Clerk will not face charges in robbery death

MONTPELIER (AP) -- The clerk who pulled a knife away from a woman who tried to rob a Vergennes convenience store and held her down until police arrived will not face charges in the her death.

Yemella Sprauve of Vergennes tried to rob the Champlain Farms on Sept. 28.

Police say the clerk pulled a knife away from her, and held her on the floor while waiting for police. She died on the way to the hospital.

The state medical examiner ruled the 34-year-old's death was a homicide. The medical examiner said she died of an irregular heartbeat during an altercation that was brought about when her chest was compressed while she was "acutely intoxicated with cocaine."

Prosecutors told WCAX-TV (http://bit.ly/w3gNjs ) on Wednesday that they will not file charges against the clerk.

Low-snow winter hurts Vt. state revenues

MONTPELIER (AP) -- A top Vermont budget officer says a poor month for snowfall hurt Vermont's winter tourism economy in January and created a dent in state revenues.

Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding's monthly revenue report released Wednesday showed the state came up about 4.7 percent shy of the $133 million general fund target that had been set by consulting economists who forecast state revenues.

Spaulding calls the results disappointing but not surprising. He says the shortage of snow showed up in reduced sales and use and rooms and meals tax collections, and that personal income tax results also were below target. The same thing applied to gasoline and diesel taxes.

Spaulding says tax collections remain ahead of what they were a year ago, indicating the economic recovery is proceeding slowly but surely.

$5K reward offered for info in armed robbery

MONTPELIER (AP) -- Federal officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the armed robbery of a convenience store in Montpelier.

The Champlain Farms was robbed at gunpoint on Feb. 7. Authorities say the suspect showed a gun and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspect is described as a thin, black male, between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-6 inches tall. Police say he was wearing a ski mask, gloves and a blue hooded sweatshirt with white lettering during the robbery.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Burlington office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or the Montpelier Police Department.