Current News

Judith Van Houten, George H Perkins Professor of Biology, has been named the inaugural recipient of the President’s Distinguished University Citizenship and Service Award for her consistent and outstanding record of service over time to the university community. Since her arrival in 1980, Van Houten has provided countless hours of service to the university, State of Vermont and the nation in her role as a University Distinguished Professor, state director of the Vermont Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and director of the Vermont Genetics Network INBRE program. Her efforts have had a significant impact on UVM’s research mission through the building of cyber infrastructure, establishment of core facilities, hiring of faculty across five colleges, mentoring of students and colleagues, and the support of entrepreneurial ventures by UVM faculty.

During a news conference in Chester Monday, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials announced eight organizations across the state will share $430,326 in USDA Rural Development Community Facility grants, loans and loan guarantees to purchase, improve or construct essential community assets. The federal funds provide rural communities with an incentive to invest in facilities and equipment that improve the quality of life across Vermont’s rural communities. The Brighton Fire Department, the Burke Town School District, Chester’s Whiting Library, Hancock’s Town Clerk’s Office, Heartbeet Lifesharing Corporation of Hardwick, the Paramount Theatre of Rutland, the Sheffield-Wheelock Volunteer Fire Department, and Turning Point of Windham County in Brattleboro each received a portion of the funding.

Governor Peter Shumlin today kicked off his ‘Solar Summer Tour,’ the first in a series of stops around the state in the coming months to highlight the strength of Vermont’s solar and renewable energy sector and its growing impact on job creation, the state’s economy and the environment. Joined by Public Service Department Commissioner Christopher Recchia, the Governor released the "2014 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report", the first effort in the state to survey and describe the status and characteristics of Vermont’s clean energy industry. Among the findings, Vermont’s clean energy industry employs 15,286 workers at 2,684 locations, and has seen a growth of 3.4 percent in the last 12 months.

Vermont businesses are "green" and getting "greener," according to a recent survey, and most are looking beyond the bottom line. The Certified Public Accounting firm of Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs located in Williston, Vermont, conducted a survey in May regarding the environmental priorities of Vermont-based businesses. The survey was completed by more than 170 businesses; nearly half (49 percent) of those being small businesses with 1-10 employees, 26 percent with 11-50 employees and 25 percent with 50+ employees. A wide range of industries were represented ranging from professional/technical (16 percent) to manufacturing (13 percent), hospitality (12 percent), health care/social assistance (12 percent), and travel and tourism among others.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office is warning about a promotional flyer being mailed to many consumers in northeast Vermont offering free airline tickets and hotel accommodations. This type of advertisement – saying you will be receiving something for “free” when the advertisement is really intended to lure the consumer into a sales promotion – violates the Vermont Consumer Protection Rule on Bait Advertising. The same type of “free travel” advertising campaign happened in late 2013- early 2014 in northern Vermont. Consumers who contacted the number on the promotional flyer were required to attend a seminar in order to obtain the voucher for free airfare. The seminars are led by transient, out-of-state, high pressure sales teams in area hotel conference rooms. The sales agents persuade consumers that they can save money on discount airfare and accommodations by purchasing a membership in a discount travel club, or similar type of enterprise.

Under the direction of Governor Peter Shumlin, Agency of Human Services Secretary Doug Racine and Department for Children and Families Commissioner Dave Yacovone announced Friday significant changes being taken in the wake of the tragic deaths of Dezirae Sheldon and Peighton Geraw to ensure DCF is better able to protect children and support families. One critical change is a shift in leadership at the DCF Rutland office, with Lynne Klamm, an experienced field services director, returning to the office on an interim basis with full authority over its operation.

“We are immediately implementing several actions to help keep children safer,” said AHS Secretary Doug Racine in a statement. “Paramount is ensuring the district office in Rutland has strong supervision and staff, and has comprehensive procedures in place to protect Vermont’s children.”

by Laura Krantz vtdigger.org The former chief lawyer prosecuting the murder case against Dezirae Sheldon’s stepfather is challenging incumbent Marc Brierre in a run for Rutland County State’s Attorney. State’s attorney races are typically low profile in Vermont. Prosecutors decide which crimes to charge, how to prosecute them, how to help victims and which defendants to funnel into alternative justice programs such as opiate addiction treatment. Rose Kennedy, 44, says she is qualified to take the county forward. Brierre says his track record in handling an exceptionally busy office shows he is qualified to keep his job. Rutland County prosecutors have the highest caseloads in the state, more than 800 cases per attorney. Brierre fired Kennedy, one of his four deputies, the day she filed her petition to run against him.

On Thursday, the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies Board passed a resolution asking the State of Vermont to recognize the process created by the Windham County Regional CEDS document for implementation of Vermont Yankee Economic Development funds, and asking for representation in determining the use of these funds before a Notice of Funding Availability is released.

The SeVEDS board also authorized the next stage of implementing the regions S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The board approved extending its contract with ViTAL Economy, Inc. to develop the integrated multi-year roll out and budget plan for the S.M.A.R.T. CEDS and the VY Recovery action plans described in the plan. Implementation strategies will be developed in consultation with private sector, regional, state and federal partners.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced on Monday an agreement on bipartisan legislation that would restore the ability of consumers to more easily transfer their cell phones to other wireless carriers. The legislation will be listed on the Judiciary Committee’s agenda for this week’s executive business meeting.

by Don Rendall, GMP Green Mountain Power is lowering electric rates for customers. This good news is rare for most electric customers across the region and around the country, as rates are going up, sometimes by double digits. These rate increases - from Colorado to Pennsylvania - come at a time when our country is faced with critical choices about our energy future. Reliable electric service is more important than ever. At the same time, developing cleaner sources of electric power is an environmental imperative.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last Thursday night filed a cloture petition on a judicial nomination to fill a vacancy on the US District Court in Vermont, setting up a likely confirmation vote this week. President Obama on May 20 nominated Vermont Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Crawford to the US District Court in Vermont, to fill the vacancy created when Judge William Sessions took senior status on the court last weekend. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, had recommended Crawford to the President at the end of a review process handled by the nine-member nonpartisan Vermont Judicial Nominating Commission, whose members were appointed by Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and the Vermont Bar Association. Leahy chaired Justice Crawford's confirmation hearing in the Judiciary Committee on June 4, and then he brought the nomination to a successful vote in the committee on Thursday, June 19.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) proudly announces that its Berlin headquarters has earned the coveted ENERGY STAR certification from the 2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.