Current News

Mayor Miro Weinberger, Library Director Rubi Simon, and community partners have announced that the City of Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library (FFL) has been selected through a nationwide competitive process as one of 19 US public libraries to host “Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?,” a traveling exhibition developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the American Library Association (ALA). The exhibition will be hosted at FFL from February 18, 2017 – March 17, 2017. Through panels, interactive kiosks, hands-on displays and videos, the exhibition invites audiences to explore milestones in the evolutionary journey of becoming human — from walking upright, creating technology and eating new foods, to brain enlargement and the development of symbolic language and complex societies — advancements that define the unique position of humans in the history of life.

FairPoint Communications, Inc, Vermont's largest telecom provider, today announced it has added a senior leadership position designed to work with economic and community development leaders across northern New England. Karen A Mead, a 30-year telecom industry veteran, will assume the newly created role of Senior Vice President, External Relations and Community High-Speed Internet Development.

In this role, Mead will serve as FairPoint’s community high-speed Internet development liaison and work closely with community and economic development organizations to define and develop solutions to meet the growing infrastructure needs through creative and collaborative solutions using Ethernet and fiber-based solutions.

The Vermont Public Service Department (PSD) is developing its 2nd annual edition of the Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report. As part of the Report, the Department, through its Clean Energy Development Fund, wishes to again SURVEY the state's clean energy businesses. VMEC has been asked to assist in reaching out and spreading the word about this clean energy business sector opportunity. The Public Service Department has engaged BW Research Partnership, an independent research firm, to conduct this time sensitive survey.

The detailed information from this State-led initiative will be used to "better expand and support this growing industry." The Vermont PSD assures responders that individual responses will remain Strictly Confidential. The survey responses go directly to BW Research, who will analyze the data and present information to the PSD in a summarized format only.

Sterling College has earned a STARS Gold Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This is Sterling College’s first time participating in STARS. The College’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website:

https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/sterling-college-vt/report/2015-02-17/

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.”