Current News

Black River Produce, based in Proctorsville, has announced today that Sean Buchanan has been appointed president of the company effective immediately. Buchanan previously held the position of Business Development Manager.

“Sean has been an invaluable manager through a time of dynamic change for our company,” said Steve Birge, Co-Owner and Founder of Black River Produce. “Our company and customers demand strong logistical skills, personal integrity, and a keen culinary palate. Sean’s mastery of these attributes plus his appealing sense of humor, make him the right candidate for leading our company into a time of growth.”

The spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is the first aquatic invasive zooplankton to be confirmed in Lake Champlain, bringing the known number of nonnative and aquatic invasive species in Lake Champlain to 50. These specimens were collected this August in the Main Lake segment of Lake Champlain as part of the Lake Champlain Long-term Biological Monitoring Program supported by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Sample analysis by the Lake Champlain Research Institute at SUNY Plattsburgh confirms multiple specimens from two different monitoring stations. Additional samples are being examined. Dr. Tim Mihuc, Director of the Lake Champlain Research Institute, states, “This is truly a sad day for Lake Champlain. The spiny water flea has potential to severely impact the planktonic food web and will be a huge nuisance to anglers.

GW Plastics, based in Bethel, has announced the graduation of its first summer internship class. This year’s class included Tommy Zani, University of Maine ’16; Glen Rogers, Vermont Technical College ’16; Brendan Hackett, University of Vermont ’15; Griffin Thomas, University of Mississippi ’16; and Camden Houghton, University of Vermont ’15. All of this year’s graduates are pursuing degrees in mechanical or electromechanical engineering.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced that he will officially launch his reelection campaign on Tuesday, September 9 and has hired Scott Coriell as his campaign manager. Coriell has served as a Special Assistant in the Governor's Office since September 2013, and is leaving state service immediately to help launch Gov. Shumlin's campaign. A Killington native, Coriell served previously as Communications Director for Congressman Peter Welch and worked on the 2012 Obama for America campaign in New Hampshire.

"My campaign will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing our great state in the years ahead," Shumlin said. "We have made great progress, but I will not rest until all Vermonters have the economic security and quality of life they deserve. It has been a great honor to serve as Vermont's governor and I look forward to traveling the state over the coming weeks and asking Vermonters for their support for two more years of progress."

Vermont borrowers who took out a loan from Western Sky (also known as CashCall or Delbert), one of the largest online lenders of high-interest consumer loans, are reminded that September 1, 2014, is the deadline to file their claim for a cash refund. Specific details regarding the Western Sky/CashCall settlement and how to file a claim are available here. To date, the Vermont Attorney General has settled with four lenders and one payment processor, resulting in over $1,100,000 in combined total restitution for Vermont borrowers, and $105,000 in direct payments to the State. Borrower refunds for these other settlements are being issued automatically.

The National Collegiate Athletics Association has given the go-ahead to Southern Vermont College for an athletics consortium with Bennington College starting this fall. Through the consortium, Bennington College students would be permitted to participate in SVC’s New England Collegiate Conference/Division III athletics. SVC’s first men's soccer game is Saturday, August 30, and a Bennington student-athlete will be participating.

“This is a tremendous opportunity, not only broadening our athletic programs but also partnering with our collegiate neighbors in a way that enhances both institutions athletically and academically,” said SVC Director of Athletics Michael McDonough who filed the application for the consortium to the NCAA.

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.