Current News

By Kate Duffy, Vermont Business Magazine. Entergy Nuclear has a $60 million decision to make ‘ whether to invest in refueling Vermont Yankee, even though a federal judge refused to issue a preliminary injunction assuring the company it could continue operating the plant while its lawsuit against the state is pending.
US District Court Judge J Garvan Murtha denied the request for a preliminary injunction in a decision issued Monday afternoon. He said Entergy failed to prove during a two-day hearing in June that it would suffer ‘irreparable harm’ before the case, schedule for trial in September, is decided.
During the hearing, Entergy’s lawyers argued that without an injunction that would let it plan for future operations, the company may be forced to shut down the plant before its current license expires in March. It would be unlikely to make a $60 million investment in fuel rods without an indication from the court that it might win its case.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock has again been ranked among the best hospitals in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's 2011-12 Best Hospitals, online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals. The rankings, annually published by U.S. News for the past 22 years, will also be featured in the U.S. News Best Hospitals guidebook, which will go on sale August 30. For the fifth straight year and for the ninth time since 1995, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has been recognized for its care in Gynecology.
The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 hospitals nationwide. Each is ranked among the country’s top hospitals in at least one medical specialty.

When my students first begin to study law, they have a tendency to focus on the holding of the case, such as ‘Preliminary Injunction Denied.’ It’s like reading the headlines in a newspaper. But any good lawyer knows that the most important part of the decision is often found in the footnotes. And in Judge Murtha’s decision denying Entergy a preliminary injunction, the footnotes say far more than the headline.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Vermont has sued a Vermont resort that refused to host a lesbian couple’s wedding reception due to the owners’ personal bias against lesbian and gay people. Vermont law prohibits denying access to public accommodations based on sexual orientation.

KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) today announced second quarter net income from continuing operations attributable to Key common shareholders of $243 million, or $.26 per common share. Key’s second quarter 2011 results compare to net income from continuing operations attributable to Key common shareholders of $56 million, or $.06 per common share, for the second quarter of 2010. The results for second quarter 2011 reflect an improvement in noninterest expense and lower credit costs from the same period one year ago. Second quarter 2011 net income attributable to Key common shareholders was $234 million compared to net income attributable to Key common shareholders of $29 million for the same quarter one year ago.

Irving Oil is offering even more opportunities to save on gas this summer by taking savings directly to customers through Irving Rewards. Over the next two weeks Irving street teams will be traveling throughout New England giving away thousands of dollars in Irving Gift Cards to customers at select locations as part of the Irving Rewards program.
In Vermont, the Irving Rewards street team will be at the Rutland Rte 7 Irving located at 258 South Main Street on Wednesday July 20th from 11AM ‘ 2PM. Customers that fill up will receive an Irving tote bag that could contain gift cards ranging from $20 to $100. In total, $1,000 in gift cards will be distributed to customers at the Rutland location.

A new report released July 18 discusses how state leaders in K-12 education are rethinking policies to allow students to advance competency-based approaches that allow any time, everywhere learning for today’s youth.
‘Unfortunately, many states and school districts are still handcuffed by rigid regulations that prevent them from moving toward the student-centered, performance-based approach,’ Patrick said. ‘This report offers guidance and practical recommendations for state education policymakers.’
‘We are proposing what amounts to a vital change in current methods of instruction and measurement so that students can move ahead when they demonstrate knowledge,’ said Susan Patrick, co-author of the report and president of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The flood waters from the record breaking rainfall this spring have receded, but the damage is still visible for many homeowners that live near Lake Champlain and the many streams that feed into the lake.
Vermont Organics Nursery’s Streambank Restoration Program is helping to restore and stabilize areas affected by flooding. Damaged areas are repaired, and land is stabilized against further damage and soil erosion using eco-friendly materials.
BFA St. Albans students Zach Devoid and Isaac Devoid use organic burlap bags to repair a damaged streambank in St. Albans.

As an oncologist at the Oncology and Hematology Clinic at North Country Hospital in Newport, Les Lockridge MD knows all too well the impact cancer has on patients, their families, and the community. So when about 600 people took part in this year’s Relay for Life in Newport on June 25 and 26 his heart was warmed by the region’s dedication to battling cancer.
The event, which included 60 teams, raised almost $160,000, beating out last year’s $143,000.
Les Lockridge M.D. and Evelyn Page, a cancer survivor, were two of the several hundred people who attended this year’s relay for life.
‘Anytime you have the community rally to fight cancer that is a good thing,’ Dr Lockridge said. ‘A portion of the money goes toward cancer research and remainder goes towards helping patients cover expenses not covered by health insurance.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced the appointment of Mark Larson to head the Department of Vermont Health Access. Larson, who serves in the Vermont House, replaces Susan Besio as commissioner.
‘I am proud to add Mark Larson to my administration and look forward to his leadership at DVHA," Shumlin said. "Mark has a deep understanding of health policy in Vermont, including complex systems like Medicaid, which is central to health planning. Mark has also demonstrated his commitment to the principles behind Act 48, and will be a valuable member of my health care policy team.’
As commissioner, Larson will oversee management of Vermont's publicly funded health insurance programs. He will also play a key role in moving forward Vermont’s health care reform efforts, including the new Vermont Health Benefit Exchange and Green Mountain Care. Larson will officially begin the position on August 17.

The Federal District Court for the District of Vermont issued a decision Monday evening in favor of the State of Vermont and denied Entergy’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the State from enforcing its laws during the pendency of the litigation. In a prepared statement, Attorney General William Sorrell called the decision ‘a very good first step in an important case.’

The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) announced today that Southern Vermont Broadband Cooperative and Cloud Alliance, LLC, were selected to receive discounted commercial broadband connections on the Vermont FiberConnect network. Additional award announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
To meet the public interest needs of reaching more underserved areas of the state, VTA selected the last-mile providers while Sovernet Fiber Corp. will offer them deeply discounted network connections. Awards were based upon review and evaluation of the recipients’ responses to a Request for Proposal that was issued by the VTA in May. Each of the recipients demonstrated that their broadband service offerings would target the Hardwick area and Stamford which are among the most underserved communities in rural Vermont.