Free Christmas Trees At Lebanon Police Department

Lebanon — Free to good homes: leftover Christmas trees. The Lebanon Sacred Heart Church is giving away unsold trees from its annual Christmas tree sale to anyone in need this holiday season. The trees are now located in the front of the Lebanon police station at 36 Poverty Lane, to the right of the parking lot. They are available on a first come, first served basis.

Police Release IdentityOf Woman Found on Vermont Road

Arlington, Vt. — Police have released the name of a 42-year-old woman whose body was found on a Vermont road.

State police identified the woman as Karen Boonchuilier, of Arlington, on Saturday evening. Police are continuing to investigate what they consider a “suspicious death.”

Police responded to a Friday morning report of a dead body found at 182 Warm Brook in Arlington, a small community of about 2,300 people located about 27 miles north of Massachusetts.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police said a preliminary review shows it was an isolated incident and there’s no apparent danger to the public.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Vermont State Police at 802-442-5421.

Study: Several Vermont Bumblebee Species Are Declining

Colchester, Vt. — A new study finds that about half of Vermont’s native species of bumblebees are in serious decline or have disappeared.

Vermont Public Radio reported that the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and the University of Vermont point to factors including pesticide use the climate change.

The study released this month also said possible reasons for the bumblebees’ decline could include changes in land use and the introduction of non-native bee species. Bees thrive in grasslands. Vermont Center for Ecostudies conservation biologist Kent McFarland said as Vermont has re-forested and developed, it has limited where bees can live.

McFarland said changes in land management could slow the decline of bumblebee species. That includes planting wildflowers along roadways and cutting down on unnecessary mowing.

Study Tracks College Attainment Of 6,000 Vermonters

An ongoing study is finding disparities among nearly 6,000 Vermonters who graduated in 2012.

The nonprofit Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s study’s latest results show 34 percent of students received a two- or four-year college degree within four years of graduating high school.

Just 46 percent of first-generation male students who started full-time at a 4-year school completed their degrees within four years. Rural counties had lower rates of students going to college.

Overall, graduates immediately enrolled at a four-year school at a higher average rate than the nation or region. Vermont’s college completion rate also exceeded the national average.

But more Vermont students dropped out without a degree than the nation on average The study examines enrollment data and 2012 survey completed by 84 percent of Class of 2012 seniors.

— Staff and wire reports