Current News

by Tom Brown vtdigger.org Becca Balint’s first political foray is likely to result in her landing one of only 30 state Senate seats. Balint, of Brattleboro, bested former Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee by about 500 votes Tuesday to secure one of two spots on the Windham County Democratic ballot in November. With no Republicans in the race, Balint and incumbent Senator Jeanette White, the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary, are favored to claim victory in the November 4 general election. They will, however, face a challenge from independent Mary Hasson and Liberty Union candidates Aaron Diamondstone and Jerry Levy. Results are from the Secretary of State’s website as of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to a statement released by the Vermont STate Police, yesterday, at approximately 9:35 pm, the Vermont State Police received a call regarding a death of an inmate at the Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield, VT. A detective from the Vermont State Police Criminal Division in D Troop responded to the correctional facility to investigate. The inmate, identified as Sylvester Labartino age 71 of Hubbardton, VT, was awaiting trial for the murders of Christopher and Shane Plummer on February 12, 2014, in the town of Hubbardton. Labartino had been incarcerated since his arrest.

Upon initial investigation, detectives learned that Labartino had recently been diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and had a history of other debilitating medical disorders. Labartino's condition had been worsening and was admitted to the infirmary at SSCF on August 20, 2014.

A new report released jointly by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), shows how difficult it is for Vermont’s lowest income renters to find housing that is affordable to them in the current rental market. The report, Housing Spotlight: The Affordable Rental Housing Gap Persists, shows that there were just 39 rental homes affordable and available for every 100 extremely low income households in Vermont in 2012, the last year for which data was available. Extremely low income households have incomes at or below 30 percent of area median income (approximately $21,000 a year). Statewide, there is a need for 9,203 more rental homes to close the affordable rental housing gap for extremely low-income renters.

The Vermont State Teacher’s Retirement Board of Trustees has approved the addition of a fossil fuel-free mutual fund investment option for the 403(b) plan. State Treasurer Beth Pearce said the addition gives more choices to teachers who want to invest supplemental retirement dollars in Socially Responsible Investments. The board approved the addition of the Pax World Global Environmental Markets Fund (PGINX) at their August board meeting.

“We have provided participants with a choice of several Socially Responsible Investment fund options within our supplemental retirement programs for several years,” said Pearce. “The addition of SRI funds allows us to maintain our fiduciary responsibility regarding the overall fund investments and still offer participants broader investment choices.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that up to $45 million will be provided to protect and improve soil and water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont over the next five years. In recent years, Lake Champlain has been plagued by blue-green algae blooms that periodically become toxic. The algae blooms are the result of degraded water quality, primarily due to phosphorous pollution. Phosphorus can affect water quality by enabling excessive aquatic plant and algae growth, which can contribute to fish die offs and other environmental impacts.

“We are dedicated to protecting and improving this beautiful and unique natural resource,” Vilsack said. “This historic USDA investment will help improve water quality while assisting producers in establishing and expanding sound conservation practices.”

Vermont Business Magazine Following months of negotiations between FairPoint and its northern New England Unions, and after talks remained deadlocked more than three weeks after the prior collective bargaining agreements expired, the company announced Wednesday that it will implement its final proposals, which have been repeatedly rejected by the unions. FairPoint said in a statement that this action is permitted by federal labor law when there is no meaningful prospect for a negotiated settlement. The two sides, which have been far apart in their negotiations, had met earlier in the day in Nashua in an attempt to reach a new deal or at least move the process forward. The two unions representing workers have received approval from rank and file members to go on strike, but have not done so yet.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org The state’s transmission utility has set a price for Vermont Gas to use its utility corridor as part of its natural gas pipeline extension through Addison County. Vermont Gas spokesman Steve Wark said last week the company intends to pay $450,000 for about 51 acres within the utility corridor. The price includes access roads, he said. The company plans to route sections of a 41-mile pipeline extension through a utility corridor owned by Vermont Electric Power Co, or VELCO. Vermont Gas said it has already started site work in one section of the corridor.

Wark said Vermont Gas supports the financial agreement with VELCO but has not signed it.

“We believe it to be fair. Obviously, we would like it to be less if we could,” Wark said.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org The Shumlin administration intends to hire an independent appraiser to assess the value of landowners’ property taken through eminent domain for the construction of a natural gas pipeline through Addison County. Governor Peter Shumlin sent a letter to three lawmakers on Monday stating his concern and disappointment with Vermont Gas’ rollout of its natural gas pipeline. The company has started construction of a 41-mile pipeline extension from Chittenden and Franklin counties to Middlebury. Among Shumlin’s top concerns are the company’s belated announcement of project cost overruns and unsuccessful negotiations with some landowners along the pipeline route.

The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission in the Upper Valley of Vermont is using $99,900 to assist in infrastructure repair and upgrade to culverts damage by Tropical Storm Irene. Irene damaged a significant portion of town-owned infrastructure across the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee region. During the storm, countless undersized culverts were severely damaged or destroyed, leading to many roads being washed out isolating residents and disrupting economic activity. Many towns need thorough culvert inventories to lessen vulnerability to extreme rain events and will use these inventories for town budgeting purposes. Prioritized lists of culvert improvements address these vulnerabilities and improve water quality at the same time.

As part of its graduate public health offerings, the University of Vermont is offering a new online Environmental Public Health graduate certificate program to give students the opportunity to study environmental public health, epidemiology, public health and health policy, as well as electives in environmental risk and communication, food systems and public health and environmental public health law.

Environmental Public Health is a multidisciplinary field that addresses the biological, chemical and physical environmental factors that can adversely affect human health. Environmental public health practitioners use the tools of epidemiology, risk assessment, risk communication, and policy to protect and improve public health.

The Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative (Cooperative) will be applying lampricides to portions of six tributaries and three delta areas of Lake Champlain during the months of September and October. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be treating the Boquet, Ausable, Little Ausable, Salmon, and the Great Chazy rivers in New York and Lewis Creek in Vermont as part of the Cooperative’s long-term sea lamprey control program for Lake Champlain. The Boquet, Ausable, and Salmon river deltas will also be treated in New York. Treatments are scheduled to begin with the Boquet River on September 9. Treatment dates are always contingent on weather and may change with short notice.

The Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC.org) as part of its many business services is offering several workshops for those thinking about starting their own business – taking their idea and turning it into a full-fledged venture. The workshops on - “How to Start Your Own Business” are held at various locations around the state.

Got a great idea and not sure how to get going? Taking the idea and turning it into a viable business is where most great ideas get lost. So what does it take to plan, start and run a successful small business where you can realize the challenges and satisfaction of working for yourself? Take the next step and learn how to get going in the right direction. Experienced VtSBDC Business Advisors will walk you through the basics and much more in this four-hour workshop designed as a step-by-step guide for the first-time business owner.

A few workshop highlights: