Authorities have recovered the body of a missing 14-year-old girl who
apparently drowned in Kennedy Pond in Windsor on Wednesday. Police say the
girl is from the Burlington area and was at the pond with family and friends.
First responders got a call about a water rescue at around 12:15 p.m. when
people noticed the girl was missing. Vermont State Police found the body less
than 100 feet offshore at around 5:30 p.m. This is now the fourth water-related
death to happen in Vermont in two weeks.
Senator Peter Welch on Wednesday visited two southern Vermont communities
hit hard by flooding the last two summers, highlighting a new bill he hopes will
cut FEMA red tape. In July 2023, floodwaters rushed through Ludlow,
submerging much of the town and its wastewater treatment facility. Down the
road in Weston, Welch got to see the town’s flood mitigation efforts near the
West River, which inundated the Weston Playhouse. Although the group
continues, their building remains shuttered. Welch is expected to introduce
his Disaster AID Act early next week. He will also be making another stop in
Barre on Monday to look at ongoing flooding impacts in that community.
A missing 77-year-old man has been found safe. The Hardwick Police Chief said
that Lawrence Thibault, 77, was found by the Claremont Police Dept. Officials
said that about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thibault left work at Rite Way Sports in
Hardwick to his home in Barton. Police said that Thibault was driving his blue
2020 Honda CRV. Officials said that Thibault has experienced memory problems
and confusion.
The Brattleboro Utilities Division will be replacing a sewer line on Church Street
beginning on Monday, July 7 through Friday, July 11. Church Street will be
closed from 6:00am to 5:00pm for this replacement. There will be no parking on
Church Street during this time and motorists should plan alternative routes .
Nearly 120 people have applied for gubernatorial pardons during Gov. Phil
Scott’s eight years in office. Scott, one of Vermont’s longest-serving governors,
has never granted a pardon, making him an outlier among those who have
previously held the office. While a recent series of controversial presidential
pardons has the public once again talking about this absolute power, less
attention has been paid to executive clemency at the state level.
Blue-green algae blooms have hit popular beaches in Vermont and New York,
causing the first closures of the summer. Officials from Burlington Parks and Rec
say Oakledge and Texaco beaches were closed today (Thurs.) due to category 3
levels of cyanobacteria. That means a high amount is present, and there should
be no swimming there. Officials report that North Beach has category 2 levels of
the algae, meaning the most vulnerable, like children and pets, should stay out.