Current News

Governor Jim Douglas has announced $208,723 in Historic Preservation Barn Grants that will be awarded to 25 farms (see list below) to help make repairs needed to keep the barns in use. In a ceremony at the Dodge Farm in Berlin, which received $10,000 to repair its barn roof, the governor noted that the program promoted two of Vermont s most important industries, agriculture and tourism.
Our farms are more than just providers of jobs and bonds to our agricultural past, they boost our tourism industry by preserving our working landscape, Governor Douglas said. Preserving these magnificent barns for future generations isn t just good for the view, it s good for our economy.
The farm s owners, Kristen Gallagher and Loren Thompson, purchased it in July 2009 with the assistance of the Vermont Land Trust, and have set up a farming operation there that will include a Community Sponsored Agriculture program (CSA) as well as small-scale livestock operations.

AM Best Co has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb” for First Beacon Insurance Company (First Beacon) (Burlington, VT), a captive insurer of Alcatel-Lucent. The outlook for both ratings remains negative.
The rating actions reflect concerns over the financial position of First Beacon’s ultimate parent, Alcatel-Lucent. Supporting the rating is a robust level of risk-adjusted capitalization and a stable operating performance.

Many people do not yet fully understand how the recently approved health insurance reform legislation will affect their health insurance coverage, access to services, or options available to them or their families. This has created an opportunity for scam artists and criminals looking to confuse and defraud the public.Stories of fraudsters going door-to-door to sell phony insurance policies, and accounts of con artists attempting to make dishonest profits by urging consumers to obtain coverage in non-existent "limited enrollment" periods they claim are made possible with this new legislation have already been reported by the media.“Vermonters can sometimes feel like we’re a safe distance from the scams and fraudulent activities we hear about on the national news,” said Paulette Thabault, Vermont’s Commissioner of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA).

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that the State of Vermont is being awarded a $250,000 grant to produce new affordable, energy efficient, green housing. Vermont will use its grant to support a local community-based affordable housing developer to create these new homes which will feature a sustainable site design, water-conserving fixtures, energy-efficient appliances/lighting, and environmentally friendly building materials.
The funding announced today is awarded through HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the nation's largest block grant program to support the production of affordable housing.

Logging and milling has begun on the post and beam frame of the future Putney General Store. In an empty lot off of Route 5 in Putney, volunteer mill operator Mark Bowen is busy sawing large oak and pine logs donated by Putney land-owners that will become the frame of the new store to be built by the Putney Historical Society.

WCAX-TV News has won a series of Edward R. Murrow Awards sponsored by the Radio Television Digital News Association or RTDNA. The station received four Murrow awards, including overall excellence for its 6 pm news broadcast. The judges recognized WCAX-TV for its continuing coverage of Vermont captain Richard Phillips who was held hostage by Somali pirates and for investigative journalism for a report concerning harassment at the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
Senior Producer Christine Hinkel said, We are honored to receive these prestigious awards for our in-depth journalism.
WCAX-TV also garnered honors for story telling and stellar photography for its popular series Destination Recreation.
We thank the judges for recognizing our efforts to tell compelling stories that are important to our community. said WCAX-TV Vice President Alex Martin.
The station will receive its awards on April 16th at a ceremony in Boston.

Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has received a grant of $23,700 from the State of Vermont in support of its efforts to pursue a new transformational project to define, implement and evaluate an innovative model of resident care.

(Vermont Business Magazine) At a news conference today at Highgate Elementary School, US Senator Bernie Sanders announced energy efficiency grants and after-school program funding for Highgate Center.
The town and elementary school received stimulus funding totaling $124,405.88 through the Sanders-authored Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants program at the US Department of Energy. Sanders also secured $25,000 for summer school and after-school programs at the elementary school.

(Vermont Biz) In the twelve months before July 1, 2009, 85 pharmaceutical manufacturers paid $2,599,589 to Vermont doctors, hospitals, universities and others for the purpose of marketing their drugs. This was a drop from nearly $3 million the previous fiscal year. “This amount includes over $800,000 in gifts of food, which are now outlawed in Vermont,” said Attorney General William H. Sorrell. “Starting next year the public will be able to see who is getting what from the manufacturers.”

(Vermont Biz April 6, 2010) The number of Green Mountain Power customers using small-scale renewable energy sources to generate their own electricity has more than doubled since 2008, with the largest growth coming from customers who generate electricity with solar. Currently, close to 300 GMP customers have applied for and received state permission for net metering. Since net metering began in 1998, GMP customers' projects account for nearly 3 megawatts (or 3 million watts) of renewable power.
"Clearly many of our customers are taking advantage of technologies that have increased the amount of renewable energy on Vermont's power grid," said Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power president and chief executive officer. "We have a strong commitment to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels during times of peak demand. Net metering allows customers to produce renewable energy, which has long-term environmental benefits for all of us."

Dan Feeney, President of North Star Leasing in South Burlington, has announced the acquisition of Nordic Funding s book of business in late January. Nordic Funding s lease originator, John Desrochers, brings his 18 years of experience to the North Star Leasing team. North Star Leasing provides equipment financing across the country to small and medium sized customers from it s Burlington headquarters since its inception in 1979.
North Star Leasing adds Employees

Susan Stevens formerly of Double Tree Hotels joined the North Star Leasing team as a Documentation Specialist. Prior to joining Double Tree, Stevens worked for Merchants Bank and FiServ in the operations department. Stevens lives in South Burlington with her husband Stuart and two sons, Taylor and Gregory.

(Vermont Biz April 6, 2010) – Comcast, a leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced it has made the leap from broadband to wideband with the launch of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 in 29 communities across Vermont. With wideband, Comcast has introduced a new echelon of Internet speeds, redefining the customer experience online and creating a platform for Internet innovation in the years ahead.
Comcast now offers among the fastest speeds available today with wideband, including the Extreme 50 tier with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps. Wideband has also enabled Comcast to double speeds for the majority of its existing residential high-speed Internet customers.