Before he got into politics, he was in the Army. With Bernie Looking On, Ben & Jerry's Scoopers Announce Progress in Union Talks, 1. Keep it Clean. Louras won by a landslide and hasn't lost a race since. I can't get past the recognition of how much more it could have impacted Rutland had it continued," Louras said. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, said in October. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Deputies investigating church donation box burglary, Flooding closes multiple roads in Canajoharie, 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Neighbors swimming, 05/01/2023: Exercise for your umbrella and wipers, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day. Goodbye, Off Message Blog. Louras said. Peter Shumlin was among the first to declare that his state would welcome the Syrians. He was born and raised in the city he has led for the past decade through multiple police scandals, record-setting blood drives, opiate-related urban blight and countless Rut-Vegas jokes. Chris Louras shot up the police station on Wales Street around 5:30 a.m., firing multiple times into the buildings front entrance and then fleeing the scene. However, Donovan wouldnt discuss that while the murder investigation is still underway in Addison County. guiltless if they hurt or kill another person while trying to protect their own Champlain St. Ste. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. President Donald Trump has capped U.S. refugee admissions for fiscal year 2018 at 45,000 people.Amila Merdzanovic, director of the Vermont Refugee, The Burlington area is a hub for refugees and immigrants in Vermont, but area officials and businesses are concerned about this population shrinking., announced the city would become Vermonts newest resettlement community, announced Vermont would open its doors to Syrian refugees. "Agenda 21," Louras casually explained to a puzzled visitor. Police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Rutland, Vermont. Police had always suspected that Christopher Louras killed his cousin. The discovery came as investigators followed up on a police shootout in Rutland earlier that day, that left his cousin, Christopher Louras, 33, of Rutland, dead. When he first left city hall, Louras worked briefly as a union representative, then for his family business, a tobacco and candy wholesaler in Rutland that the family recently sold after 75 years. It was standing room only at the Godnick Adult Center, where more than 120 local Rutlanders were hammering officials from the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program about a plan to bring 100 Syrians to their city. Former Rutland Herald editor Randal Smathers remembered seeing several people at that press conference who were not applauding. "We don't have a jobs problem," Louras said. Three are from Rutland City, one was from Rutland Town. Christopher G. Louras, 33, was killed Tuesday after exchanging gunfire in downtown Rutland on the morning of Oct. 8 following a short pursuit in the Rutland Shopping Plaza parking lot, police said. Anyone who may have information about the incident, including and photos or videos, should contact the Vermont State Police in Rutland at 802-773-9101. And for someone who was very much in the public eye, he's not anymore. A graveside service will be held in the spring of 2017 in Evergreen Cemetery.Donations in Mr. Louras memory may be made to the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 8 Cottage St., Rutland VT 05701.Arrangements are by the Clifford Funeral Home. Trapeni was incensed at what he called the secrecy of the way resettlement was rolled out. The family patriarch came to Rutland in search of all the same things the Syrians want today: justice, religious freedom, security and work. Even if he was clearly avoiding the microphone, Mayor Chris Louras wasn't hiding. Separately, Chris Louras mother, Crystal King, told NBC5, that she and Chris grandmother, Mary, loved the young man dearly and miss him every day. My issue is process. They engaged in secrecy for one simple reason they feared that involving the public sooner would derail the effort. The city had become a defacto property manager, picking up the garbage and mowing lawns. Thanks for reading. Soon afterward, officials from Middlebury, Woodstock, Warren, Waitsfield, Brattleboro, Bennington and other communities reached out to VRRP, offering to help. Smathers, who is now the director of the Rutland Free Library, said he fully supported the idea of bringing in refugees. Be Nice. He said he's grateful to have the job. 5, 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The Rutland City and Rutland Town police officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave. They ask that anyone with information call the state police in Rutland at 802-773-9101. Although his parents weren't much into politics, his uncle Peter Louras had served for years on the board. click here. If he wins reelection he told Seven Days he will run for a new two-year term in 2017 he will be the longest-serving mayor in Rutland history. Cloudy with showers. But that didn't mean they understood why 