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Black River Produce (BRP) has purchased the former Ben and Jerry’s manufacturing plant inthe North Springfield Industrial Park in North Springfield, VT. BRP plans to develop the formertown-owned facility into a centralized meat processing facility and will have space available forsmall food business production. To meet the increasing demand for Vermont grown proteins inand outside of the state, BRP will create infrastructure, provide full-time jobs, and help train thenext generation of butchers further developing Vermont’s meat industry. This facility’s increasedrefrigeration and frozen storage will allow BRP to expand their local product lines and providelarge scale refrigerated storage for local producers.

This facility will allow BRP to meet its current demand for local meat producers like Vermont
Family Farms, Boyden Farms, and PT Farms while allowing it to process cooperatively raised

The health and wellness of a company's employees is the greatest indicator of health care costs, not the actual cost of the health insurance plan itself. And regardless of the size of the company or the insurance plan, health insurance premiums cost an average of 10.1 percent of payroll. These data are according to a new survey released by the Vermont Business Roundtable.

vtdigger.org March 17, 2012Committees in the Senate and House hurried Friday to vote on bills they had been tinkering with all session.
It was crossover day: the unofficial deadline for committees of jurisdiction to vote on their bills or leave them on the shelf for the next session.
Steve Marshall, assistant secretary of the Senate, said bills that do not come out of money committees like finance or appropriations should be on next Tuesday’s notice calendar.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule in both chambers.
Here is a rundown of some of the bills VTDigger.org has been following this session.
Senate Bill 103: A bill that would have allowed terminally ill patients to request medication to end their lives will not make it to the Senate floor unless it’s tacked on as an amendment to other legislation.

Twenty-one Vermonters and Vermont organizations have been nominated for the 2012 CVPS-Zetterstrom Environmental Award, which will be presented later this spring.
‘The third-annual award drew nominees from across Vermont, ranging from individuals who orchestrated environmental projects to well-known Vermont organizations on the front lines of resource protection,’ CVPS President and CEO Larry Reilly said.
‘The depth and breadth of the work of this year’s nominees indicates a deep commitment to Vermont’s natural resources, including habitat, wildlife and enjoyment of Vermont’s natural resources,’ said CVPS spokesman Steve Costello, who worked with the award’s namesake, Meeri Zetterstrom, to assist once-endangered ospreys. ‘I see a bit of Meeri in many of the nominees.’

vtdigger.org March 19, 2012The Shumlin administration says under state statute Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant can continue to operate after its license expires on March 21.
The Vermont Department of Public Service, in a legal filing on Friday, says a Vermont law would allow the plant to operate past that date while the re-licensing process continues.
The state also asserted in its submission to the Vermont Public Service Board that the owner of the plant, Entergy Corp., must meet its obligation to fund the Clean Energy Development Fund. It is unclear whether the Louisiana-based company would still be required to pay millions of dollars in an assortment of other taxes to the state.
Governor Peter Shumlin, meanwhile,told Vermont Public Radio on Fridayhe hopes the board, which has jurisdiction over the matter, will block a 20-year license extension for the 40-year-old plant.

The 9thannual American Cancer Society Relay For Life® NordicStyle raised $72,000 over the weekend of March 10, to support the Society’s mission of saving lives from cancer.The overnight event left 250 participants exhausted, but happy, after cross country skiing or snowshoeing through the night.

‘Through their hard work in preparing for the event, and by spending hours out in the cold for the cause, our dedicated participants certainly did their part to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays," saidBrian Fredette, event chairfor the 2012 Relay For Life NordicStyle.

The top individual fundraiser was Jane Weaver of Stowe, who collected nearly $4,000 in donations. The top fundraising team was Snowbelles, led by Victoria Gonin of Waitsfield, which raised more than $9,500.

Gifford Medical Center held its 106thAnnual Corporators Meeting on Saturday evening at the Randolph hospital, electing three new members to the Board of Trustees, sharing the successes of 2011 and welcoming Steve Kimbell, Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration commissioner, as the guest speaker.

Newly elected to the board wereLeo Connolly, Fred Newhall and Peter Nowlan following the retirements of long-time board members Barbara Harvey and Bruce MacDonald and the heavily-felt death of Dick Mallary. ‘We miss him terribly,’ board member Bob Wright said.

MacDonald and Harvey offered a few parting words of thanks and encouragement.

The US Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes that April 16 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans available in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties in Vermont. The SBA declared a disaster because of the excessive rain, flooding, high winds, lightning and cooler than normal temperatures that occurred from March 1 through June 1, 2011.
"These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in New York . The Small Business Administration recognizes that disaster do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included, "said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA's Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Efficiency Vermont andVermont Gas Systems are among nine New England organizations that have received 2012 awards from the Energy Star Program.
Each year, EPA and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Organizations are recognized in one of three major award categories: Partner of the Year, Award for Sustained Excellence, and Award for Excellence. These organizations are being recognized for their long-term commitment to greater energy efficiency.
‘EPA congratulates this year's Energy Star award winners,’ said Curt Spalding, regional administrator for EPA’s New England office. ‘Their commitment to energy efficiency makes these organizations valuable partners in the effort to save precious resources and reduce harmful air emissions.’
Partner of the Year Awardees

Governor Peter Shumlin today named Bonnie Johnson-Aten, principal at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington since 2006, to the State Board of Education, joining the 10 member board on March 20. Johnson-Aten, who lives in Montpelier, replaces Fayneese Miller of South Burlington, whose term on the board expired in February.
‘Bonnie has years of on-the-ground experience in Vermont’s public school system, working with students from rural communities like Calais and East Montpelier, and currently in the Burlington district,’ Gov. Peter Shumlin said. ‘I’m pleased she has agreed to serve. Bonnie will bring a common-sense perspective to the board on the educational issues facing our schools.’
‘I am very excited about having Bonnie Johnson-Aten join the State Board of Education,’ said Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca. ‘Her extensive experience in education and perspective as a practitioner will serve us well.’

Vermont, eleven other states, New York City, and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in federal court today in support of a Clean Air Act rule that will protect Vermonters by reducing toxic air pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency recently adopted the rule, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, to curb power plant emissions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants, such as arsenic, cyanide, nickel and selenium, that are known to cause cancer, respiratory illness, and other serious health effects.

On the effective date of March 15, 2012, Fitch Ratings upgrades the long- and short- term rating assigned to the $200,000,000 ($170,000,000 currently outstanding) Vermont Student Assistance Corporation Education Loan Tax-Exempt Variable Rate Demand Revenue Bonds Senior Series 2008C-1 and 2008C-2 to 'A+sf/F1+sf' from 'Asf/F1sf'; Outlook Stable
The rating action is in connection with the substitution of the irrevocable direct-pay letter of credit (LOC) previously provided by Lloyds (rated 'A/F1'; Stable Outlook by Fitch) with a substitute LOC to be issued by State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street, rated 'A+/F1+'; Stable Outlook ).