Current News
by tim
When the Town of Bristol, its Conservation Commission, the New Haven Anglers Association, the Agency of Natural Resources Rivers Program, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and the Vermont River Conservancy work together to promote flood resiliency and public access to rivers in Vermont, a lot can happen.’ Partnering with local farmers and landowners, the Saunders Brothers, this team of concerned river scientists and conservationists identified how to protect the New Haven River, and the people who live and farm along its banks.
Acting as a relief valve for the high-energy waters flowing out of the steep Green Mountains and down into the low-gradient Bristol Flats area, these newly conserved 40-acres’ downstream of Bristol village allow for the river to move, flood, and change course naturally. ‘ Protecting open floodplains where river energy is high is critical to ensure these river lands remain undeveloped and people stay out of harm’s way.
by tim
The 3rd Battalion 172nd Infantry (Mountain) will be presented the Valorous Unit Award (VUA) and VUA streamer for its extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy while serving in Afghanistan in 2010.
In addition, Combat Medic SGT Michael Mulcahy will be awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.’
The ceremony will take place on 12 January 2014 at 9 am at the Shapiro Field House, Norwich University Northfield, VT.
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by tim
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that they will propose revised rule language and open another comment period on two Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, Produce Safety and Preventive Controls for Human Food. FDA anticipates rule language to be published by early summer 2014 to be followed by a public comment period.
The changes encompass key provisions associated with water quality standards and testing, standards for using raw manure and compost, certain requirements affecting mixed-used facilities, and procedures for withdrawing the qualified exemption for certain farms. Additional revisions may follow FDA’s initial review of the over 25,000 comments received on these two proposed food safety rules.
by tim
An East Montpelier woman who loved wildlife bequeathed her estate to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department upon her death. Mamie Thurston died last winter at the age of 87. Her home, property, belongings, and financial assets valued at more than $500,000 are being transferred to the department at her bequest.
Thurston was an avid birder and a lover of all wildlife, according to Pat Griffen, estate executor and family friend.
‘She enjoyed watching the birds at her feeder every winter or watching the deer in her back yard,’ said Griffen. ‘In the end, she decided to leave everything to serve the wildlife that she loved.’
by tim
US News & World Report has called Norwich University’s online bachelor’s degree completion programs and Master of Business Administration (MBA) program ‘one of the best’ in its 2014 rankings of online programs. ‘
Established in 1997 with the launch of its first online master’s degree program in diplomacy and military science, the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (CGCS) through its online delivery platform, Norwich University Online, extends the Norwich academic model to 1,200 students ‘ working adults in the military, public and private sectors, and lifelong learners from around the world. ‘
US News ranked Norwich’s online bachelor’s degree completion programs in the top 20 percent of all programs. Driving that ranking were high marks in student services and technology critical to active military and other working adults.’
by tim
Developments in Vermont’s energy landscape during 2014 will pose numerous challenges for electricity consumers and policy makers. For example, consumers will likely face the continued rise in wholesale electricity prices. In 2013, the average ‘market clearing price’ was 5.1 cents per kilowatt/hour, according to transmission grid operator ISO-New England. Prior to that, the last time the wholesale cost of electricity rose above five cents was in September of 2011. 2012 prices averaged less than four cents.’
by tim
The Vermont Country Store has committed $10,000 to the Vermont Foodbank to support the Co-op Buying Program that will help local food shelves get through the bleak winter months. The Vermont Foodbank has identified 10 food shelves in southern Vermont to participate, which are experiencing exploding demand and a shortage of resources at the same time that 3SquaresVT benefits have been cut for thousands of low-income households across the state. ‘
by tim
Three New Hampshire health care organizations have joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO), bringing to five the total of members of the Pioneer ACO.
Catholic Medical Center (CMC) of Manchester, St. Joseph Healthcare of Nashua, and Exeter Health Resources of Exeter are the three new participating members, joining New London Hospital in Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s recently renamed ACO, ‘allwell.’
by tim
Green Mountain Power has announced it plans to hold a one hour power outage for Thursday, January 9, at 3:30 pm in Fletcher, Fairfax and Cambridge to repair damage from teh recent ice storm. The outage will involve GMP customers served by Line 4 from the Fairfax Substation in the towns of Fletcher, Cambridge, and Fairfax.
The Fletcher General Store, Fletcher Town Clerk, and the Fletcher School were notified Wednesday.
Outage: Thursday 1/9/14, from 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Total Customers affected: 400
Reason: outage required to make repairs to electric lines, structures, and the removal of trees at various locations, all damage a result of the recent ice storm.
Major road names by town:’
Town of Fletcher: Fairfax Road, Pond Road, North Road, School Road, North Cambridge Road, Fairfax: River Road, the western end of Goose Pond Road, east end of Fletcher Road’
by tim
by Morgan True vtdigger.org Testifying before the House Health Care Committee on Tuesday, Mark Larson, the man in charge of the Vermont Health Connect rollout, said he welcomed the opportunity to talk about health care coverage instead of IT problems ‘ however brief the respite was.
Larson, commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, will be back before that committee again this afternoon.
In his comments Tuesday, Larson planted the victory flag saying, ‘If our goal was to make sure people had options for obtaining coverage in January, not experiencing a gap in coverage, we feel that the option provided by the governor in early November have successfully accomplished that, despite all our challenges along the way.’
He came prepared with numbers to back that up Tuesday.
by tim
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, in his State of the State speech to lawmakers today, said Vermont’s economy is rebounding from the worst national recession since the Depression ‘ with unemployment among the lowest in the nation, companies expanding, and home values rising. Vermont leads the nation in high school graduation rates, and is poised to expand pre-kindergarten and quality day-care programs to every community in Vermont. ‘
SEE’ FULL’ TEXT’ OF’ SPEECH’ BELOW.
Governor Shumlin State of the State speech January 8, 2014. Photo by vtdigger.org
‘We are so lucky to live in the best state in the Union, where people work hard, trust and take care of each other, and strive to keep Vermont a place where our children and grandchildren will grow up and thrive.’ The state of our state is strong and growing stronger,’ the governor said. ‘
However, he noted, there is a growing threat to Vermont’s progress and quality of life.
by tim
VCLF lends $2,140,200 in Q4 2013, promoting job creation, emergency affordable housing, and quality child care
The Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF) loaned’ $2,140,200 to Vermont’s small businesses, child care programs, community facilities and affordable housing developers in the fourth quarter of 2013, ‘ promoting’ job creation, quality child care programs, and development of emergency shelters and affordable homes.’
‘VCLF is proud to work with Vermont’s innovative entrepreneurs, child care and social services programs, and developers of affordable housing who are creating amazing new solutions and opportunities throughout our state’ said VCLF Executive Director Will Belongia. ‘VCLF is proud to help finance these projects that are increasing opportunity, financial stability, and economic justice throughout Vermont,’ he added.
Tina Conn and Van Nhum Tran, Essex Junction