BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The Brattleboro Fire Department responded to a fire earlier this evening. First responders say they received reports that the home at 166 Carriage Hill Road was smoking, and when crews arrived they found the kitchen in flames. No one was home at the time of the fire, but they did find three dogs and a cat, and only one dog survived. Brattleboro Fire is investigating the fire ..read more

RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Can you be the best wingman of the night? That’s what a new live dating show in Rutland is all about. The group Wingman of the Year is hosting its first Vermont-based show in Rutland this weekend. The Albany, New York-based group puts on an interactive dating show featuring four local singles. One of the co-owners of the show, Max Emmons, has lived in Rutland for the past decade and wants to prove that the Marble City could be a place to find your next partner. “Honestly, I think we wanted Rutland to be a test. We wanted to prove to people that maybe Rutland has dating, R ..read more

POULTNEY, Vt. (WCAX) - A Poultney man was arrested for alleged sexual contact with multiple underage girls. Vermont State Police say they were contacted by mandated reporters who accused 40-year-old Robert Beaulieu of engaging in sexual acts with three underage female members of his household. He was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and is expected in court Friday ..read more

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) - Underwater archaeologist Art Cohn says talks continue to progress over raising the “Spitfire” a gunboat that was under Benedict Arnold’s command during the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776. Cohn was on the team in 1997 that discovered the boat’s location at the bottom of Lake Champlain. Back in 2017, the idea of raising the ship was floated around, and now he says those talks are ramping up. “I have been doing this work for over 40 years, I have never recommended a boat be recovered, until now. We have identified four studies we are ready to do, four contracts to do ..read more

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — It’s now illegal to sell weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to minors in New York, under a first-in-the-nation law that went into effect this week. Experts say loose federal regulation of dietary supplements has resulted in these products sometimes including unapproved ingredients, like steroids and heavy metals, putting kids at risk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees the market, but it doesn’t test products before they’re sold. “The law that we crafted reflects the lack of regulation from the FDA and the lack of regulation in the industry,” said Jense ..read more

AKWESASNE, New York (WWNY) - A dispute that dates back centuries might be resolved next month. Some land in St. Lawrence County may become part of the Akwesasne Nation. A land claim dispute between the Akwesanse Mohawk Nation, New York state and north country counties could soon be over. Grand Chief Abram Benedict of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne serves as one of the plaintiffs involved in a more than 40-year legal challenge over a dispute that dates back to the beginnings of the United States. “The claim itself is quite unique. We do have some large parcels of land that were illegally taken ..read more

RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - A Vermont man accused in a crash that killed a Rutland Police officer wants to be released from jail until his trial. Tate Rheaume, 20, appeared in person Thursday as prosecutors laid out some of the evidence they say justifies an aggravated murder charge that should keep him behind bars. Rheaume is charged in the death of 19-year-old Rutland City Police Ofc. Jessica Ebbighausen last summer. Audio was played in court Thursday of an interview with Cpl. Richard Carravaggio, the training officer in the cruiser with Ebbighausen when police say they were hit head-on by Rheaume ..read more

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A range of protestors representing hunters, loggers, and grassroots environmentalists banded together at the Statehouse Thursday to take aim at a slate of bills they say is undermining Vermont’s traditional identity and squeezing them and their families out. Vermonters donning blaze orange, camo, flannel, and orange ribbons, came to Montpelier Thursday to say they’ve had enough. “All of whom are rather upset with the treatment we feel we’re receiving from the political leadership in Montpelier,” said James Elhers with Vermonters for a Clean Environment. The coalition a ..read more

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Burlington’s multi-million dollar budget deficit is higher than original projections. The Weinberger administration had estimated a $9 million shortfall, but it actually comes to more like $13 million. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak on Thursday said the city needs to find a way to close that gap without sacrificing some of her greatest priorities. “Our budget must reflect the comprehensive safety needs in our community,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. The mayor says the $4 million under estimate can be attributed to higher personnel costs and a miscalculation of health care and ben ..read more

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The region’s winter sports season is wrapping up, and despite a couple of late-season snowfalls, the overall season wasn’t a great one. Experts say ongoing climate change combined with El Nino contributed to record-high global warmth, with both air temperatures and the world’s oceans hitting an all-time high. John McMahon spoke with Gillian Galford, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Vermont, about what to expect in the coming years ..read more