Current News

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in March, and the unemployment
rate held at 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Temporary help services and health care continued to add jobs over the month.
Employment in federal government also rose, reflecting the hiring of temporary
workers for Census 2010. Employment continued to decline in financial activi-
ties and in information.
Household Survey Data
In March, the number of unemployed persons was little changed at 15.0 million,
and the unemployment rate remained at 9.7 percent. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (10.0 per-
cent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.1 percent), whites (8.8 per-
cent), blacks (16.5 percent), and Hispanics (12.6 percent) showed little or no
change in March. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.5 percent, not seasonally

In a statement issued yesterday, Vermont Yankee said that recent news reports have focused less on the tritium resolution and more on the other isotopes found in the soil at the plant. Despite the recent media coverage, Vermont Yankee said the presence of Cesium-137 and other radionuclides found in the soil at the plant is not new news. During the first week of March, the company shared soil sample results with the Vermont Department of Health indicating the existence of cesium in the soil.

Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce today issued a statement saying it was dropping its trade name infringement case against the St Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce. The NEK Chamber was begun and until 1990 was known as the St Johnsbury Chamber. It then changed its name to the NEK Chamber name it now has in an effort to broaden its reach in the three northeastern counties of Vermont. Subesquently another organization was granted the use of the name, St Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce. The NEK had sought to retain the name, but has now given up in that effort, citing the time, cost, and disservice to its intended mission. The statement follows:
"The Northeast Kingdom Chamber Board of Trustees Votes To Drop Trade name Issue,
Citing the Importance of Focusing On Its Membership & Mission

The Department of Environmental Conservation s Compliance and Enforcement Division today announced that it has formally settled environmental violations involving Via Cheese, LLC. The company is engaged in cheese production, with its principal place of business located in Swanton, Vermont. The settlement includes a $10,000 penalty.

The Department of Environmental Conservation s Compliance and Enforcement Division today announced that it has formally settled environmental violations involving Churchill Coatings Corporation. The company operates a coating facility in North Springfield. The settlement includes a $17,000 penalty.

Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union Superintendent Catherine McClure and State Auditor Tom Salmon, CPA, today announced a comprehensive efficiency review of the Southwest Vermont organization, one of the Vermont’s largest supervisory unions with approximately $50 million in annual expenditures. The SVSU includes the school districts of Bennington, North Bennington, Mount Anthony Union, Shaftsbury, Pownal, and Woodford.
The efficiency review, which will kick off next week, aims to provide an evaluation of the financial, organizational and operational effectiveness of the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union in its delivery of education, business and support services. Salmon said the project would be conducted by auditors from MGT, Inc., of America, an experienced, nationally-recognized audit firm specializing in reviewing educational management, with guidance from the State Auditor’s Office.

Northfield Savings Bank has extended its commitment to continue as Presenting Sponsor of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival through 2013. In keeping with its commitment to community, Northfield Savings Bank is helping to ensure the Festival, a 27-year Vermont tradition, continues to enthrall Vermonters and visitors alike, and serves to energize the city and local businesses.
“Northfield Savings Bank is proud to be able to extend our support of Vermont’s largest multi-cultural event, and help continue the tradition of animating every corner of downtown Burlington during the ten-day Festival,” said Thomas N. Pelletier, President and CEO of Northfield Savings Bank. “The Jazz Festival offers unforgettable experiences for all ages.”

Senator Patrick Leahy Thursday announced that the U.S. Navy will award Goodrich a new $13,642,763 contract for continued work on the company’s helicopter diagnostic system, which is managed by the firm’s facility here. The innovative system for helicopter safety and maintenance already has earned the company more than $100 million in defense contracts, and Leahy last month joined Goodrich employees at the facility to mark shipment of the 2000th system. Work on the new contract is expected to be completed by 2011.

Live from the Old Labor Hall in Barre on Thursday, April 1, from 7:30 to 9 p.m., the five Democratic candidates for governor will meet in their first statewide televised debate. Airing live on Vermont Public Television, the forum is sponsored by Working Vermont Coalition, a collaboration of Vermont labor unions.
The moderator of “Working Vermont’s Democratic Primary Debate” will be Marselis Parsons, former news director at WCAX-TV.
VPT will broadcast the event statewide and webcast it on www.vpt.org, where anyone anywhere with access to Web-based video can watch it. During the debate, there will be a live Web chat on www.vpt.org. Journalists Shay Totten of Seven Days and Anne Galloway of vtdigger.org will host the chat, weigh in with their thoughts and invite viewers to join the conversation.

The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) has announced the recipients of the 2010 Summer Employment Opportunity (SEO) grant funds. These funds will be used to provide academic and occupational summer experiences to eligible youth ages 14-21, with an emphasis on serving youth over 16 who are not in school.
While the 2010 program was smaller than 2009 because ARRA funding is no longer available, the department had $125,000 to award for this important program. Applications totaled almost seven times that much money, indicating how great the need is. Applicants responded to a Request for Proposal, describing their programs in detail. The applications were reviewed and scored by a multi-agency committee and awards were made based on those scores, populations to be served, geographic mix, cost per participant, occupations involved and their connection to real jobs, and the past performance of the applicant.

Ski boots made from castor oil, paving bricks produced from tires, and solar-powered municipal trash compactors manufactured by Mack Molding (Arlington, VT) were among the latest green innovations recognized at the 2010 Global Plastics Environmental Conference(GPEC) in Florida earlier this month. Sponsored by the Plastics Environmental Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the awards challenge companies to raise the bar in the areas of sustainability and recycling, and recognize significant achievements in a variety of categories.
For “Enabling Technologies in Processes and Procedures,” Mack Molding and customer, BigBelly Solar (Needham, MA), took the prize with the BigBelly Solar Compactor, a patented compacting trash receptacle for large scale, low cost municipal waste collection programs that are now being conducted in 45 states and 20 countries.

Vermont Attorney General William H Sorrell announced today that Countrywide Financial Corporation, now a part of Bank of America, has entered into a settlement with his Office to resolve any claims that the State of Vermont may have concerning Countrywide’s origination of home loans in past years. Countrywide will pay about $100,000 to the State of Vermont for foreclosure relief, half of which will go to specific borrowers whose Countrywide loans were foreclosed upon, and the remainder for general foreclosure relief efforts. The settlement is similar to those entered into by other states, including states that alleged that Countrywide engaged in predatory lending practices.