Current News

Vermont had the 10th fastest growth in home prices at 1.6 percent, as most of the rest of the nation saw a decline over the last year. CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, has released its October Home Price Index which shows that home prices in the US decreased 1.3 percent on a month-over-month basis, the third consecutive monthly decline. According to the CoreLogic HPI, national home prices, including distressed sales, also declined by 3.9 percent on a year-over-year basis in October 2011 compared to October 2010. This follows a decline of 3.8 percent* in September 2011 compared to September 2010. Excluding distressed sales, year-over-year prices declined by 0.5 percent in October 2011 compared to October 2010 and by 2.1* percent in September 2011 compared to September 2010. Distressed sales include short sales and real estate owned (REO) transactions.

Vermont was again named the healthiest state in the nation as the United Health Foundation today released its 2011 edition of America’s Health Rankings. All six New England states were in the top 10.
Vermont has been among the top five healthiest states for the past eight years, climbing steadily from 20th in 1990 to 12th in 2000, to become first in 2007, 2009 and 2010. See Chart below for all states.
This year, Vermont ranked among the top 10 healthiest states in 15 of 23 public health measures relating to behaviors, community and environment, health policies, clinical care, and health outcomes.
‘Public health is what we all do together to assure the conditions in which people can be their healthiest,’ said Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD. ‘Compared to other states, Vermonters are faring well. But not all of us are as healthy as we can be ‘ especially those who are younger, have less education and lower incomes.’

US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will chair a hearing on Wednesday, December 7, on a key foreign investor program that has successfully drawn millions of dollars in economic investment to Vermont’s economy. Leahy chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, and its impact on economic development and job creation in communities in Vermont and across the country.

AM Best Co has affirmed its A (Excellent) financial strength ratings for National Life Insurance Company and Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, the two insurance companies of National Life Group.
In addition, the rating firm upgraded the issuer credit ratings for the two companies from ‘a’ to ‘a+.’
The two ratings evaluate different aspects of a financial services company. The traditional financial strength rating is designed to provide an opinion of a company’s ability to meet its policyholder obligations. The insurer credit rating is an opinion of the company’s ability to meet its senior obligations.
‘Taken together these two ratings send a clear message of our financial strength,’ said Mehran Assadi, president and CEO of National Life Group. ‘I am especially pleased by A.M. Best’s upgrade of our insurer credit ratings.’

Gifford Medical Center in Randolph was recently named among the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation in a first-ever comprehensive rating of critical access hospitals.
The Top 100 list was complied by The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) using the ‘Hospital Strength Index,’ an objective way of measuring 56 different performance metrics in three categories: market strength, value-based strength and financial strength. Only three Vermont hospitals, including Copley Hospital in Morrisville and North Country Hospital in Newport, made the list. There are 1,327 critical access hospitals in the United States, according to the Rural Assistance Center.

Vermont Law School will release its second annual Top 10 Environmental Watch List at 9 am on Monday, December 12, 2011, to spotlight the nation’s most critical environmental law and policy issues of 2011 and how they may play out in 2012.
The report, which is produced by the top-ranked U.S. environmental law school, will be available at http://watchlist.vermontlaw.edu/
The Watch List is written by VLS’s Environmental Law Center faculty and Vermont Journal of Environmental Law students, who provide common-sense insight into current and upcoming judicial, regulatory, legislative and other issues. The report’s goal is promote public understanding of environmental issues that affect our everyday lives and the natural world.

The Institute for International Education has ranked the University of Vermont fifth in the nation among public doctoral universities for the percentage of its undergraduate students ‘ 32.5 percent ‘ who participate in study abroad programs.

The university is ranked 32nd among all doctoral universities in the country. There are 282 doctoral universities in the United States.
The ranking was released in November in the institutes annual Open Doors report, which collects data on international educational exchanges.

At midnight on Sunday, December 11, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will close a 1.1 mile section of Route 107 in Stockbridge so work crews can expedite final repairs to the road and replace two culverts that were damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The road is expected to remain closed for more than a week. Closing this segment will enable the Agency to meet its goal of opening the road before the end of the year.
Route 107 between its intersection with Route 100 in Stockbridge and the Post Office in Gaysville is already closed to all but local traffic. Sunday’s closure, however, will shut down this 1.1 mile road segment to all traffic, including to local residents.

The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has awarded $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity International Inc. ‘ Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity, and has awarded $5,000 to the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS).

The Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity constructs simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with families who currently live in substandard and unsafe conditions and who have no possibility of obtaining a home through any conventional means.

The VSJF Flexible Capital Fund announced today that Vermont Smoke and Cure is the first recipient of a new investment loan program designed to help small businesses grow. The Flex Fund will lend the company $600,000 ‘ part of an overall financing package that will help it expand into the former Saputo cheese manufacturing plant in Hinesburg.

Seventh Generation, the nation's number one green brand, announced a community partnership with the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes Elementary School in Burlington, Vermont.
The nation's first K-5 school with a sustainability theme, the goal of the Academy is to prepare students to be responsible citizens and agents for change, in their community and beyond. Located a few blocks from Seventh Generation's headquarters, the school is an international model for using sustainability as a lens for place-based education and service learning. Seventh Generation has participated in a literacy building program at the Sustainability Academy and has provided non-toxic cleaning products for classrooms and teachers. This holiday season, the company will be "adopting" five families of the Academy in need to fulfill the children's wish lists.

Hampton Direct is donating $40,000 worth of Twin Draft Guards to help alleviate Vermont’s heating crisis. The energy-saving, weather proofing products are being distributed to low income households seeking assistance from Vermont’s five Community Action Agencies.