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WCAX has received three Edward R. Murrow regional journalism awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Murrow Awards are given to recipients who demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made standard for the broadcast news profession.
WCAX was awarded first place in three categories. The news team was awarded a first place for continuing coverage of Tropical Storm Irene. â This was a life-changing natural disaster. We found amazing stories of destruction, sadness, strength and hope,’said News Director Anson Tebbetts. â WCAX will continue to follow the impact from Irene for a very long time,’said Tebbetts.
Reporter Jennifer Reading and photographer Joe Carroll were awarded a first place award in the hard news category for their reports on how communities were isolated after Tropical Storm Irene.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.orgIf the bottleneck in the Senate doesnâ t break soon, observers say, many House members could be twiddling their thumbs next weekâ ¦ and maybe even the week after that.
Suffice it to say, an April 27 adjournment, House Speaker Shap Smithâ s ostensible goal, is looking overly optimistic even though the House will largely be finished with its work this week.
Statehouse mavens ‘lobbyists, advocates, lawmakers and the like ‘say the 250-page Senate calendar that came out on Tuesday is a sign that the Green Room has so many must-pass bills left to approve itâ ll be awhile before lawmakers bid adieu to Montpelier.

Spirit Airlines today announced enhancements to its Myrtle Beach summer schedule.Spirit will resume its seasonal service between Myrtle Beach and Washington, DC Reagan National Airport. Starting June 16, 2012, and running through September 1, 2012, Spirit will offer nonstop Saturday-only service for the peak summer travel season.

In addition, Spirit is increasing flights from two to three frequencies per week between Myrtle Beach and Plattsburgh, New York (serving the Montreal, Quebec area) from June 14 ‘September 1, 2012, and increasing from two to three frequencies per week between Myrtle Beach and Niagara Falls, New York (serving the Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Ontario areas) for the June 21 ‘September 4, 2012, summer season.

Spirit is also increasing flights between Fort Lauderdale and Myrtle Beach with two additional flights per week through September 4, 2012.

In 1997, Ben and Jerry did something that ice cream lovers across the globe would celebrate for years to come: they took chocolate ice cream, swirled in gooey marshmallow and sweet caramel, and finished it off with some chocolate Phish ‘er, fish. Thatâ s right, 15 years ago, working in conjunction with the Vermont band, Phish, the ice cream makers created the flavor smash sensationPhish Food. At the same time, Phish launched their WaterWheel Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by proceeds from the sale of Phish Food ice cream. After 15 years, and millions of dollars raised for the benevolent works of the WaterWheel Foundation, things have kept moving alongâ ¦ swimmingly.

Vermont experienced a 25 percent increase in home sales in March 2012 compared to March 2011. However, median prices declined -6.4 percent, according to the latest RE/MAX of New England housing report. February also saw an increase in sales and a drop in values, which reverses a trend seen throughtout the econmoic downturn in which home prices remained relatively high compared to the rest of New England, while units sold stayed flat.
The monthly housing report also shows double-digit growth in year-over-year home sales in every New England state in March.Vermont has the third highest median home prices in the region, behind Massachusetts and Connecticut.

In other states, Maineâ s1.1 percentgrowth in year-over-year median sales price was the largest gain in the region. Maine home sales also rose 12.1 percent.

Beginning today, Verizon Wireless customers can send a text message to 911 from locations in Vermont for emergency help as part of a six-month trial to test the potential of this technology.
From now until October 15, 2012, the Williston Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) will accept 911 text messages from Verizon Wireless customers as part of a collaboration among the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board, Verizon Wireless and Intrado. Intrado, a Colorado based emergency communications technology provider, installed next-generation 911 software that enables text messaging in the Williston PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point).
Although there have been trials in other parts of the country, this will be the first statewide trial in Vermont to enable â text-to-911’technology using 911 digits and live call takers. The trial is being provided at no cost to the State of Vermont.

