Current News

First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced that it has obtained $76 million in financing for the company’s 40 megawatt (MW) Sheffield Wind project. With financing in place, First Wind will continue on schedule with construction of the largest wind energy project to date in Vermont. Construction began in September, 2010. The developer says the Northeast Kingdom project will create construction jobs, local tax revenues, work for small local businesses, and clean energy for about 15,000 Vermont homes.

Governor-elect Peter Shumlin today announced that Christine M. Oliver will serve as Commissioner of Mental Health.
"Christine has broad experience with mental health issues and services, and with health care issues broadly," said Shumlin. "Her professional background makes her a strong addition to our human services team."
Oliver has served as Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Health Care Administration, through the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration, since her appointment in 2006. In that post, she was the managerial head of the state division responsible for regulating health insurance (including rates and forms), quality of health care services, and related consumer education and protection. The division also has statutory responsibility for reviewing hospital budgets and issuing "certificates of need" for hospital expenditures.

Williston accounting firm Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs (www.dh-cpa.com) has worked up a synopsis of the deal President Obama cut with congressional Republicans on taxes and jobless benefits. The deal signed into law on December 17, 2010 extends President Bush's tax cuts and makes changes to other key provisions. Among the major highlights:

As individuals and communities all over Vermont welcome members of the Vermont National Guard home from deployment, the employees of Washington Electric Cooperative have expressed their thanks and support by donating dozens of Christmas gifts to needy, local Guard families with children. The $1,400 worth of gifts ‘ from a small bicycle with training wheels, to kitchen play sets and other toys, to children’s clothing and gifts for teen-agers and adults ‘ were purchased with $700 raised among the Co-op’s employees and a matching contribution by Washington Electric’s ‘Community Fund.’

WCAX-TV, Vermont Public Television and Vermont Public Radio will all present live coverage of Peter Shumlin’s inauguration as governor of Vermont and his address to the joint assembly at the Statehouse in Montpelier. Coverage will begin at 1:30 pm on Thursday, January 6th on WCAX-TV’s primary channel. Kristin Kelly and Darren Perron will anchor from their studios on Joy Drive in South Burlington with Kristin Carlson reporting live from the Statehouse in Montpelier. The inauguration will also be streamed live to the website, www.wcax.com.
‘WCAX News has a long tradition of covering the critical issues facing Vermonters from the State House. Broadcasting the inaugural from the State House will give the public a first look into how Peter Shumlin and other leaders will govern Vermont,’ stated Anson Tebbetts, WCAX-TV News Director.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has entered into a Judgment with DIRECTV that will result in consumer refunds and a payment of $185,000.00 to the State of Vermont. Because DIRECTV made attractive offers that did not indicate that consumers would have to extend their contracts and be subjected to cancellation fees or additional costs, it will now have to offer refunds to Vermonter consumers. ‘Businesses that fail to fully disclose all the terms of their offers will have to pay consumers as well as the State,’ said Attorney General William H. Sorrell. ‘DIRECTV’s customers will now get money back, full disclosure of all programming and pricing, and better service.’

Governor-elect Shumlin today announced that Commissioner Andrew Pallito will remain in his post as Commissioner of Corrections.
"There is no question addressing the challenge of corrections, which is the second largest area of growth in our state's budget, is ambitious," said Shumlin. "Vermonters can no longer afford to spend more on corrections than on higher education. In order to realize the cost efficiencies we anticipate through justice reinvestment, it is extremely important that we have someone with Andy's experience. Andy has both the vision and the experience necessary to ensure that we will reduce recidivism and achieve cost savings in our corrections system."

After a year of monitoring, The Putney School’s net-zero Field House has
used 48,374 kWh of electricity while the sun-tracking photovoltaic cells
that enervate it have produced 51,371 kWh. That’s nearly 3,000 more
kilowatt hours produced than the building used.
Designed by Maclay Architects in Waitsfield and built by DEW
Construction Corp from Williston, the Field House was opened for use in November of
2010. The first negative power bill, created because the photovoltaics
continue to produce electricity regardless of the building’s needs, came
in April. At the end of the year, all of the usage and production numbers
came together to make a zero (plus a little extra). Thus, a net-zero
building.
The even better news, according to Business Manager Randy Smith, is that
the differential in cost between what the building drew from the grid and

Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Wednesday that the counties of Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille will receive federal disaster funds in response to damage caused by severe storms in early December.
The funds were triggered for release by a disaster declaration issued today by President Obama. The delegation wrote the President in the aftermath of the storm asking for this declaration, arguing that the scope of the damage was such that it merited federal assistance. The storm, which included winds of up to ninety miles per hour, caused severe damage to buildings, property and infrastructure and left nearly 40,000 Vermont homes and business without power. You can read the letter the delegation sent to President Obama here.

by Kevin Kelley Vermont Business Magazine Faced with multiple uncertainties some they can affect, some they cannot Vermont health care reformers are waiting to see whether state and federal initiatives will advance the cause of providing all Vermonters with access to high-quality, affordable treatment.

The uncertainties also come in long-term and short-term varieties.

Close on the horizon, and within Vermonters' control, are decisions relating to a report due in January from a consultant team that's weighing three options for overhauling the state's health-care system.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: BHLB), which does business as Berkshire Bank with offices in southwestern Vermont, and Legacy Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEGC) announced today that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Berkshire will acquire Legacy and its subsidiary, Legacy Banks, in a transaction valued at approximately $108 million.
The merger of Legacy into Berkshire will create a combined institution with $4 billion in assets. This in-market merger will create efficiencies and market share benefits for the combined banks, which both have branches in Western Massachusetts and Northeastern New York. Including Berkshire's pending merger with Rome Bancorp, the combined bank will have more than 60 offices serving Berkshire County, the Pioneer Valley, New York, and Southern Vermont.

The Department of Labor announced the state minimum wage will be increasing to
$8.15 per hour from $8.06 per hour on January 1, 2011. Vermont’s minimum wage increases at the same
rate as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as calculated in August, for the preceding year. This August, the
CPI increased by one and one tenth percent (1.1%).
Addit ionally, the basic wage rate for ‘service and tipped’ employees is tied to the CPI. As such, the basic
wage for such employees will be increasing to $3.95 per hour from $3.91. Service or tipped employees are
individuals working in hotels, motels, tourist places, and restaurants who customarily and regularly receive
more than $120.00 a month in tips for direct and personal service.
Tipped employees’, like other workers, total earnings during a pay period must equal or exceed $8.15 per
hour. If a combination of tips and the basic wage do not meet that requirement, the employer must make