Current News

by John Herrick vtdigger.org Tropical Storm Irene cost the owners of the Alchemist $650,000 when it washed out the pub and brewery in Waterbury in 2011. The maker of the popular Heady Topper beer was forced to lay off 15 employees to help pay the bills. “More extreme weather is on its way due to climate change. Across the globe, businesses, homes and infrastructure is at risk,” Jen Kimmich, co-owner of the brewery, told a packed House Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday during a discussion on a carbon pollution tax.

Kimmich and about 200 other Vermont businesses want lawmakers to put a price on carbon pollution as a way to control human-caused climate change. She said she is willing to pay a small tax to help spur emission reductions and allow her business to survive over the long term.

The Vermont Department of Health is notifying Vermonters about a voluntary recall of Sabra Dipping Co, LLC Classic Hummus due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There have been no reports of illness related to the product, which is sold in Vermont.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy children and adults can also become infected withListeria, but they rarely become seriously ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seven vehicle fleets around the region have been selected as Northern Stars of New England by the New England Clean Cities Coalitions for their efforts in cutting carbon emissions, reducing the use of petroleum, and promoting and utilizing alternative fuels to power their vehicles. The fleets selected include the City of Boston Massachusetts, the City of Nashua New Hampshire, Oakhurst Dairy in Maine and New Hampshire, the University of Vermont, the Greater Portland Transit District (METRO) in Portland, Maine, Newport Biodiesel in Newport, Rhode Island, and Malloy Energy in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Each fleet demonstrated a deep commitment to the goals of the Clean Cities program through use of alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicle purchasing, and petroleum reduction practices.

Vermont gasoline prices have fallen to an average of $2.454 after an increase in the late winter. The current US average is $2.404. The Vermont and US averages are both more than a dollar less than a year ago. A national reporting firm says to expect a slow, modest decline in retail gas prices during the second quarter of the year and perhaps into the summer. Through the first quarter of 2015 retail gasoline prices climbed highest in California and the Great Lakes region, but overall it’s been a subdued climb across the rest of the US with the national average price of gasoline rising 45 cents per gallon since the New Year.

“While California’s average reached a 2015 high point of $3.44 earlier this year, and the Great Lakes states saw spikes due to multiple refinery problems in the Midwest, we believe we may have already seen the 2015 peak for the US when the national average hit $2.47/gal. on March 6,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recommends taking down bird feeders from April 1 through November 30 to avoid attracting black bears that will be coming out of their winter dens to seek an early spring meal. Bears are attracted to suet and bird seed, especially black oil sunflower seed. Bringing feeders in at night doesn’t work, because bears will still feed on seed that is spilled on the ground. Bird feeders are just one of the things that can attract hungry bears. Other sources of food that bears find appealing are: pet food, barbecue grills, garbage, household trash containers, open dumpsters, and campsites with accessible food and food wastes.

Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear, it’s also illegal.

As part of an ongoing commitment to give consumers the confidence and tools they need to be fiscally healthy, Citizens Bank has made a $5,000 contribution to Champlain Housing as part of the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money financial literacy initiative. Citizens Bank’s funding will support Champlain Housing Trust’s Home Education and Financial Counseling Program which assists low and moderate income households with knowledge to build more secure lives.

The program’s homebuyer education offers monthly workshops in St Albans and Burlington. Participants learn about budgeting, credit, and the buying process including securing a mortgage, working with real estate agents, home inspections and many other facets of the home buying process.

Contrary to popular perception, traditional home ownership truly is a goal of young professionals in the Burlington area, but not surprisingly, rent consumes a large percentage of their income, according to the results of a recent survey. During 2014, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (LCRCC), through its Burlington Young Professionals (BYP) group, created the Young Professionals Advocacy Task Force with a specific focus on housing issues in and around Burlington. As one of its first steps, the Task Force compiled a survey to better understand the needs and concerns of Vermont’s young workforce.

Governor Peter Shumlin and the co-chairs of his Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse Cabinet are urging the maker of the opiate overdose reversal drug naloxone to take steps to stop a price spike that has seen the cost of the drug surge by over 60 percent in Vermont. Other states across the country have reported similar price increases. As part of his efforts to address the opiate addiction challenges facing Vermont and the rest of the country, Shumlin proposed and signed legislation that has expanded the availability of naloxone, equipping every Vermont State Trooper with the drug and distributing it to first responders and addiction recovery centers.

As a result of those efforts, 1,869 naloxone kits have been dispensed and about 190 have been used to reverse an overdose, according to the Vermont Department of Health.

by Jack Hoffman All we’ve heard from Montpelier this year, from the governor to legislative leaders, is that Vermont has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. A new analysis by the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) shows this conventional wisdom is wrong. The JFO data show state spending has gone down as a percentage of the economy over the last 10 years.

Vermont’s gross state product — the sum of all the goods and services produced and sold — is growing again. We are essentially tied with Massachusetts for having the fastest growing economy in New England since the bottom of the recession in 2009. That’s good news.

Free ice cream all day at Ben & Jerry’s? No, it’s NOT an Internet prank, a hoax, or a practical joke. For more than three decades it has been the day to rush to your local Ben & Jerry’s and try the latest flavor or your old favorite – absolutely for free! On Tuesday, April 14, you can participate at your local Scoop Shop for Ben & Jerry’s 36th annual Free Cone Day.

CATMA announced today that it has changed its name to Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association, a 501(c)(3) member based non-profit organization, whose acronym remains. This change reflects CATMA’s expanded service area from the Campus Area to Chittenden County in offering employers a managed commute program that has proven to influence people’s travel choices and reduce single occupant vehicles.

“We are really excited to share our sustainable business model, expertise and comprehensive commute programs with employers and developers in Chittenden County,” says Sandy Thibault, Executive Director. “The commitment and collaboration of our founding institutional members has been instrumental in CATMA’s success, and we now look forward to engaging and working with new members.”

The Vermont Mayors Coalition today honored AmeriCorps and other service members and highlighted the value of their national service to their communities through a joint proclamation and during events in Burlington and Montpelier. Vermont’s eight mayors, represented by Winooski Mayor Seth Leonard and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger at an event at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Family Room in Burlington and represented by Montpelier Mayor John Hollar and Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon at an event at the Basement Teen Center in Montpelier, joined more than 1,800 mayors from around the nation offering similar recognition of their cities’ service members during the third annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, a nationwide bipartisan effort to: