Current News

The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union must repay the district’s teachers all back wages in a lump sum within 30 days, the Vermont Department of Labor has ruled. A teachers' strike in the district ended last October 31 with a new contract.
In a decision released laast Friday, the Labor Department ordered the district to live up to the terms of the three-year contract with the Southwestern Vermont Education Association and to follow state law.
‘We are pleased that the Department of Labor recognized the district was wrong in withholding payment of excess health insurance premiums and back pay called for in the contract we negotiated,’ said Stephannie Peters, a teacher at the Career Development Center and president of the Southwestern Vermont Education Association, the union representing more than 310 teachers in the Bennington area. ‘We hope the central office will comply with the order and stop the incessant delays and excuses it has used for months.’

First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced that the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) Biomonitoring and Aquatic Studies Program has issued a report with the results of a series of water quality tests that found that construction of the Sheffield Wind Project had no adverse impact to the water quality and aquatic life of cold-water streams near the project.
The study, which spanned from 2006 to 2011, looked at aquatic life forms as indicators of water quality in five streams adjacent to and downslope of the Sheffield Wind Project in Sheffield, VT. The report measured ‘biological integrity’ ‘ an index of ecological health based on the condition of aquatic life (macroinvertebrate) and fish populations ‘both before and after the construction of the Sheffield Wind Project.

Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell announced today that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an effort by McGRX, Inc. to have claims against the State of Vermont reinstated in federal court. McGRX, Inc., a pharmacy operator doing business as McGregor’s Medicine on Time, sought to challenge certain Medicaid prescription drug regulations promulgated by the Department of Vermont Health Access. The company filed a federal lawsuit in January 2010. The federal district court in Vermont dismissed the case and the company appealed that decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. The appeal was heard last week. In a short order issued today, the Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the claims.

Green Mountain Power (GMP) today proposed a $21 million investment that would provide approximately $40 million in energy efficiency benefits to Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) customers. This proposal will enhance customer benefits from the proposed merger of GMP and CVPS, following CVPS’s acquisition by Gaz Métro Limited Partnership. The merger of the state's two largest utilities is expected to be completed this spring.

TheProvidenceand Worcester Railroad (Nasdaq: PWX) and the New England Central Railroad, part of the RailAmerica (NYSE: RA) family which operates extensively in Vermont, have announced the establishment of the Great Eastern Route, a new coordinated commercial and operating platform. This new strategic alliance is being developed to increase our collective business with both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific to rail customers in southern New Englandand to enhancetheirglobal access through our port facilities.
Over the past 5 years the NECR and P&W have jointly invested significant capital in the infrastructure along with the States ofVermont,New Hampshire,Rhode Islandand the federal government. These investments enhance our service and combined with this new commercial and operating relationship will provide the basis for a greatly improved customer experience aimed at growing our collective business across all commodity lines.

All three Vermont tax categories fell below targets for the month of January, according to Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding. Nearly all the General Fund taxes, including the vital personal income and sales taxes, were down. Fuel tax receipts were also below expectations, thus bringing down the Transportation Fund. Spaulding laid most of the blame on the lack of snow, resulting in fewer tourists and fewer consumption revenues.
January is the seventh month of fiscal year (FY) 2012. General Fund revenues totaled $129.17 million for January 2012, and were -$4.67 million or -3.49 percent below the $133.84 million consensus revenue forecast for the month. Year to date, General Fund revenues were $698.29 million, and -$4.67 million or 0.66 percent short of the target of $702.95 million for FY 2012.

Joined by community leaders and project organizers, Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced the award of $2.2 million in Vermont Community Development Program funding foraffordable housing, economic development, andother local projects in six Vermont towns. Combined with other sources,these projects will leveragea total of $20.5 million in other public and private resources.
The grants awarded today are federally funded, with the money flowing to the state from the Community Development Block Grant Program of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program is administered by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development with funding decisions recommended by a public board and finalized by Secretary Lawrence Miller.

In another historic breakthrough for the burgeoning organic sector of American agriculture, the United States and the European Union Wednesday announced a pact that will facilitate organic trade between the two regions, the two largest organic producers in the world. Under the agreement, organic products certified in the United States or Europe may be sold as certified organic in either region, beginning June 1. Before, growers and marketers wanting to trade products on both sides of Atlantic had to obtain separate certifications to two standards, subjecting them to a double set of fees and inspections and export paperwork.

The Vermont housing market was the only one in New England to experience a year-over-year decline in both number of transactions, down -2.4 percent, and median price, down -4.3 percent, according to RE/MAX.Vermont's median home price is $180,900, down from $189,000. This still places Vermont third highest in the region, behind only Massachusetts ($260,000) and Connecticut ($232,500).
RE/MAX of New England Executive Vice President Jay Hummer said the number of transactions is encouraging, but there is still a gap between what buyers think their home is worth and what it will actually sell for.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc, (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, today announced the expansion of its line of KeurigSingle Cup Brewers with the addition of the KeurigVuebrewer, a premium new platform designed with the ability to brew stronger, bigger, and hotter. The new Vuebrewer, paired with new Vuepacks, maintains the simplicity and convenience of the existing KeurigK-Cupsystem with added customizable features so consumers have control over the strength, size, and temperature of their beverages.
Vueâ ¢ Platform Benefits

Brew Stronger
: With Custom Brew Technologyâ ¢, the Vueâ ¢ brewer adjusts water pressure, timing, and airflow so consumers can brew to better suit their taste preference.

Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s jointly have announced that they plan to roll-out climate-friendly ice cream freezer cabinets in the United States in 2012. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, along with other iconic Unilever ice cream brands including Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, Magnum, and Popsicle, will soon be available in cabinets that use at least 10 percent less energy and replace harmful ‘F’ gas coolants with hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants. The new freezers will be identified with ‘Greener Freezer’ stickers in demonstration of Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever’s environmental commitment to help protect the planet.

The Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism Association (NEKTTA) has retained the services of PMG Public Relations and Pure Marketing to assist with its marketing and public relations initiatives. This strategic partnership aims to increase visibility of the Northeast Kingdom as a multifaceted travel destination, to strengthen NEKTTA’s extensive network of business partners and to raise awareness among this group about the economic impacts of tourism.

NEKTTA also aims to develop a more cohesive and coordinated effort between all Northeast Kingdom organizations with an interest in tourism, including chambers of commerce.

‘Tourism in this region continues to grow; the Northeast Kingdom has so much to offer visitors,’ said Gloria Bruce, executive director of NEKTTA.