WTSA News For Your Thursday, July 27th:
A Brattleboro man has been charged with allegedly committing a series of car thefts. 38-year-old Keith Freeman was arrested and released on citation Tuesday for a July 20th incident. Police say three vehicles were taken from a Putney Road business. The vehicles were recovered, and Keith Freeman was identified as the suspect. A September 5th arraignment date has been scheduled on charges of Operation without Owner’s Consent and Grand Larceny.
Top Vermont lawmakers are returning to Montpelier today to address the state’s flood recovery response. The meeting will be attended by business owners, nonprofits, congressional staffers, Scott administration officials, and Montpelier and Barre leaders. They’ll be exploring ways lawmakers can support impacted communities and how to help businesses that do not have access to relief money and can’t take on a Small Business Administration loan.
Vermont Senator Peter Welch is a co-sponsor of the Expanding Nationwide Access to Test Strips Act, legislation that would expand access to and decriminalize drug test strips nationwide in order to prevent drug overdoses and deaths. One of the ways to reduce opioid deaths is to encourage the use of drug test strips that can detect the presence of fentanyl, xylazine, and other adulterants in various types of drugs and forms. The possession of drug test strips is already legal under federal law, and there has been a surge of support to decriminalize fentanyl test strips, with 16 states legalizing these strips as of January of this year. However, several states still criminalize test strips as drug paraphernalia, thereby limiting their access.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella will co-lead a bi-partisan, multi-state call on Congress to pass the GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023. The proposed federal legislation, named in honor of two Black World War II veterans, would extend eligibility for housing loans and educational assistance administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Black World War II veterans, their surviving spouses, and certain direct descendants if the veteran was previously denied benefits on the basis of race a letter to Congress, Formella and a coalition of his fellow attorneys general asserted the legislation, through expanding access to homeownership and education, would help rectify past wrongs and fuel continued economic growth in communities across the country.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says muzzleloader season antlerless deer permit applications are available on its website until Wednesday, August 2. Landowners who post their land may not apply for a landowner priority muzzleloader antlerless deer permit. They are eligible to apply in the regular lottery for an antlerless deer permit. State deer project director Nick Fortin says the state’s goal is now to maintain current deer numbers in most of the state. A lottery drawing of the permit recipients will be held in mid-September.
History was made on Wednesday when Col. Tracey Poirier became the first woman promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the Vermont Army National Guard. Brig. Gen. Poirier says while the rank is important to her, it’s more about her journey to get there and what this means for other women looking to follow in her footsteps. “I think that it’s important for everyone, regardless of gender, to see that all things are possible,” Poirier said. Poirier enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve back in 1991 and served eight years of active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. She was stationed in Europe; Quantico, Virginia; and at Camp Smith in Hawaii, where she deployed to the war in Iraq. Poirier joined the Vermont Army National Guard in 2006 where she quickly rose through the ranks, now, as the first woman in Vermont’s Army National Guard to be promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
LOTTERY NUMBERS:
TRI STATE PICK 3 1-7-1
TRI STATE PICK 4 5-7-6-9
TRI STATE GIMME 5 7-9-15-24-28
TRI STATE MEGABUCKS 15-18-19-20-41 MEGA BALL 1
POWERBALL 3-16-40-48-60 POWERBALL 14
MASS CASH 6-9-12-22-25
WTSA SPORTS:
The Red Sox hit three homeruns on their way to a 5-3 win over Atlanta Wednesday night. Boston has today off before beginning a series in San Francisco on Friday.
The Yankees got a strong outing from Pitcher Carlos Rodon as they went on to beat the Mets on Wednesday, 3-1. The Yankees have today off before visiting Baltimore on Friday.
Locally, in Legion Baseball yesterday, Essex beat Brattleboro Post 5, 5-2. A great season for Post 5, for both the players and Coaches, a job well done.