Police: Man four times over legal alcohol limit

BENNINGTON -- State Police said a Shaftsbury man was four times over the legal blood-alcohol limit when they cited him Tuesday morning for his second offense of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to Vermont State Trooper Justin Walker, Jacob Smith, 35, was stopped on Branch Street in Bennington at 12:56 a.m. for a traffic violation. Walker wrote that Smith was taken into custody and processed for DUI. The legal alcohol limit in Vermont is .08 percent. Smith is scheduled to appear in Bennington Superior Court Criminal Division on Jan. 14.

-- Keith Whitcomb Jr.

New Year's Eve crash

BENNINGTON -- Police said no one was injured New Year's Eve when a woman with a suspended drivers license collided with a parked car.

Bennington Police said at 9:45 p.m. Jessica L. Hanshaw, 30, of Bennington, was driving a 2003 Saturn Sport Utility Vehicle east on County Street when for an unknown reason she veered to the right and hit a 2002 Oldsmobile owned by John Scutt, 39, of Bennington. The crash tore off the Saturn's front axle and led to enough damage to consider both vehicles total losses. Police said Hanshaw was ticketed for the crash as well as cited for driving with a suspended license. No one was injured.

The Bennington County Sheriff's Department and Bennington Rescue Squad assisted with the matter.

-- Keith Whitcomb Jr.

Fire destroys auto repair shop in Bellows Falls

BELLOWS FALLS (AP) -- A fire has destroyed an auto repair shop and left one person homeless in Bellows Falls.

The owner of an auto repair shop says he was fixing a car when gas dropped onto a work light, starting the fire on Wednesday.

WCAX-TV reports (http://bit.ly/WNQY6h ) that the shop was destroyed and an adjoining wood-working shop and apartment were heavily damaged.

Everyone in the building got out safely. One firefighter was injured.

The Red Cross says temporary housing has been arranged for the tenant of the apartment, who was displaced by the fire.