Current News

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel in Williston has donated $4,375 worth of fall boots to Lund. The 35 pairs of red, green and black Martino boots will be distributed among young women in the residential and education programs at Lund. The integrated family support, education, treatment and adoption programs at Lund served over 3,500 women, men and children across the state last year.

“With the chilly fall weather hitting our region this week, everyone starts to look through their closets for warm jackets and boots,” said Amanda Cashin, Marketing Director at Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel. “Many of the young mothers served by Lund are concentrating on preparing their babies for the cold months ahead. This donation focuses on these moms who strive to make their children comfortable.”

Vermont Tech and the Community College of Vermont (CCV) have announced a new collaboration between the colleges. Effective immediately, students who have earned CCV’s STEM Studies associate degree will be able to transfer into Vermont Tech’s Renewable Energy Bachelor of Science degree program. The pathway guarantees admission for CCV graduates with a 2.0 or higher grade point average, provided they have completed a minimum of 60 pre-approved transfer credits. This collaboration allows students with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to make a seamless transition and further their studies in the expanding renewable energy field.

EPA will add a Bennington hazardous waste site to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into productive local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites.

The Jard Company Site, located in Bennington formerally operated as a capacitor manufacturer in Bennington. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), used in the manufacturing process, were released into the former building structure and soils on the property which contaminated area groundwater. EPA has already removed some contaminated soil from the site, but 2013 Site investigations have indicated that groundwater is contaminated with PCBs, and is potentially migrating west of the site property.

Today, Seventh Generation, based in Burlington, the nation's leading brand of non-toxic and renewable bio-based household, baby and personal care solutions, announcee the addition of a new investor, Generation Investment Management. The company said in a statement that the $30 million investment will allow Seventh Generation and its own venture arm, Seventh Generation Ventures, to accelerate the company's core growth through innovation, investment and acquisition of other mission-led brands. Seventh Generation Ventures acquired bobble in 2013 to expand its offerings and meet the growing needs of consumers who desire to live a healthy, environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Fletcher Allen Health Care announced today that Moody’s Investors Service, one of the major New York City-based bond rating services, has upgraded the institution’s bond rating from 'Baa 1' to ‘A3’ with a “Stable” outlook. Moody’s based its decision not only on Fletcher Allen’s financial performance but also on the way that Fletcher Allen Partners was successfully able to integrate the New York-based hospitals into the system without any negative impact on the system’s operating or financial metrics.

AccuWeather reports the chilliest air of the season so far will settle over much of the NortheastThursday into Friday and will bring the threat for frost to a much larger area as compared to earlier in the week. The pattern through this week will bring cooler-than-average temperatures to the region. A reinforcing push of cool air is forecast to settle in Thursday into Friday.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org Two protesters were arrested Tuesday during an attempt to block construction of a natural gas pipeline extension. The demonstrators sat on pipes being laid in a ditch with their necks locked together at the construction site along Redmond Road in Williston, halting construction for more than an hour.

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-five Vermont companies were honored Monday night for their success over the last five year during the 2014 5x5x5 Growth Awards. Governor Peter Shumlin presented the awards to the companies who represented five different industry categories. The event is sponsored by KeyBank Vermont and Vermont Business Magazine. KeyBank and VBM started the growth awards in 2003 to create an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the success and contributions that Vermont businesses make to the Vermont economy. Governor Shumlin joined in presenting the awards and Bill Stenger, President and CEO of Jay Peak Resort, was the keynote speaker. Perhaps the biggest winner of the night, however, was Burlington-based COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, which received a donation of $2,000. Rita Markley, executive director, accepted the award for COTS.

Vermont Business Magazine The Shumlin administration today announced that Vermont Health Connect has shut down its website temporarily to complete ongoing operational, technical, performance and security improvements necessary for a well-functioning customer experience when the next open enrollment period begins in November. The site is scheduled to be offline until November 15. The state made the decision to take down the website after consultation with its federal partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The state has engaged its new Vermont Health Connect vendor, Optum, to implement site improvements. Optum has deep experience assisting states and the federal government with exchange website improvements.

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission is sponsoring a groundbreaking campaign to spur economic development in the area with locally-led, regional efforts. Finding the Sweet Spot: New Approaches to Economic Development in the Rutland Region, kicks off the evening of October 1, 2014 with an economic development summit at the Franklin Conference Center in Rutland. The event is open to the public. Erik Pages from EntreWorks Consulting, an economic development and policy development firm, will lead the discussion on New Approaches to Economic Development in the Rutland Region. Pages’ specialty is helping communities support local innovators and nurture new drivers of local wealth creation; in other words, their entrepreneurial potential.

To be part of the conversation about new approaches to broadening the area’s economic development by focusing on local efforts join us:

Scott Milne, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, has recently cited two polls as evidence that he is gaining on Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat. A New York Times/CBS/YouGov.com opt-in, online poll of 430 Vermonters conducted Aug. 18-Sept. 2 shows a 11 percentage point gap between Milne and Shumlin. In the survey, 41 percent of Vermonters supported Shumlin, and 30 percent backed Milne. Fifteen percent of the respondents said they were undecided. A previous robo call survey by Rasmussen Report, also conducted in August, gave Shumlin a 12 percent lead over Milne.

Eric Davis, a retired professor of political science from Middlebury College, questions the methodology of both polls.

On September 14th, Make-A-Wish Vermont celebrated past, present, and future wish children at the 11th annual Walk For Wishes at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT, and over $130,000 was raised to grant wishes! Hundreds of people joined together to help raise awareness and funds for Vermont children living with life-threatening medical conditions, and local businesses and volunteers donated goods and services to the event. Donations since the event concluded have pushed the total to $150,000.

The Walk For Wishes is a short loop on the beautiful grounds of Shelburne Museum that focuses on celebrating hope. This year, a new scavenger hunt component was added for extra fun. Other highlights included a speech by a wish kid, Hyperfocus face painting, and activities for the whole family provided by The Big Blue Trunk.