WVTK Local & State News April 9, 2015

A bill that would have banned teachers from going on strike is no longer under consideration. The Vermont House yesterday reduced the bill from a ban to a task force that will study the issue. The task force must report their recommendations to the legislature this fall. The failure came after a heavy effort by the state teachers union, and also opposition from House leadership.

A lottery ticket worth $100,000 was sold at Middlebury Beef. The ticket was for the Gimme 5 Game’s yesterday drawing. The drawings for the Gimme 5 game are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 pm and the top prize for that game is $100,000. The winning number from last night were 02-13-14-17-27. Vermont Lottery games are sold at 700 agents and instant ticket vending machines locations throughout the state. Profits from Vermont Lottery support the Vermont Education Fund.

The Mary Hogan Elementary School Budget passed last night at the annual ID-4 School District Meeting. During last night’s meeting the roughly 150 residents that showed up also to change the date for future ID-4 annual meetings to the first Tuesday in March, and decided to vote on future Mary Hogan Elementary spending plans by Australian ballot, instead of from the floor of the annual meeting.

Ben and Jerry's is leading a group of Vermont businesses supporting a state carbon pollution tax. The measure would allow the state to levy a tax of 50-dollars per metric ton of carbon pollution. Chris Miller of Ben and Jerry's testified before the House Committee on Natural resources and Energy yesterday. Miller testified that there's an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions.

Residents in the Bristol School District will go to the polls next Tuesday to try once again at approving a school spending plan for the next school year. Voters back in March turned down a $4.9-million proposed budget. Since then, school board members have cut $2,700 from the original proposal and restored some instructional positions targeted to be cut by reducing spending in other areas. There will be an informational session Monday Night at 7 pm at Holley Hall to go over the changes to the proposed spending plan. The polls will be open from 9 am to 7 pm at Holley Hall Tuesday, April 14th.

Moriah town leaders are hoping a proposed multi-million dollar hydroplant can bring the town full circle. The proposed hydoplant will be built at the site of the Abandoned Mines in the hamlet of Mineville. When the mines closed in 1971, Moriah lost 60% of its tax base. There is a proposal now in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The project would cost $264 million to build across from the Town Highway Garage in Mineville. Officials say it would employ 100 people during construction and between 6-10 people permanently and is all privately-funded by Moriah Hydro, Corporation, based out of Albany.