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Castleton Polling Institute The Castleton University Poll that concluded September 14 assessed the Vermont general public’s views on the performance of President Barack Obama and Governor Peter Shumlin as well as an assessment of the current state of the state. According to the recent Castleton Poll, 47 percent of Vermonters approve of the job President Barack Obama is doing as president, and 39 percent disapprove—giving the President a net approval rating of 8 percentage points. Fourteen percent of the Vermont respondents have no opinion about the president’s performance. In the latest Gallup Poll, 46 percent of Americans approve of the President’s job performance, and 49 percent disapprove—a net approval score of -3 percentage points. Only 5 percent of respondents in the Gallup Poll said that they had no opinion on the question.

Vermont Business Magazine VSECU, a not for profit banking alternative for all Vermonters, has awarded a total of $15,000 to help three Vermonters pay down student loan debt. The award is granted annually to applicants who submit an innovative idea that could positively impact Vermonters and/or Vermont communities. Winning ideas must include supporting detail that illustrates how the idea can be implemented. 2015 marked the fourth year of this signature VSECU member award program. The program, called Student LIFT (Loan Independence for Today), awards three VSECU members an amount of $5,000 toward their student loan debt. VSECU makes monthly loan payments, on behalf of each recipient, up to the award amount.

Rural entrepreneurs will continue to have access to vital capital through the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) thanks to a $1 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The loan from USDA’s Intermediary Relending Program will recapitalize VEDA’s Vermont Small Business Development Corporation to provide capital to growing Vermont businesses.

“Vermont’s rural businesses, from farms to manufacturers, depend on a mix of private and public capital like that provided by USDA to help them grow and create new jobs,” said Ted Brady, USDA Rural Development Vermont State Director. “Strong partners such as VEDA help us make a bridge between federal funding and investing in local entrepreneurs.”

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims in Vermont fell to their lowest level in memory last week. There were 309 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont, a decrease of 37 from the previous week's total and 89 fewer than they were a year ago. Generally, claims have been running below last year's totals. Total claims were down in most regions of the state. By industry, claims fell in manufacturing but otherwise held steady with very low total. As has been the trend, Services led all categories with 48 percent of all claims.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont continues to see brisk home sales, including the region's highest increase, but prices have not seen the same supply-and-demand effect, with the median price down nearly 7 percent. Median home price slipped below $200,000 to second lowest in the region behind only Maine. Overall in New England, the summer residential market in New England remained strong throughout August, with all six states seeing growth in sales year-over-year. Throughout the region, pending sales were up over 16 percent, while average days on market decreased by 10 percent. Month-over-month, all six states experienced a decrease in units sold and slight decrease in median price. However, sales were up 8.9 percent in the region and there was a modest increase in median price over August 2014.

Vermont Business Magazine Washington Monthly has named College of St Joseph as a top 100 “Best Bang for the Buck” College in the Northeast region. Since its inception in 2011, the magazine’s annual list has independently ranked colleges from around the nation that are the best value for students’ money. The list placed CSJ at 57 out of 402 schools in the Northeast, and CSJ was one of just two Vermont colleges to make the top 100. The magazine notes that the list rates colleges that are “doing the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

“We are thrilled that Washington Monthly has recognized College of St. Joseph among its best value colleges. This recognition reflects our mission to provide an accessible and affordable education for our students, and is a result of all of the hard work of our faculty and staff,” said CSJ President Rich Lloyd.

by Brian Dubie What do you think of when you think of an industrial wind project? Wind developers want you to think of free, green electricity. People who live near industrial wind turbines think of noise. Let's see why. An Industrial Wind project in Swanton proposes to install seven 499-foot tall wind turbines along 6,000 feet of Rocky Ridge (elevation 323 feet). We don’t know what turbine model the developer is considering, so let’s look at the GE 2.75-120 Wind Turbine. At 475 feet, it is slightly smaller than the developer’s Swanton turbines. GE says a single one of their 475-foot monsters can produce 106 dBA of noise. Scaling up to seven turbines would increase that noise to 109 dBA. (Noise is measured as pressure on a scale that is logarithmic, so sometimes the numbers are difficult to understand, but 109 dBA is loud. For comparison, my chain saw is rated at 109 dBA. I wear ear protection when I use it.)

Vermont Business Magazine Five towns in the Rutland Region successfully secured funding through the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Program for scoping studies and construction. Killington received $30,000 (including the local match) for a scoping study for pedestrian crossing/connectivity and bus stop locations; Middletown Springs received $38,500 (including the local match) for a scoping study for a shared use, unpaved path providing access to the village center; Pittsford received $187,000 (total including 10% local match) to design and construct 2400 feet of sidewalk running along Arch Street and Pleasant Street; Rutland City received $70,000 (including the local match) in additional funding for construction of Rutland Creek Path Segment 4 from Monsignor Park to River Street; and West Rutland received $821,000 (total including 10% local share) to design and construct 3305 feet of sidewalk along Campbell, Thrall, Clarendon, Ross and Fairview Streets.

Vermont Business Magazine PeakCM Construction has been named a Grand Prize winner of Wolverine’s Project Bootstrap. The nationwide contest run by the premiere work footwear manufacturer asked construction workers to nominate job sites that used creative construction techniques, adhered to rigorous safety protocols, and had a positive impact on its workers and surrounding community. More than 500 nominations were submitted from 25 states. Winooski-based PeakCM won one of only three Grand Prizes, a Site Crash from the Wolverine team.

The Site Crash involves Wolverine executives driving from the company’s headquarters in Rockford, Michigan to Q Burke Mountain Resort, the PeakCM site in East Burke, VT that won the grand prize. Once at Burke, the Wolverine team will give out more than 125 pairs of the company’s new state-of-the-art, safety-toe work boots. They will also provide the entire site with a catered lunch, as well as Wolverine gear.

Vermont State Police On August 20, 2015, Passumpsic Bank Officials from the St Johnsbury Center Branch reported to the Vermont State Police that an employee, Janet Katalina, embezzled money from the Bank’s own accounts (not a customer’s account). Katalina held the position of Accounting Analyst and Payroll Specialist. Katalina was terminated from the bank on August 19, 2015.

Bank Officials determined and the investigation confirmed that Katalina first embezzled $734.00 on December 19, 2014 by cashing in her annual leave without actually adjusting her annual leave balance. Katalina was the inputter for this data as the payroll specialist. Investigation revealed that Katalina took steps to hide what she had done to include not filing certain forms with the Bank’s Human Resource Office.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and the University of Vermont Medical Group recently announced the appointment of Rick Vincent to the position of vice president, Finance, and chief financial officer. The University of Vermont Medical Group includes approximately 600 physicians who are jointly employed by the medical center and the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Vincent has served as vice president, Finance, for the UVM Medical Group since 2011. He was named interim vice president, Finance, for the UVM Medical Center in 2104. Prior to these roles, Vincent held several other finance and operational positions in the organization, including director, Orthopedics and Cancer Services. He has been with the medical center since 1994.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General William Sorrell has opened an investigation into the disclosure by Volkswagen that some of its diesel vehicles carried software designed to produce false emissions test results – violating clear air regulations and deceiving consumers. Attorney General Sorrell said that, “Volkswagen should be held accountable for any evasion of environmental laws and emissions standards, deception of consumers, and violation of the public trust.”

The AG's office is working with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and also collaborating with other attorneys general in the investigation.

RELATED: Vermonters sue Volkswagen over emissions testing deceit