By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

COLCHESTER – A massive manhunt for a Fairfax man wanted for near fatal shooting earlier in the day ended Wednesday afternoon when he turned the handgun on himself as police began to close in on him in a wooded area near Creek Farm Road.

Evan Labonte, 24, had been sought since he ambushed Ryan Prue,  28, at close range as he backed his sedan out of the garage at 50 Meadow Lane in Underhill about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, state police said.

The incident began overnight Tuesday when Labonte sent multiple text messages to a former girlfriend, who is now dating Prue, police said.
 
Prue was struck by multiple rounds but managed to return inside the home, where police and rescue crews were summoned.  The intensive manhunt soon began.

The widespread search for Labonte got a break about 10:55 a.m. when Sgt. Rob Sylvia of the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department in an unmarked vehicle spotted Labonte’s car near the Sand Bar State Park on U.S. 2 in Milton.
 
While waiting for sufficient backup support, Deputy Sylvia trailed the gunman to the area of Breezy Acres Trailer Park near Creek Farm Road and U.S. 2 & 7 in Colchester.  Labonte reportedly had a relative in the area.

Labonte was eventually found in a wooded, marshy area between Creek Farm Road and Interstate 89.  The heavy wooded area made it difficult for a state police drone to view Labonte continuously, Capt. Garry Scott said.  Attempts to reach him on his cell were unsuccessful, Scott said.   
 
As officers  including members of the State Police Tactical Services Unit tried to start talking with Labonte from a distance, he was observed placing a handgun to his head.  He fired one shot, killing himself about 2:55 p.m., police said.

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies had converged on the area in an attempt to peacefully apprehend Labonte, State Police spokesman Adam Silverman said.
 
Prue was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington with multiple gunshot wounds, police said Wednesday night.

State police had issued updates and warnings throughout the day urging Colchester residents to remain inside their homes and to lock doors. 

Police warned Labonte might still have the handgun used in the shooting and should be considered armed and dangerous.
 
Labonte was described as a slim white man, about 5-feet-6, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red sweater and low-hanging jeans.

Besides state police and the Chittenden Sheriff’s Office, other police departments involved were Colchester, Burlington, Essex, Milton, Winooski and the University of Vermont and Winooski.  Also the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles; game wardens from the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife; the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
Also assisting were the Colchester and Essex rescue squads; Colchester Technical Rescue; and the Underhill- Jericho Volunteer Fire Department.

​By Lynn Soule, Champlain Islands Fiber Bees
GRAND ISLE - Dog lovers united to support the Grand Isle Food Shelf last week.
The Champlain Islands Fiber Bees, Milton Veterinary Hospital and PetCo in Burlington worked together to donate 25 bags of dog food to keep our local furry friends fed and tails a wagging!
The Grand Isle Food Shelf is located at the Grand Isle Methodist Church, 12 Hyde Road and open on Wednesday’s from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Fiber Bees are currently on hiatus due to COVID-19. We wish for everyone to stay safe and healthy during this time.
Information: Lynn Soule, 802-373-0628 or soulemates01@aol.com

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer
UPDATE 5/16/2020:  The search for Kevin Daskalides ended Friday when he surrendered at the state police barracks in St. Albans. He was taken to the Northwest State Correctional Facility Center for lack of $100,000 bail. He is due for arraignment on Monday in Vermont Superior Court. State police thanked the public for the assistance while seeking Daskalides.

SWANTON -- Kevin Daskalides, 31, of Swanton is being sought on charges of kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault, according to Vermont State Police.
 
A woman, whose name was not released by police, reported on Thursday afternoon she had been held against her will for more than a month, Trooper Ashley Farmer reported.

Daskalides also is wanted on charges of reckless endangerment and interference with access to emergency services, police said.

State police said they were called to Homestead Acres about 2:55 p.m. for a possible domestic assault when a witness reported a man dragging a woman back into a residence.                
 
Troopers were able to get the victim to safety and provide medical support, Farmer said. The victim reported she had been repeatedly assaulted while held against her will for more than a month, police said.
 
The victim received various injuries during the time and was being treated by medical personal, police said.

Farmer said she believes Daskalides is actively avoiding capture. Anybody knowing the whereabouts of Daskalides is asked to call state police at 524-5993.

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

As part of National Law Enforcement Officers Day on Friday, police from throughout Vermont plan to participate in a public silent salute to those that have been killed in the line of duty.

