by VDC staff

A former substitute teacher at Barre Town Middle and Elementary School is facing charges after allegedly being high on cocaine while at work.

According to the Times-Argus, Melissa Ann Martin, 42, of East Corinth, pleaded not guilty this week in Washington County criminal court to misdemeanor counts of cocaine possession and reckless endangerment. She was released under conditions barring her from school property.

Barre Town Police Officer Thatcher Morrison, the school’s resource officer, said a staff member called him to the principal’s office on Oct. 1 to assist with a teacher showing signs of drug use. Morrison said Martin appeared impaired, with rapid speech, erratic movements, and a heart rate of 130 beats per minute—symptoms consistent with cocaine use. He said it appeared she had used the drug during the school day.

Richford man dies after crash into house
A 75-year-old Richford man died Thursday after his pickup truck struck a house on Troy Street near Farrar Street. Vermont State Police said Edward Doyle was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado eastbound when his vehicle veered off the right side of the road and sideswiped a house before coming to rest in the intersection.

Investigators believe Doyle suffered a medical event before the crash, and that the fatality was not caused by the collision itself. Doyle was taken to Northwestern Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Suspicious death investigated in Sheldon
The Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit is investigating the suspicious death of a 55-year-old man in the Franklin County town of Sheldon.

First responders were called early Tuesday morning, Oct. 7, to a home on Bedard Road for a report of an unresponsive man. The victim, identified as Matthew Turner, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy conducted Oct. 8 at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined the death appears suspicious.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Albans Barracks or submit an anonymous tip at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

Missing Canaan man found safe in Quebec
An 84-year-old Canaan man who had been reported missing was found safe Tuesday evening in Quebec.

Police said Jean Claude Fauteux was located alive and well around 5 p.m. in St. Hermenegilde by the Quebec Provincial Police and RCMP. He was medically cleared and reunited with his family in Canaan.

Bomb threat at St. Johnsbury facility deemed not credible
A bomb threat that prompted an evacuation Wednesday morning at the Weidmann Electrical Technology facility in St. Johnsbury was determined to be not credible.

The threat, discovered in a bathroom around 9:30 a.m., led to a precautionary search by police and fire crews. No explosives were found, and the business reopened later that day.

Vergennes man cited in vehicle theft case
A Vergennes man has been cited for taking a vehicle from a New Haven towing company without paying for services.

State police said Daniel Sabourin, 48, removed a vehicle from Midd State Towing’s lot on Oct. 3 without settling his bill. He was cited to appear in Addison County Superior Court on Dec. 1.

School bus, car collide in Waitsfield
No injuries were reported after a school bus and a car collided Thursday afternoon in Waitsfield.

Police said a 2022 Freightliner bus driven by Avery Long was turning left from Carroll Road onto Main Street when it failed to yield and struck a southbound 2014 Chevrolet Volt driven by Kirsten Seibert.

There were no passengers on the bus, and both drivers were checked by EMS before the scene was cleared.