Current News

US Senator Patrick Leahy announced Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has agreed with his request to close the border crossing at Morses Line, Vermont. The closure process will involve a public comment period, extensive consultations with stakeholders, and further assessments on safety and traffic patterns -- steps that Secretary Napolitano estimates will likely take a year to complete.
In a letter to Napolitano after a DHS public meeting on May 23 requested by Leahy, the Vermont senator noted that public comments at the meeting were against building a new port of entry facility at the U.S.-Canada crossing in Franklin County, which would have meant the forced purchase of farm property from a Vermont farm family that opposes the project.

Hoping to improve customer understanding of electrical safety and prevent serious accidents, Central Vermont Public Service today announced a new safety campaign of advertisements and outreach efforts to protect Vermonters from inherent dangers.
The campaign includes a year-long series of newspaper advertisements throughout CVPS’s service territory, a new “Safety Corner” in each monthly customer newsletter, updated safety information at www.cvps.com/safety, and an increase in public presentations on electrical safety. Each of the elements complements the others, with similar information.

The State of Vermont has passed a new law that requires landscape architects to be licensed, making it the last state in the union to regulate the profession. The Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) worked with the legislature over the last eight years to encourage licensing requirements.
We re absolutely thrilled that Vermont has joined the rest of the nation in acknowledging the importance of the specific skills and education of our profession, says Kathleen Ryan, Vermont ASLA President. Our work affects the health, safety, and welfare of Vermont s people and environment, so we think it s important to protect that by making sure that anyone identified as a landscape architect is properly qualified.

The Vermont Field Office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve recognized over sixty outstanding Vermont companies who have gone Above and Beyond in providing their employees who are members of the Guard and Reserve with the highest level of support in protecting their civilian jobs while serving as members of the Guard and Reserve. This support is critical as the Vermont National Guard is in the midst of a deployment that is their largest deployment since World War II.

USDA Rural Development will present funding awards to seven area organizations to benefit Vermont s Northeast Kingdom on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 2 pm. The grants, given out nationally to small businesses in federally designated Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) zones, aim to spur economic development and create or save jobs in rural areas.

Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration Commissioner Paulette J Thabault announced today that she has ordered BCBSVT to return $3 million in premium refunds to subscribers to conclude the Department s investigation into the excessive compensation paid to former CEO, William Milnes. The Company agreed to enter into a stipulation and accept the requirement to return money to subscribers, rather than contest the matter in administrative hearings.

Draker Labs, a leading provider of monitoring solutions for institutional and commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) systems based in Burlington, Vermont, has been selected by Photovoltaic Systems Manufacturing (PSM) to monitor PV systems that will be installed at 14 Arizona-based schools. Phoenix-based Salt River Project (SRP), one of the nation s largest public power providers, is funding the installation and maintenance of the rooftop-mounted PV systems. SRP will provide teachers with training and classroom materials related to renewable energy education. Data collected from Draker s monitoring solutions will be available to students and faculty, allowing them to apply real-world data in a variety of classroom applications.

For the week of May 29, 2010, there were 839 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, a decrease of 133 from the week before. Altogether 10,898 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 391 from a week ago and 4,122 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 3,586 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 135 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 2,266 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 100 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

The state has awarded nearly $350,000 in Municipal Planning Grants to thirty-eight communities across the state to help them plan for growth and development. Officials at the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development announced the Municipal Planning Grants of up to $15,000, which can be used for a variety of planning projects.
These grants support the planning activities that are at the heart of Vermont s Smart Growth strategy, said Tayt Brooks, Commissioner of the Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development. While the budget crisis has curtailed the amount available, these investments will help promote economic activity, community development and housing in our downtowns and village centers, while protecting Vermont s working landscape.

Senator Patrick Leahy says a new $54,745,988 US Army contract with Goodrich for additional units of the company s groundbreaking helicopter maintenance diagnostic system, produced by the firm s facility here, shows the advanced system has quickly taken its place as a key maintenance feature of US military helicopter programs.
Leahy just two months ago joined Goodrich employees here to mark shipment of the 2000th system, at that point achieving more than $100 million in helicopter diagnostic system contracts for the Vermont facility.

Comcast and One Economy will be joined by elected officials and community leaders on Friday, June 4 at 2:30 PM at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington to kick off a major digital learning and service initiative that teaches teens and young adults from diverse, low-income backgrounds how to use broadband technologies and put that knowledge to work to increase digital literacy in the greater community.
WHO: U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, Governor Jim Douglas, Mary Alice McKenzie, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington, David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation, Doug Guthrie, Senior Vice President, Comcast’s Western New England Region, Pam Mackenzie, Area Vice President, Comcast Vermont, Karla Ballard, Vice President of Social Innovations for One Economy, 20 Burlington-area teens enrolled in Digital Connectors program.
WHEN: Friday, June 4 at 2:30 PM

State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding will announce a new statewide financial literacy program for elementary-age children Wednesday, June 3 in Burlington at 11:15 am. The Reading is an Investment program aims to increase school book collections in personal finance, give teachers and librarians related curricular resources, and encourage students to read books that teach money concepts.
Spaulding will be joined by C.P. Smith School Library Media Specialist Shannon Walters and teacher Sue Clark and her third grade class. Phil Daniels, Market President for TD Bank, also will speak.