The Brattleboro Union High School campus and Oak Grove School briefly implemented a “Shelter in Place” protocol on Friday afternoon according to The Reformer after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Fort Dummer State Park. The Office of the Superintendent communicated this incident to families within the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union through a “robo” email stating: “At approximately 1:03 this afternoon, gunshots were detected on the BU6 campus, originating from the direction of Fort Dummer. The Shelter in Place protocol was promptly activated, and both students and staff responded with commendable grace and efficiency. Given their close proximity to BU6, Oak Grove School was also instructed to shelter in place as a precautionary measure. Brattleboro PD later confirmed that a resident outside of the ‘Town Safety Zone’ was discharging a firearm on their property. No laws or ordinances were violated. We take pride in our staff, students, and the BPD, who effectively managed our protocols to ensure a timely response. The shelter in place protocol was lifted at 1:30 p.m., and we are pleased to report that everyone is safe.
The Scott administration on Friday announced new appointments to lead the
Departments of Health and Labor. Dr. Rick Hildebrant is slated to take over the
Department of Health starting October 13. The Clarendon physician currently
serves as chief medical information officer and medical director of hospital
medicine at Rutland Regional Medical Center. He takes over for long-time
commissioner Dr. Mark Levine, who retired in April. Kendal Smith will replace
Michael Harrington at the Department of Labor after he stepped down in
July. Smith has served as deputy commissioner since January. Prior to that, she
served as Gov. Scott’s director of policy and legislative affairs for eight years.
Department for Children and Families Commissioner Chris Winters will leave his
post to become the deputy at Labor.
A man accused of assaulting Lebanon, New Hampshire, police officers while out
on bail for multiple felonies has the local police chief speaking out. Police say
Shawn Mooney, 37, of Canaan, New Hampshire, was released on bail in April
after being arrested twice, including for an alleged hammer assault. One
condition of his release was to stay out of Grafton County and adhere to a
curfew. But Wednesday night, police say they spotted him loitering near the
Kilton Library in Lebanon. Police say when they tried to arrest him, he tried to
run away and punch an officer in the face. He was brought to the hospital,
where he allegedly assaulted another officer and hospital staff members.
Mooney was arraigned on Thursday on multiple new charges. According to
court staffers, he is once again being held as a preventive measure pending his
next court date.
The State House in Montpelier was filled on Thursday. Instead of legislatures
working on new laws, 50 people became U.S. citizens, cheered on by their
family and friends. It is intentional that the ceremony was held on Sept. 11.
Judge William Sessions presided over Thursday's event. He said following the
attacks, he and Sen. Patrick Leahy decided there should be one naturalization event every year to honor the date and remind everyone that new citizens havea lot to offer.
State officials are asking Vermonters to report drought conditions as dry
conditions persist across the state. The Vermont Drought Task Force issued a
statement on Thursday asking residents to report any impacts from the lack of
rain, including wells or water supplies running out, damage to crops and farms,
and low water levels in lakes and rivers. These reports are important so that
experts can determine where the most assistance is needed statewide. They
also help contribute accurate numbers to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which in
turn can trigger federal programming to help residents.
Two Charlestown residents were arrested on Sept. 9 and 10 in connection with a
multi-state investigation involving home invasions, armed robbery and drug
distribution. Ralph “Skipper” Davis II, 53, and Jessica Tewksbury, 40, were
apprehended by Charlestown Police officers on Great Country Road at
approximately 4:20 p.m. Sept. 9. Davis was wanted by the Windsor County
Sheriff’s Department in Vermont for multiple charges including kidnapping,
aggravated assault, burglary of an occupied dwelling, persons prohibited from
possessing firearms, and assault and robbery. Tewksbury was taken into
custody for possession of a controlled substance. The arrests were part of an
ongoing investigation into multiple home invasions, armed robbery and the
distribution of crack cocaine.