Current News

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2010 was 6.2 percent, down two tenths from the revised April rate and down 1.1 percent from a year ago. Vermont's unemployment rate is fourth lowest in the nation; New Hampshire's (6.4 percent) is fifth lowest. See full US table below.
The unemployment rate continued its gradual decline from the recessionary peak of one year ago said Valerie Rickert, Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. The trend of the number of people participating in the labor market compared to the number of Vermonters working remains positive over the last several months in spite of the estimated small declines this past month. The numbers continue to point to improvement in the labor market.
Seasonal Job Growth

Representative Peter Welch supported and the House passed legislation late Thursday to increase lending to small businesses and promote job growth.
By a vote of 241 to 182, the House passed the Small Business Lending Fund Act (HR 5297), which creates a $30 billion lending fund to help community banks leverage up to $300 billion in lending for small businesses. The legislation is projected to save taxpayers $1 billion over 10 years.
During the small business roundtables I held earlier this year, I heard again and again that the number one problem facing small businesses is lack of access to credit. Vermont entrepreneurs want to expand their businesses and create jobs, but they simply don t have the capital they need, Welch said. By leveraging private investment, this fund will spur lending and provide Vermont business owners the tools they need to succeed.

Green Living: A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment is the 2010 recipient of the Governor s Award for Environmental Excellence in Education and Outreach. It is the only publication to receive this recognition.
In notifying the company of its selection Jonathan L. Wood, Secretary of the Vermont Agency for Natural Resources, said On behalf of the Governor I am pleased to inform you that a panel of judges has selected Green Living Journal for recognition in this year s Governor s Award for Environmental Excellence in Education and Outreach. Your award-winning project stands out as a model that should inspire all to find innovative approaches to conserve natural resources, safeguard human and environmental health, and prevent pollution before it is generated.

According to Education Week, the leading national publication devoted to covering public education policy, Vermont s high school graduation rate is the second highest in the country, at 82.3 percent for 2007. The highest graduation rate was in New Jersey, at 83.3 percent. The national average was 68.8 percent.
In addition, Vermont s graduation rate had one of the highest percentage increases over the past ten years in the country.
We are thrilled to see Vermont get national recognition for the accomplishments of our students, said Commissioner Armando Vilaseca. Our state continues to lead the nation, thanks to the support of local communities, our dedicated and professional staff, and the future aspirations of our students.
According to the Vermont Department of Education calculations, the figure is in fact lower than the state s actual graduation rate.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation today issued a reminder for political candidates and their supporters of the need to comply with Vermont’s sign control law when posting campaign signs along public roadways.
The Vermont sign law prohibits off-premises signs as well as all types of signs within the limits of public highway rights-of-way, with the obvious exception of traffic-control signs.
Political candidates and their supporters often place campaign signs on lawns near a roadway believing they are on private property when many times they are in the highway right-of-way. Most right-of-ways in Vermont are at least 49.5 feet wide, extending 24.75 feet on either side of the centerline and often are wider.

A wood pellet plant in Island Pond and a social service organization in Barre were among nine Vermont projects that will share almost $3 million in state grant funds.
Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie announced the award of $2.9 million in Vermont Community Development Program grants at a ceremony at the P & S Furniture Store in Barre, which is slated to become the new home of the Central Vermont Community Action Council with the help of an $800,000 grant to the City of Barre.
These grants are going to help Vermonters all over the state, creating much-needed jobs and affordable housing for our communities, Dubie said.
CVCAC, a nonprofit providing anti-poverty and economic development programs for low to moderate income residents in central Vermont, has outgrown its main offices on Route 302 in Berlin, forcing the group to rent multiple office spaces in the area.

On Friday, June 4, Comcast and One Economy were joined by elected officials and community leaders at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington in Vermont to celebrate the launch of the Comcast Digital Connectors Program. Burlington is the fifth city in the nation to roll out the digital literacy program, which teaches young adults about broadband technologies and how to put that knowledge to work and serve the local community. Comcast s David Cohen was on hand to help celebrate the launch and various elected officials, including US Senator Patrick Leahy and Vermont Governor Jim Douglas also attended and showed their support.

By James Dwinell, Vermont Business Magazine Rich Tarrant, one of Vermont s wealthiest, is no longer a Vermont resident; he now resides in Florida. Tarrant is best known for the amazing success of IDX, a health care information systems company which he sold in 2006 and now called GE Healthcare and still located in South Burlington.
In 2006 Tarrant ran for the open US Senate seat vacated by Jim Jeffords. Though Tarrant won the Republican primary, he lost to Bernie Sanders in the general election. There were rumors of a possible interest in one day running for governor of Vermont, those days are now gone.

The 80 seventh- and eighth-grade students on the Navigator team at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington solve problems on one of four touchscreen SMART Boards in math class, measure and record temperature fluctuations with high tech probeware in science, participate in international Skype sessions in social studies via a large computer screen, and use their laptops to do Web-based writing assignment in language arts.
What's just as impressive as the team's wall-to-wall technology, though, is the way teachers have incorporated it seamlessly into their lesson plans to powerfully engage students in their learning.

Fletcher Allen reported an operating income of $6.9 million for the first two quarters of the 2010 fiscal year. This includes an operating income of approximately $6.8 million for the second quarter. The second quarter covers the period beginning January 1 and ending March 31.
Second Quarter Results
Operating income for the second quarter was $1.9 million above budget and $4.3 million below the corresponding quarter in FY 2009. Net operating revenues for the quarter were $218.1 million, $620,000 below budgeted revenues. The organization's operating expenses for the quarter were $211.2 million, $2.5 million under budget, resulting in an operating income of approximately $5.0 million and an operating margin of 3.2% for the second quarter. By comparison, the organization produced an income from operations of $9.3 million in the second quarter of FY 2009.
Year-to-date Results

Fueled by lead single "Tiny Light," their incendiary live shows and rave reviews from critics nationwide, the self-titled album from GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS (Hollywood Records/Ragged Company) enter Billboard's Top 200 at #20, Billboard's Rock Album Chart at #3 and Billboard's Digital Album Chart at #9.
The group, praised by Rolling Stone as one of the "Best New Bands of 2010," delivered an electrifying performance of "Tiny Light" on
yesterday's Good Morning America and return to television July 15th for an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This Thursday, June 17th, fans can also catch an encore performance of the band's appearance on ELLEN.

For the week of June 12, 2010, there were 694 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, an increase of 32 from the week before. Altogether 9,722 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 643 from a week ago and 4,505 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 3,150 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 321 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 2,093 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 113 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc