ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police last week cited two minors — one from Leicester, one from Brandon — for second-degree arson involving an Aug. 16 fire in Benson.
On Aug. 16, firefighters from the Benson, Orwell and West Haven fire departments put out five separate fires at the former Camp E-Wen-Akee on Root Pond Road in Benson. The state police’s initial investigation has determined that these fires were intentionally set.
There were no injuries as a result of this fire and damage is estimated to be under $25,000 at this time.
Last Tuesday VSP said they had cited a 17-year-old male from Brandon and a 15-year-old male from Leicester. They are due to answer the charges of second-degree arson in Rutland District Court on Oct. 29.
Anyone with any information regarding this fire is asked to contact the VSP at 802-773-9101 or the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program toll-free at 1-800-32-ARSON (1-800-322-7766).
In other recent activity, VSP troopers:
•  Reported that on Sept. 18 at 3:10 a.m. the Orwell Village School was broken into and several laptop computers were stolen. Thieves gained entry through a window and damaged several doors and windows inside the building. Anyone with information is asked to contact the VSP at the New Haven barracks at 388-4919. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS.
•  On Sept. 18 at approximately 1:39 p.m. received a complaint from a U-Haul company representative that a 1991 5-foot-by-8-foot enclosed U-Haul trailer had been stolen from a rental facility off Route 7 in Ferrisburgh between Aug. 24 and Aug. 26. The trailer is valued at approximately $6,000. Anyone with information is asked to contact the VSP.
•  On Sept. 18 at 8:12 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Christopher Cardarelli, 28, of Hinesburg on Route 116 in Bristol for failing to stop for a stop sign. During the stop, Cardarelli was found to be in possession of marijuana. The trooper cited Cardarelli for possession of marijuana.
•  On Sept. 19 at approximately 11:45 a.m. responded to a two-vehicle accident on Mason Hill North in Starksboro. Police said Christina Addington, 30, of Starksboro was attempting to maneuver the Chevrolet Impala she was driving around a tractor driven by Anthony Porter, 41, of Bristol when the tractor struck the Impala. The trooper issued Addington a traffic ticket for driving with a suspended license.
•  On Sept. 20 at approximately 1:41 a.m. stopped a car driven by Adam J. Houle, 22, of Brandon for a traffic violation on West Ridge Terrace in Rutland and cited him for driving under the influence of alcohol.
•  On Sept. 20 at approximately 7:30 a.m. responded to a two-vehicle accident on Route 74 in Cornwall. The trooper reported that Patrick O’Brien, 25, of Holden, Mass., failed to stop the Ford van he was driving at a stop sign and was struck head on by  a Honda Civic driven by Brie Patterson, 50, of Shoreham. Both drivers were transported to Porter Hospital, and the trooper issued O’Brien a traffic ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign.
•  On Sept. 20 at 4:08 p.m. responded to a crash in Orwell in which a truck hit a school bus. Police reported that Scott Charbonneau, 46, of Brandon was driving a Chevy truck eastbound on Singing Cedars Lane and turning at a Y intersection onto Old Stage road when, looking the opposite direction before turning, he struck a school bus that was in the process of turning onto Singing Cedars Lane. Neither the school bus driver, identified as Michael Downey, 59, of Orwell, nor any of the nine children on the bus required medical attention. Although Charbonneau’s truck was totaled, he did not require medical attention either.
•  On Sept. 20 at 9:26 p.m. responded to a one-car accident on Panton Road in Panton. Police said that Nathan Luong, 19, of Panton was driving a Mitsubishi Eclipse eastbound on Panton Road when, he later told police, he struck a bump in the road due to the construction, lost control of the vehicle causing the Eclipse to run off the south side of the road, flip end over end, and come to rest in a field. Both Luong and his 22-year-old male passenger were transported to Porter Hospital in Middlebury, where they were treated and released. Both were wearing seat belts. The car sustained contact damage to the front end, back end, doors and windshield and was considered totaled. Trooper Doxsee reported that speed was a leading factor in the crash, and criminal charges were pending.
•  On Sept. 21 at approximately 8:46 a.m. received a report of the theft of a Husqvarna chainsaw from the back of a truck parked at a residence on Martin Hill Road in Orwell. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the VSP.
•  On Sept. 21 received a report that someone had broken into a vehicle at the Snake Mountain hiking trail parking area on Mountain Road in Addison. The driver’s side window was broken out of the victim’s vehicle and a handbag was stolen between 1:30 and 3:45 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact the VSP.
•  On Sept. 21 at 5:08 p.m. responded to a two-vehicle collision on Route 7 in New Haven near the Middlebury line. The trooper reported that Justin Landry, 23, of Dorset was driving a 2003 motorcycle northbound when he failed to maintain his proper lane of travel and collided with the oncoming 2002 van driven by David Pistilli, 52, of Middlebury. Neither driver was injured, according to the police report, but Landry’s motorcycle was totaled.
•  On Sept. 22 at 2:02 a.m. cited Brian Mattison, 38, of Starksboro for driving under the influence of alcohol on Route 7 in New Haven.
•  On Sept. 23 at around 6:50 p.m. responded to a traffic accident on Route 22A in Panton about three-quarters of a mile from the Vergennes line. The trooper said his initial investigation showed that Bill Baker Sr., 64, of Bristol was driving a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it collided with the right side of a trailer that was being towed by a big rig driven by Matthew Rowe, 49, of Colby, Wis., causing damage to the right side mirror and front fender of the Jeep. After the crash Rowe failed to stop and continued north on Route 22A. Shelburne police later stopped Rowe and escorted him back to Vergennes. Speed and alcohol are not being considered as contributing factors. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact the VSP.
•  On Sept. 24 at 5:43 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Aaron Bilodeau, 26, of Whiting on Swamp Road in Cornwall because the vehicle was not displaying an inspection sticker. The trooper said he found drugs in the car and he cited Bilodeau for possession of heroin and marijuana.
•  On Sept. 24 cited Timothy Alan Cousino, 32, of Bristol for unlawful mischief in a case of the cutting and attempted theft of a road sign on Route 116 in Bristol.