Current News

Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Gurus call it a new flavor. Existing “Half Baked” fans, especially given the holiday season, may consider it more of a gift. To celebrate Half Baked’s decade and a half of success, and because everyone knows that the holidays can be a bit nutty, Ben & Jerry’s is proud to unveil Peanut Butter Half Baked! The newest version in the Half Baked family includes a tasty twosome of chocolate and peanut butter ice creams mixed with gobs of peanut butter cookie dough and fudge brownies. “‘Tis the season for togetherness,” said Flavor Guru Peter Lind, who saw the concept through to a fully baked idea, “so we thought why not be peanut buttery and chocolaty togetherness?”

Vermont’s Financial Literacy Task Force has released a report, “Vermont’s Financial Literacy Action Plan,” with recommendations aimed at strengthening Vermonters’ financial futures. The group has developed 13 actionable solutions that will lead to an increase in the financial wellbeing of citizens across the state. “When it comes to ‘money smarts,’ far too many Vermonters aren’t making the grade,” said Bob Allen, Windham Foundation president/CEO and task force chairman. “We have the opportunity to help lift our friends and neighbors out of financial turmoil. The time to take action is now.”

by John Herrick vtdigger.org Vermont’s neighbor to the west has banned hydraulic fracturing, a controversial oil and gas drilling technique also known as fracking, because of health concerns. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration announced the ban on Wednesday. The state’s top health official said in a news release it would be “reckless” to proceed without conducting more research on the extraction process.

During a news conference at the Route 106 North Market and Deli in North Springfield Friday, officials from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and members of the Hawks Mountain Ridge Riders (HMRR) showed off their new snowmobile trail groomer. A $77,000 USDA Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) helped the club purchase the equipment to help the snowmobile club improve trail conditions in Southeastern Vermont.

"This new trail groomer will improve trail conditions which will increase the number of snowmobile trail users and lead to more business for the restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and stores like the Route 106 North Market and Deli along the trail network," said USDA Rural Development State Director Ted Brady. “The snowmobile industry is critically important to the vitality of Vermont’s small businesses and our rural communities.”

Two prominent Vermont conservation organizations recently teamed up with Green Mountain Power to go solar, lowering their energy bills and greening their electric energy footprint. This exciting collaboration will allow these organizations to power their offices with clean, local, renewable energy. The Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Vermont Land Trust, located in historic buildings across the street from each other in Montpelier, will now be generating the electricity they use from a set of solar trackers recently installed on Green Mountain Power property about a quarter of a mile from their offices.

Earlier this month, ISO New England Inc, the operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets, completed a multi-year transition to a new market system that allows generators to submit supply offers on an hourly basis, an enhancement that will help improve power system reliability.

The Energy Market Offer Flexibility project, which received broad support from industry stakeholders, is designed to bring more accurate wholesale power pricing and financial incentives that recognize power plants’ actual risks from changing fuel costs. Now, power plant owners can change their offers to supply power on an hourly basis, which will allow them to account for fuel costs that change throughout the day.

· Generators can change price and supply offers hourly, reflecting changing fuel costs

As of today, the Department of Public Service has received in excess of 700 complaints regarding FairPoint Communication’s service since the work stoppage began in October. “The Department has grave concerns regarding the number of customers who appear to be experiencing serious delays in repair of service and we believe immediate remedial action is necessary,” said Public Service Commissioner Christopher Recchia. Today, the Department proposed, and FairPoint has agreed, to implement measures designed to ensure timely repairs for those most vulnerable without phone service. In addition, FairPoint will begin reporting on how the Company prioritizes repairs.

US Attorney Tristram Coffin on Friday announced that he will be leaving his position next month after serving as Vermont’s top federal prosecutor since 2009. US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) praised Coffin for his years of service, and he committed to working quickly to find a highly qualified nominee to serve as Vermont’s next US Attorney. Coffin announced his plan to return to private practice and join the Vermont law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC. DRM Managing Partner Paul H. Ode, Jr., later confirmed that Coffin will join DRM as a director in the Burlington office, effective January 12.

The Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) has asked for an expansion of a Preliminary Damage Assessment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to include eight additional counties. The added counties are Addison, Caledonia, Essex, Grand Isle, Orange, Rutland, Washington, and Windsor. The assessment initially included Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, and Orleans counties. An initial review of damages suggests 12 Vermont counties could qualify for federal disaster assistance following response to and recovery from a severe winter storm that began on December 9th. The counties above could qualify for aid under a Public Assistance disaster declaration.

T-Mobile USA, Inc has reached a global settlement on mobile cramming with Vermont and 49 other states, the District of Columbia, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission. “Cramming” is the placement of unauthorized third-party charges on a telephone bill. Together with the settlement with AT&T Mobility announced in October, this resolves the issue of mobile cramming for nearly half of Vermont’s cell-phone users. The Office of Attorney General Bill Sorrell estimates that Vermont T-Mobile users could recoup more than $25,000 in refunds. In addition, Vermont will receive over $1 million for its leadership role in the multistate investigation of T-Mobile.

Recent polling data conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Saxon Partners, a real estate development firm, shows broad community support for the creation of a new South Burlington City Center, with additional support for the sale of the Marcotte Central School site to a developer who would provide significant funding to help bring the long-delayed project to fruition. SEE RESULTS BELOW

The poll, which queried 191 South Burlington residents 18 years or older, was conducted from November 13th to 15th. Among its findings, South Burlington voters responded favorably to the idea of a new City Center by the overwhelming margin of 7 to 1. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 6%.

by Governor Peter Shumlin Earlier this week, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my public life when I announced that I cannot support a move to a publicly-financed health care system in Vermont at this time. I have advocated for such a system for much of my public life, but over the past two weeks it has become clear to me that the risks and economic shocks of moving forward at this time are too great.