At least 40 local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers from Vermont have died in the line of duty, according to  the Vermont Police Association President Kevin Blongy, an officer with Rutland Police.

On Friday law enforcement officers will pause for one minute during the 11 a.m. hour, said Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel, president of the Vermont Police Chiefs Association.

Emergency dispatchers will send a message to officers to prepare for the moment of silence.   Officers will pull over their police vehicles, or come out of their duty stations, activate the blue lights on their vehicles and salute for one minute.
 
Grand Isle County Sheriff Ray Allen and Franklin County Sheriff Roger Langevin, whose department has lost two deputies in the line of duty, said they officers will participate wherever they are at the time.
Allen said those at the sheriff’s office on U.S. 2 in Grand Isle will go outside for the silent salute.  Those on patrol or other duties will participate in a safe spot.

State Police Lt. Jerry Partin, station commander for Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, said troopers also will be participating in the statewide salute.  Vermont State Police, which was founded in 1947, have lost five troopers in the line of duty, including the most recent police death in 2015.

Among the 40 known fallen officers are: Franklin County Deputy Sheriffs Carlos O. Farnsworth on March 15, 1883 and Otis Gross on Sept. 24, 1934.

Ten deputies sheriffs, including two in Chittenden County, have died statewide.

Other Franklin County residents include James B. Fuller of U.S. Customs on May 7, 1984 and Tammy Aamodt of U.S. Immigration on March 7, 1987.

All the Vermont police leaders stressed that their officers, if in the middle of an emergency, will be excluded.

After the one minute of silence and salute, regular assignments will resume.

Throughout the nation police will be honored in a variety of ways.  President Donald Trump has said blue lights will be used at the White House and Governors are being urged to have flags flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, the police association noted.

The Vermont tradition has been a special event at the police academy in Pittsford each year, but COVID-19 has changed that, Merkel said.

The minute of silence and salute is a new way Vermont law enforcement officers “are choosing to acknowledge this solemn day.  All of Vermont's fallen law enforcement officers deserve to be remembered and honored for giving their lives while in the performance of their duties,” Merkel said.

A small ceremony also is planned  outside the statehouse in Montpelier.  Former Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon and his wife Karen, long-time supporters of Vermont law enforcement, will place a memorial wreath on a stand in front of the Statehouse flagpole at 6:15 a.m., Merkel said. 

Following the wreath placement, the names of Vermont’s fallen officers will be read. Police cruisers will be parked in front of the statehouse with their emergency lights activated.

Gov. Phil Scott will raise the flag and then lower it to half-staff.

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

​ISLE LA MOTTE – The future of the Isle La Motte Elementary School could be on the line Tuesday night during a meeting by the Champlain Islands Unified Union School District School Board.
As of this month the school is projected to have probably 4 students when the doors open in September, however those numbers could change.
The school board wants to hear from residents of the island town on the viability of keeping the doors open, according to Chairman Michael Inners.
The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and the plan is to have it available live through Google chat and a live call-in phone number, Superintendent Michael Clark said.
If Gov. Phil Scott continues to lift restrictions under the COVID-19 scare, the meeting might be open to a small number of Isle La Motte residents.  Access will be posted on the website for the school district and The Islander.  
Principal Amanda Ellison said in a memo that the parents of three future third graders and one future first grader have indicated they want to be at the school. 
Ellison wrote one other student – a future fourth grader -- indicated he or she would transfer if he or she became the oldest child in the building.  That appears will happen, Ellison said.
The school has 13 students currently, but nine appear to be moving on.  Most are headed to the other two elementary schools in the district – North Hero or Grand Isle.
School Director Chet Bromley of Isle La Motte said he hopes that residents will turn out for this important discussion.
During the budget process, two Isle La Motte teachers were eliminated from the budget.  The school is projected to have one teacher, one aide and a part-time custodian.  Instruction for music, art and physical education will come from one of the other district schools one day a week.
Clark said no food service will be prepared onsite for 3 or 4 students, but would be coordinated through delivery from another school.
When the district school board approved a more than $8.3 million annual budget in January to go before voters in the three towns, the issue of the Isle La Motte School was front and center.
Faculty, staff and residents had quizzed the board at the time about whether shutting down the school was due.
The projections at that time for the next school year showed 13 students attending the school with 3 fulltime teaching equivalents (FTE).  Some grades have no students.
Some questioned why Isle La Motte was staying open, but Clark explained that under Act 46 mergers, schools had to remain in operation for four years.
One resident wondered what if all parents opted to have their children go instead to Grand Isle or North Hero and there were no students left in Isle La Motte.  The thought was the ILM teachers could move to help those accepting schools and the district would save with reductions in heat, electricity, water and other expenses.
The board said last year the operation of the ILM School cost about $740,000 out of a total local budget of $1.1 million.
Bromley said at the time he wanted to see the ILM School retained.  He thought the district could take students from other district buildings to help populate the island school.
“I want to keep it viable,” Bromley said at the time. 

