Current News

Verizon Wireless has announced it is investing in Lamoille County to stay ahead of rising demand for wireless voice, 3G multimedia and Internet access. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, as well as portions of the access road (Vermont State Route 108).
The details include:
· Expanded 3G data coverage at Smugglers’ Notch allows customers using notebook computers or smartphones the ability to:
- Download and use cool apps, from mobile social networking portals to streaming radio
- Browse the web to keep up with news, sports, stock quotes, Hollywood gossip and more at faster speeds
- Stream must-see video
- Share emails with friends, family and co-workers that include picture and video attachments
- Download and play vivid, rousing 3D games
- Quickly download and play music favorites from Top 40 to Classical
- Work on-the-go with rapid file sharing

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and 18 Senators today sent a letter to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging the leaders to press for inclusion of language to repeal the federal antitrust exemption for health insurers and medical malpractice insurers in the final compromise on health reform legislation.
Leaders in the Senate and House are working with the administration to negotiate final compromise language to reconcile the differing health reform bills passed by both chambers. The House-passed health reform legislation includes a repeal of the federal antitrust exemption for health insurers. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was approved by the Senate on Dec. 24, does not include the repeal.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR) and Diedrich Coffee, Inc (Nasdaq: DDRX) have announced that they have each received a request for additional information from the US Federal Trade Commission with respect to the previously announced $35.00 per share cash tender offer by Pebbles Acquisition Sub Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of GMCR, to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Diedrich Coffee.
As a result of the Second Requests, the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR Act”) during which the FTC is permitted to review the proposed transaction has been extended until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 10th day after the companies’ substantial compliance with the Second Requests, or until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the next business day following that date, if the 10th day falls on a weekend or Federal holiday.

In an effort to further enhance the transit schedule until new temporary ferry service is operational, bus schedules have been modified. The changes go into effect on Thursday, January 14th. The schedule is available on https://www.lcbclosure.com . The efficiencies will shorten commute time for riders on both ends of the Essex-Charlotte run with slightly later start times, and earlier return times, all without giving up on-time service for existing destinations. The changes go into effect Thursday, January 14.Beginning Thursday, January 14, the Lake Champlain Transportation Company will station a boat at the temporary ferry site in Crown Point. It will be used to cut ice in the area and keep the channel clear until the new ferry site is operational.

Gulf Oil, LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cumberland Farms, Inc, based in Framingham, MA, today announced its intentions to execute a significant geographic brand expansion. The “Gulf” brand, one of the petroleum industry’s most venerable, has been in existence for almost 110 years. However, for the last twenty years, Gulf branded gasoline in the continental US has only been available in an eleven-state region in the Northeast through a licensing agreement between Gulf Oil LP’s parent company and Chevron USA Inc.
Effective January 12th, Gulf Oil L.P. acquired all rights, title and interest to the “Gulf” brand in the U.S. While specific terms of the deal are not being released, Gulf Oil now controls the right to market the brand throughout the United States and its territories. This acquisition enables Gulf Oil to expand its use of the Gulf brand throughout the U.S. for the first time since it first acquired certain rights to the brand in 1986.

Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville announced today that Chief Technology Officer Tom Evslin will coordinate the executive branch activities necessary to successfully meet the Challenges for Change agreed to by the Governor and Legislative leaders last week. The joint reform initiative is expected to net $38 million in savings in FY2011 and twice that in FY2012 and beyond, while actually improving the outcomes of state government actions. The challenges were defined in a joint executive-legislative effort assisted by consultants from Public Strategies Group, who have helped with similar, although less ambitious, efforts in other states and who will continue to be involved in this effort.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) went to the Salmon Run Apartments in Burlington today to announce a project to install solar water heaters here and at three other Vermont affordable housing developments. In addition to the project launched in cooperation with the Champlain Housing Trust, the $500,000 that Sanders secured also will help pay for energy-efficient and money-saving solar water systems at the Highgate Apartments in Barre, Westgate Apartments in Brattleboro, and Applegate Apartments in Bennington.
“At a time when we are spending $350 billion a year importing oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries, it is important that the United States move away from foreign oil to energy independence,” Sanders said. “Programs like this are a major step forward.”

What do the Hotel Plaza Athenee (New York and Paris), The Grand Hyatt Shanghai, The Dorchester (London) and six inns in Southern Vermont have in common? They have all earned the official Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, the most prestigious award in the tourism and hospitality industry.

For the first time since last summer, weekly unemployment claims fell for two consecutive weeks. This follows an end-of-the-year spike in new claims. Weekly results had been trending upward through the fall. Initial claims are still higher than last summer, but are now tracking lower than a year ago. For the week of January 9, 2010, there were 1,429 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 25 from the week before. Altogether 15,785 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 1,111 from a week ago and 1,215 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 4,942 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 66 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 3,031 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 246 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday released $3.7 million in home heating assistance to Vermont, announced Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Peter Welch. The grant is part of a nationwide release of $1.2 billion in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to help eligible families pay for the cost of heating their homes. The funds are the second installment of regular LIHEAP block grants to be released this fiscal year. The program was funded with $5.1 billion this year – its highest ever – because of legislation sponsored by Sanders and cosponsored by Leahy and Welch.

Stratton Mountain Resort and Resorts Tapped LLC are pleased to announce the release of Stratton Tapped. Stratton Tapped is a GPS iPhone application developed exclusively for Stratton Mountain Resort. It uses the iPhone's built-in GPS to locate the user and their friends on the official Stratton trail map and log the user's runs and vertical feet traveled. This specialized app allows users to pinpoint their location on the actual Stratton trail map, not a hard-to-read topographical or satellite map.

Governor Douglas today signed into law S93, An Act Relating to Commercial Vehicle Operation on the Interstate System. The bill received broad bipartisan support and was passed unanimously through all stages of passage yesterday. The bill allows for the enactment of a federal pilot program that will encourage large, commercial trucks to travel on Vermont's interstates and not on secondary and rural roads.
Before the passage of a federal pilot program, federal law restricted trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds from regularly using the nation s interstate highway system, while state law allows trucks exceeding 80,000 pounds to operate on Vermont's secondary roads. The pilot project harmonizes federal and state weight limits, allowing commercial trucks access to our interstates rather than forcing them onto our smaller, aging roadways.