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BURLINGTON, Vt. The Burlington School Board has unveiled its final policy recommendation in response to the free speech controversy at Burlington High School. In September, Principal Noel Green ordered the student newspaper, BHS Register, to take down an article. The students broke the news about the guidance director, who was being charged with unprofessional conduct. The newspaper editors have been working with the school board as part of the New Voices Committee. "It has definitely been a whirlwind of a few months, but it's all been so rewarding. It's amazing to see that young people can have a voice in things like this and really be activists. And we are creating a change in student journalism, state-wide, nation-wide," co-editor Jenna Peterson said. The new policy proposal would keep the school administration and advisers from censoring articles, unless it violates certain conditions of Vermont law. Superintendent Yaw Obeng had some legal concerns. "Who is responsible for the … [Read more...] about New free speech policy proposed for BHS Register

BURLINGTON,Vt. The Burlington School Board voted to allow Superintendent Yaw Obeng to go over the budget when it comes to hiring teachers for two elementary schools. They heard concerns from teachers at the board meeting on Tuesday night. The high school cafeteria was packed with parents and educators hoping to have some positions reinstated. It's something they said they have been fighting for around eight months. Ever since cuts were made, JJ Flynn Elementary School and the Sustainability Academy has had to combine classrooms and create multi-grade classrooms. Teachers told Channel 3's Neliana Ferraro this makes it difficult to give each student the care they need and is more challenging for educators. Tuesday's resolution does not guarantee the positions will be reinstated at the school. It allows Obeng to do so, even if it meant sacrificing the budget. He was concerned this would come into question down the road. "I am concerned about eight months from now, six months from now, … [Read more...] about Burlington School board votes to allow overspending to hire teachers

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City health officials allowed a group of volunteers to feed the homeless in parks across the city a week after some health inspectors threw home-cooked chili, sandwiches and soup into trash cans and poured bleach on some of the food.The inspectors destroyed the food in a city park on Nov. 4, saying the food prepared by Free Hot Soup Kansas City was a health risk because it wasn’t prepared in licensed or approved kitchens and inspectors couldn’t be sure it was prepared at the proper temperatures, the Kansas City Star reported.Free Hot Soup Kansas City is a group of volunteers that uses social media to encourage volunteers to provide meals to homeless on Sunday in parks across the Kansas City area. While the health department contends the group needs a permit to operate, advocates disagree, arguing they are just a group of friends who wanted to help people and are not a food establishment.On Tuesday, health department spokesman Bill Snook said … [Read more...] about Kansas City health changes course on homeless picnics

Investigators recovered a handgun and about 3 pounds of marijuana after a chase through four Mid-Missouri counties that ended in an arrest late Tuesday morning.At about 10:25 a.m., the Miller County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a stolen vehicle near Eldon.Morgan County deputies responded to Missouri 52, where they saw the reportedly stolen vehicle traveling westbound near Big Rock Road. They attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it sped away.The vehicle went into Versailles, where deputies attempted to deploy tire-deflation devices. However, the driver avoided the devices, then continued north on Missouri 5.The Missouri Highway Patrol also deployed the sticks near the Moreau Creek bridge, south of Fortuna. Again, the driver avoided the sticks.Tipton police officers also tried to stop the vehicle near Route NN, but failed. In Tipton, the chase turned westbound on U.S. 50 and went into Pettis County. Several more attempts to deflate the vehicle’s tires … [Read more...] about Chase leads deputies through multiple counties

The Cole County Commission on Tuesday got its first look at the county auditor’s proposed 2019 budget, which would grow by nearly $5 million compared to 2018.The 2019 budget would be $88.4 million, which includes money carried forward from 2018. The 2018 budget was $83.6 million.Cole County Auditor Kristen Berhorst said she’s projecting little, if any, growth in revenue from sales tax collections for the 2019 budget.Almost two-thirds (65.8 percent) of the county’s revenue will come from some type of tax. Overall tax revenue is projected to increase approximately $215,000 in 2019, compared to 2018. More than 43 percent of the tax revenue is from sales tax. It is projected to be essentially flat for 2019.The Cole County Sheriff and Cole County Ambulance Service got salary increases earlier this year, and those will be included in the 2019 budget.In August, new salary ranges for ambulance personnel were approved by the commission. For paramedics, the starting salary went … [Read more...] about Auditor presents proposed 2019 county budget