Current News

In a year-end push to attain one million Facebook fans, Spartan Race has announced the ‘Race to a Million’ contest. For every Spartan Race contest entry on Facebook received by 11:59 p.m. (PST) Dec. 31, 2011, twenty cents will be donated to Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that annually sends 100,000 care packages to military personnel, their families and wounded service men and women.
‘Two of Spartan Race’s biggest commitments are getting people from all walks of life active, healthy and open to new challenges and supporting the brave service members of the Armed Forces,’ said Spartan Race Founder Joe Desena. ‘This contest is a fun way to head into the New Year with increased awareness of Spartan Race and our mission as well as helping a very worthy cause.Upon achieving its goal of one million Facebook fans before New Year’s, Spartan Race, the world leader in obstacle racing, will donate an additional $50,000 to Operation Gratitude.

Porter Airlines Flight 987 landed at Burlington International Airport Thursday afternoon, marking the first international commercial flight from Toronto to Vermont and the first regularly scheduled international service to BTV in nearly 30 years.
Governor Peter Shumlin, US Consul General Kevin M Johnson and Porter Airlines president and CEO Robert Deluce were present at Heritage Aviation to greet guests of the inaugural flight. Porter’s international service to Vermont is a new, public-private initiative that offers visitors from Canada easy access to Vermont and to some of the state’s best skiing and riding this winter.
‘Vermont’s partnership with Porter is a win-win for Vermont, Ontario, our tourism industry and local ski areas,’ Shumlin said. ‘Porter Airlines’ new service will provide convenient access between Toronto and Vermont and expand two-way trade, investment and tourism to help grow our economy.’

The effort to assist Upper Valley residents as they recover from the devastation left by Tropical Storm Irene has received a big boost. Upper Valley Strong, a collaborative long-term relief effort of approximately 50 local non-profit agencies, churches, schools and governmental bodies that came together to respond to the needs of disaster victims, was recently awarded a combined grant of $75,000 from Granite United Way, the NH Charitable Foundation and The Vermont Community Foundation.
‘The decision to support Upper Valley Strong was an easy one for our volunteers. Granite United Way recognizes the importance of working together, especially when disaster strikes. This collaboration of community leaders has already proven to be a valuable asset for Upper Valley residents working to rebuild,’ said Patrick Tufts, President & CEO, Granite United Way.

The Senate energy committee today passed and sent to the full Senate a bill by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) to lower the cost of solar power and put the United States on track to install 10 million solar systems on homes and businesses by 2020.
The committee voted 13 to 8 in favor of the bill by Sanders and Boozman, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Green Jobs and New Economy Subcommittee. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the chairman of the full Energy and Natural Resources Committee, cosponsored their bill.

Secretary of State Jim Condos announced today that records relating to the first hundred years of the Vermont Constitution, including proposals of amendments, are now available online at: http://vermont-archives.org/publications/publicat/pdf/Council_of_Censors... Some examples are displayed below.
Secretary Condos noted, ‘The records of the Vermont Council of Censors, 1777-1870 provide unique insights not only into the evolution of our state constitution but also on persisting issues such as the nature of representation, constitutions, and citizenship.’

State Auditor Tom Salmon CPA announced the creation of the Accountable to You, Accountable to Me statewide wellness initiative. This program will encourage Vermonters to take a proactive role in their own personal health and wellness by focusing on accountability to one’s self and others who are part of their lives. By signing up to be held accountable to one’s individual health and/or savings goals, Vermonters will employ a new strategy to achieve better personal and community results in the year ahead.
Vermonters will have an opportunity to sign up for one of the following categories:
· No Use of Alcohol
· No Use of Tobacco or any illegal substances
· Lose 25 pounds
· Save 2,012 dollars to donate to a Vermont charity.

Governor Peter Shumlin, Public Service Commissioner Elizabeth Miller and other administration officials today released the final Comprehensive Energy Plan, which recommends that Vermont strive to obtain 90 percent of our total energy from renewable sources by 2050, largely eliminating Vermont’s reliance on fossil fuels by mid-century.

A recent report finds that Vermont’s food industry is responsible for 15 percent of Vermont’s economy, over 21,000 jobs and over $837 million in wages. The report further shows that the food industry generates more than $202 million in state and local taxes and $166 million in federal taxes.

Appointments for the upcoming Gift-of-Life Marathon Blood Drive were filled today, with nearly 2,000 people signed up to help Rutland County take a run at the national one-day blood collection record.
‘While we are no longer taking appointments, we encourage walk-ins to turn out next Tuesday,’ said CVPS spokesman and co-organizer Steve Costello. ‘We are thrilled with the appointments, which have come from across the county and region, but we still need people who couldn’t make an appointment to join us in the run for the national record. Given deferrals and last-minute cancellations, walk-ins will be critical to the effort.’
The national record is 1,968 pints, set this fall in Manchester, N.H. , which also broke Rutland’s New England record of 1,400 pints in a day, set at last year’s Gift-of-Life Marathon.

As part of its ongoing efforts to help raise money for local businesses damaged in the flooding from Tropical Storm Irene, Mount Snow Resort has raised over $10,000 by raffling off the #50 Golden Chair from the Grand Summit Express lift with all proceeds going towards WilmingtonVTfloodrelief.com; a fund started by the Deerfield Valley Rotary Club and Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce that distributes the money to affected businesses that want to re-open. The Southern Vermont resort sold raffle tickets for $5 each giving people the opportunity to win the Golden Chair which was given a fresh paint job and hung on a custom timber frame.

States are spending billions per year on corporate tax credits, grants and other economic development subsidies that often require little if any job creation and lack wage and benefit standards covering workers at subsidized companies. Vermont finished second best, while Washington, DC, was worst. These are the key findings of Money for Something: Job Creation and Job Quality Standards in State Economic Development Subsidy Programs, a study published today by Good Jobs First, a non-profit research center based in Washington, DC, It is available at www.goodjobsfirst.org. (See attachment for Vermont grades)

In a far-reaching and historic advance for the National Guard’s role in the nation’s defense and security structure, bipartisan conferees on the annual Defense Authorization Bill have agreed to give the National Guard its first seat on the nation’s highest military council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Senate’s sponsors of the Guard reforms, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
The final version of the defense bill also includes other major provisions of The National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act (S.1025) authored by Leahy and Graham. The Leahy-Graham bill, with 71 Senate cosponsors, had been added to the Senate’s version of the defense bill. Counterpart provisions had also been included in the House’s version of the bill.