John Fischer, former Director of Integrated Support for Learning, High School and Adult Division at the Vermont Department of Education and most recently Interim Deputy Commissioner, has been officially named Deputy Commissioner of Transformation and Innovation, the department announced today following his ratification by the State Board of Education.
â I am looking forward a great deal to continuing to work with Vermont schools and school leaders to advance innovation in education and 21st century learning opportunities for all our students,’said Fischer. â Education in our state has some exciting work ahead of us, and some challenges to work through, and I am grateful to be a part of it.â

Phoenix Books, locally owned and independent, is coming to Burlington as a downtown bookstore dedicated to selling new books ‘with a unique economic model for doing so. Co-owners Mike DeSanto and Renee Reiner will use a Community Sustained Enterprise model similar to that used by food businesses in Hardwick, Vermont.

DeSanto and Reiner expect to open the new location in May 2012 at 191 Bank Street (known locally as â the old Climb High spaceâ ), within sight of the Church Street Marketplace and directly across from both City Market and the public parking garage, an ideal location for a retail bookstore, the first to open since Borders closed due to bankruptcy in 2011.

Both are seasoned booksellers with industry experience dating back to 1995 ‘first as owners of the Book Rack and Childrenâ s Pages and now as owners of Phoenix Books, located in Essex, Vermont.

20 year skateboarding veteran, television star and entrepreneur,Rob Dyrdekannounced Wednesday that he has acquired DNA Distribution which includes skateboarding brands Alien Workshop, Habitat and Reflex, from Burton.
The combination of Dyrdek's brand loyalty and financial strength, with the unparalleled design and quality of DNA's skateboarding products, will enhance the brands' ability to participate more aggressively in the growing skateboard industry.
Confirming the previous purchase buzz, Dyrdek has been in discussion with Burton and DNA Distribution throughout the last year. "It's hard to put into words what an amazing opportunity this is for me, I am extremely proud to now own the company that first sponsored me 20 years ago," stated Dyrdek, President of Dyrdek Enterprises. "DNA has truly amazing brands that have incredible growth potential, and I look forward to help guiding these brands over the next 20 years."

The Green Mountain Club today launchedwww.LongTrailBound.org, an innovative outdoor education resource guide and community forum for Vermont educators.
â The Green Mountains are a fantastic outdoor classroom and a place for children to explore and learn’said Marge Fish of Londonderry, president of the Green Mountain Club. â The Long Trail Bound resource guide will help educators and youth develop a connection to the mountains and inspire students to become life-long outdoor learners and environmental stewards.â
Designed by a committee of Green Mountain Club volunteers and staff, the Long Trail Bound website will feature twenty activities to be used in the classroom, the home, or on the trail. Topics include teaching outdoor skills, fostering stewardship and sense of place, and teaching about the mountain ecosystem. Wednesdayâ s launch coincided with National Environmental Education Week.

New data released for Equal Pay Day tomorrow reveal the significant costs of Vermontâ s gender-based wage gap. Women in Vermont are paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to a yearly gap in wages of $6,671. African American women and Latinas in Vermont are paid $10,322 and $2,303 less than all men in the state, respectively. With nearly 23,300 Vermont households headed by women, the new data show that these gaps harm both families and the state economy.
The analysis was conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families. The full report on the wage gap in Vermont, whichranks first among the 50 states, can be foundhere.

by vtdigger.org Proponents in the Legislature of a cash payment for ratepayers in a utility merger between Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. gained a small victory last week.
On the House floor Thursday, Rep. Michael Marcotte asked that a bill that has been sitting in the House Appropriations committee be returned to its original committee, the House Commerce and Economic Development committee, for further discussion. A number of lawmakers support attaching the proposal to H. 718, which deals with miscellaneous issues regarding the Department of Public Service and Public Service Board.
Four representatives who support a proposal by the AARP that the utilities give ratepayers cash as a result of a windfall-sharing mechanism that was triggered by the merger met with House Speaker Shap Smith early last week.
Rep. Cynthia Browning said it was a minor victory.