Vermont authorities are investigating a school bus crash in the town
of Athens Thursday morning. DMV officials say troopers responded to
the crash around 7:15 a.m. on Route 35. They say the driver, Randall
McDonald, 75, lost control and went off the road. All seven students
on board and McDonald were able to get off the bus without any
injuries reported. They say an investigation found no apparent
mechanical problems with the bus.
Improper maintenance and the pilot’s failure to abort takeoff likely
caused a small plane to crash into a building in New Hampshire in
2022, killing both people on board and sparking a fire, the National
Transportation Safety Board said in its final report. The single-engine
Beechcraft Sierra crashed into a two-story barn connected to a
multifamily apartment building north of the Keene Dillant-Hopkins
Airport the night of Oct. 21, 2022. All eight people evacuated the
building and were not injured. Killed in the crash shortly after takeoff
were Lawrence Marchiony, 41, of Baldwinville, Massachusetts, and
Marvin David Dezendorf, 60, of Townshend, Vermont. In the 2022
flight, witnesses reported that as the plane accelerated on the
runway, “the engine did not sound normal” and the “poor” sound
continued once it was airborne. An examination of the plane showed
improper maintenance of the fuel injector nozzles, the NTSB said. The
nozzles were missing inserts or restrictors and showed extensive
leakage, the report said.
There’s a new fee for Vermonters that drive electric vehicles and
hybrids, and it is being introduced as EVs are more popular than ever.
The new fee is a part of the state’s sprawling transportation bill that
has been signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott. The fee is being
implemented to make up for a loss in revenue from gas tax money,
since fully electric cars do not have to go to the pump ever, and
hybrids fuel up much less than a typical gas car. For those driving fully
electric cars, there will be an additional $89 charge when you register
your car for one year and $178 for a two-year registration. For plug-in
hybrid drivers, you will pay $44.50 for a one-year registration and $89
for a two-year registration. The fee will take effect Jan. 1, 2025, and
the state estimates they’ll make $600,000 in fiscal year 2025 and $1.7
million in FY 2026.
New Hampshire authorities are investigating after two people died in
a fire in Charlestown Thursday morning. The state fire marshall says
crews responded to a 911 call shortly after 7 a.m. for smoke coming
from a mobile home on Crown Point Drive. Charlestown firefighters
immediately located the body of an adult male inside. They say a
second victim, an adult woman, was found inside later. Neither have
been officially identified. The cause of the fire remains under
Investigation.
Vermont Senator Peter Welch is among lawmakers criticizing the
Biden Administration ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s scheduled address to Congress next month. In a speech
on the Senate floor Thursday, Welch called for the United States to
stop its support for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war strategy. Welch
said the policy has not only caused mass deaths in the region but has
also failed to eliminate Hamas or release the remaining hostages. It
comes after reports that Israel Thursday dropped a U.S.-made bomb
on a school compound in central Gaza sheltering thousands of
civilians, killing dozens of people, including women and children.
To celebrate Vermont Days this weekend, admission to Vermont State
Parks and historic sites are free. The annual weekend event celebrates
the arrival of summer with free admission to day-use areas for both
Vermonters and non-residents. Also this weekend is Free Fishing Day,
which turns a century old. It’s highlighted by opening day for the
regular bass fishing season. Whether you’re looking to give fishing a
first-time try or you’re a seasoned angler excited for the season to
start, Free Fishing Day is for everyone.