Thursday, March 5, 2015

WVTK Local & State News March 5, 2015

Across the state 20 school budgets were defeated on Town Meeting Day including 5 budgets in our area. Residents rejected spending plans for Vergennes Union High School and Ferrisburgh Central School in the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union, and three schools in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union: Mount Abraham Union High School, Monkton Central School and Bristol Elementary School. Meanwhile, the UD-3 School budget of $17,287,008 was approved. The UD-3 School District includes Middlebury, Bridport, Cornwall, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

During a press conference yesterday, Bill Beaney, Head Coach of the Middlebury College Men’s Hockey Team, announced that he was stepping down as Head Coach of the team. Beaney has been with the program for 28 seasons and said he would like to explore some other options in hockey, possibly USA Hockey. His Middlebury teams have won eight NCAA Division III titles, including an NCAA record five in a row between 1995 and 1999. His record at Middlebury stands at 516-184-51. His total coaching record is 602-257-59. He is just one of a dozen NCAA coaches to earn 600 wins, and retires as the career leader in NCAA D-III. Beaney say he will remain with the college as the men’s golf coach, a physical education instructor, a teacher of a winter-term course, and what he called a mentor of other coaches in the Middlebury athletic department.

State Police are continuing to search for a missing Connecticut mother who disappeared during a visit to Vermont in January. More than a dozen police divers braved bitter cold waters yesterday and searched Otter Creek in Cornwall for Denise Hart. The creek is not far from where Hart's vehicle was found on fire, days before she was reported missing. Police wrapped up their search yesterday afternoon without finding any clues.

A Vermont state trooper is under investigation on suspicion of driving under the influence. Assistant Attorney General John Treadwell confirmed today that trooper Eric Rademacher of the Rutland barracks is being investigated. The state says Rademacher was placed on paid leave on Monday. Vermont State Police Director Colonel Tom L'Esperance said the case will be fully investigated by the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Attorney General's office.