55-year-old Louras would risk his reputation, and possibly his job, for this. post your listing. Gov Phil Scott, speaking at his weekly press conference last Wednesday, said the deaths may be tied to drugs. The man killed in the officer involved shooting has been identified as Christopher Louras, 33, of Rutland. Last year, the city paid $975,000 to settle claims from a former African American Rutland police officer who said he was a victim of racial bias from fellow officers. We consider this matter now closed, announced Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan, who added that he does not consider the way Louras died to be the way the totality of his life should be judged. A complete obituary will appear in a later edition of the herald. Two Buildings That Straddle the Canadian Border Bedevil Tenants and a Health Inspector, 7. "He's a go-at-it alone person. The organization knew little about Rutland, and had never considered the city as a possible destination, director Amila Merdzanovic said. person will not be tolerated. 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Louras wielded an "AR-15-style" gun, Trudeau said. Rochester Grocery Store to Close, Leaving Residents in the Lurch, 6. Shooting Victim Found on Downtown Burlington Sidewalk, 3. At the time, he referred all questions to the city's attorney. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. ", "How much pushback do you need?" His cousin, Nicholas Louras, 34, of Rutland, suffered gunshot wounds to his head and neck and died within seconds, his death certificate filed Tuesday stated. Burlington Chief Threatened to Arrest Doc Who Was Treating Gunshot Victim, Hospital Says, 7. Rutland and Burlington are the only two Vermont cities in which an elected mayor functions as the day-to-day chief executive officer. Despina N. Louras, 91, of Rutland, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, January 27, 2013, at Mountain View Center. I was like, wow, what was he thinking, doing it that way?. RUTLAND, Vt (NEWS10) Police officers in Rutland, Vermont shot and killed a man they say fired shots at the Rutland City Police Department building Tuesday morning then drove off. entrance of the Rutland City Police Department. There was a pursuit, a few hundred yards. In 2010, Vermont State Police charged a Rutland police sergeant for viewing pornography on his work computer and removing a pornographic video from the police evidence locker. We've chosen to freeze the video before it shows 33- year-old Christopher Louras fall after getting struck by police bullets. But I'm not at the point where I'm willing to self-reflect, especially with a microphone., As to whether he regretted the way he handled the refugee resettlement issue, he was quick to say "no. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dalton Beitel death, obituary: Florida Southern college student death cause. But, if enough of his constituents disagree, Louras knows he may not be in office to see his vision come to fruition. In 2016, Chris Louras, Rutland's then-mayor, announced that the city would welcome 100 refugees from war-torn Syria. No civilians or officers were injured in the gunfire. So besides the three refugee families that moved to Rutland, Louras is probably the one whos seen his life change the most because of how resettlement played out in this city. "Rutland has been addressing our issues, and, having turned our community around, this is the next logical step to embrace New Americans and enjoy the economic and cultural benefits that level of diversity will provide," Louras said in an earlier interview. Footage from a police cruisers dashboard camera, obtained by NECN Tuesday, shows a chase through a popular shopping areas parking lot in downtown Rutland on Oct. 8. VTDigger covers criminal justice issues including Vermont legal issues, Vermont courts and the Vermont Department of Corrections. Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Donovan and Kennedy said the officers actions were legally justified under the states self-defense rules, which consider someone guiltless if they hurt or kill another person while trying to protect their own life or someone elses. Rutland Nicholas N. Louras, 89, passed away on November 12, 2016 at Rutland Regional Medical Center. home/garden UVM Student Wins Inaugural Nonbinary Division at Boston Marathon, 6. He traced it back to 2008 and 2009 during the sub-prime mortgage crisis, when out-of-state property owners began defaulting on multi-family homes in Rutland. We have too many things on our plate already. The cousins death is still under investigation in Addison County, Donovan said. Bree Johnley death, obituary: Bree Isabel Johnley death what happened? But the 58-year-old said the pushback he got on refugees was different, fueled in part by the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the 2016 presidential campaign. Mayor Allaire voiced his full support for the men and women of the Rutland Police Department, and thanked them for their work in a high-stress and highly dangerous situation to prevent further loss of life. "He's not by any means your standard slick politician. Oct 29, 2019 1 Christopher George Louras RUTLAND Christopher George Louras, died at age 33. Get up to speed on the news Vermont is talking about, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. A recent afternoon saw Louras grappling with a problem that would be unimaginable in Burlington reducing his city's housing stock. Louras brought this no-nonsense style to city hall, but not everyone loved it. Louras privately lobbied the VRRP to choose Rutland, then spent months quietly laying the groundwork for the refugees' arrival without seeking approval from the board of alderman, or even telling most city officials what he was up to. Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland), who was then House minority leader, said Louras was "intense." And he succeeded. post your listing. Concluding that he's a "technocrat, not a politician," he returned to Rutland and rebranded himself as a nonpartisan fixer. "I think a lot of people thought they were voting for my uncle Pete," Louras said. Be Proactive. Vermont State Police have said they are not looking for any other suspects in Nicholas Louras death at this time, though the killing has called a homicide. Jasper Craven covers politics for VTDigger. "I think someone could make hay with that.". He told Notte and a few local business leaders about the refugees but left the rest of the board, along with the city's legislative delegation and his constituents, in the dark. Mr. Louras was owner of Nick Louras Auto Body Shop. High 57F. Don't just lay it on everybody and say, 'I know better, and that's it.'". Christopher Louras death, obituary: 33 year old Christopher G. Louras was killed Tuesday in an early morning Rutland Vermont shooting with officers. If GE were to leave the city of Rutland, it would be solely due to a lack of workforce.. My concern is: What's the plan?" "When these folks start coming into our community we'd love to work with them. We had too much housing stock and not enough people to fill it.". Drugs are believed to be a factor in the Louras cousins deaths, as Gov. That didn't sit well. life or someone elses. passed away on April 19, 2023. These days, however, politics are notably absent from his private sector job managing a local distribution business. He reports on criminal justice issues for VTDigger. Nick was a 1945 graduate of Rutland High School. Letter to the editor: Lots of help to pay for heat pumps, Letter to the editor: Response to trash-talking trash talk, Letter to the editor: Overdue due process in Wallingford, Letter to the editor: School building maintenance mismanaged, Don Keelan: Its time to have Efficiency Vermont stand alone, John McClaughry: Pay attention to corporate climate profiteering, Vermont Democratic Party files complaint against True North Radio, alleging failure to disclose lobbying activity, Senate votes to authorize sale of Caledonia County airport, Final Reading: Taylor Small speaks out against the silencing of Zooey Zephyr, a friend and fellow transgender lawmaker, With reproductive shield bills, Vermont lawmakers seek to be a beacon of hope for transgender patients, State programs help towns express their character through public art, David Moats: Six years later, remember the lessons of the Womens March, Final Reading: Senate panel rejects proposal to change the color of snowplow lights, Vermont Senate gives preliminary approval to its $8.5 billion budget plan, Final Reading: Senate passes overdose prevention bill but other legislation lags, Rutland cousins both died of gunshot wounds to the head, records say. For that, Louras is supposed to answer for the actions of city employees including the police. Former Rutland mayor Christopher Louras sits at home with his dog, Raye. Louras grew up three blocks from Rutland City Hall in a Greek Orthodox family with deep roots in the city. Literally. She can be reached at ehewitt@vtdigger.org. ((He's got a gun!)) Police say the man they killed was Christopher Louras, 33, the son of former Rutland Mayor Chris Louras. Nick Louras, 34, of Rutland, was found dead of gunshot wounds off Route 53 in Salisbury last October. A Rutland man who died last week in a shootout with police and his cousin whose body was found in Salisbury the same day were both killed by gunshot wounds to the head, according to state records released Tuesday. Rutland Nicholas N. Louras, 89, passed away on November 12, 2016 at Rutland Regional Medical Center.Nick Louras was born July 2, 1927, in Rutland, son of Nicholas and Amalia (Alexandrides) Louras. Like his predecessors dating back to the 1970s, Louras has focused on Rutland's economy, which started declining when local industries mills, quarries and a railroad shut down. Louras was one of only two Republicans who signed onto the bill, which former Republican governor Jim Douglas vetoed. Show me the plan. "It dilutes American culture; it sucks up welfare; it creates crime and racial and ethnic animosity.". Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. RUTLAND, Vt. . home/garden Refugees are needy folks, said former Rutland City Treasurer Wendy Wilton. He lost a reelection bid in a four-way Town Meeting Day race in March 2017 to David Allaire. Vermont State Police, the agency heading the investigation in both deaths, have not released any information in either case since Thursday. Separately, Chris Louras's mother says she and his grandmother loved her son dearly and miss him every day. He was a member of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Rutland Elks Lodge. deaths, as Gov. The scene in Salisbury is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Rutland. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But it wasnt until late 2015, when former Governor Peter Shumlin announced Vermont would open its doors to Syrian refugees, that Louras saw an opportunity to act on his idea. Police said Christopher Louras shot out the window at the police. A year from now, Louras envisions dozens of refugees renting apartments, filling jobs, and opening businesses. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Those are the big ones with two rotors. A bitter divorce left him with full custody of the couple's two sons (who now have two young stepsiblings the result of Louras' second marriage, to Judith). Although the two remain close, she said, "When he makes up his mind, he goes full bore. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. "And we don't do that in America.". Chris, the youngest of three children born to Gus and Ruth, chose a different path. Louras has given very few interviews since he left office in 2017. Police later located the white Ford Focus around 7 a.m. near the Walmart in the downtown shopping plaza. The man killed in the officer involved shooting has been identified as Christopher Louras, 33, of Rutland. Christopher George Louras RUTLAND Christopher George Louras, died at age 33. John attended The Millbrook S to oust the incumbent mayor in March 2017. get the three families we did into Rutland. This year, there will be an estimated 60 million refugees and displaced people worldwide. All the while, the man responsible for the controversy stood silently in the back of the room, his wife and young son by his side for moral support. VTDigger publishes stories about Vermont environmental issues, including water quality, toxic waste, climate change and biodiversity. I kid him about it. He stumbles over his words; sometimes he doesn't come up with the words he's looking for. said State Rep. Peter Fagan (R-Rutland). Vermont State Police say Louras drove by the police station around 5:30 a.m. and fired . 255 So. Following high school, he served in the US Air Force in the Korean War as an Airplane Mechanic. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WPTZ-TV. Nina Keck/VPR. Theres no way we can possibly afford this.. "I'm sure there are some in the community who are concerned about the refugees themselves. Published June 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. police officers who shot and killed the son of Rutlands former mayor back in You have permission to edit this article. Their names are expected to be released Wednesday, Oct. 9. We cover state elections, the Vermont Legislature, the governors office, state agencies and major political parties. It has quietly funneled most refugees who arrived in Vermont Bosnians, Somalians, Bhutanese, Congolese, Burmese and Iraqis to Burlington and Winooski. There were no injuries to police or other civilians. "There was a considerable. "Not a lot I can learn from that guy!" Make a one-time, tax-deductible donation to our spring campaign by May 12. He also owns the adjacent tobacco shop at 15 Center Street. Will the State Pony Up? Right in Rutland: Will Mayor Chris Louras Fall on His Sword for 100 Syrians? homes for sale Other contributing factors to his death, the document stated, were gunshot wounds to his torso and extremities. Allaire's optimistic a focus on addressing substance use disorders and forming neighborhood partnerships can help strengthen his community after the encounter many here say really rattled Rutland. Im looking into how aging in Vermont impacts living essentials such as jobs, health care and housing. Da Capo Publishing, Inc. Christopher Louras is the son of former Rutland mayor Christopher C. Louras. It is unclear if a public vote will happen, or, if it does, whether anyone in power will care about its result. Controversy erupted, and Taylor returned to document it. "Now should I be looking at the positive? Does Lauzon take his own advice? The Vermont State Police learned that a mans body was discovered off of Vermont Route 53, also known as Lake Dunmore Road, in Salisbury. A key part of the plan is allowing refugees from Syria and other Middle East countries to infiltrate America, confiscate land, and set up fundamentalist Islamic control. I don't understand how the planning process works for this. Acting unilaterally, however, may have jeopardized his laudable gambit. He's all over town," said Tom Huebner, president of Rutland Regional Medical Center a Rutland native who has known Louras for decades. Louras relationship with the board had always been contentious, and this wasnt the first time he had gone around them to get something done. Louras is adamantly opposed to a vote.

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