New minivan crashes after wheel falls off

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Police say a wheel fell off a new vehicle Monday evening causing the vehicle that had just been purchased to crash on Interstate 91.

According to Vermont State Police, Olusegun K. Bolasere, 34, of Manchester, N.H., was driving a red Toyota minivan north on I-91 when the rear wheel fell off about 6:45 p.m. causing the van to crash at mile marker 10.

The incident blocked traffic on the interstate as the van ended up in the right lane of traffic until it could be removed by a wrecker, according to police.

The van sustained major damage to both axles, police said.

There were no injuries.

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Posted in Traffic, Weather

Police working on statewide gang task force

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BENNINGTON — Vermont police are working with a state senator to create a gang task force to attack a growing illicit drug trade.

Col. Thomas J. L’Esperance, director of the Vermont State Police, said low-level gang associates are turning up as dealers in every corner of the state.

He says the effort is more organized than in the past.

He says an existing drug task force focuses on mid- and upper-level dealers.

A gang task force would focus its efforts on street-level activity.Police have been working on the task force with Bennington County Sen. Dick Sears, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Posted in Crime, Vermont News

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Velco, IBM to help ‘smart grid’

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

MONTPELIER — The Vermont company that runs much of the electric distribution system in the state is joining with IBM to build a fiber optic control system designed to make the system more efficient and reliable.

The Vermont Electric Power Company and IBM announced Tuesday an agreement to build what’s called an intelligent fiber optic communications and control network across the state.

The system will span more than 1,000 miles and connect transmission substations to Vermont’s distribution utilities and be part of the smart grid that’s being designed.

The companies say IBM will provide project management and networking services.

The system will provide the communications capability to relay information back to the utility about usage, existing or potential outages, and equipment performance.

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Posted in Vermont News

Vt. whooping cough cases on the rise

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BURLINGTON — The Vermont Health Department says whooping cough is still on the rise in the state.

Preliminary data indicates there were 91 cases of whooping cough reported in December, compared to 18 cases for all of 2010.

At least 17 cases have been reported this month.Whooping cough, or pertussis, is highly contagious.

The infection usually starts with an irritating cough that worsens to include spasms of coughing, possibly whooping.

The most severe cases usually involve young children.

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Posted in News

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Driver cited for suspended license

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

WATERBURY— A Morrisville man was cited for driving with a suspended license after police pulled him over for failing to use his directional signal.

Police report Shawn R. Tanner, 37, was traveling south bound on I-89 in the town of Waterbury on Jan. 20 and was stopped for failing to use his directional.

Upon investigation, police were able to determine Tanner was driving with a criminally suspended license.

Tanner was cited to appear in Barre criminal court to answer the charge.

He was also issued a citation for failure to use his directional, which carries a fine of $214 and bears two points on his license.

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Posted in Crime, Traffic

Watershed expert talks about floods in Rutland

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Ethan Swift, watershed coordinator for the state Agency of Natural Resources, will be at the Rutland Free Library’s Fox Room at 7 p.m. today to discuss flood myths and recovery guidelines for rivers and streams following Tropical Store Irene.

The event is free and open to the public and is hosted by the Rutland County Audubon Society.

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Posted in Rutland County, Weather

Accident leads to charges of DUI

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BARRE — A Worcester man was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a criminally suspended license following an accident on Dead Man’s Curve on Route 302 in Orange.

According to police, in the afternoon of Jan. 19, Dana Kendrick, 48, was driving too fast for the road conditions and slid off the roadway.

Police were dispatched to the scene of the accident and discovered Kendrick was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and had been driving with a criminally suspended license.

He was cited to appear in Chelsea criminal court to answer to the charges on Feb. 8.

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Posted in Crime, Traffic

Two hurt in crash on Route 140

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

POULTNEY — Police said two people were hurt in a car crash on Route 140 on Monday morning.

Vermont State Police said Jody Fabian of Castleton was driving his 2000 Ford Focus west at about 8:30 a.m. when he looked down between the seats.

Fabian told police his passenger, Dalton Bowen, told him to watch the road and when he looked up he had crossed the yellow line.

An attempt to get back into the proper lane ended with the car sliding on ice before hitting a snowbank and trees, according to police.

Police described the road conditions as slushy and wet.

The area the car went off the road was near a cliff overlooking the Poultney River, police said.

Police said Fabian and Bowen were both taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center due to injuries from the crash while the car was towed from the scene.

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Posted in Traffic, Windham County

Woman says ‘disrespect’ reason for assault with a cane

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BENNINGTON — A South Street woman was charged with a felony on Monday after police said she hit another woman with a cane for treating her with disrespect.

Linda J. Bell, 55, of Bennington, pleaded innocent in Bennington criminal court on Monday to a felony count of aggravated assault with a weapon.

In an affidavit, Officer John Behan said he was called to South Street on Dec. 24 around 8:15 p.m.

At the scene, he met with a woman who said Bell hit her on the arm with a cane twice because the woman wouldn’t let Bell take medication out of the woman’s office.

Behan said he saw dark bruises and swelling on the woman’s arm.

According to Behan, Bell admitted to hitting the woman with a cane because the woman “does not respect her” and said she was sorry.

“Bell also advised that people should not disrespect her,” Behan said.

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Posted in Bennington, Bennington County, Crime

Woman sentenced for sexually assaulting boys

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ST. ALBANS — A Vermont woman will be supervised by the state for the rest of her life for holding two pre-teen boys against their will and sexually assaulting them.

Misty Talley Smith, 35, of St. Albans received two sentences of three years to life Monday.

She receives credit for 14 months in custody, meaning she’ll serve about two years of additional time in jail before she is eligible for release.

Smith was arrested in 2010 when two missing boys were found in her home.

She pleaded guilty in August to two counts of sexual assault without consent.

Testimony indicated Smith has social and mental-health issues, with some of her problems stemming from fetal alcohol syndrome.

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Posted in Crime, Northern Vermont