Current News

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) today introduced legislation to provide Social Security recipients an extra one-time payment next year of $250. Without the legislation, millions of seniors will see their Social Security checks shrink because for the first time since 1975 there will be no cost-of-living adjustment.
Unless Congress passes the Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act, Social Security monthly benefits would drop because the cost of Medicare prescription drug premiums, which are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to increase.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) yesterday published proposed regulations to implement a new voluntary cooperative program under which state inspected meat processing establishments will be eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce.
The new program, created in the 2008 Farm Bill to supplement the existing state-federal cooperative inspection program, will allow state inspected meat plants with 25 or fewer employees to ship products across state lines. This announcement is part of the USDA’s new “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative. This new initiative seeks to better connect consumers with local producers to help develop local and regional food systems to spur economic opportunity.

The fourth annual Kelly Brush Century Ride was the Kelly Brush Foundation s most successful to date both in the number of participants and the amount of donations. A total of 495 riders took part in the event held in Middlebury, Vt. on Saturday, Sept. 12, raising $199,000 for ski racing safety and adaptive sports. The number of riders was up 35 percent, while fundraising was up 47 percent over last year.
This level of support from riders and our sponsors is tremendous, said Charlie Brush, Kelly Brush Foundation president. The Kelly Brush Century Ride continues to grow each year, allowing the foundation to expand efforts to improve ski racing safety and better the lives of those living with spinal cord injury.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) has flipped the switch on its new solar array, sending solar energy collected from the roof of its Waterbury, Vermont, distribution center to power its facility. Construction of the 100 kW photovoltaic array was completed in the summer. The 572 solar panels in the coffee company s array contribute to Green Mountain Power s goal of helping Vermonters install 10,000 panels in 1,000 days. The installation of GMCR s solar project puts Green Mountain Power at 25% toward this goal.
The solar array dovetails with GMCR s Changing Climate Change program, an enterprise-wide effort focused on reducing and mitigating GMCR s carbon footprint through operational incentives, grantmaking programs, carbon offsets and employee benefits. GMCR was the first company to offer group discounts on solar power systems for employees through groSolar s Employee Green Benefits Program.

For the Week of 09/12/2009. There were 747 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 77 from the week before. Altogether 9,804 new and continuing claims were filed, 833 fewer than a week ago and 4,011 more than a year earlier. The Department also processed 4,517 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 120 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 818 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 6 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

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Blueprint for Health Director Craig Jones, M.D., joined Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the White House today for the announcement of a new federal initiative modeled after Vermont s innovative Blueprint for Health. The announcement could have positive financial implications for Vermont, as it will enable Medicare to join Medicaid and commercial insurance carriers in state multi-insurer efforts to support primary care medical homes and community health teams.

Vermont's chief regulator has decreased Vermont hospital budgets from the requested 6.4 percent system average rate increase to 5.9 percent. This will reduce operating revenues by $5.9 million. Individual hospital rate requests ranged from 4.0 percent to 8.8 percent. The requests totaled an increase of $100.7 million in operating revenues. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital asked for the biggest increase of 8.8 percent and also had the biggest adjustment, resulting in a revised rate increase of 7.1 percent. Several hospitals increases were not adjusted. North Country Hospital in Newport had the smallest increase, 4 percent, which was granted.
Paulette J. Thabault, Commissioner of Banking, Insurance, Securities, and Health Care Administration (BISHCA), announced the her decision on 2010 hospital budgets on September 15, 2009. Part of the department s mission is to help ensure that all Vermonters have access to affordable, quality health care.

The State Board of Education elected new officers at its September 15, 2009 meeting, the Department of Education announced today. Fayneese Miller of South Burlington was elected Board chair, Ruth Stokes of Williston will continue serving as co-vice-chair, along with Kathy Larsen of Wilmington as second vice-chair.
The election was necessitated by the retirement of Chair Tom James. The governor recently appointed Stephan Morse of Newfane to complete the term vacated by James. Morse s first Board meeting will be on October 20.

Lyndon State College is the recipient of a $71, 590 grant from the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Northern Region. The money will be used for paid student internships in Essex County in Vermont and Coos County in New Hampshire. These two areas fall in one of the nation’s most economically depressed regions, and this support will help businesses develop sustainable business models.
The grant creates a promising win-win situation for businesses and Lyndon students. Not only will the businesses have access to the latest in planning and development, but students will no longer have to choose between an unpaid internship and a job.

Craig Divis, a high school social studies teacher at Bellows Falls Union High School in Bellows Falls, was named by the State Board of Education as the 2010 Vermont Teacher of the Year at a ceremony held today at the school.
Also honored were:

Alternate Stacey Endres, a middle school social studies and English teacher at Milton Middle School in Milton.
Finalist Terry Frey, a K-12 music teacher at Windsor Junior Senior High School and State Street School in Windsor.

The Vermont Chamber Hospitality Council is pleased that the National Restaurant Association (NRA) presented its first annual Congressional Leadership Award to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in recognition of his efforts to fight hunger.
“Senator Leahy’s contribution is meaningful to the restaurant industry because it helps our dining employers be good citizens while freeing up resources to invest in their businesses and their employees, said Vicky Tebbetts, Vice President of the Vermont Hospitality Council. “A vibrant dining industry is critical to Vermont’s tourism economy.”
The National Restaurant Association created the Congressional Leadership Award to recognize members of Congress who advocate on behalf of important restaurant industry causes and support legislation that help the industry to sustain its role as a job creator, a career training ground, and a cornerstone of the community.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) is bringing a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to Vermont this weekend to examine the state of competition in the Northeast in the context of the dairy crisis that continues to squeeze dairy farms in Vermont and across the nation. Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has set the hearing for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the St. Albans City Hall, 100 Main Street, in St. Albans, Vermont. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will join Leahy for the hearing, which is titled: “Crisis On The Farm: The State Of Competition And Prospects For Sustainability In The Northeast Dairy Industry.”
Witnesses will include the new head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Christine Varney. Three Vermont farmers will also testify, as well as an economist with Agri-Mark dairy cooperative, and the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.