Police: Proposal leads to ring thief

BURLINGTON — A diamond engagement ring didn’t have the outcome a Burlington man had hoped for.
His girlfriend said yes — but the stolen ring landed him in jail.
Burlington police say 25-year-old Ryan Jarvis is charged with stealing the $3,200 ring from a Zales jewelry store.
Jarvis asked to see the 1-carat white gold solitaire ring Monday afternoon and then allegedly took off with it.
Police say Jarvis was arrested after police received tips that led to a posting on Facebook by his girlfriend who displayed her new engagement ring.
Burlington Police Officer Jesse Stewart said Jarvis has confessed. He’s charged with retail theft. Police say his girlfriend didn’t know the ring was stolen.

Fire damages S. Burlington home

SOUTH BURLINGTON — Firefighters say a fire damaged a home in South Burlington and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation Wednesday night.

Firefighters say the upper floors of the house were severely damaged but the woman who owns the house escaped safely.

Multiple crews were called in to fight the fire.

The cause was not immediately known.

Science pub events planned in Castleton

CASTLETON — Three Science Pub events have been planned with Castleton State College professors and local scientists. The Science Pubs are hosted by the Friends of the Castleton Free Library.
Jonathan Spiro, chairman of the college’s history department, will discuss the eugenics movement of the first half of the 20th century. The event will be at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Iron Lantern Restaurant on Route 4A in Castleton.
Alan Betts, an atmospheric researcher from Pittsford, will discuss the effects of climate change in Vermont. The event, titled “Climate Change and Vermont,” will start at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5 at the Lakehouse Pub & Grille on Route 30 in Castleton. The third Science Pub will focus on the gender development and its controversy in humans with Mark Fox, professor of biology at Castleton State College. The event will be at 4 p.m. on March 4. The location has not been determined. The Science Pub events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.castletonfreelibrary.org/friends or call 468-5574.

2 break into Small Dog Electronics

MIDDLESEX — State Police say two people broke into a popular electronics store in Vermont, but didn’t take anything.

Police say surveillance cameras at Small Dog Electronics in Middlesex show two people breaking into the building about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday.

The store has been targeted by thieves multiple times over the last year.

Dartmouth joins others in program

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center was recently selected as one of seven health systems to participate in a nationally contracted health program.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded a $2.7 million contract as part of its Partnership for Patients Hospital Engagement Networks initiative. The aim is to make health care safer and less costly by targeting and reducing preventable injuries and complications to patients.
Joining Dartmouth-Hitchcock in the initiative are Intermountain Health care of Salt Lake City, Utah; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, Texas; Denver Health of Denver, Colo.; Providence Health and Services of Renton, Wash., and the Salt Lake City Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center of Salt Lake City, Utah.
The selected health systems will function as teaching centers for improving the quality and value of health care.
The initiative will also help health systems reduce preventable inpatient harm by 40 percent and hospital readmissions by 20 percent over a three-year period.

WDEV’s FM signal expected back today

WATERBURY — WDEV’s FM frequency was down Wednesday but is expected to be repaired by midday today, according to representatives from the radio station.
The FM frequency went dead around midday Tuesday. Listeners still can access the station at AM 550 and streaming online at www.wdevradio.com.
The station’s engineer determined that the FM transmitter on Lincoln Peak is at low power, according to Eric Michaels, vice president and general manager for the station.
The engineer is expected to go out to repair the transmitter at 9 a.m. today, and the FM frequency should be back up by midday, Michaels said.

'Last mile' to reopen: Celebration set for 1 p.m. today

A celebration is planned today for the reopening of "the last mile" as state officials plan to officially reopen Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge.

The road was one of hundreds heavily damaged during Tropical Storm Irene but presented a challenge because the road was completely washed away.

Today VTrans, state and local officials, contractors, local partners and community members will reopen the last stretch of roadway still closed because of Irene.

The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Stockbridge Central School.

Funding for Brattleboro’s recycling program in doubt

BRATTLEBORO — The town of Brattleboro is trying to figure out a way to continue funding a recycling program.

The town’s two recycling coordinators opened a compost site and helped to increase Brattleboro’s recycling rate by about 10 percent in their first year on the job.

Selectboard Chairman Dick DeGray said the board is not going to be able to provide financial support in the 2013 budget for more recycling work. He said the board has already had to cut down on many other town priorities.

The town’s solid waste committee also has lost several members as the coordinators were taking care of recycling responsibilities.

Curling set for New Year’s Eve in Manchester

MANCHESTER – The Equinox Curling Club will be hosting its first “Curling and Champagne” event from 5:15 to 9:15 p.m. Saturday at Riley Rink.
The fee of $55 per person includes equipment, instruction, ice fees and refreshments.
No previous curling experience is required and anyone 13 and older is welcome to participate but minors must be accompanied by an adult. 
On Jan. 4, the club will host a three-hour “Learn to Curl” clinic starting at 6:15 p.m. at Riley Rink.
Preregistration is required and forms are available on the website, www.equinoxcurlingclub.org, on Facebook or at Riley Rink.
The clinic, which costs $35, is open to those 15 and older.
During the first hour, participants will learn basic rules, techniques, strategies, etiquette and safety.
The next two hours will be spent on the ice with hands-on instruction, practice, and a game of curling.
Clinic participants can join the club at a $15 discount and curl weekly throughout the winter.
More information about the Equinox Curling Club may be requested by emailing [email protected].
For additional information about the Curling and Champagne event, call Nancy Morlino at 325-2116 and for further information about the clinic, call Jacki Lappen at 645-0222.

Two planes make emergency landings

SOUTH BURLINGTON — Burlington International Airport has responded to two emergency landings on one day.
A Delta plane carrying about 36 passengers landed safely Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported.
Airport officials said the plane was headed from Detroit to Burlington when the pilot reported an unexplained banging noise.
Earlier in the day a Chicago-bound United Airlines regional jet made an emergency landing at the two-runway airport shortly after takeoff after a report of smoke in the cargo hold. No injuries were reported among the 66 passengers and four crew members.
United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said a cockpit indicator light erroneously alerted the flight crew to smoke in the cargo hold. He said passengers flew in a different plane to Chicago and landed safely.
Delta Air Lines Inc. hasn’t commented.