Current News

Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement today after President Barack Obama accepted the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki: “Secretary Shinseki is an American hero who courageously served his country in war, rose to be the Army chief of staff and has dedicated his distinguished career to helping his fellow soldiers and veterans. I am sad that he resigned.

“The unequivocal goal of the VA must be to provide the highest-quality health care possible to all of our veterans in a timely manner. The new leadership must transform the culture of the VA, establish accountability and punish those responsible for the reprehensible manipulation of wait times. As chairman of the Senate veterans’ committee I look forward to working with President Obama, the new VA leadership and my Senate colleagues to make that happen.”

According to the Vermont State Police at 11:42 am on Friday, First Responders are still at the scene of a fire on Interstate 89 just north of Exit 11. The fire was first reported at approximately 09:30 hours after a TT unit hauling about 34,000 pounds of cheese caught fire. It appears that the fire was caused by a mechanical failure of the trailer brakes. The truck driver was able to pull to the breakdown lane and disconnect the tractor from the trailer before the fire got too big. The trucker was not injured, however, he was transported to FAHC by Richmond Rescue due to an unknown medical condition which he suffered shortly after disconnecting his truck from the burning trailer. Richmond, Williston and Underhill/Jericho Fire Departments responded as did members of the Vermont State Police, VT DMV, Richmond Police, Williston Police and Winooski Police. The fire resulted in the northbound lane of I89 being closed for approximately 1 hour. Currently there is one lane of travel open.

Citizens Financial Group (CFG) is the best bank in the country for baby boomers, according to a new report from the personal finance website GOBankingRates.com. The site recognized the convenience of thousands of Citizens Bank and Charter One branches and ATMs and noted CFG’s commitment to offer complimentary financial and investment reviews to anyone, “even if they are currently a client of another investment firm.” This recognition follows Citizens’ naming last year by Money Magazine as one of the “Best Banks in America.”

Surveying local and national institutions across the United States, GOBankingRates.com measured three key considerations critical to a positive baby boomer banking experience: customer service, retirement planning and convenience.

FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRP), a provider of advanced data, voice and video technologies to residential, business and wholesale customers, today announced the availability of Ethernet-based bandwidth and transport capacity of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) for its business, government and education customers. Now, more than 35,000 eligible service locations in 32 markets across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont can enjoy powerful Ethernet connections with fast, symmetrical, dedicated data transport speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

FairPoint's Ethernet Private Line and Ethernet Dedicated Internet Access products meet the demands of some of the region's largest institutions, such as regional health care facilities, financial institutions, and government and education entities. These speeds also far exceed the guidelines of 100 Mbps set forth in educational mandates like ConnectEd.

Vermont Tech is proud to announce that 2014 Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) student Indra Acharya has received the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship. The second Vermonter ever to receive this distinction, Acharya will attend Georgetown University this fall on a full ride, where he plans to study law and politics. VAST is an independent, accredited high school program that allows high school seniors to take a full year of college-level classes at Vermont Tech while completing their high school degree.

Established in 1999 and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program selects 1,000 talented students nationwide each year to receive a scholarship to the college or university of their choice. The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide opportunities for outstanding minority students.

Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean, best known for its iconic Maine-made Bean Boot and 100 percent satisfaction guarantee is set to expand its retail operation with the opening of its Burlington store. The new L.L.Bean store will be located in the Burlington Town Center at the Church Street Marketplace. The 18,290 square-foot store will employ approximately 100 people and will feature two levels showcasing an assortment of active and casual apparel and footwear, outdoor gear including hiking, fly-fishing, kayaking, and camping products. This will be L.L.Bean’s 20th retail store outside of Maine and its first store in Vermont.

Second-year Vermont Tech architecture students are taking their studies outside of the classroom and constructed an innovative public space that was installed in downtown Montpelier this week. The parklet, a culmination of Vermont Tech’s Architectural Design series and partnership with Montpelier Alive, is a civic installation that utilizes a few downtown parking spaces on Montpelier’s Rialto Bridge. The small deck features seating and greenery, allowing pedestrians space to pause and socialize. The 15 students involved with the parklet spent eight weeks designing, acquiring permits and pitching the project.

Governor Peter Shumlin and Environmental Conservation Commissioner David Mears today released the Phase One Plan establishing the steps that Vermont will take to reduce the phosphorus load into Lake Champlain. That Plan and a letter from the governor to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy were forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“As the sixth largest freshwater lake in the United States, and the source of vital economic, recreational, and cultural opportunities, Lake Champlain is a water of critical importance to Vermont, the region and our nation,” Gov. Shumlin wrote in the letter to McCarthy. “We share the nation’s interest in returning this treasured water body to full health.”

A $5 million gift from class of 1964 graduate Jack Silver and his wife Shirley will ensure the restoration of two Victorian-era jewels on the University of Vermont campus while also expanding scholarly research and programs for alumni. The commitment, which ranks among UVM's largest donations in recent years, supports improvements to the Billings Library and renovations at the planned Alumni House, designed to be a hub of activity and educational programs for graduates and their families.

"This generous gift places us on track to finish two of my highest strategic investment priorities -- the renovation and restoration of two architectural masterpieces on the University of Vermont campus, the Billings Library and the future Alumni House on Summit Street," said President Tom Sullivan, who announced the gift at a reception Wednesday evening sponsored by the University of Vermont Foundation and hosted by the Silvers at their New York City residence.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Bsuiness Magazine Governors from eight states, including Vermont, today announced a groundbreaking initiative to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads in their states within a dozen years. These governors have joined forces to revolutionize the automobile market by promoting zero-emission vehicles. The use of these clean vehicles will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and public health, enhance energy diversity, save consumers money, and promote economic growth. Zero-emission vehicles include battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel-cell-electric vehicles. These technologies can be used in passenger cars, trucks and transit buses.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has announced that the City of Burlington has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to enhance boating opportunities at the Perkins Pier Marina. This grant was one of 16 competitive grants given out this year through the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant program to enhance boating opportunities throughout the country. The project will improve Burlington’s harbor protection, provide public access to the water and increase the number of transient boat slips available on the waterfront.

“The visitors to Lake Champlain who come to boat, fish, swim and enjoy the beautiful scenery provide an important boost to Vermont’s tourist economy and other local businesses,” said Gov. Peter Shumlin. “This project will provide additional opportunities for people to shop, dine and support the city’s waterfront district.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced $17.5 Million in awards to 46 different recipient organizations to assess and clean up Brownfield sites across New England. In Vermont, six grants were awarded for a total of $1,475,500. The grants go to municipalities and organizations to protect public health and the environment and to revitalize communities by providing funding to assess, clean up and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies, and create jobs. These investments in the region’s communities leverage an average of $17 for every dollar spent on grants.