Category Archives: Northern Vermont

News and events in Nothern Vermont, including Franklin County and the Northeast Kingdom.

Towns deciding fate of hockey arena

Posted on November 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

SWANTON — Officials in the Vermont town of Swanton have chosen to enter into a lease for a tri-town hockey arena.
The selectboard also agreed to recommend that the towns pursue a $5 million project for a facility upgrade. That would bring the 185-foot rink to 200-foot regulation size.
Hopes of renovating the current Highgate Arena have been the talk of Swanton, Highgate and Franklin, which would share ownership.
The St. Albans Messenger reports Highgate has formally agreed to enter into the contract. Franklin hasn’t decided.
Two ballots items would be needed in each town to make decisions about the rink. Voters would decide whether to support a bond to pay for their town’s percentage of the project and whether to allow their select boards to enter in the inter-local contract.

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Posted in Northern Vermont, Sports

Rescuers search for missing hiker on Mt. Hunger

Posted on October 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur / File Photo
Mount Hunger in Worcester.

MIDDLESEX — A Vermont State Police dispatcher said late this afternoon that rescuers were looking for a missing student on Mount Hunger.
The dispatcher said she did not know where the student was from or whether the student was injured. An earlier police scanner report made reference to an injured seventh-grade hiker on the mountain.
Other area fire and rescue agencies said they did not have information.

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Posted in Northern Vermont, Police

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Bench, flagpole, in memory of Vermont couple

Posted on October 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ESSEX — A public bench and a flagpole have been installed in memory of a Vermont couple who authorities say were abducted from their Essex home and killed last year.
The bench is outside the Brownell Library in Essex with a plaque “in loving memory” of Bill and Lorraine Currier. The 20-foot flagpole with a light is near the entrance to the landfill in Coventry. Authorities believe the bodies of the Curriers ended up there, though the remains were never found.
A sister of Lorraine Currier tells the Burlington Free Press the family continues to seek closure in the case. No criminal charges have been filed.
The Curriers were last seen leaving for work on June 8, 2011.

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Posted in Northern Vermont

Airports get AOT grants

Posted on October 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

MONTPELIER - The Vermont Agency of Transportation has awarded more than $900,000 in federal grants to fund projects at the Newport and Morrisville-Stowe state airports.

Newport will see the addition of new snow removal equipment as well as funding for an environmental assessment associated with terminal area development while at Morrisville-Stowe, a grant will fund the design phase of a project to remove obstructions and improve runway pavement.

“These grants from the FAA allow us to deal with immediate and future operational and safety needs, while helping us on our path to enhancing passenger service amenities,” said VOT Aviation Program Administrator Guy Rouelle. “As our network of state airports continues to improve, the region will continue to see economic benefits.”

NewportStateAirport was awarded $242,932 for an environmental assessment that will be conducted in order to evaluate issues related to the proposed terminal area development. They were also awarded $384,993 for the acquisition of a loader/snow blower.

Morrisville-Stowe was awarded $278,955 to fund the design and permitting phase of a runway rehabilitation project.

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Posted in Northern Vermont, Transportation

Commission awards grants for development projects

Posted on October 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BURLINGTON – The Northern Border Regional Commission has awarded $373,447 in grants for regional development projects in Vermont, the state’s three-member congressional delegation announced Tuesday.

The grants will support the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in Lamoille County and develop key regional business clusters in the Northeast Kingdom.

The $249,982 grant for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail will be leveraged by a $5.2 million grant previously secured for the construction of a 93-mile, four-season, multi-use trail across northern Vermont.

The $123,465 grant to the Northeast Kingdom will complement the recently announced $170 million expansion of the Jay Peak Resort.

The Northern Border Regional Commission directly invests federal resources for economic development and job creation in economically distressed regions of northern New Hampshire, New York, Maine and Vermont. Last year, the commission awarded nine grants to the four states totaling $1.45 million, including $206,690 for projects in Vermont.

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Posted in Northern Vermont, Recreation

Infant’s remains stolen from home

Posted on October 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A burglar or burglars in a Monkton home Monday stole a jewelry box containing earrings and rings, and a pewter urn containing the ashes of the burglary victim’s deceased infant child, state police said.

The Pond Road home’s door was kicked open sometime between 8:25 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. Oct. 1, and the urn, which has black stripes and is about 2.5 inches high in the shape of an upside down tear drop, was taken along with an oak jewelry box containing, among other pieces, a herringbone necklace with matching earrings and a 14-karat gold mothers ring with a red garnet stone.

Police believe a lime green pillow, also missing, was used to carry the items from the home.

The specific address and names of the victims is being withheld do to the extreme personal trauma this crime has caused.

Anyone with information is asked to contact State Trooper Joseph Pregent or the Vermont State Police at (802) 388-4919.

Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or  text “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS

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Posted in Crime, Northern Vermont

9-year-old dies in tractor accident

Posted on September 29, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ENOSBURG FALLS – The Vermont State Police say a 9-year-old boy died Friday when he became wedged between the farm trailer his father was driving and the trailer’s wheel in Enosburg Falls.
Nathan Bouchard-Howard was pronounced dead at the scene in an incident state police say appears accidental. An investigation is ongoing.
Bouchard-Howard was riding with two other children at the time of the incident, the other children were not harmed.
The father, whose name has not be released, was pulling the trailer with a tractor around 5:30 p.m. on 493 Perley Road. When the child became wedged, state police say the father immediately stopped and attempted to get the child free.

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Posted in Crash, Northern Vermont

Police believe body found is missing man

Posted on September 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ST. ALBANS — Police in Vermont believe a body believed to be that of a missing St. Albans man was found in the woods near a store.
Searches had been conducted for 59-year-old Frederick Bemis, who was last seen in early September near the local Price Chopper.
Police and fire officials searched the woods near the store Thursday and found the body of an adult male.
An autopsy was planned Friday.

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Posted in Northern Vermont

Officials to announce new jobs in northern Vt.

Posted on September 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

JAY — A program that allows people from outside the United States to obtain U.S. residency in exchange for investments is seen as key to a big new economic development announcement to be made concerning northern Vermont.
Thursday’s announcement at the Jay Peak ski resort, just south of the Canadian border, is expected to touch on multiple projects in the region, including a new flight school specializing in flying in cold weather at the airport in Coventry.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and Vermont’s congressional delegation are planning to be on hand for the announcement. A series of other events across the region will highlight different aspects of the project.

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Posted in Business, Northern Vermont

Woman killed in Rte. 100 crash

Posted on September 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EDEN — Vermont State Police say a woman is dead after the car she was driving was hit by a dump truck on Route 100 in Eden.
Ashley Allard, 25, of Morrisville was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash occurred at about 9:10 a.m. Monday just north of the Boy Scout camp, near the Lowell town line.
The woman was driving a Honda Civic sedan north on Route 100 when it crossed the center line and was hit by the Whitcomb Construction dump truck driven by Valerie Hans, 46, which was towing a trailer.
Police say the driver of the dump truck was not hurt.
The roadway was closed for several hours after the crash while wrecking crews removed the vehicles from the roadway.
The cause of the crash is continuing, although police say speed does appear to be a factor.

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Posted in Crash, Northern Vermont

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