Current News

Vermont Gas Systems, based in South Burlington, has announced that its customers save almost $14 million a year by participating in the company’s award-winning energy efficiency programs, up nearly $1 million in 2014 alone. Almost 2,100 customers were added to the company’s efficiency program in 2014. In the two counties now served by Vermont Gas – Chittenden and Franklin – these customers will both save money and avoid climate-changing carbon emissions equivalent to the emissions from more than 1,000 cars.

The combination of efficiency programs and displacement of higher-emitting heating oil and propane makes natural gas a good environmental investment, Vermont Gas said in a statement.

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board has committed $2.06 million in VHCB funds and $2,007,000 in federal HOME Program funds for the development of 85 new homes in Brattleboro and Milton and to preserve affordability and rehabilitate 151 homes in Colchester, Brattleboro, Randolph and Bennington.

Gus Seelig, Executive Director of VHCB, said, “A recent housing needs study commissioned by the state points to the continuing need for quality affordable housing across the state. These investments will add new homes to the market in Milton and Brattleboro and refinance, rehabilitate and secure the long term affordability of existing housing in Randolph and Colchester. Housing in historic downtown buildings in Bennington and Brattleboro will be rehabilitated with energy efficiency upgrades and a mobile home park in Randolph will be acquired and redeveloped. New construction in Brattleboro will replace housing flooded during Tropical Storm Irene. “

Senior executives at National Life Group challenged their peers at other companies in the region to follow their lead and volunteer at area nonprofits. National Life’s top executives will spend the morning on Friday volunteering at the Vermont Foodbank to demonstrate their commitment to the company’s corporate values and to the goals of the Foodbank.

They expect to be packing and sorting food that will be distributed to senior centers, local food shelves or other hunger-relief agencies.

“We believe passionately in our values to Do good. Be good. Make good,” said National Life Group President and CEO Mehran Assadi. “Volunteering in the community, just like hundreds of our employees do throughout the year, is just one more way of giving back.”

National Life gives its employees 40 hours per year of paid time to volunteer at local nonprofits, the program that will be highlighted by the executive team on Friday.

by Deb Markowitz, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources As I’ve been traveling around the State talking with Vermonters about the new Universal Recycling Law, I have met many impressive individuals on the front lines of implementation. Trevor Mance, founder of TAM Waste Management, is one example. Trevor got his start in the solid waste business when he was a student at Mount Anthony High School working at the Shaftsbury landfill on weekends. Pretty soon he had bought himself an old one-ton truck and was hauling waste for customers in and around Bennington. By 2007, Trevor had constructed a recycling and transfer station, allowing him to keep costs down by recycling as much as possible.

WCAX is honored to accept the 2015 Governor’s SMART Award presented by the Vermont Travel Industry Conference. WCAX accepted the award Tuesday, March 31, at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington. The annual award is given to a company that finds creative ways of using social media.

While the world was snapping “selfies,” WCAX asked its viewers, followers and fans to turn the camera around and take “leafies” last fall. “We paused to see the natural beauty in our region during foliage season,” said WCAX News Director Anson Tebbetts. “The public soaked up this colorful, whimsical and simple way to showcase the region’s landscape,” said Tebbetts.

The Vermont House gave preliminary approval today to H361 (88-55), legislation to reduce school spending, improve educational quality, and help control rising property taxes. The central piece of the legislation would force school district consolidation of districts with fewer than 1,100 students by 2018. This by itself would not close small schools, but the reorganized school boards and local townspeople could take that next step. There has been widespread recognition that school spending, and thus property taxes, is too high in Vermont. There has also been general agreement that very small schools are fiscally inefficient and the number of school boards across the state redundant. However, townspeople and elected officials have not been willing to change the status quo in any meaningful way in large part because of a loss of local control and the specter of closing local schools.

Today, the Vermont Senate passed S29, which allows all eligible Vermonters the opportunity to register to vote up until as well as on Election Day. The current law has a registration deadline of the Wednesday before the election. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos released the following response: "I am extremely grateful to the Senate for taking up and passing Election Day Voter Registration with overwhelming support. The Senate’s endorsement, shown by the floor vote, indicates that they appreciate that this is truly a voter rights issue.

"Every year, my Elections Division receives phone calls from citizens who missed the deadline but are otherwise completely eligible to vote. I am sure that there are many Town Offices that have received similar calls. Right now my office has no reasonable answer for these Vermonters as to why the law does not allow them to register up until and on Election Day.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) achieved the highest possible ranking in four important service measures in 2014, retaining its distinction as the number one BCBS plan in America in overall service to its members, BCBSVT President and CEO Don George announced today. BCBSVT, an independent Vermont company, also achieved the number one ranking among the nation’s BCBS plans – which generally are known for service excellence -- in 2013.

“The focus of our company is on our members’ experience, and that commitment continues to be our guiding principle in everything that we do.” he said. “Our entire company is focused on putting our members’ experience first, which contributed to this remarkable achievement.”

LaunchVT, Vermont’s statewide business pitch competition announced its 2015 contestants and the addition of a new second place cash prize. Six contestants were chosen to participate in the competition which concludes with a pitch session on May 7. A new second place cash prize has been added to the competition this year. The competition will now award a first place company $30,000 in cash and more than $45,000 of in-kind support with a new second place prize awarding $15,000 in cash and $25,000 worth of in-kind support.

An analysis of the recently-released 2014 US Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) National Bridge Inventory database finds good news and bad news when it comes to the most heavily traveled U.S. bridges. The good news is that there are 45 fewer structurally deficient structures in Vermont than there were in 2013. The analysis of the federal government data, conducted by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr Alison Premo Black, shows cars, trucks and school buses cross Vermont's 206 structurally compromised bridges 331,196 times every day. Not surprisingly, the most heavily traveled are on the Interstate Highway System, which carries the bulk of truck traffic and passenger vehicles.

The bad news is that there are still 61,000 structurally deficient bridges across the nation that are still in need of significant repair. And it is a problem that hits close to home.

At the Vermont Travel Industry Conference on Tuesday, March 31, Bill Ackerman from Green Mountain Marketing and Advertising shocked many participants in his seminar with the news of Mobilegeddon. Attendees come to this conference to not only network with other tourism based companies but also to learn and share ideas and Ackerman certainly gave them their money's worth.

by Bill Ackerman, Green Mountain Marketing & Advertising It may sound like an April Fool’s prank, but pay attention; this is for real. If your website is not mobile friendly, Google is about to drop you like a hot potato.

The Red Clover Inn & Restaurant, a sophisticated inn and dining destination near Killington, has been honored by Vermont tourism industry peers for its locally-sourced cuisine, inspired cocktails and award-winning wine list, elegant atmosphere, support of the statewide tourism industry, and commitment to staff advancement and training.

The award was given to restaurateurs, longtime tourism industry icons, and siblings Ted Tyler and Pixley Tyler Hill before a packed audience at the 32^nd Vermont Travel Industry Conference in Burlington. Accepting the award beside the Tylers were General Manager Jeff Towle, Marketing Manager Caitlin Portch, and Innkeeper Carol PetitBon. The Tylers also credit Chef David Coolidge, Sous Chef Mike Ryan, and Sommelier Thomas Meek with the restaurant’s success.