Monday, March 9, 2015

WVTK Local & State News March 9, 2015

Five School Budgets failed last week during Town Meeting and now those districts are working on new proposals. The Vergennes Union High School board will meet tonight at 6 o’clock in the school library to consider its next move. Its $10.47 million budget proposal lost, 831-718. School Board members in Ferrisburgh will be meeting on Thursday Night at 6 o’clock to start the process of trimming down the budget for next year. And spending proposals for Mount Abraham Union High School, Monkton Central School and Bristol Elementary School were all defeated on Town Meeting Day. The Bristol Elementary board will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m., the Mount Abraham board will meet tomorrow night at 6:30, and the Monkton Central School board will meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

A Rutland Police probationary officer is suspended after being arrested for drunk driving. Police say Justin Barrell's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit when he was pulled over early Saturday morning. Barrell was hired as a probationary officer last fall, and began the full time police academy last month. An internal investigation into Barrell's arrest is now being conducted by Rutland Police.

Former Vermont Governor Ray Keyser passed away at the age of 88. Keyser was elected governor in 1960 and only lasted a single term. The Republican was Vermont's youngest governor when he was elected at the age of 34. When he lost to Democrat Phil Hoff in 1962, it marked the end of more than a century of control of the governor's office by Republicans. He also had the distinction of being the only state governor to be alive 50 years after leaving office.

A new survey indicates that Vermont residents have plenty of state pride. The Movoto real estate blog places Vermont seventh out of the 50 states in measuring state pride. The site used Facebook and determined what percentage of the population of each state liked their home state, and Vermont scored very well. The state atop the pride list is Ohio, while California is 50th and last.