Current News

Workers today began the process of transport and lifting into place the center arch span of the new Lake Champlain Bridge. A webcam showing the event (click HERE or see link below) offers still photos of the event. As of 2 pm Friday, August 26, the center arch was being positioned between the existing spans for installation. The first photo is of the final placement. The other photos show the progress of lifting the span into place
August 29 10 am

5 pm

3:45 pm

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Picture taken at 2:15 pm Friday August 26, 2011.

Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point Energy Center in New York, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts and Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station inVermont are continuing to track Hurricane Irene's path and potential for high winds and rainfall as the storm approaches New York and New England.
"Our nuclear plants are designed and built to withstand extreme weather," said John Herron, president and CEO of Entergy Nuclear. "Our team of expert personnel worked diligently this past week to ensure our plants are prepared for any impacts resulting from this storm."

Hundreds of contract utility and tree workers from as far away as Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Canada are on their way to assist Vermont utilities as Hurricane Irene bears down on the region. They are expected to arrive before the storm. Vermont crews and support staff are on standby, and supplies, lodging, food and other logistical details are being firmed up to ensure a strong response if the storm brings significant problems. Government officials are also coordinating efforts to assure the necessary resources are available.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says this year’s 15th Annual Vermont Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference, set for Saturday, October 8, in Randolph, will feature a special guest: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Leahy said Justice Sotomayor will begin this year’s sessions with a question-and-answer forum with conference-goers.
‘Marcelle and I are delighted that she is coming to Vermont,’ said Leahy. ‘She personifies the American Dream, and her life and achievements already have inspired so many. She is a perfect match for this conference and its purpose.’

DISH Network, LLC will pay the State of Vermont $125,000 to resolve the Attorney General’s claims that it violated Vermont’s Consumer Fraud Act in mailings to consumers last summer. ‘Words like ‘urgent‟ ‘immediately‟ ‘necessary‟ and ‘free’ have significant meanings,’ said Attorney General William H Sorrell. ‘Using such language to trigger unnecessary action by Vermont consumers won’t be tolerated.’
In July 2010, DISH sent 310 letters to Vermont consumers. The letter included headings stating: ‘URGENT ACTION REQUIRED’ and ‘PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID SERVICE INTERRUPTION OF YOUR HIGH DEFINITION PROGRAMMING.’ The letter further claimed that replacement of consumer equipment was ‘necessary’ and ‘free.’

Overall network performance levels for wireless handsets differ depending on whether devices are used for voice calling, text messaging or data service, according to the J.D. Power and Associates U.S. 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study(SM)’Volume 2 released today.
The study finds that overall network performance varies widely by the type of activity being performed on the handset. For example, there are more reported problems among wireless customers while placing calls, compared with messaging and data-related activities. Overall, problems associated with calling, such as dropped calls, initial disconnects and audio issues, average 18 PP100. This compares with a reported 16 PP100 average for data-related issues, such as Web and email connection errors and excessively slow downloads. An even lower PP100 average is reported for messaging problems (5 PP100), such as transmission failures and late text messages.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded $28.3 million to 43 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) programs, including $550,000 to the University of Vermont, to help improve the health of infants, children, adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental and other related disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.
LEND programs in communities across the United States prepare trainees from a wide variety of professional disciplines to assume leadership roles, ensure high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence, and enhance the ability of clinicians to diagnose, treat, and manage complex disabilities in youth and adolescents. The programs also promote culturally competent, coordinated care and integrate families in all aspects of training and service.

Bernard Boutin passed away in Laconia, New Hampshire, on the evening of August 24, 2011. He was born in Laconia on July 2, and died peacefully after a short illness during which his family was constantly with him.
Mr. Boutin was a well known New Hampshire native and was prominent in national affairs throughout the 1960's. He was a valedictorian graduate of Saint Michael's College, Class of 1945 and Mayor of Laconia from 1955 to 1959. In 1958 and 1960 Mr. Boutin was New Hampshire's Democratic nominee for Governor. In 1959 and 1960, he was heavily involved in the primary and general election campaign of President John F. Kennedy, with whom he had a close relationship.

Governor Peter Shumlin today reiterated that Hurricane Irene is currently heading for the United States and is expected to make landfall sometime this weekend. The current track of the storm has Irene crossing into Vermont as a Tropical Storm overnight Sunday into Monday. A Tropical Storm designation is based on the fact that maximum winds could be between 39 and 73 miles-per-hour.
The Governor, after a briefing today with state and federal emergency officials, said the storm is expected to bring heavy rains and wind starting late Sunday, and could cause flash flooding throughout Vermont and high winds with widespread power outages. Additional briefings on the track and progress of the hurricane will continue throughout today, Friday and the weekend.

More than a hundred opponents of a proposed wind farm staged a rally on the lawn of Green Mountain Power’s headquarters Wednesday afternoon, hoping the utility would abandon plans to build 21 turbines on Lowell Mountain.
Bearing signs and chanting ‘Solar, not wind,’ the group was at GMP to deliver a letter addressed to president and CEO Mary Powell and signed by 120 opponents of the plan.
‘The desecration of the Lowell Mountains that will result if the Lowell project moves forward is, to us, irreversible and unacceptable,’ the letter stated. ‘Our efforts to resist this project will not fade if this project moves forward.’

Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university based in Montpelier, has announced the appointment of Roger Allbee to its Board of Trustees. Allbee is a leader in the advancement of agriculture in the United States and former secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
‘Roger Allbee’s knowledge, experience, expertise, and lifelong commitment to Vermont will help Union make a lasting, positive impact on higher education initiatives in Vermont and beyond,’ said Roger H. Sublett, president of Union Institute & University. ‘We are honored that he has chosen to serve on Union’s Board of Trustees.’

The US Small Business Administration reminds Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in Vermont that September 22, 2011 is the deadline to submit Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications. The loans are available from the SBA because of the severe storms that occurred on December 1-5, 2010.
Eligible non-critical PNPs located in Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille counties in Vermont are eligible to apply to SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.