Current News

Over 40 dairy farmworkers and dozens of community supporters gathered at the Migrant Justice office Saturday in the old north end of Burlington preparing to march to Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop on Church Street to call on the ice cream company to join a new worker’s rights initiative--the Milk with Dignity Program. Before the march got under way Migrant Justice organizer Abel Luna broke the news that, “Just yesterday Ben & Jerry's was in touch with Migrant Justice. They say they’ve heard the voices and hardships of farmworkers and have committed to work with Migrant Justice to negotiate an agreement in order to adopt the Milk with Dignity Program into their Northeast supply chain! So today, we are gathered here to recognize this significant step forward.

by Sarah Olsen vtdigger.org The nurses’ union at University of Vermont Medical Center is threatening to strike over pay and excessive overtime. The president of the nurses’ union at the University of Vermont Medical Center told the hospital’s board of trustees she and other nurses are particularly concerned about staffing levels.

Laurie Aunchman, interim president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, addressed the trustees as they entered the final three days of negotiations for the new nursing contract at UVMMC.

Standing on the shores of Lake Champlain, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and local officials Friday announced the availability of $1.1 million to be provided in small Local Implementation Grants to prevent pollution, support cultural heritage and encourage educational outreach relating to Lake Champlain and its watershed. The Lake Chaplain Basin Program will use the federal funds to distribute grants to up to 100 small watershed groups, schools, towns and others across the Champlain Basin.

The Brattleboro Retreat Board of Trustees has announced that outgoing President and CEO, Dr Robert E. Simpson, Jr, will be presented with the hospital’s 2015 Anna Marsh Award this fall. Named for the founder of the Brattleboro Retreat, the Anna Marsh Award is an annual recognition that was established in 2009 to honor individuals for their advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness and addiction.

Past honorees include Representative Bill Lippert, Governor Peter Shumlin, former Retreat Board members Larry Cassidy and Julie Peterson, the late Senator Robert Gannett, and film and television actor Ken Howard.

The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center, in partnership with Dealer.com, unveiled on Thursday evening the first ever Floating Gallery – a collection of original artwork printed on sailboat sails. The product of an eight-month long project, Floating Gallery features work by four local artists – Scott A Campbell, Michael Sipe, Abby Manock, and Mary Lacy – all with a vision to create a one-of-a-kind waterfront experience for the Burlington community.

Scott A. Campbell

The sixteen appointed members of the state agency, the Vermont Commission on Women, have re-elected Marcia Merrill of Jericho to serve a 4th term as Chair. Merrill has served in this leadership role since 2006. Established in 1964, the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) is a non-partisan state government commission advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls.

by Erin Mansfield vtdiger.org Federal regulators will allow the owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to use money earmarked for dismantling the plant to manage radioactive waste. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted requests from Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc. to use some of the $665 million of its decommissioning fund to store used fuel rods that will remain radioactive for thousands of years. Thursday’s decision from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will allow Entergy to use about $225 million to manage spent fuel — only after it uses up about $143 million from a line of credit.

Dry casks for used fuel rods at Vermont Yankee. Courtesy.

Vermont ranked 30th on an annual basis (3.4 percent) and fourth overall (4.1 percent) in the US in month-to-month construction job growth in May (15,200 total jobs). Across the nation, construction firms added jobs in 40 states and the District of Columbia between May 2014 and May 2015 and in 28 states and DC between April and May, according to an analysis today of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said noted that the mix of states adding and losing construction jobs continues to vary amid fluctuations in demand.

Agency of Human Services Secretary Hal Cohen and Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) Incoming Commissioner Monica Hutt announced today upcoming staffing changes at the Department. Current Deputy Commissioner Stuart Schurr, an attorney with more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sector, has decided to shift from his role as the Deputy Commissioner and step in to lead legal services at DAIL as the General Counsel for the Department. Secretary Cohen noted, “Stuart’s keen legal mind and years of experience at DAIL will serve the Department extremely well as he steps into this new role.”

Governor Peter Shumlin announced June 5 that DAIL Commissioner Susan Wehry was leaving her post and that Hutt would take over. At the same time, he announced the retirement of Paul Dupre, Commissioner for the Department of Mental Health. Dupre will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Commissioner Frank Reed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May was 3.6 percent. This represents no change from the revised April rate (3.6 percent). The national average in May was 5.5 percent, which experienced an increase of one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month’s estimate. The seasonally adjusted Vermont data for May show the Vermont civilian labor force increased by 300 from the prior month estimate. The number of employed increased by 500 and the number of unemployed decreased by 200. None of the over-the-month changes were statistically significant in the seasonally-adjusted series. As of the prior month’s initial data, Vermont’s unemployment rate was tied for fourth lowest in the country. May represents the eighth consecutive month without an increase to the unemployment rate.

HMC Advertising, based in Richmond, has merged with with Cottage 10 of Hinesburg. For over 35 years, HMC has carved out a trusted reputation among Vermont advertising agencies–with client longevity serving as a testament to outstanding service and business results. For example, Smugglers’ Notch Vermont has been a client of HMC for over 25 years, while Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont has been with the agency for over 20 years.

According to the firms, the merger with Cottage 10 adds tremendous creative depth and quality to the already potent offerings of HMC. Cottage 10, led by its Founder and Creative Director Bill Drew, brings nationally recognized creative credibility to HMC as he becomes the Executive Creative Director at HMC. Drew has worked in Vermont since 1993 – most recently founding Cottage 10 in Hinesburg in 2008 and previously served as Creative Director for 10 years at KSV in Burlington.

Vermont Tech opened the doors today to the recently donated Norwich Farms dairy farm. The donation encompasses an approximately 350-acre, 40-stall operational dairy farm on Turnpike Road in Norwich, Vermont, along with three residential buildings and multiple barns. Vermont Tech’s plans for the property include the development of a residential dairy intensive educational experience, delivered on the farm and relying on a fully operating herd. The layout and nature of the facility offer a strong environment for teaching and learning and will provide students with high quality learning experience.