State of schools
Youth leaders
Vermont education plans pose questions for local school leaders
SB High School seniors honored for service at Vermont Statehouse
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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the FEBRUARY 20, 2025
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VOLUME 49, NO. 8
Police chief leaving post LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
South Burlington police chief Shawn Burke will be leaving his post at the station come March 21. After steering the ship for six years, Burke submitted his resignation to the city department last week. He will return to the Burlington Police Department, where he served for 21 years as deputy chief of operations before moving to South Burlington. He will serve as Burlington’s interim police chief, replacing outgoing chief Jon Murad. South Burlington’s current deputy chief, Sean Briscoe, will serve as acting chief once Burke leaves. “We have a strong team of lieutenants and sergeants who are well prepared to continue operations under acting chief Briscoe’s leadership while we search for our next chief,” city manager Jessie Baker said. Briscoe joined South Burlington Police Department in 2023 with 27 years of experience at the Saratoga Springs Police Department under his belt. During his time there, Briscoe focused on community outreach and was a founding member of the Saratoga Coalition to End Homelessness. Baker, in a statement, noted See BURKE on page 4
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Becca Rogers, Elizabeth Gilman, Isaac Roesch and Emry Sawabini stand in front of some of the more than 650 hearts adorning Orchard Elementary School.
Elementary schoolers set heartful world record BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
“Did you see the hearts as you walked in?” Becca Rogers and Elizabeth Gilman, students at Orchard Elementary School
asked as they delivered the morning announcements on Valentine’s Day. “We’re trying to set a world record and remind everyone that they are loved.” As the girls had pointed out over the speaker system, the
entrance lobby of the school was papered over with multi-colored hearts made by students in every classroom in the school. Two official witnesses, South Burlington residents Kerry Daigle and Laurie Hickey, stood nearby, filling out
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forms for Guinness World Records on which they noted the total number of hearts and agreed to be contacted by the company to verify See WORLD RECORD on page 10
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