VERGENNES — Several alcohol and drug incidents kept Vergennes police busy as 2016 ended and 2017 began.
During a Jan. 1 patrol Vergennes police found a drunken woman lying face down in the road at the intersection of School and South Maple streets. Police said she refused to identify herself or submit to blood-alcohol content testing, and they took her to the Act 1 detoxification center in Burlington. She was refused admittance there, and police then took her to the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility to sober up.
On Dec. 29 police cited Steven Fleming, 62, of Ferrisburgh for driving under the influence of alcohol. Police allege Fleming failed to stop at two Stop signs before they pulled his vehicle over on Main Street, at which point his breath alcohol content tested at 0.084, just over the legal limit for driving of 0.08. Police said his BAC later tested at 0.062.
On that day Vergennes police also responded on behalf of Vermont State Police to the report of a man passed out behind the wheel of a car on Little Chicago Road in Ferrisburgh; city police helped VSP process the case as a DUI.
On Dec. 28 two motor vehicle stops on Main Street for defective equipment led to enforcement action. City police ticketed one driver for possession of 5.1 grams of marijuana, and issued court-diversion paperwork to a 19-year-old male for possession of alcohol and 10.4 grams of marijuana.
In other action between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, Vergennes police:
•  On Dec. 26 warned a Main Street resident not to make threats on Facebook, an action taken on behalf of Burlington police.
•  On Dec. 27 returned a wallet to its owner; a citizen had turned it in after finding it at Kinney Drug Store.
•  On Dec. 27 and 28 were told pedestrians in Main Street crosswalks had nearly been hit by vehicles; police tried to find the offenders, but could not.
•  On Dec. 28 ticketed three cars in violation of the city’s wintertime ban on overnight parking on city streets.
•  On Dec. 28 were told that suspicious people were walking around looking in car windows; police decided this was not a problem because the incident occurred at Denecker Chevrolet during business hours.
•  On Dec. 29 helped state police by responding to a one-car Route 7 accident on Woodman Hill.
•  On Dec. 29 helped a motorist get into his locked car at the Small City Market.
•  On Dec. 29 and 30 helped the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad and the Vergennes Fire Department at two fires at the same Green Street, Waltham, home (see story in A section).
•  On Dec. 31 ticketed a car in violation of the city’s wintertime ban on overnight parking on city streets.
•  On Dec. 31 calmed a verbal family dispute on Spring Street.
•  On Jan. 1 were informed of a custodial dispute involving city residents and made phone calls in an attempt to resolve it, but learned the parties sorted it out before they had to step in.
•  On Jan. 1 on behalf of one man checked to see if a restraining order was in place on another regarding family members; police learned there was not.