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Governor Peter Shumlin and Chittenden County State’s Attorney TJ Donovan announced on Wednesday a pilot Driver Restoration Day to be held in Burlington on March 20 to help Vermonters in Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, and Washington counties who have had their licenses suspended for failure to pay traffic tickets get their driving privileges reinstated. The effort is aimed at ensuring lower-income Vermonters are not forced to make choices between paying for overdue tickets or daily necessities and increasing public safety.

Governor Shumlin speaks at the event Wednesday in Burlington. TJ Donovan is the the red tie. Attorney General Sorrell is on the far right. Courtesy photo.

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) assisted Essex Junction, Jericho, and Underhill in developing flood resiliency language for their town plans. This work operates under the State’s 604 B water quality program and a resultant Department of Environmental Conservation grant in the amount of $3,636 to the Lamoille County Planning Commission. The CCRPC operated as the subcontractor for this project.

Effective July 2014, all municipal plans are required to have a flood resiliency element. This particular effort developed varying language for the three municipalities that tied existing flood resiliency efforts into the municipal plans and identified further efforts needed. Essex Junction and Jericho’s Plans are adopted, while Underhill’s is in draft form.

This work will also serve to inform the CCRPC’s work in 2015 to update the Town Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan due by August 2016.

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), a member of the Senate energy and environment committees, issued the following statement today after President Barack Obama vetoed a bill to allow construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

“I applaud the president for vetoing the Keystone pipeline bill. This veto tells the world that our nation takes seriously the planetary crisis of global warming and that we will not support legislation that would let a Canadian oil company ship some of the dirtiest oil on the planet across the United States.

“Climate change is real, it is caused by human activity and it is already causing devastating problems. Our job now is to aggressively transform our energy system away from fossil fuels into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. I urge my Senate colleagues to sustain the president’s veto.”

Vermont home sellers had a rough month in January, as total sales were down, and, even worse, median prices were also well off from a year ago, according to RE/MAX of New England. The one bit of good news is that pending sales are well ahead, suggesting that February could reveal much better results.

For the region as a whole, the data shows that Vermont had similar to rest of New England. Year-over-year sales decreased by -3.0 percent according to The RE/MAX of New England January Monthly Housing Report. Pending sales were up 9.4 percent over January 2014, but down -2.3 percent over December 2014. Across the region, homes are staying on the market an average of two days less than this time last year and pricing remains flat.

Norwich University announced today that former US Senator Elizabeth Dole will deliver its 2015 commencement address to graduating seniors on Saturday, May 9. Senator Dole will receive an honorary degree from Norwich University, located in Northfield, Vermont.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University, Elizabeth Dole earned both a law degree and a master of arts in teaching from Harvard University. She worked in the Johnson Administration and later served in the Nixon White House as Deputy to the Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs, an appointment that sparked a career-long interest in public safety and humanitarian work. President Nixon also appointed her to the Federal Trade Commission, where she served as a commissioner for five years.

The People’s Health & Wellness Clinic of Barre is expanding the availability of free oral health check-ups for low-income residents of central Vermont, thanks to a major gift from the Central Vermont Medical Center, a member of The University of Vermont Health Network. Since last November, the free clinic has offered dental hygiene services to its patients one day a week. A $10,000 donation from the hospital will enable the clinic’s dental hygienist to work additional hours and see patients on a second weekday.

“There is a large need for better access to dental care services in Vermont. More than 30 percent of uninsured adult Vermonters have gone without needed dental care because they could not afford it, according to the recent state health insurance survey,” said Peter Youngbaer, executive director of the People’s Health & Wellness Clinic. “This generous gift from the Central Vermont Medical Center is a huge boost in helping us fill this gap.”

Ledyard Financial Group, Inc, the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, with branches in Vermont and New Hampshire, today reported record earnings for 2014. Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, was $973,793 or $0.96 per share compared to $684,277 or $0.68 per share for the same period in 2013, an increase of $289,515 or 42 percent. Net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, was $3,969,286 or $3.90 per share compared to $3,008,608 or $2.98 per share for the same period in 2013, an increase of $960,678 or 32 percent. During 2014 some of the highlights were:

Governor Peter Shumlin and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recently awarded matching grants totaling $247,134 to aid in the restoration and maintenance of significant buildings that contribute to Vermont's agricultural history. Spanning from a circa 1790 English barn to a 1930 Sears kit barn, the projects include roof and foundation repairs, drainage work, reframing, and replacement of deteriorated siding.

“Vermont’s rural landscape is defined by its many historic agricultural buildings. Whether they are active farms or adaptively used for recreation or tourism, these buildings are an integral part of our state’s heritage and economy,” said Noelle MacKay, Commissioner of Housing and Community Development for the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “This year’s 21 projects demonstrate the importance of agricultural resources to the current and future economic vitality of our state.”

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology based in Waterbury, Vermont, announced on early Monday morning that on Saturday, February 21, 2015, that it has entered into an agreement to repurchase approximately 5.2 million shares of Keurig common stock beneficially owned by Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., at a purchase price of $119.18 per share, or $619.7 million.

The purchase price represents a 3.0 percent discount off the closing price of Keurig common stock on February 20, 2015. The repurchase will be financed through cash balances and Keurig’s existing credit facility. Lavazza previously owned 9,934,256 shares, or 6.1 percent. Keurig's market cap (value of all outstanding common shares) is $19.87 billion.

Shares were up shortly after Monday's opening about 1 percent to $124 (the 52-week range is $90.08/$158.87).

As Americans have pumped more debt onto their credit cards than they have since the beginning of the Great Recession, Vermonters on a per borrower basis have increased their debt at the second highest level in the nation. The average Vermont debt (Q4 2014) is $5,074, up 1.3 percent. The latest TransUnion Industry Insights Report found that the credit card delinquency rate remained steady in Q4 relative to the same period in 2013, and total outstanding credit card balances increased 5 percent on a yearly basis. The increase indicates record growth, the highest yearly growth observed since 2008.

SW Cole Engineering, Inc, a geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, geo-environmental and test boring exploration services firm with offices in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, is celebrating its 35^th anniversary and has released a video which thanks their clients for helping them achieve this milestone.

The four-minute video, which can be found on the firm’s website and YouTube channel, begins with President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Chaput, PE, who explains how S.W.COLE’s clients and employees have been critical to the success of the firm.

“We’re here because of our clients, and our employees, who are entirely dedicated to the profession,” says Chaput.

The video features a number of interviews, including one with company founder Stephen W. Cole, a Bangor, Maine native who started S.W.COLE when the engineering firm for which he worked moved out of the area.

After three days of voting that concluded on Sunday, IBEW and CWA members in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have ratified tentative agreements with FairPoint Communications. According to a statement issued by the unions, the new agreements protect good jobs and ensure quality telecommunications service for New England communities.

“This is great news for our members, their families, and our communities,” said Peter McLaughlin, chair of the union bargaining committee and Business Manager of IBEW Local 2327 in Maine. “Our members remained united and committed to this fight for more than four months and today we have a fair deal that will bring them back to work and good service back to our communities.”

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