Current News

US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Senator Patrick Leahy in Vermont Monday to announce several new Interior Department initiatives in Vermont aimed at boosting recreation-related economic development and advancing the President’s American’s Great Outdoors initiative. During the visit, Salazar and Leahy were also briefed on key land and wildlife conservation projects.

Vermont Technical College will open its state of the art clinical learning and simulation center at its Brattleboro campus on Thursday. The additional 1,000 square feet of educational space is possible thanks to a $600,000 grant awarded to VTC through the efforts of Senator Patrick Leahy.
Clifford LaPlante, nursing site director of the Brattleboro campus, is pleased and grateful for the new addition, "It enhances the entire educational experience. We can now teach things we wouldn't otherwise be able to."

ARC Mechanical Contractor’s president and owner, Wil Buskey, announced significant changes to the company’s corporate structure. With retirement approaching, Wil has redefined the management team that will steer ARC to a future without him. For nearly 45 years, Wil has been involved in nearly every aspect in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration business; and for the last 12 years, has been the driving force behind ARC.
Wil’s new role as Chief Executive Officer allows him to continue to guide the company’s direction, but the day-to-day operations of ARC will now be handled by Jody Perkins, ARC’s current service manager and new president. Jody’s role as service manager will not change for the immediate future.

With an eye toward traditional renewable projects as well as cutting-edge studies, Central Vermont Public Service has proposed funding a variety of projects to further clean energy development in Vermont.
‘From improvements to existing projects to forward-thinking projects with great potential, we hope to improve and expand Vermont’s renewable energy options,’ CVPS spokesman Steve Costello said. ‘In proposing funding for these projects, we hope to make new strides in energy production.’
The CVPS proposals, filed with the Vermont Public Service Board, include funding for nine renewable and carbon-reduction projects and studies for a total award of about $340,000. In a letter to the PSB, CVPS noted the proposals would be funded from an insurance rebate related to the company’s former ownership in Vermont Yankee.

Vermont patients are beginning to see results from a $27 billion federal program that offers incentives for physician practices and hospitals to use electronic health records systems, according to US Senator Patrick Leahy. Those benefits include Vermonters receiving more reminders about important preventive care.
Senator Leahy spoke during a visit to Middlebury Family Health Friday, the first Vermont physician practice to meet all of the federal program's criteria for improving patient care using its electronic health records system.

The US Department of Education today announced that the Vermont Family Network will receive $189,052 in a special education Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) grant to help parents ensure that their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. The Education Department will award a total of $5.3 million for 2011 to operate 19 special education PTI centers in 13 states and Puerto Rico.
‘Parent Centers help families better understand their child’s disability and can often connect them to important local, state and national resources,’ said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. ‘These centers will play a vital role in empowering parents and families to learn about appropriate early interventions and special education services.’

The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce announced the coveted Best Taste and Best Display Awards presented at the 30th Annual RRCC Winter In August Celebration sponsored by Rutland Herald, which was held on August 9, 2011 at the Diamond Run Mall. Best Taste Award was presented to South Station Restaurant and Best Taste Runner Up award went to American Legion Post 31; the Best Display Award was presented to Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Best Display Runner Up was presented to South Station Restaurant.
Nearly 400 people including Congressman Peter Welch, Governor Peter Shumlin and Lt. Governor Phil Scott to help recognize the positive economic impact that the ski industry has on the Rutland region and Vermont. Twenty area restaurants and businesses provided delicious food for attendees to enjoy while the businesses marketed their establishments.

The Brattleboro Retreat has entered a relationship with Black River Produce, a Vermont-based distributor of local produce, through which the hospital’s food service vendor, Sodexo, is able to purchase its produce and cheese provisions with first priority given to Vermont-sourced goods. The move comes in response to internal surveys and staff suggestions strongly in favor of supporting local, sustainable agriculture.
‘We’re a rural community in a green state,’ explained Vareen O’Keefe-Domaleski, MSN, Ed.D., senior vice president for Patient Care. ‘The Brattleboro Retreat wants to support our local farmers and also provide our patients, staff and guests with the very best in healthy, fresh, high-quality produce.’

In a court document filed today, Casella Waste Systems, Inc., agreed to pay $1 million to resolve a multi-year investigation of the company’s violations of a 2002 settlement with the Attorney General. Casella issued over 2,400 contracts for residential and commercial waste hauling services that violated the 2002 agreement.
‘When a business makes a promise to correct certain behavior, we hold them to that promise,’ said Attorney General Sorrell. ‘Consumers and businesses alike expect that our consumer protection and antitrust settlements will be vigorously enforced ‘ and they are.’

J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Central Vermont Public Service second for overall customer satisfaction among electric utilities in New England and New York. CVPS ranked third in the East Region for customer satisfaction among midsized utilities for the second straight year ‘ and sixth in the country for customer service.
The company, one of the smallest investor-owned utilities in the country, ranked second in its segment for customer service and corporate citizenship, third for communications, power quality and reliability.
The study showed:
â ¢ CVPS customer service ranks sixth in the country out of 124 utility brands.
â ¢ Strong awareness of CVPS’s environmental efforts, energy efficiency programs, donations and employee involvement in community activities.
â ¢ Excellent customer satisfaction with outage restoration estimate accuracy and outage information.

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) announced today a $1,134,000 grant award from The Corporation for National and Community Service. The funding will allow VHCB to sponsor nearly 100 AmeriCorps members over three years to serve at more than 20 non-profit organizations throughout Vermont, addressing community needs in the areas of housing and homelessness, energy savings, and environmental protection.
Governor Peter Shumlin said, ‘In 2010 the VHCB AmeriCorps Program was honored as one of the most innovative AmeriCorps programs in the United States. This grant renewal funding reaffirms the value of this important program to our communities. I congratulate the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board for receiving this grant and thank all those who have answered the call to service by joining AmeriCorps.’

On August 3, 2011 the Best Western Windjammer Inn and Conference Center in South Burlington, Vermont earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the building performs in the top 25% of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.
‘Earning the EPA ENERGY STAR certification displays the Best Western Windjammer Inn’s commitment to lowering energy usage and their overall carbon footprint, said Alan Hebert, Planning and Development Manager for Restaurants, Lodging and Ski Areas at Efficiency Vermont. ‘The hotel has proven that it is a leader within Vermont’s tourism industry by being the first hotel in Vermont to earn this designation.’