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer
SOUTH HERO -- Kim Julow, who has spent 26 years with the South Hero Volunteer Fire Department, including seven years as its chief, is stepping down this week.
Julow, believed to be only the second woman to serve as a fire chief in Vermont – and the only one currently in the state – did not seek re-election during the recent department elections.
Julow told The Islander that she just believes it is time for somebody else to take the reins of the 67-year old department and she did not want to overstay her welcome.
“The department is in a good place,” she said.     
Julow has been at the helm as the department saw a major growth in emergency calls to about 250 fires, accidents and other emergencies a year.  The number of volunteers has doubled under her leadership and training also has expanded.
She also was in charge as the department moved in 2018 from three dilapidated buildings in the village into a new five-bay public safety building that is shared with South Hero Rescue off U.S. 2.
Residents showed their strong support for the volunteer department when they overwhelmingly approved a $1.3 million bond for the new building 567-197 in August 2016.  Hayward Design Build constructed the 6,234 square-foot energy efficient building – owned by the town -- next to the Champlain Islands Health Center.
Firefighter Mike Bishop, who chaired the facilities committee, said Julow is well respected by the department members for her leadership and knowledge.
“Kim understands this was a people business and without people we would not have a department.  Everyone felt they had an open door with her,” Bishop said.
Assistant Chief Patrick Robinson will be moving up to head the department during a low-key installation ceremony Wednesday night. 
The fire department does plan to host a large public send-off for Chief Julow once COVID-19 restrictions on crowds are lifted.
Julow is certified as a state fire instructor through the Vermont Fire Academy in Pittsford and offers different classes to various departments and fire schools across the state, Bishop said.
“We want to thank her for her years of service,” Jonathan Shaw, chairman of the Selectboard, said this week.
He noted Julow took over at a time when fire departments were seeing increased regulations and training requirements.
“She was really there for a time of transition,” Shaw said.  Julow was effective moving from the old style to the new, he said.
Julow, who also serves as the assistant town clerk and assistant town treasurer, plans to continue in those posts.
Julow said the department is more than fire calls.  The department supports community events, including Trunk or Treat at Halloween, the July 4th barbecue and participates in the Christmas Parade. 
In a message to community members, Julow wrote, “Words cannot express how much your support of this department over the years has meant to me and all of the members.”
She added, “You attended our events, responded to our fund letters, more generous than I could have imagined, and always had a kind word of ‘Thank You’ when I would see you out in the community,” she wrote.
Julow also thanked department members.
“Through the years there has been joy and sorrow, celebration and mourning, and laughter and tears. The bonds I have formed with you will last a lifetime,” she wrote.
“I have grown as a person, becoming more self-confident in my abilities to achieve my goals and those I set forth for the department. I have supported and been supported by the people in this department, never more than in the last 3 years,” Julow said.
“In the fire service we talk about the ‘brotherhood’ and how the experiences you share make you closer than ever. This department and the people I have served with are my family. The bond we share will never be broken and I will cherish the memories, both good and bad,” the chief wrote.
“I have no doubt this department will continue to grow and serve the citizens of Grand Isle County in the same professional, skilled and caring way you always have. You make me proud every day and I will smile every time I see the trucks go by knowing you are there to help those in need.”

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

COLCHESTER -- A man who was part of a high-speed police chase through Winooski and Colchester – and that closed part of Interstate 89 -- on Wednesday is a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a Burlington man at his home Sunday night, federal court papers show.

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives filed a criminal complaint against Octavius Allen-Napier, 25, of Winooski on Thursday on charges of illegal possession of a gun by a convicted felon and unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The May 12, 2018 offenses are unrelated to the fatal shooting incident, officials said.

