Current News

For the week of August 7, 2010, there were 678 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, an increase of 21 from the week before. Altogether 9,175 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 246 from a week ago and 3,629 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,840 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 11 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 1,591 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 178 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

Senator Patrick Leahy Thursday told representatives of the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation (RACDC), Randolph town and state elected officials, and RACDC development partners that he has secured $200,000 in federal funds to help with the development of workforce housing in downtown Randolph. The mixed-income, rental and home ownership development known as Salisbury Square will repurpose an abandoned former Randolph Ethan Allen plant site to provide new housing opportunities for Vermonters, supporting local employers and businesses, and contributing to downtown vitality.
‘Salisbury Square will put people to work today and create affordable homes for working Vermonters tomorrow,’ said Leahy. ‘The Salisbury Square development is especially exciting because it combines smart growth principles, downtown sustainability, energy efficiency, and a focus on both rental opportunities and homeownership opportunities for working Vermonters.’

Vermont schools are in line for another infusion of nearly $25.5 million in economic recovery funds, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced today.
The funds authorized by last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are in addition to an estimated $19 million included for Vermont schools in new legislation signed Tuesday by President Obama. That separate support for schools is expected to fund 300 Vermont teaching jobs.

PCM Image-Tek, a leading New England electronic assembly services provider, today announced the completion of a strategic energy conservation initiative that will reduce the company’s energy consumption by more than 75,000 kWh per year for the next 15 years.
The three-month project involved replacing the lighting system on the company’s 35,000 square foot manufacturing floor with a highly efficient lighting system that significantly improves manufacturing floor lighting while reducing energy consumption by more than half. The project, which was managed by Efficiency Vermont, will save the company more than $11,000 per year and has a payback period of two and half years.

North American Breweries recently announced the purchase of Independent Brewers United which owns Magic Hat, Pyramid and MacTarnahan’s beer. The purchase includes three breweries and five Alehouses and a retail store affiliated with one of the breweries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to company officials, employment levels at the Burlington-based brewery would not be effected.
According to Rich Lozyniak CEO of North American Breweries, the new beers add craft brewing credibility, and variety to the beers currently offered by the company. ‘We are really excited to add Magic Hat, Pyramid and MacTarnahan’s beers to North American Breweries. All three brands have a rich history of craft brewing that helps us gain acceptance in that tight-knit community,’ said Lozyniak. ‘By having more beers to offer our customers, wholesalers and retail accounts, we can better compete with the multi-national mega brewers who dominate the U.S. beer industry.’

Rock of Ages Corporation (NASDAQ:ROAC) announced today that net income for the second quarter of 2010 increased 9% to $1,561,000, or $.21 per share, which included costs associated with the exploration of strategic options and shareholder lawsuit expenses of $493,000, or $0.07 per share. For the second quarter of 2009, net income was $1,433,000, or $.19 per share. Revenue for this year's second quarter increased 2% to $14,663,000 compared to $14,424,000 for the second quarter of 2009. Divisional operating income increased 26% to $3,200,000 compared to $2,536,000 last year, and unallocated corporate overhead decreased to $669,000 from $692,000.

At Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH), energy efficiency supports NVRH’s mission to provide high quality healthcare services that are focused on community needs at the lowest cost consistent with excellent care. To increase savings and comfort for both patients and staff, NVRH and its team of design engineers collaborated with Efficiency Vermont on its latest project, a large-scale expansion and renovation that enhances 33,000 square feet of the facility.
Located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, NVRH is a community, nonprofit, acute care, and critical access hospital. NVRH has long recognized the role energy efficiency can play in helping achieve the patient care mission.

For Lamoille Community Connections (LCC), formerly known as Lamoille County Mental Health, energy saved is money saved ‘ a welcome benefit for a non-profit organization providing high-quality developmental and mental health services to area residents. The Morrisville-based agency, which employs 200 and serves more than 800 clients, decided to optimize energy efficiency when it consolidated its four office locations into one new office space in an historic building in Lamoille County.
Lamoille Community Connections partnered with Wayne’s Electric, a local family-owned business, and Efficiency Vermont to improve lighting quality for its staff and clients. LCC had Wayne’s Electric install energy-efficient lights throughout the 30,000 square feet of the new space, formerly a nursing home which sat vacant for two years before LCC decided to move in from around the corner.

Vermont’s two largest utilities and HQ Energy Services (US), a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, signed today a 26-year contract that will provide renewable low-emission energy. The contract, announced at a news conference attended by Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Québec Premier Jean Charest, was hailed by utilities and officials from both governments.
‘Our strong relationship with our friends in Québec is vital to the economic well-being of Vermont. This agreement will help ensure a clean competitively priced energy future for Vermonters,’ Douglas said. ‘It will provide stable renewable power at a competitive price for 26 years, starting in 2012, and will help Vermont’s power supply remain arguably the nation’s cleanest. Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) have negotiated an agreement that will benefit customers well beyond their service territories, for which I am most grateful.’

During a visit today to Applied Research Associates Vertek Division in Randolph, US Sen. Patrick Leahy announced the firm has been awarded two separate contracts totaling $10.6 million from the U.S. Army to continue developing demining vehicles and to manufacture a next generation ground sensor.
Leahy told a group of gathered ARA employees that he had secured a $4.72 million contract for ARA to continue work with the U.S. Army on a landmine and unexploded ordnance detection platform called the Nemesis SCOUT. The platform, developed for the Army and mounted on a trailer, uses technology ARA developed with the help of previous Leahy-secured contracts to produce a remote-controlled tractor capable of locating and deactivating unexploded ordnance.

Donnell Collins, Executive Chef and co-owner of Leunig's Bistro and Cafe in Burlington was named Top Chef of the Champlain Valley at CVAA's benefit to support Meals on Wheels. Collins went head to head against Sam Palmisano of Pulcinella's (2008 & 2009 Top Chef winner) and David Fonte of 156 Bistro. The winning dish was a cornmeal crusted quail with cherry sauce.
Nearly $30,000 was raised to support Meals on Wheels at the Top Chef of the Champlain Valley. Over 220,000 Meals on Wheels are delivered each year in the Champlain Valley to homebound seniors. Over 400 people packed the Maple Ballroom at UVM's Davis Center to watch Collins be named the new Top Chef.
The panel of judges included Mark Timms, Executive Chef of the TopNotch Resort & Spa in Stowe, Suzanne Podhaizer, food critic for Seven Days, and Tim Elliott, Executive Chef and Owner of Stone Soup in Burlington. According to Elliott anyone ordering this dish in a restaurant "would be thrilled."

MONTPELIER’States, including Vermont, have long viewed economic development and funding for public services as competing interests. That’s a false dichotomy. Indeed, rebuilding neglected infrastructure and improving education will reap economic benefits in Vermont far surpassing those achieved by tax credits and other business giveaways.
Those are the conclusions of a new study released today by economist Jeffrey Thompson of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Thompson’s paper is based on his extensive analysis of research on what works and doesn’t work to create jobs and strengthen state and regional economies. It suggests a better approach to economic development for the New England states as they dig out from the Great Recession that began in late 2007.