Current News

Rutland Town will soon host one of the largest – and most visible – solar projects in the state. The Vermont Public Service Board has approved Central Vermont Public Service’s plans to build a 50-kilowatt solar array along Route 7, just south of the black water tower near the CVPS Rutland District Service Center. Several elements of the project have been planned and will be built or installed by Stafford Technical Center students, including a shed, signage and landscape designs.
CV Solar and Wind, a small Rutland company, and ReKnew Energy Systems Inc. of South Royalton will oversee construction of the project with assistance from Stafford students.

The Nuclear Energy Institute has produced four video news releases that examine innovations that have been recognized with a Top Industry Practice award. The final video features the Entergy Vermont Yankee plant in Vernon. The video, "Robotic Inspectors," highlights new inspection devices developed at the Vermont Yankee nuclear energy station to closely analyze the facility's steam dryer. Entergy Nuclear employees at Vermont Yankee are recipients of the Maintenance Process Award for developing innovative tooling for the inspection of a boiling water reactor steam dryer. The steam dryer is located in the top of the reactor.

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that more than $52 million is now available for Vermont under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Vermont will be eligible to apply for another $25 million this fall. Today s funding is being made available per Vermont s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1.

Vermont's congressional delegation announced today that $8,799,600 in recovery funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in Vermont. The latest installment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this funding will go to State Energy Program (SEP) projects that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy and reduce harmful carbon emissions. The money is part of $54 million awarded to four states Monday by the Department of Energy and constitutes 40 percent of the $22 million Vermont’s SEP will receive as a result of the ARRA. In order to ensure that stimulus funds are being deployed effectively and efficiently, states will not receive the remaining 50 percent of ARRA funding until they meet reporting, oversight and accountability milestones required by the recovery act.

According to a story on timesargus.com, Steven Pappas has replaced Sue Allen as editor of the 10,000 circulation Times Argus, which serves Barre-Montpelier and the surrounding area. Pappas had been a reporter in the paper’s Capital region and editor of The Times Argus/Rutland Herald Sunday edition. The two newspapers share ownership. Allen is one of the state’s most well known journalists. She has been the editor of The Times Argus since 2006. She has also been a reporter and editor for The Burlington Free Press and Vermont Public Television. She also served as Governor Dean’s press secretary during his final years in office. She will stay with the paper as a reporter covering Montpelier.

As part of its commitment to provide a smooth transition for former Unicel customers in Vermont, AT&T today announced it has integrated all cell sites in the legacy Unicel network AT&T acquired in Vermont, with AT&T's existing nationwide wireless network. AT&T is moving forward with plans to launch its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network in Vermont later this year. AT&T acquired Unicel in December 2008.

The third annual Top Chef of the Champlain Valley, an Iron Chef Experience will be held at UVM's Davis Center Aug 10, 2009 at 6pm to benefit the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging's Meals on Wheels and Case Management programs. Watch as Sam Palmisano of Pulcinella's defends his title against Robert Barral of Cafe Provence and JJ Vezina of the Windjammer Restaurant and Upper Deck Pub. Enjoy appetizers from some of the areas top chefs. Farrell Distributing and Woodchuck Draft Cider will be holding a wine, beer and draft cider tasting.

Governor Jim Douglas ton Friday joined the dedication of Jamaica State Park s new park station, which blends the heyday of local railroads with the modern conveniences of today.
The depot-style construction with its arrival window and other amenities is a nod to the railroad history of the area of our state and a creative way to preserve our cherished culture, the Governor said. When the park staff built the station, they turned their eye to local heritage while improving the park s services.
The new park station replaces a 5-foot-by-8-foot closet in the ranger s quarters and incorporates many of the design elements common to those early railroad stations high ceilings, over-door transoms for lots of natural light, long roof overhangs as well as the ticket sales bump-out. It is built only a few feet from where the original Jamaica train station used to stand.

The U.S. Senate Thursday night added an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization Bill to create the position of Vice Chief at the National Guard Bureau. The amendment was sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the co-chairs of the 96-member Senate National Guard Caucus.

Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced today nearly $3.3 million in federal economic recovery funding for Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest. This federal support will help create good-paying jobs while preserving Vermont’s natural resources.
The Green Mountain National Forest will receive $1.4 million to address a backlog of trail maintenance projects, $657,000 for work on existing recreation facilities, and $1.2 million to restore two dams that retain Lefferts Pond in the town of Chittenden. The Green Mountain National Forest is partnering with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Green Mountain Club and Vermont Association of Snow Travelers in these projects.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced that he has appointed 27 year veteran lawmaker Richard Westman of Cambridge to head Vermont's Tax Department and former Caledonia County Senator and current Director of the Agency of Transportation Rail Division Robert Ide to head the Motor Vehicles Department.
Rich Westman, a native Vermonter from Cambridge has represented the towns of Cambridge, Belvidere and Waterville in the General Assembly for 27 years. Westman will step down to head the state’s Department of Taxes. Westman will also leave his job at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation where he has served for ten years as the Director of the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan. He takes over from Tom Pelham, who will become deputy Administration secretary.

The governors and the Congressional delegations of both Vermont and New Hampshire today joined together to urge the U.S. Department of Labor to move quickly to provide assistance to workers recently laid off at the Ethan Allen furniture plant in Beecher Falls, Vt.
Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas and New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch; Vermont Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders; Vermont Rep. Peter Welch; New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and Jeanne Shaheen; and New Hampshire Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter issued the following statement: