Current News

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.

by Katie Jickling vtdigger.org Hours after President Barack Obama announced that armed troops will not return to combat in Iraq, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for a continued military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan from a stage at Norwich University. Rice talked about leadership, democracy, disruption and a range of international affairs issues in her address to an audience of 3,000 at Norwich on Thursday. Protesters disrupted the speech seconds after Rice came to the podium. Individuals dispersed throughout the audience stood up and yelled. One protester shouted “war criminal” as he was escorted from the room. Some members of the crowd booed the protesters.

The Burlington Board of School Commissioners has appointed Stephanie Phillips to serve as acting superintendent. Phillips, the district’s director of curriculum, replaces outgoing Superintendent Jeanné Collins, who is stepping down effective June 30. Collins accepted a $225,000 buyout of her contract and is headed for the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union as superintendent. Collins had come under fire after several budgetary problems arose. Mayor Miro Weinberger was among those who had been urging the Board to part ways with Collins.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont jobless rate, the number of employed and unemployed, and the total labor force stayed remarkably the same in May relative to the April numbers. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May 2014 was 3.3 percent. This represents no change from the previously reported April rate. The equivalent national average was 6.3 percent, which also held steady from the previous month’s estimate. By not declining, May 2014 data ends a streak of seven consecutive months of reported decreases to the statewide unemployment rate in Vermont. As of the prior month’s initial data, Vermont’s unemployment rate remains the second lowest in the country. The seasonally adjusted Vermont data for May show the Vermont civilian labor force increased by 250 from the prior month estimates.

Vermont Business Magazine New unemployment claims in Vermont last week increased slightly but stayed under 500 for the third consecutive week. For the week of June 14, 2014, there were 437 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 34 from the previous week's total, and 272 fewer than they were a year ago. Claims in 2014 have been running significantly lower than those in 2013.

Altogether 4,656 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 360 from a week ago and 1,357 fewer than a year ago. The Department also processed 10 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 3 fewer than the previous week.

The Town of Shoreham and Vermont Gas have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the next steps to bring natural gas to the southern Addison County town. Signed by the full Shoreham Selectboard, the agreement includes distribution of natural gas to homes and businesses in Shoreham; conditions on how and where the 10-inch underground transmission pipeline is built; the creation of a community fund; and enhanced emergency training and safety management measures. Also, Shoreham is considering converting its municipal buildings to natural gas.

Based on Shoreham's unique status hosting the transmission line to the Ticonderoga Paper Mill, Vermont Gas will create a $100,000 community fund to be administered by Shoreham's Selectboard. The fund may be used for consumer education, feasibility studies related to commercial expansion in town, retrofitting municipal facilities, and a financing program for residents to make energy-efficiency improvements.

The Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources’ Materials Management Plan went into effect June 18, 2014. Formerly named the State Solid Waste Management Plan, the Plan sets source reduction, reuse, and recycling goals for local governments for the next five years. Required by the 2012 Universal Recycling law, the Plan ensures consistent services where Vermonters live work and play.

“I’m proud of our Agency’s Solid Waste staff who worked hard to develop this excellent plan,” said ANR Secretary Deb Markowitz. “Vermont is the first state in the country to begin to implement such an ambitious waste-reduction plan. In implementing this plan, we’ll decrease greenhouse gas emissions, improve local waste-reduction infrastructure, and increase the amount of valuable materials that are reused or recycled.”