Current News

The teachers and boards of the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union have reached a tentative agreement on a multi-year contract, bringing a six-day strike to a close.
The deal came after almost 12 hours of talks with a federal mediator Wednesday, and represents the first time the sides have come to a contract accord in more than 645 days.
â It was clear that both sides really wanted to do the hard work necessary to reach a settlement that is fair to us, fair to our fellow taxpayers and good for our schools and students,’said Kaitlin Cioffi, a Poultney High School biology teacher and the spokeswoman for teachers in the Poultney Teachers Association, the Rutland Southwest Education Association and the Middletown Springs Education Association. â We have missed our classrooms, and look forward to getting to work doing what we love: teaching our students.â

by Alan Panebaker vtdigger.orgThe Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant was on its way back to full capacity Thursday morning after operating at about a third power for much of the week.
Larry Smith, a spokesman for Vermont Yankee, said the plant was at 86 percent as of Thursday morning and on its way back to full power.
Smith said technicians went into the plantâ s condenser Tuesday night to fix five tube leaks in the number four water box. The condenser turns the steam used to turn the plantâ s turbines back into water. Smith said the issue with the condenser does not affect the plantâ s safety.
â The condenser is on the non-nuclear side of the plant, so itâ s not safety related,’he said.
Photo: Larry Smith /VTD
Smith said there are around 22,000 tubes in the condenser. He said minor leaks in a few tubes is not uncommon for a steam condenser plant like Vermont Yankee.

Vermont Public Radio has been honored with seven regional Edward R Murrow Awards from theRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). VPR received awards in the following categories: news series, breaking news coverage, sports, documentary, use of sound, newscast, and writing.
"These awards truly represent a team effort, particularly the coverage of Tropical Storm Irene,’said John Van Hoesen, VPRâ s vice president for news and programming. "As a public broadcaster, we are accountable to the community we serve. We are honored to receive these awards because they go to the heart of VPRâ s mission to provide an essential and trusted independent voice for news and information in our region.â
The winning coverage includes:
UVM At A Crossroads(News Series)
A collection of news pieces in the days following Tropical Storm Irene(Breaking News)
A profile of the pitcher from Stowe who inspired the Bruce Springsteen Hit â Glory Daysâ (Sports)

by Lisa VentrissOn behalf of the membership of the Vermont Business Roundtable, I am expressing support for the merger of Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service, as well as for the process underway by the Public Service Board to solely deliberate the merits of this merger on behalf of all Vermont citizens.
The Roundtable endorses the long view on investment and multi-generational benefits that could accrue to all ratepayers with the successful merger of GMP and CVPS. These include savings that would be reflected in lower energy bills; job creation as a result of keeping electric rates as low as possible and Vermont competitive with our neighbor states; and investments in efficiency and weatherization measures that yield cost savings and other benefits for individuals, communities and society.

Fletcher Allen Health Care is in the the top 10 percent of integrated health care networks in the United States according to a quality survey conducted by IMS Health, a Connecticut- based healthcare data research firm. Fletcher Allen is one of only three hospital systems in New England and one of ten in the northeast to make the list.
â Weâ re proud of this national recognition of Fletcher Allenâ s efforts to deliver the highest quality care in the right place and at the right time with the greatest efficiency,’said John R. Brumsted, MD, president and CEO of Fletcher Allen. â Going forward weâ re committed to building on the progress weâ ve made in strengthening the integrated delivery system in our region,’he added.

Overall government tax collections for states increased $62.1 billion to $763.7 billion in fiscal year 2011, the US Census Bureau reported today. For overall tax collections, Vermont ranked 46th at$2,688 million, New Hampshire ranked 48th at $2,320 million, which was lowest in New England. See table below for complete list.
For the US, corporate net income tax revenue was at $40.2 billion, up 9.4 percent, while tax revenue on individual income was at $259.1 billion, up 9.8 percent. General sales tax revenue was at $240.9 billion, up 8.2 percent. Corporate net income tax revenue, individual income tax revenue and general sales tax revenue comprised 70.7 percent of all state government tax collections nationally.

Ken Gibbons, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank is pleased to announce that Union Bank has received an Unconditional Direct Endorsement Approval from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With this endorsement, Union Bank is able to locally approve FHA loans originated from any of its locations in Vermont and New Hampshire without needing prior HUD approval resulting in a faster closing process for the customer.
The purpose of these loans is to provide a low down payment option for home buyers. These government backed loans qualify for down payments that can be as low as 3.5% in both Vermont and New Hampshire. This is a big advantage when typical mortgages require 20% of the purchase price up front. FHA loans provide further advantages in that they have no geographic or income restrictions.

Maine Governor Paul LePage today signed into law historic legislation changing the way telecommunications providers are regulated in Maine, which should help FairPoint compete against lesser-regulated or unregulated providers.
â This bill is an excellent example of what our administration promised to do,’said LePage. â This legislation reduces red tape and regulation, and puts all telecommunication providers under the same set of rules.’ LePage said the legislation modernizes regulation, while continuing to provide the necessary protections to Maine consumers.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Stacey Fitts, R-Pittsfield, moves the regulatory requirements of all telecommunications providers closer to parity. The new regulations will continue to protect the public interests and do not increase regulation on any one sector of the industry.

A new bedrock geologic map of the state was unveiled in a ceremony at the Vermont State House Wednesday, bringing a critical tool to land managers involved in natural resource planning and environmental assessment.
View Map Here
The event, hosted by Gov. Peter Shumlin, included the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources Deb Markowitz; Peter Lyttle of the U.S. Geological Survey; Laurence Becker, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; and Char Mehrtens of the University of Vermont. These three organizations were the main collaborators to produce this updated, highly detailed map. The stateâ s last map of this kind was produced in 1961, with the first geologic map of the state being produced 150 years ago.

Many older outdoor wood-fired boilers (OWBs) that are not certified to meet Vermontâ s emissions standards are required by law to be permanently retired by the end of 2012. Specifically, uncertified OWBs that are located within 200 feet of a residence, school or healthcare facility, not served by the OWB, must be removed and destroyed by December 31, 2012 (See 10 V.S.A. §584(g)).
To assist Vermonterâ s with complying with the new law, the Vermont Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) is offering a voluntary OWB Change-out Program that provides financial incentives to encourage the replacement of old OWBs with cleaner, more efficient heating units.

byChuck Ross and David MearsWe would like to congratulate VEC (www.vecgreen.com) for hosting their annual conference this year entitled â Charting a Path to Successful Farms and Clean Water in Vermont’at Middlebury College. They brought together an interesting array of panelists who were able to put the water quality challenges facing agriculture into context over time and within the broader framework of our state.
The conference succeeded in creating a space where people from many perspectives were able to listen, learn, and attain a better understanding of this challenging and complex subject. Most importantly, attendees began to develop a vision of where and how Vermonters can collectively address this challenge going forward.

Every quarter, New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) selects four recipients at random to receive $625 each, for a total of $10,000 annually. Recently, NEFCU announced its community giving donations for the first quarter of 2012:

Northeast Disabled Athletic Association will use the funds to benefit the Vermont Chargers Power Soccer club.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corp will use the donation to benefit the High School Leadership program.

Lucyâ s House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets will use NEFCUâ s donation to help provide free pet food, supplies, and veterinary assistance to pet-owning families experiencing financial hardships.

Women Helping Battered Women will use their funds to benefit the 5thAnnual Run for Empowerment event.

New England Federal Credit Union. 4.11.2012.