ST. JOHNSBURY-March is brain injury awareness month and a new brain injury support group started up at a local church.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The kids of the Kingdom Allstars band are not your typical students learning to play music. These young hand selected instrumentalists have been practicing and performing for many years, prior to auditioning to become "all-stars".
ST. JOHNSBURY - The highly anticipated superintendent announcement came Monday night as the Chairman of the St. Johnsbury School board announced that Dr. Brian Ricca had accepted the job of Superintendent.
ST. JOHNSBURY - The St. Johnsbury school participated in a new active shooter drill the week of March 11th This drill is known by the acronym, A.L.I.C.E. This is a new active shooter training drill that is meant to help faculty better protect their students, as well as give students a better set of rules to follow in such a dangerous occasion. The acronym A.L.I.C.E. stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evauate.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Gauthier's Pharmacy closes it's doors for the final time today after 85 years in business.The current owner Carol Novick has decided to retire, but she thanks her dedicated staff and loyal customers for all the great years.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Poets and short story writers of the Northeast Kingdom have the chance to share their work, and be part of a writers group on Tuesdays.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The $22.3 million Budget for the Saint Johnsbury School District is now solidified after a requested recount. A Resident of Saint Johnsbury asked for the votes to be recounted after a close race that included blank ballots.
ST. JOHNSBURY - With the spring season soon to be underway, the softball team at St. Johnsbury Academy is eager to get on the feild, but aren't sure if they'll be able to see their diamond in the foreseeable future. The possibility of another season slow to start due to weather is evident, but that won't stop coaches from getting the players ready for the first game come spring time.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Senior Sam Bulpin of St. Johnsbury Academy was selected as a finalist in Vermont's Poetry Out Loud poetry recitation competition this week. Bulpin, a senior, recited the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly and was one of 10 finalists chosen from 33 semifinalists. The competition was held at the Barre Opera House on Friday.
Read more: St. Johnsbury Student Advances to Poetry Recitation Finals
SAINT JOHNSBURY- Approximately an 8.675 million dollar proposal for an upgrade to infrastructure in part of Saint Johnsbury was on the ballot for town meeting. The infrastructure upgrades would be coming to the Pleasant Street and Gilman Avenue area, as well as the part of Concord Avenue, which conjoins the two.
Read more: $8.7Mil. Pleasant Street & Gilman Avenue Bond Article Passes in St. J
ST. JOHNSBURY- The results are in from Town Meeting Day in Saint Johnsbury. In what was described by the Town Clerk as a “disgustingly” low voter turnout there were only 982 voters who made it to the polls out of the over 4,000 registered voters in the town, Voters who did manage to make it out to the polls put democracy into action by passing all of the items on the warning.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Voters came out today to vote on the 22.3 million dollar school budget which is a 16% increase from last year's budget. Part of the larger budget is an increase in students attending the St. Johnsbury academy and special education requirements.
ST. JOHNSBURY- A 16% increase is being proposed for the St. Johnsbury School District at this years town meeting day. The proposed budget is just under 22. 3 million dollars. School officials say the increase comes from a number of things, including grants that are expiring and needing to find ways to fund them. Some of those grants are the CATCH After School program, the Family Place program, and a tobacco education grant.
Read more: Increases Proposed for the St. Johnsbury School District
ST. JOHNSBURY- CCR Sports is back in business after moving locations. They moved from their old address on Concord Avenue across the way to Portland Street.
ST. JOHNSBURY - Contrary to the popular belief for this year, the Flu has made a decline in the amount of cases present here in the New England area. Right in St. Johnsbury at the Northern Vermont Regional Hospital, the number of flu cases has declined from the high numbers that the hospital saw last year. This is not to say, however, that the number of cases for the flu are not still much higher than years past excluding last year.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The town of St. Johnsbury is looking to hire their first ever fire marshal.The town approved the budget to add in this position last year. The main obligation of the marshal is too implement and enforce residential housing code compliance program while inspecting homes. Other duties will require the position to work with the town health officer, fire department, division of fire safety, and the state fire marshal.
ST JOHNSBURY - The Caledonia Home Care and Hospice group has served thousands of families over the years. Offering home care for expecting mothers and dependant patients to offering Hospice care for those dealing with losing a loved one.
"The home care and hospice staff are some of the most dedicated and generous people that I know" says director for the Caledonia Home Care and Hospice facility Trenty Burgess.
ST. JOHNSBURY - The Fairbanks Museum will be closing down tours for the month of January in order to complete their yearly clean-up, which had begun five years ago. One very interesting development for this upcoming year, however, is the additions that will be made to the exhibits.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Cynthia Boyd's experience with drug-use began as a teenager. According to her, not fitting in and feeling uncomfortable in her own skin were two prominent factors which influenced her initial experimentation. "My drug use went anywhere from smoking and drinking, to using heroine to using cocaine- was my drug of choice for 25 years," she said. Proceeding to note that she'd do anything to numb herself and not be able to feel.
ST. JOHNSBURY - After many many years away from home, the portrait painting of Francis Fairbanks has returned to the side of her husband, Franklin at the Fairbanks Museum. Thanks to some heavy research performed by town resident, and Director of the History and Heritage Center, Peggy Pearl was able to return Francis to her husband, and they are both now hanging next to eachother in the Fairbanks Museum welcome landing.
ST. JOHNSBURY - William Liberatore started experimenting with drugs when he was only 13 years old. His drug-use started with marijuana, but quickly evolved into abusing Phencyclidine, and eventually prescription pills. For most of his teen years, Liberatore was in and out juvenile detention centers for drug-related crimes.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The town of St. Johnsbury will be welcoming new businesses in the next few weeks. Some of which will be adding to establishments currently in business, and some will be starting brand new. Executive Director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, Darci McCann sees this as a big turn around for the town of St. Johnsbury and surrounding communities.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging rang in the holidays with their annual "Winter on Summer" rememberance celebration fundrasier. The celebration is a way for the community to gather together and remember those who have been lost in the 2018 year.
ST. JOHNSBURY - Around this time of year, the most common form of illness is the flu. Though it has not yet hit our region, it is not to early to think about what you can do to prevent getting sick.
ST. JOHNSBURY- The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a new rule that would cut funding to cable-access television stations across the country. According to Kevin Christopher, Executive Director of Lake Champlain Access Television, it's a decision that the Commission is backing with the explanation of allowing new service providers to be more competitive with the incumbents. However, he feels their true motive may be a bit more money-based.