing was held for five permits to go to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. People eligible for a Campaign Ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom could apply, and 106 did.
Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche says about 600 moose are expected to be killed in this fall's hunt.
The list of winners can be viewed at www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
17-year-old accused of road rage
NEWPORT CITY (AP) — Police say a 17-year-old Derby youth, driving his father's car, repeatedly rammed and cut off another driver in a dispute about money.
Trevan Roberge pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Orleans District Court to disorderly conduct, unlawful mischief and careless or negligent operation. A judge released him on condition that he not contact or harass Spencer Lucas.
Police say Roberge repeatedly cut off, rear-ended and sideswiped Lucas' car on the road between Derby and Newport City on May 20, preventing Lucas from getting out of his vehicle at the Newport City police station, The Caledonian-Record reported. Lucas' car suffered over $3,700 in damage.
Roberge told police he had snapped in a conflict with Lucas about $150.
Out-of-staters outnumber Vermonters at UVM by 3-1
BURLINGTON (AP) — The percentage of out-of-state students enrolled at the University of Vermont is continuing to increase.
UVM officials say are expecting 24 percent of the incoming freshman class next month to be made up of Vermonters.
Over the last two years the figure for the freshman class was just under 26 percent. Of all the undergraduate classes about 35 percent are Vermonters.
UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera tells the Burlington Free Press the number of high school graduates in Vermont is continuing to decline and so more out-of-staters are needed to fill the university's programs.
Out-of-state tuition accounts for almost half of UVM's general fund revenue.
UVM is hoping to enroll 2,585 students next month, which would be a record.
NNE states receiving over $16M for homeless
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Northern New England states are receiving a total of over $16 million in federal stimulus money to fight homelessness.
The money will be used for rent relief, housing relocation and stabilization services, data collection and administrative costs.
Vermont's state program is receiving nearly $3.4 million.
Maine's state program will receive nearly $6.6 million. In New Hampshire, the state is getting over $4.6 million.
N.H. hospital to relocate rescue helicopter
LEBANON, N.H. (AP) — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center plans to relocate one of its two air ambulance helicopters from its Lebanon, N.H., headquarters to a private hangar at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
The medical center says the goal is to provide quicker response to the more heavily populated southern tier of New Hampshire.
The helicopters serve Vermont and New Hampshire. Other air ambulances based in Albany, N.Y., Boston and Maine provide limited coverage to parts of the two states.
Asked whether the ability to respond to accidents or other emergency scenes in the Upper Valley, or other parts of Vermont will suffer by only having one helicopter stationed along the Connecticut River Valley, director Frank Erdman said he didn't think so, but that it remained to be seen, the Valley News reported.
Vt. judge orders $100,000 restitution in art heist
NEWPORT CITY (AP) — A judge has ordered four people involved in the theft of 23 large metal sculptures from a Vermont studio two years ago to pay the artist $100,000.
Two of the four, Roger Chaffee, 33, and Anni Wells, 27, are in prison. Bradford Earnest, 31, got out of prison last week. The fourth, Joshua Staples, 20, is working. They all were from the North Troy area.
Earnest shook sculptor Joel Fishers hand and apologized as he was leaving the courtroom Wednesday, The Caledonian-Record reported.
Fisher will receive $10,000 from the state restitution unit. The rest will be paid in small increments by the group, who were convicted of charges ranging from possession of stolen property to grand larceny and burglary.
Three affordable housing projects get state grant
BELLOWS FALLS (AP) — Affordable housing projects in Springfield, Johnson and Bellows Falls will be getting big boosts thanks to $5.9 million in grants.
On Tuesday Vermont Deputy Housing Commissioner Tayt Brooks presented a $3.5 million grant to buy and rehabilitate the 41-unit Rockingham Canal House in Bellows Falls. The building had been foreclosed on.
Springfield Housing Unlimited and Housing Vermont was given a $1 million grant to help restore the historic Ellis Block building, which was almost completely destroyed by a fire last summer.
A $1.4 million grant to the Lamoille Housing Partnership and Housing Vermont will help redevelop a vacant building in downtown Johnson into 24 new affordable rental units.
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