Current News

Governor Jim Douglas on September 1 will join Agency of Transportation Secretary David Dill, Federal Aviation Administration Regional Administrator Amy Corbett, Pike Industry President Christian Zimmermann, and Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Executive Director George Malek to break ground at Knapp Airport in Berlin on a $6 million federal stimulus project that will create dozens of jobs.
It is not a project Vermont would be undertaking at this time if it were not for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Although VTrans has been planning this project for years, the Agency never was able to identify a funding source as the price tag is extremely high. The project will employ workers for more than two years.

The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) has announced that $484,300 in grant funds have been awarded to develop homegrown biofuels through its Vermont Biofuels Initiative (VBI). The purpose of the VBI is to foster the development of a viable biomass-to-biofuels industry in Vermont that uses local resources to supply a portion of the state's liquid fuel energy needs in an effort to help the state meet 25% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2025. The VBI is funded by a Congressionally Directed Award from the Office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy through the U.S. Department of Energy, various private foundation sources, and the Vermont General Fund.
The VSJF awarded $224,300 in strategically-directed funds, as well as an additional $260,000 from five competitive grant rounds designed to accelerate the development of Vermont’s biofuels production. Funds from the VBI are helping to support over $1million worth of on-going biofuels projects throughout the state.

Governor Jim Douglas said Vermont will pay tribute to the service of 2nd Lt. Joseph Fortin by ordering flags to half staff. Governor Douglas ordered that the U.S. flag, the Vermont State flag, the POW flag, and any other flag flown at all state and federal facilities in Vermont be lowered to half staff beginning today – the day of 2nd Lt. Fortin’s funeral service. All flags will be returned to full staff at sunrise on Thursday, September 3rd.
“Joseph took it upon himself to join with others in the cause of liberty, in defense of freedom and to help ensure that others be provided the rights that we enjoy as Americans,” the Governor said. “We thank him for his service and for the example he set for others.”

Dealer.com, the global leader of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, today announced the launch of comprehensive employee training and development programs. Already renowned for keeping auto dealership clients two to four years ahead of the competition, the new training initiatives further ensure that Dealer.com team members lead the industry in knowledge and skills at all levels of the organization. The customized, unrivaled training programs are also designed to preserve the company's unique culture and provide growth opportunities for all employees. This extensive investment in development benefits Dealer.com auto dealership customers of all sizes and types, by ensuring thought and service leadership throughout the organization.

Vermont tourism officials are expecting a busy foliage season this year and encourage visitors to take advantage of midweek deals being offered through the fall. Dozens of inns, hotels, historic sites and museums are offering a variety of midweek specials during the fall foliage season as part of the statewide Midweek Peek promotion organized by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. Deals range from discounted lodging to reduced admission prices to free Vermont products. For details, visit www.VermontVacation.com/midweek.
Foliage season is an incredibly popular time to come to Vermont, but visitors can still find a diverse range of options for lodging, dining and activities, especially midweek, says Vermont Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Bruce Hyde. Fall in Vermont is spectacular any day of the week, and we hope people will take advantage of the special Midweek Peek deals around the state.

Following nearly two years of planning, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences opened its Vermont Satellite Campus today, welcoming 70 students in the inaugural class. The campus, located in scenic Colchester, Vermont, is home to the only pharmacy program in the state.
The ACPHS-Vermont campus offers a four year program culminating in a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.). The Pharm.D. is the degree required to practice pharmacy in the United States. Students entering the program have completed a minimum of two years of college coursework, with prerequisites that include biology, chemistry and physics.
The members of the incoming class were selected from more than 1,200 applicants. They represent 20 states (including three students from Vermont) and 16 countries. Their average age is 25 years old.

This year marks the fifth consecutive year that the University of Vermont has seen record-breaking enrollment numbers. Approximately 13,100 students will begin classes on Monday, Aug. 31, a number that includes 10,200 undergraduates, 1,450 graduate students, 450 medical students and 1,000 non-degree students. Also breaking records in numbers this year are UVM's ALANA (Asian-American, Latino, African-American, Native American and multi-racial) students. Approximately 1,090 ALANA students are expected to enroll this fall, a 13.8 percent increase over last year. That gain is in large part attributed to a 51.9 percent increase in first-time, first-year ALANA students, up to 313 from 206 last year, making the Class of 2013 the most diverse in UVM history.

During a Friday morning visit to Vermont Soy, a business that graduated from the Vermont Food Venture Center, Sen. Patrick Leahy announced he had secured a $350,000 federal grant to help construct, equip and operate a new Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick’s industrial park. Leahy said the new kitchen incubator was needed to expand the food-based and agricultural-based economy of rural Vermont.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Friday that eight Vermont communities, as well as the Vermont Department of Public Safety (VDPS), will receive more than $1.32 million in federal grants to help combat crime. The grants will provide police departments across the state with funding for equipment, training other and resources.

Central Vermont Public Service Corp Chairwoman Mary Alice McKenzie and Director Bruce Lisman have resigned, effective last Monday, over a dispute involving the strategic direction of the company. CVPS, based in Rutland, is the state's largest electric utility. Company CEO Robert Young will serve as interim chairman of the board until a successor is determined. The text of the Securities & Exchange filing is below. A company spokesman said the company could not further comment.
McKenzie told Vermont Business Magazine, "I resigned effective Monday August 24th over a dispute with the board involving the strategic direction of the company as set by the board and the process by which the board chose to review the direction. I am secure in the knowledge that I did the right thing." She said that would be the extent of her comments.

The Democratic Governors Association is moving Vermont into its top tier of targeted 2010 pickup races, as Governor Jim Douglas announced his retirement today.
Vermont voters have always embraced common sense leaders who are willing to deal with problems like creating jobs, improving transportation, protecting the environment, expanding health care access and strengthening schools, said DGA Executive Director Nathan Daschle. Democrats in the state have long responded to those problems with the sort of the practical solutions and progressive values that Vermonters embrace. We believe that Vermonters are eager for Democratic leadership from the governor s office.

Saint Michael's College is ranked 105th in the Best (national) Liberal Arts Colleges category of the 2010 edition of the U.S. News & World Report magazine s popular, but controversial, rankings of American colleges and universities. Having moved two years ago from North Regional Masters University category to National Liberal Arts College category, Saint Michael's entered a much more competitive, much larger category of colleges. The rankings, which include some 1,400 schools nationwide, are available today at www.usnews.com/colleges, will also be published in the September issue of the U.S.News & World Report magazine, on newsstands starting August 20th.