Police: Several Students Injured When School Bus Tipped

Newbury, Vt. — Four students were transported to Cottage Hospital for evaluation on Monday after their school bus tipped onto its side on Moore Hill Road in Newbury.

The driver told police he steered the bus toward the edge of the road to give an approaching vehicle space to pass when the soft shoulder gave way and the bus began to roll, Vermont State Police said in a news release.

Fortunately, trees prevented the bus from rolling all the way over, the release said.

Twenty-nine students who attend Newbury Elementary School or Oxbow High School were on board at the time. All of them exited on their own, but four were transported to the Woodsville-based hospital with what were considered minor injuries, according to the release.

The bus was being driven by 65-year-old William Jones, of Piermont. The bus suffered minor damage along its passenger side.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Three Plead Not Guilty to Quechee Burglary

White River Junction — Three people pleaded not guilty on Monday to burglarizing a Quechee home over the weekend.

Shalon Barth, 26, of Hartford; Kristopher Royce, 27, of Springfield, Vt.; and Alicia Kelley, 28, of Brewster, Mass., all were arraigned on Monday afternoon in Windsor Superior Court.

Each answered to charges of burglary and possession of stolen property, Hartford police said in a news release.

The trio allegedly broke into a seasonal home on Quechee Main Street and stole household items, alcohol, jewelry and electronics.

The case came to a head on Sunday afternoon when police were investigating a report of suspicious people knocking on a Quechee resident’s door. While investigating, police said, they located three people carrying bags filled with miscellaneous items.

After searching the area, police found a home on Quechee Main Street had been broken into. Authorities were able to link the individuals to the break-in by matching the items they were carrying to those stolen from the home, according to the release.

Police last week said they were investigating a string of daytime burglaries in Hartford. They are still trying to determine whether Barth, Royce or Kelley are tied to any other incidents in town, the release said.

State Launches Text Messaging for Vermonters in Crisis

Montpelier — The Vermont Department of Mental Health says people in crisis in the state now can send a text message to people trained to help them. The new 24-hour Crisis Text Line offers round-the-clock support seven days a week by providing access to the counselors via text messaging.

The service is being offered through a partnership between the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the national organization Crisis Text Line. People needing help should send a text with the letters “VT” to 741741.

— Staff and wire reports