Current News

Mack Molding Co. is today announcing the formation of its medical products group, which the company is branding MackMedical. Located at Mack’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt., MackMedical is a focused group of staff --product development, program management, quality, regulatory, document control, purchasing, sales and production -- that is skilled in medical manufacturing. They manage all medical accounts, from upfront engineering through final manufacturing and distribution.
“We have been aggressively developing the medical manufacturing sector of our business for the past nine years by refining quality and supply management systems, hiring specialized staff, and adding new technology,” says Jeff Somple, president of Mack Molding’s Northern Division.

For the second year in a row, GE Volunteers have donated $2,000 to the Starbase Vermont youth program to help teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to elementary school students in Vermont. Starbase offers students in grades 4 through 6 an exciting activity-based curriculum conducted over 5 days (25 hours) with a goal to inspire students in STEM fields. The Starbase program typically occurs over a 5-week period and it is free of charge.
"GE has been tremendously supportive," said Doug Gilman, State Director of Starbase Vermont. "In addition to the funds donated by GE Volunteers, over the last two years the Rutland GE Employees Community Concerns Fund has donated $2,000 to our cause. With support from our community partners, we are able to serve about 1,500 Vermont students every year."

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has announced the submission of two preliminary applications for federal stimulus money to fund $125.6 million in rail-bed upgrades. If approved, the upgrade projects would enable faster and expanded passenger train service across the state.
The first application seeks $50.9 million to improve the rail line running from Swanton to Massachusetts through Essex and White River Junction, with the objective of increasing passenger train speeds to 59 mph, or even 79 mph through certain sections.
The second application seeks $36 million to repair tracks between Burlington and Rutland and $38.7 million to upgrade the tracks south to Bennington and west to Hoosick, NY - also with the goal of allowing trains to travel at 59 mph.

Rep. Peter Welch unveiled legislation Monday morning aimed at freeing up credit to small businesses by expanding a successful Small Business Administration loan program. At Burlington s Chittenden Bank, Welch and members of Vermont s business and banking communities outlined details of Welch s bill, which is intended to bolster the popular SBA Express Loan Program. By increasing the SBA Express program s current cap of $350,000 to $2 million, the legislation would significantly increase access to credit for Vermont s small businesses. Welch will introduce his bill in the House this week.
Small business owners throughout Vermont have struggled since the start of the current economic crisis with securing and retaining lines of credit. At a small business roundtable in Bennington last month, business owners told Welch that the tight credit environment was the single greatest difficulty they faced in expanding their businesses.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced that The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will award more than $10 million in Federal Economic Stimulus funds to improve roadways, sidewalks, bridges and other transportation infrastructure owned by 30 Vermont municipalities and non profits. The money will be distributed in three ways: 10 communities will receive paving grants ranging from $300,000 to $750,000, eight communities or non profits will receive transportation enhancement grants ranging from $52,000 to $240,000, while the Vermont Agency of Transportation will expend up to $5 million in Stimulus funds to repair 12 structurally deficient town highway bridges.

Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has been recognized as one of the 2009 recipients of the Step I National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). This year 664 nursing and assisted living facilities from across the nation applied for the quality award at this level. Awards will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 60th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 4-7, 2009 in Chicago.
“We applaud Helen Porter for having passed this first step that demonstrates their intention to begin a rigorous quality improvement program, and look forward to their moving forward to pursue the requirements for the Steps II and III awards in the coming years,” stated Bernie Dana, Chair, AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers, one of the nine members that oversee the program.

Continuing a tradition of renewable energy innovation that goes back decades, Central Vermont Public Service has proposed a variety of projects to further clean energy development in Vermont. The CVPS proposals, filed with the Vermont Public Service Board, include seven renewable projects and studies at a total cost of about $350,000. In a letter to the PSB, CVPS noted that the Vermont Department of Public Service, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Renewable Energy Vermont, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Biomass Energy Resource Center support the company’s proposals.

U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today announced $6.7 million in federal grants for home weatherization projects in Vermont, with another $8.4 million to come later.
The funds, secured in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, will help weatherize more than 1,800 Vermont homes, cutting energy costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating green jobs across the state.
The funds will be directed through the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity to five local organizations to provide services across the state. Funding will be available to families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – or about $44,000 a year for a family of four. Up to 20 percent of the money will be available for job training.
After demonstrating successful implementation of the first phase of funding, the state will receive an additional $8.4 million, for a total of nearly $17 million.

All employees at Twin State Valley Media Network, which includes the daily Eagle Times in Claremont, NH, the weeklies The Message for the Week out of Chester, Vermont, the Connecticut Valley Spectator out of Lebanon, NH, and The Weekly Flea, received an email Thursday, July 9 at 3:32 p.m. telling them that when the doors closed at 5, everyone was to leave their keys, take their stuff, and they were all laid off.
Owner Harvey Hill took his media network into Bankruptcy Court on Friday morning, the day the last issue of the Eagle Times was published. The employees will get next week's paycheck, all accrued vacation time, and health insurance through the end of the month.

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced today nearly $10.3 million in funding to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) to spur development of affordable housing in Colchester, Montpelier and Windsor, Vermont. The funding, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will allow the VHFA to provide sufficient equity funding to complete ongoing construction projects in Windsor, Colchester and Montpelier. The ARRA investment will help create 130 affordable housing units and an estimated 175 jobs by leveraging over $20 million in construction funding.
VHFA will use the funding to provide credit to the following projects:

Effective today, small businesses that would otherwise have difficulty securing private equity or venture capital may find funding easier to get as a result of changes made as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company program.
“The Recovery Act expands SBA’s venture capital program to increase the pool of investment funding available to the Small Business Investment Companies licensed by SBA,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “We believe those companies will be better equipped by these changes to help sustain and grow small businesses for their next important growth steps.”

Late Thursday night Red Cross Disaster Services volunteers responded to Main Street in St Johnsbury to meet the needs of at least 9 families displaced by a late night, four-alarm fire that raged through the residential/commercial building where they lived. The responding personnel are all members of the Northern Vermont Chapter s Disaster Action Team program. The fire appeared to have started in a convenience store on Main Street before spreading to three other buildings. There were no injuries reported.