Steven Curtis Martin,  38,  was seriously wounded about 11:30 p.m. Sunday during a shootout at his home on North Street, next to the Dr. John Boardman Fire Station No. 2.  Martin died at the hospital.   Early reports indicated two men had pushed their way into the Martin residence, multiple shots were fired and the two intruders fled in a black car, police said.

A motion seeking to detain Allen-Napier pending trial in the federal case reports that he may be linked to the shooting that left Martin dead in his home.

The ATF reported Allen-Napier was caught Wednesday after a motor vehicle chase that ended in Colchester at the weigh station off the northbound lane of Interstate 89.  The entrance to I-89 in Colchester near the Winooski city line also was shut down for several hours as police searched for clues tossed from his car.

Law enforcement is investigating a couple of cases involving Allen-Napier including “his possible involvement in a shootout involving multiple firearms in a crowded Burlington neighborhood on April 26, 2020 that left one man dead,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles wrote.

Allen-Napier was due in federal court for an afternoon hearing, but he first had a video hearing in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington in the morning to answer a charge of violation of probation for an earlier aggravated assault, records show.  Allen-Napier moved from his apartment at 59 Hickok Street in Winooski earlier this year and never told his probation officer, the charge notes.

The state probation officer, who spoke to Allen-Napier on April 2, said he learned on April 29 the probationer had moved out a few weeks earlier without any notice to the state.  Allen-Napier failed to respond to phone messages and texts.  He also was expected to undergo mental health and anger management screening and risk reduction programming, but the probation officer reported Allen-Napier had failed to fully engage, records show.
 
State Judge John Pacht ordered Allen-Napier, also known as “Keem,” held without bail.  Allen-Napier denied he violated probation. 
 
That caused the postponement of his scheduled 3 p.m. appearance in the federal gun case before U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy in U.S. District Court in Burlington.

Allen-Napier received a 2-to-8 year prison sentence Aug. 23, 2019 for an aggravated assault conviction with all but 375 days suspended.  Judge Kevin Griffith told Allen-Napier, formerly of Philadelphia, he would be supervised by state probation for 6 years.

The fight outside Five Guys restaurant on Church Street netted the victim a broken jaw, missing teeth, a cracked orbital bone (eye socket), and other cuts and bruises, court records show.
 
The ATF reported Allen-Napier has an April 2013 felony conviction for carrying a firearm without a license in Philadelphia.
 
The ATF, Burlington Police and state police have been investigating the shooting.  Burlington Police did report evidence suggests a gunfight with rounds discharged by the victim and the two suspects.  Investigators said they believed the victim and the suspects were known to one another.

Officers tracked the suspect to an address in Winooski on Wednesday, and were monitoring the area when Allen-Napier departed in the car.  Police said they attempted to stop the car, but Allen-Napier ignored officers and instead fled northbound on I-89. The pursuit ended at the Colchester weigh station when the vehicle stopped and officers took the suspect into custody, police said.
 
Investigators collected a large amount of evidence from the location in Winooski, the route of the pursuit, and the suspect’s vehicle, police said.

Interim Burlington Police Chief Jennifer Morrison had praised for the joint team effort by federal, state and city investigators.
 
“The work done on this case by our officers and our partners has been phenomenal,” Morrison said.
 
“From the initial response to the homicide scene by dispatch and patrol, to the past three days of intense investigatory work by BPD’s detectives, VSP investigators, and ATF and DEA agents, these officers have found answers, leveraged technology and relationships, and made our city safer in the process,” Morrison said.

“We still have work to do on this case and we will not let up until we have all the questions surrounding the homicide on Sunday night answered,” she said.

Anybody who has information on the case, including witnessing the pursuit is asked to contact Burlington Police at 658-2704.

​By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer
HIGHGATE – A Colchester driver struck and killed a Highgate woman as she walked her dog Thursday morning, St. Albans Police said.  It was while her husband was making the E-911 call that he determined his wife was the victim, police said.
 
Wendy Lambert, 63 died from her injuries despite the efforts of first responders to perform life saving measures on her, Police Chief Gary Taylor said.

Regon Lowe, 21, of Colchester was identified as the driver, police said.   He was in custody Thursday and investigators were working with State’s Attorney James Hughes on possible criminal charges and a court date, police said.
 
