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Governor Jim Douglas today announced the appointment of Marc D. Brierre as Rutland County State s Attorney. Marc is replacing Jim Mongeon who retired last month.
I m pleased to appoint Marc to this important position, said Governor Douglas. I believe that Marc has the skills and experience necessary to continue the good work being done to keep Rutland safe.
I want to thank Governor Douglas for the opportunity to serve the people of Rutland County in this new role, said Brierre. I will work hard as I always do to ensure that Rutland County is a safer place to live and raise a family.

As of 3 pm, today, the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon is at 100-percent power (~ 615 megawatts MWe). The plant has operated continuously since returning to service from the October 2008 refueling outage – a total of 297 days.
On Monday, Vermont Yankee notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a supervisor tested positive during a random fitness for duty test Monday morning. The employee was a supervisor in the plant’s maintenance department. The employee’s site access has been revoked, and a review of previous work is being performed. The fitness for duty program is regulated by the NRC and applies to all persons who work in the nuclear industry. VY has a fitness for duty program that helps ensure a drug and alcohol free workplace. There was no threat to public health or safety as a result of Monday’s incident.

Where can you safely and profitably invest your money in today s turbulent marketplace? As you ponder that question, you can start with a small but empowering step. Learn where not to invest your money.
Each year the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities & Health Care Administration (BISHCA) broadcasts the top ten investor traps to avoid. These have been identified by the Enforcement Trends Project Group of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), of which BISHCA is a member. The types of offers on the Top Ten list may especially appeal to cash-strapped investors hungry to recover lost financial ground. BISHCA Commissioner Paulette Thabault said, Lesson number one is, verify everything and everyone before you part with your money. Despite promises of high returns, these offers provide little if any disclosure of significant risks. What you can count on is that they pay high commissions to aggressive sales

A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. (Nasdaq: RATE) shows that the cost of getting a mortgage has fallen nationwide, a reflection of the price shift in the housing market. Nationwide, the average origination and title fees on a $200,000 mortgage this year totaled $2,732, down from $3,118 in 2008. In the study's geographical breakdown, Texas leads the nation at an average fee of $3,855, with New York City, Florida, San Francisco and Oregon rounding out the top five. Nevada is the least expensive area with an average fee of $2,276, replacing North Carolina at the bottom of the list. To view the complete study and analysis of the data, as well as tips on what to look for in closing costs when getting a mortgage, go to http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/state-by-state-closing-costs8-....

Chief Recovery Officer Tom Evslin announced today that five Vermont organizations have applied for over $130 million of stimulus grants and loans for last mile broadband projects that could, in the aggregate, reduce the number of Vermont households without available high speed Internet to less than 5% of the total. Technologies proposed by the various applicants include fiber to the home, DSL, and wireless.

Governor Jim Douglas and Secretary of Administration Neale Lunderville today announced the appointment of Caroline S. Earle as Commissioner of Human Resources. Ms. Earle currently serves as Chief of the Civil Litigation Division in the Office of the Attorney General.
“We are very excited to have Caroline join the team,” said Governor Douglas. “She brings a strong intellect, tremendous energy and enormous capacity to this important role. She is the right fit for the department at this critical time.”
“Caroline is a proven leader with the ideal mix of experience, smarts and tenacity,” said Lunderville. “She will be integral to our efforts to build a strong workforce while addressing difficult budget challenges.”
“It has been a privilege to serve in the Attorney General’s Office working on a range of important and complex cases,” said Ms. Earle. “I’m looking forward to working with Governor Douglas and his team on this new and exciting challenge.”

Workforce training programs from basic computer skills to customized curriculum for individual businesses will now be available via mobile computer lab to residents and businesses in the Champlain Islands, thanks to a USDA Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant awarded in the spring of 2009. The mobile lab courses will be made possible thanks to a partnership among the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Technical Center, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and CyberCottage Computer and Internet Training. The USDA grant will fund the equipment, and course staffing and marketing for up to two years. Training will be delivered at the CyberCottage classroom in Grand Isle, the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce meeting room in North Hero and the Alburgh Welcome Center. Classes can also be offered at other locations, and curriculum can be customized for businesses and non-profits in the region.

As Vermont students returned to campus this week, Rep. Peter Welch held a roundtable Wednesday morning to discuss college affordability and gather input about pending legislation that could revamp the nation’s financial aid system.
Welch was joined at the roundtable, which was held at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, by students and higher education officials from throughout Vermont. The group focused its discussion on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221), which passed the House Education and Labor Committee this summer and which is expected to come to a vote in the House this fall.

This week, Vermont will host the Foreign Agricultural Attaches and USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan for a tour of the diverse agriculture operations in Vermont. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a tour that will take foreign agricultural officials representing 23 countries to Vermont September 2 - 4, 2009, as part of an annual orientation tour sponsored by USDA s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Each year, these tours help showcase U.S. farm and food products from one area of the country, said FAS Administrator Michael Michener. Foreign officials will get a first-hand look at the quality and variety of products from New Hampshire and Vermont the best these states have to offer.

As of Today, Clifford of Vermont is now Power & Tel Enterprise, taking the name of its parent company. A national stocking distributor of wire, cable and related supplies for more than 60 years, Clifford of Vermont, in Bethel, was purchased in 2003 by Power & Tel, allowing it to offer an expanded product selection, technical resources and more distribution centers throughout North America. [email protected]; www.ptsupply.com/enterprise.
Source: Power & Tel Enterprise. 9/1/09

Thanks to a $99,000 USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG), small businesses in eightcounties of Vermont will soon have access to technical assistance grants to start or grow theirbusiness. Community Capital of Vermont, a micro and small business lender in Vermont,received the grant to expand its Management Assistance Program (MAP), which is currentlyonly available to Community Capital borrowers. Now, any business that is eligible, qualified,and is located in Addison, Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange orWashington counties can apply for a MAP grant.

Rep. Peter Welch announced today that he has joined the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, at the request of the Vermont Chamber Hospitality Council, to help promote the importance of the travel and tourism industry as a strong contributor to the overall economy.
Vermont s tourism sector is a critical component of our state s economy and an essential source of jobs, said Rep. Welch, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. With its bipartisan focus on expanding economic opportunities in the industry, the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus will be a valuable ally for Vermont businesses and employees in the tourism sector.