Current News

The Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) has recently approved financing that will allow 3 businesses to expand and create at least 23 new jobs in Addison County. Middlebury-based Full Sun Company and Good Point Recycling as well as Bristol-based VT Farm Table have all received loans through ACEDC’s revolving loan funds.

Robin Scheu, Executive Director of ACEDC, noted that ACEDC will lend approximately $15,000 to Full Sun Company a specialty oil-seed processor. As a result of this investment in new equipment, Full Sun expects to create 3 new full-time jobs over the next three years. Beginning in early 2014, Full Sun began processing sunflower & non-gmo canola oil crops into edible oil and high-protein meal. These oils are distributed through local CSAs & farm stores, specialty food shops, health & wellness centers, and direct to chefs in the Northeast.

The Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Vermont Planning Associations, the Vermont Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vermont Section and the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Council jointly announce the winning submittals to the 2014 Vermont Public Places Awards. This is an awards program organized to honor Vermont’s public places. Together these groups initiated the Vermont Public Places Awards to recognize special public spaces, the corridors that connect them, or networks of public spaces which have been defined or enriched by planning or design, as well as regulations that promote positive, public uses and benefits.

This year, Vermont Public Places Honor Awards have been presented to:

Hannaford Supermarkets today donated approximately $5,000 in food to the Vermont Foodbank as part of a hunger-relief campaign that produced more than $1 million in product and cash donations across five Northeast states, including $107,000 in Vermont.

Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger took place in December and included a you-buy-one, we-give-one component; Hannaford pledged to donate identical products when customers purchased specific shelf-stable items. The food donated Thursday included 109 cases of pasta, 88 cases of sauce, 146 cases of vegetables and 83 cases of cereal.

”Hannaford’s loyal partnership in the mission of ensuring no one in Vermont goes hungry is invaluable to the Vermont Foodbank and our communities,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “For years, Hannaford and their customers have been providing food and funds to make our communities stronger and better fed, and we are so grateful.”

by Elizabeth Hewitt vtdigger.org Even after Vermont lawmakers find a way to mend the 2016 budget, there’s more bad news ahead. Vermont will have to find at least $48.8 million to solve funding gaps in FY 2017 and FY 2018, according to projections from the Joint Fiscal Office. As it stands, Vermont lawmakers are facing down a budget gap of at least $112 million in the current fiscal year.

Lawmakers have yet to determine how to fill the remaining gap between the $94 million that the governor’s budget filled and an additional $18.6 million stemming from a revenue downgrade in January.

Representative Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said Monday she hopes to have a proposal for a balanced budget by the end of the week.

Vermont Business Magazine The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Entergy filed responses today with the US Atomic Safety and Licensing Board opposing the State of Vermont's request for a hearing. The state opposes the NRC's decision to alter the existing Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant emergency warning system. Entergy is the owner of the Vernon plant and as owner has been responsible for the warning system. The NRC, in a split decision, ruled earlier this year that because the plant shut down in December, Entergy could discontinue offsite emergency planning activities and reduce the scope of its onsite emergency planning. The stated requested an ASLB hearing to revisit this issue last week.

Cary Buck and his AAA Accredited Pest Control company will pay a $70,000.00 penalty to the State of Vermont and has permanently surrendered his pesticide license, according to Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell. Buck’s license was suspended in 2013 following an enforcement investigation by the Agency of Agriculture and the Office of the Attorney General. Buck, of North Clarendon, Vermont, used pesticides containing chlorpyrifos, which is not approved as an indoor surface spray, in treating homes for bed bug infestations, and used approved pesticides at excessive rates. He also inaccurately documented his use of the pesticides. Buck’s practices came to light after a Rutland home he had treated became contaminated with chlorpyrifos.

Vermont’s own Hinda Miller received a Lifetime Achievement Award last night in Glasgow, Scotland, at the Sports Business Innovation Awards 2015, for invention of the “Jogbra,” a sports bra for women she co-invented in 1977. The Sports Business Innovation Awards highlight innovation and achievement in sports related businesses in Scotland. Hinda’s involvement in the development of the sports bra for women, and subsequent business success story, were inspirational to guests attending the Glittering Awards Ceremony and to other award winners such as DiaryDoll and Findra.

US News & World Report has released its rankings for the Best Law Schools for 2016, placing Vermont Law School in the Top 2 for environmental law for 2016. This marks the 25th year that VLS ranks in the Top 2. VLS has ranked Number 1 in environmental law 17 times and Number 2 eight times.

“We credit our world-class faculty for this achievement,” said VLS President and Dean Marc Mihaly. “We’ve been doing this since 1978, when we established the Environmental Law Center, and today our academic and clinical opportunities continue to set us apart. I couldn’t be more proud of our faculty and the entire Vermont Law School community.”

Green Mountain Power and groSolar have announced that the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) have awarded the Stafford Hill Solar Farm in Rutland the 2015 Project of Distinction Award. The award was presented this week in Boston at PV America, an annual trade show and conference designed to serve and advance the solar PV market by bringing together industry professionals. The award celebrates a major milestone for the Northeastern solar market and recognizes the highest achievement for a PV solar energy project of any scale.

GMP CEO Mary Powell, with Governor Shumlin, announces the Stafford Hill project last year. VBM file.

by Matt Borick You may have heard of a recent “international incident” involving Sony Pictures and North Korea over the movie The Interview, a comedy about a plot to assassinate Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader. Computer hackers in North Korea did not appreciate this storyline, and voiced their disapproval by launching a massive cyber attack on Sony. Nearly 50,000 current and former Sony employees had their personal information released. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed.

Vermont Gas Systems, Inc. will now offer its energy efficiency services to even more Vermonters, including some in potential new service areas – whether or not they choose to sign up for natural gas service. Qualified homes in Addison County will be eligible for a free energy audit, detailing recommended energy efficiency measures. The audit report will detail the estimated cost of each recommended energy efficiency measure and how much money residents are expected to save. Vermont Gas’ energy efficiency programs save current customers $13 million each year. Programs are also available for commercial customers.

Residents of an East Hardwick, Vermont, neighborhood that endured and then fought the pollution and noise of heavy-duty truck idling daily in a Compact Residential zoning district for nearly nine years won a Notice of Violation (NOV) judgment order from the State of Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division on March 4, 2015 that effectively prohibits a trucking company from continuing operation of commercial truck tractors in that district.

John Mandeville, an appellant in the case, following issuance of judgment, stated, “…the whole neighborhood is much relieved that this is over and that we were successful in our case before the Environmental Court and, as a result, we will get our nice, quiet village back.”