Current News

The Vermont Software Developers Alliance {vStDA} announced today that it received 21 excellent applications for the Bentley Award and is seeking additional contributions to fund them all. The Alliance sought applications from Vermont schools to develop projects related to science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM.) In just a few weeks, they received 21 applications from schools all over the state competing for three iPads and a $3,000 prize.
The decision to try to fund all the applications came after John Canning, President of Physician’s Computer Company, found it difficult ‘to choose among the many excellent applications received’. The projects ranged from using iPads to teach disabled children to read to expanding weather data observation
capabilities on an existing weather station located at the school. Canning said that, ‘It’s tough to say no to kids, especially when you understand the importance

TheRutland Region Chamber of Commerceis excited to announce the RRCC Business Show 2012!The show will be held this year on March 13, 2012 ‘ 4pm-7:30pm at the Holiday Inn and is sponsored by Rutland Regional Medical Center.
This year's show will feature 95 area businesses representing a diverse group of business and organizations exhibiting everything from home services and products, automobiles, health care, restaurants, retailers and much much more.There will be many great door prizes, special raffle, great food and lots of fun! The event is open to the public. Admission is $3 per person to benefit The Chamber.Parking is free and a shuttle will be on site.VIP Parking is also available (pre-purchase, $20 includes admission for 2).
For more information call the Chamber at 773-2747 or go towww.rutlandvermont.com.

Nearly five months ago, a devastating fire destroyed the1823 building at 247 Pearl Street, Burlington that housed Associates inPeriodontics. Recognizing the potential impact to the local community,Doctors Brian Shuman and Matt Kolesar immediately began designing floorplans that would accommodate a new, state-of-the-art office.
With over 4,700 patients to serve, they knew they had to act fast. In justfour months, after tearing down at one location and rebuilding in another,the same great team opened its doors in South Burlington on January 16that 1775 Williston Road.
According to Dr. Shuman, ³It feels like we ran a marathon with our eyesconstantly focused straight ahead, never for even a minute veering offcourse. Determined to make it to the finish line while striving for apersonal best record time.²

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), a regional vertically-integrated solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, today reported financial results for its third quarter fiscal year 2012, and provided updated guidance for its 2012 fiscal year.
Highlights for the quarter included:

Revenue growth of 2.6 percent over the same quarter last year.
Overall solid waste pricing growth of 0.8 percent was primarily driven by collection pricing growth of 2.1 percent as a percentage of collection revenues.
Adjusted EBITDA* was $22.2 million for the quarter, down $0.2 million from same quarter last year.

A $1.5 million estate provision from an alumnus of the University of Vermont will establish a professorship in electrical engineering in the School of Engineering.
The professorship will be named the L. Richard Fisher Professorship in Electrical Engineering after the donor, a retired Silicon Valley sales executive who grew up in Hardwick, Vt., and earned UVM degrees in electrical engineering in 1947 and in business in 1949. Fisher has chosen to start funding for the professorship immediately through his annual giving so that its benefits can begin to be felt during his lifetime.

The Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) is currently seeking nominations for the 2012 Governor’s Awards. These awards will be presented to individuals, businesses, media or municipalities that have made significant contributions to the employment of people with disabilities during the period of January, 2010 through February 2012 . The nomination deadline for the 2012 awards is April 16, 2012. The awards will be handed out at the Creative Workforce Solutions Employment Institute III on June 4th, 2012 at theSheratonHotelConferenceCenterinBurlington.

Coming off a year of record-setting $1 billion-plus natural disasters, representatives of leading insurance companies said today that costs to taxpayers and businesses from extreme weather will continue to soar because of climate change.
The insurers joined Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) at a press conference to discuss the mounting financial impact of global warming. Both Vermont and Rhode Island last August felt the brunt of Tropical Storm Irene, one of the record 14 natural disasters in the United States last year that each caused more than $1 billion in damage. Irene alone, which first came ashore as a hurricane, killed at least 45 people and caused more than $7 billion in damage.

The Burlington Free Press today announced its endorsement of Kurt Wright as the next mayor of Burlington.
Wright said of the endorsement, "I am thrilled to accept the endorsement of the Burlington Free Press. The challenges facing Burlington in the next three years require that our next mayor be experienced, well verse in city government, and committed to a more open and transparent city government. I will be that mayor. And our next mayor needs to be someone who can reach across party lines to bring all Burlingtonians together around a shared vision. I have proven that I have that ability throughout my career and in this campaign."

Montpelier - The Vermont Department of Labor has determined to grant arequest for a stay of the wage payment order it issued in the paydispute between the Bennington Southwest Supervisory Union and theVermont NEA.
"The Bennington SWSU has asked for clarification of our order, andupon review, the questions presented to the department are appropriatefor further examination and clarification. As such, we have asked foradditional information, and are requesting the parties to meetinformally with the Department on March 16th to review the informationand determine if an agreement on the matter can be reached", said
Department of Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan.

Vermont has a reputation for progressive government, but in two important areas, the state’s regulations are the antithesis of good government: Our campaign finance laws are among the weakest in the nation, and our state government ranks near the bottom in several recent studies of transparency. The goal of Common Cause of Vermont is to minimize the influence of money in elections and to make government more transparent.
Download the database atwww.commoncause.org/vt/2010contributions.
More cash was spent in the 2010 election than ever before, especially in the race for governor. The winner, Democrat Peter Shumlin, raised almost $1.5 million in contributions which was 12 percent more than Jim Douglas’ top year of 2008. Brian Dubie raised almost $1.8 million.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.orgThe triangulation continued on Tuesday between the Shumlin administration, the Senate and the employees’ union over the size of the facility that will replace the Vermont State Hospital.
Governor Peter Shumlin wants a 16-bed facility; the Vermont State Employees Association is pushing for a psychiatric hospital with 50 beds; and the state Senate has taken up amendments this afternoon that range from 25 to 50 beds.
The vehicle for the legislation, H.630, under consideration in the Senate today, originally included 25 beds as approved by the House a few weeks ago. The Senate version of the bill has 16 beds, with no option to increase that number.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has determined that a radio advertisement aired recently by Campaign for Vermont did not trigger the provisions of Vermont’s campaign finance laws. The Vermont Democratic Party alleged that the ad, which focuses on property taxes and education funding, and refers to Governor Shumlin by name, constituted an expenditure in excess of $500 that would require the Campaign for Vermont to register as a political committee due to the ad’s content. The Office conveyed its conclusions to the interested parties by letter today.
The Attorney General’s Office concluded that the ad addressed a policy issue that is currently pending in the Vermont Legislature and did not demonstrate that its purpose was to support or oppose a candidate for Vermont office.
‘In reviewing complaints such as these,’ Assistant Attorney General Megan J Shafritz said, ‘we are mindful that the courts apply a fact-specific analysis that considers a number of factors.’