Current News

Governor Jim Douglas today signed a proclamation declaring Fire Prevention Week in Vermont at an event with students at St. Johnsbury Elementary School. The 2010 Fire Prevention Week theme is, ‘Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with!’
Fires result in an average of nine deaths in Vermont each year, cause more than a 1,000 people to be treated at emergency departments for fire and burn injuries and cost an estimated $70 million in property damage. Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, installed outside of each sleeping area and on every level of every home, are essential for the safety of Vermonters.

Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is offering a new low mortgage interest rate: 4.125% APR for a 30-year, fixed rate loan with no points for qualified borrowers.
The new rate, which became effective yesterday, is the lowest ever offered by VHFA.
"This new rate means the dream of homeownership is within the reach of more people," said VHFA Executive Director Sarah Carpenter. "Market conditions have never been more challenging for organizations such as VHFA, so we can't say how long we'll be at 4.125%. But we remain committed to providing Vermonters with the lowest rates we can."
The new 4.125% rate is part of VHFA's Government Guaranteed Home Loan Program, which includes loans from USDA/Rural Development, the Veterans Administration, and the Federal Housing Administration.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) announced Thursday that loan funds from the Small Business Jobs Act signed by President Obama last week (September 27) have already cleared the backlog of business expansion loans that had been approved, but not yet funded, for small businesses in Vermont.
The lawmakers report that the U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded $1.5 million in loans to five Vermont firms that had applied and been approved for small business loans and been approved but not awarded, due to a shortfall of loan funds. The earlier American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 increased guarantees and reduced fees in SBA’s two largest lending programs. High demand quickly exhausted those loan funds, but small businesses were allowed to continue applying in case added funding became available.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc could face a class action lawsuit because of questions related to its accounting practices and a recent stock sale. Another shareholder has filed a separate suit in Burlington seeking damages and changes in certain management practices at the rapidly growing Waterbury coffee company. And at least five other firms are filing suits or considering such from out-of-state.
The Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement is conducting an inquiry into how GMCR recognizes revenue, according to company documents included in a filing with the SEC. GMCR and the SEC declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.

During separate tours of Bennington’s Energizer and Vermont Composites factories Thursday, US Senator Patrick Leahy pointed to new research and development contracts at Energizer and new defense contracts at Vermont Composites as cornerstones of Southwestern Vermont’s economic future. Leahy visited the two facilities to announce a $2 million contract at Energizer and to see the work Vermont Composites is doing on several military airframes.
‘Energizer and Vermont Composites are investing in new technologies that hold great potential to be at the heart of Southwestern Vermont’s economy for decades to come,’ said Leahy, who, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and of it Defense Subcommittee, has championed investments in projects that both firms are working on.

Chaput Family Farms, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Central Vermont Public Service will host a free Cow Power Open House Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm at 2473 Route 105 East in North Troy. Farm tours, renewable energy information and a free picnic lunch will be available.
Chaput Family Farms began generating power from cow manure on Aug. 3, 2010, and is expected to produce about 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It is the third farm in VEC’s service territory producing clean renewable energy from cow manure through collaborative efforts of VEC and the CVPS Cow Powerâ ¢ program. The farm is the seventh to join CVPS Cow Powerâ ¢. It is expected to provide enough energy for nearly 250 homes.

For nearly five decades, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce has annually awarded an individual who has gone above and beyond his or her daily requirements to better the state of Vermont through self-sacrifice, service and volunteerism. In the crowded field of awards given to Vermont community members, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious.
This year, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the Citizen of the Year Award to Governor James H. Douglas of Middlebury. Governor Douglas has been serving the people of Vermont for nearly 40 years. As Governor, he has focused on strengthening Vermont's economy, reducing the cost of living in Vermont and protecting the state's natural environment. Making Vermont an affordable place to live, work and raise a family has been Douglas's top priority.

Among the variety of improvements at Vermont’s ski resorts, a certain theme rings clear. Each ski area listens to its guests and is creating the best possible experience for their extended family of snowsports enthusiasts. According to the Vermont Ski Areas Association, here are the latest upgrades for the coming season:
Bromley Mountain ResortBromley went on a shopping spree and brought home about $675,000 worth of goods, systems and equipment to enhance the experience of skiers and riders:
· A Prinoth Bison winch-cat will groom the steepest terrain with relative ease, providing a better, more consistent product for the most advanced skiers and riders.

Vermont Public Interest Research Group has partnered with AllEarth Renewables to help streamline the process of installing solar generation in communities across Vermont. With pilot projects launching in Williston and Waterbury, the Solar Communities campaign will be using VPIRG’s proven organizing and outreach abilities to reach residents and help them navigate the process of installing solar capacity in their towns.
“We at AllEarth Renewables are really excited for the VPIRG Solar Communities campaign,” said Regina McCarthy Farrell, Director of Sales and Marketing for AER. “There is a positive buzz that comes when you install an AllSun Tracker in your backyard. We’ve seen first-hand how contagious going solar can be, and VPIRG has found a proven and efficient way to leverage that local, grassroots enthusiasm to make a meaningful contribution to the renewable energy economy in Vermont.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the award of a $50,000 grant to help the Vermont Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program fight Medicare fraud. The grant went to the Community of Vermont Elders and it is part of President Obama’s mandate to educate seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries about how to prevent fraud in Medicare.
‘This grant is one of more than 50 awarded throughout the country to put more feet on the ground in the fight against Medicare fraud,’ said CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D. ‘We are concerned about Medicare fraud and activity by criminals seeking to defraud seniors ‘ and we want to ramp up our local community resources to educate seniors and people with Medicare about how they can help us stop it.’

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery owners, Bob Reese and Allison Hooper, have been given the 2010 Foodshed Champion Award from the Chefs Collaborative at the second annual Chefs Collaborative National Summit at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. This award acknowledges a food producer dedicated to working with professionals in this field and who represents principles such as environmentally sustainable farming, human animal husbandry and good partnerships with chefs.
The Chefs Collaborative is a nonprofit network of chefs that work to maintain a food system using advocacy, education and collaboration with the food community. This year’s National Summit was called ‘Redefining Our Culinary Traditions.’ It called on culinary professionals and food community members from around the country to share ideas and a vast knowledge in the area of creating a solid food system.

Hospitals in Vermont contribute significant dollars to the State general fund. This year, hospitals will pay $94 million in hospital provider taxes to the State. The State spends these tax dollars on the Medicaid program, qualifying the revenues for an additional $169 million in Federal matching funds. In addition, as a result of the 14,718 jobs created by hospitals, hospital employees contribute more than $34 million to the State in tax revenues.