St. Albans Police, which provides law enforcement to Highgate through a contract, received a E-911 phone call about 9:20 a.m. reporting a pedestrian had been struck by a car at Hannah and Durkee Roads in Highgate and had left the scene, Taylor said.

The caller, Michael Lambert, provided a description of the car and operator along with license plate information, as the vehicle’s rear bumper with the license plate attached was torn from the car when it struck a fence in Lambert’s yard, police said.
 
Lambert’s husband while making the E-911 call later determined the vehicle had struck his wife, who was walking their dog, police said. Both were laying on the side of the road, unresponsive, Taylor said.

About five minutes later Vermont State Police radioed they had stopped the suspect vehicle and operator at Fisher Pond Road and Fairfield Street in St. Albans, the chief reported.
 
Lowe reported he was in the area visiting a friend, police said.  Lowe admitted that he was involved in the crash in question, struck the victim and left the scene, Taylor said.
 
St. Albans Officers were assisted by state police at the crash scene and with the apprehension of the suspect.

​By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer 
ALBURGH – The annual Alburgh Village Meeting is expected to be postponed when the village trustees meet on Tuesday evening.
The village – like other communities in the wake of deadly COVID-19 virus – believes it needs to delay the May 5 annual meeting and vote, Trustee Chair Cheryl Dunn told The Islander.
She said a formal vote by the trustees is needed to pull the plug on the meeting that was legally warned for May 5 at the municipal offices on North Main Street.
The trustees plan a brief meeting at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday to approve the delay and also cover a few other pressing issues, including an update on the water tower, Dunn said.
No new annual meeting date is proposed. Much will depend on Gov. Phil Scott’s relaxation of his Executive Orders due to COVID-19, Dunn said.
The annual meeting is expected to include election of a village clerk, a treasurer, a trustee, a delinquent tax collector and two auditors.  The ballot items also will include raising $22,985 in local taxes to cover annual expenses, including streetlights.

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

MONTPELIER -- Vermont State Colleges System Chancellor Jeb Spaulding said this morning that he has pulled the plug on his proposal to shutdown college campuses in Johnson, Lyndon and Randolph Center.
 
Spaulding had proposed shifting liberal arts at Johnson and Lyndon to Castleton University in Rutland County.  In addition, the longtime Vermont Technical College campus in Randolph Center would close and programs moved to its campus in Williston.
 
“Our Board of Trustees heard loud and clear from thousands of students, employees, communities, and the State’s elected leadership and determined that my recommendations would be damaging on many levels and would not be acceptable.  I accept their judgement,” Spaulding said in his announcement.

The move came after the state college trustees held an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening.  It was actually a continuation of a meeting that began on Monday and was filled with comments from students, faculty and staff.

More than 26,000 people signed an online petition over three days following Spaulding’s proposal being made public on Friday.

“Indications are positive that the State leaders will be assisting us to get through the immediate problem, although we are not sure of exactly how at this time, said Spaulding, a former state treasurer and ex-state senator from Washington County.

Gov. Phil Scott at his regular news conference on Monday was cautious about the news. Scott said the lack of revenue and the ongoing declining pool of possible students remain serious concerns.
Scott said the financial pressures from the deadly COVID-19 virus also remain on the table as Vermont tries to rebound.  
​
The Governor had questions about the plan, including the financial impact on Central Vermont by closing the Randolph campus and moving it to Chittenden County, which is doing well financially.  He said he would like to try to protect the more rural areas.

Scott pledge to work with all parties -- his cabinet, the legislature, the faculty, staff and alumni of the state colleges, local community and business leaders and others -- to see what might be done.
 
Spaulding apparently agreed with some of the thoughts by the Governor.

“I am taking this action with strident caution that the current configuration of the Vermont State Colleges is not sustainable; it cannot continue for long. Through whatever process we define a more workable solution to this problem, it will surely be disruptive to the VSC’s current mix of 4 colleges and universities and 5 campuses.”

Spaulding, a former state treasurer, added he will begin work immediately to formulate a new proposal, which will include seeking input from the Legislature, the administration, and community and campus leaders.
 
Board Chair J. Churchill Hindes of Colchester said the trustees will continue to work in the coming months on the issue with Gov. Scott, the legislature and others.
 
“Decisiveness during particularly urgent times is a critical element of sound leadership and is especially difficult when that sense of urgency is not widely shared or understood,” he said.