ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060068
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
Property tax can't finance Vt. schools
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Using local property taxes to finance public education is unconstitutional and ``deprives children of an equal educational opportunity,'' the Vermont Supreme Court has ruled.
In its 5-0 decision Wednesday, the court said the state Legislature must come up with a more equitable way to pay for schools.
The American Civil Liberties Union had sued the state on behalf of 13 schoolchildren, taxpayers and school districts. The lawsuit claimed that the wide disparity in cities' and towns' abilities to collect property taxes violated the state constitution's guarantee to educate every student in the state.
- Associated Press
Miss Hawaii takes Miss USA crown
SHREVEPORT, La. - Miss Hawaii was crowned the new Miss USA Wednesday.
Brook Lee succeeds Ali Landry as Miss USA. The title comes with more than $170,000 in cash and prizes, and a chance to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in May.
Miss Idaho Brandi Sherwood was first runner-up, earning a $4,000 prize, and Miss Tennessee Towanna Stone was second runner-up, winning $2,000.
The top 10 finalists also included Miss Utah Temple Taggart, Miss Florida Angelia Savage, Miss Texas Amanda Little, Miss Rhode Island Claudia Jordan, Miss Alabama Autumn Smith, Miss Oklahoma Trisha Stillwell and Miss New Jersey Jennifer Makris.
- Associated Press
Woolworth founder's estate helps college
The estate of Earle Charlton, who helped found the Woolworth chain and never attended college, donated $3 million Wednesday to the University of Massachusetts, the largest gift in the university's history.
The funds from the Charlton Charitable Trust were designated for the business college at the UMass-Dartmouth campus.
Earle Charlton II said Wednesday that the donation grew out of his family's long commitment to southeastern Massachusetts, where his grandfather in 1890 started the chain of stores that merged with a competitor to form the F.W. Woolworth Co. in 1912.
- The Boston Globe
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB