Erik G. Blake, chief of police for Oak Bluffs, has been elected to serve as the president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.

Mr. Blake is the first Vineyard chief to lead the Grafton-based organization. He will be sworn in on Dec. 12 in Falmouth, and will serve for one year.

The Oak Bluffs harbor is closed to shellfishing until further notice following a minor oil spill Wednesday morning.

Amid a discussion of tough choices as the up-Island school committee prepares to vote on a significant increase to the district budget, the up-Island Spanish program came under scrutiny Monday night.

After heartfelt discussion about the cost of education on the Vineyard, the all-Island school committee approved a $5.4 million budget for superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss Tuesday night.

After more than a year of discussion, Oak Bluffs is poised to modernize its fire department by creating a new command structure.

A caravan-style car drove off the end of the Steamship Authority dock and was trapped underwater with four passengers inside.

This was the premise of a training scenario staged Sunday morning for the Oak Bluffs dive and rescue team.

“An elderly person had a medical event and they gunned it down the terminal,” said Oak Bluffs fire department acting chief John Rose, who conducted the dive team’s first car rescue drill.