Current News

WHAT: Governor Jim Douglas will announce a partnership with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company at a news conference on February 12th to give away free $50,000 life insurance policies to families in need across Vermont.
WHEN/WHERE: The Governor will hold a news conference on February 12th, 11AM at the State House, 109 State St., Montpelier, VT in the Governor s Ceremonial Office to announce details of the program, including the date and time of a public application event where people can apply for free life insurance policies. He will also announce who qualifies for the program and how it benefits the children of Vermont.
WHY: The free life insurance program is called LifeBridge. This is strictly a philanthropic program with no additional obligations or commitments from families who qualify for the free insurance policies. MassMutual is the only company in the nation giving away life insurance as part of a charitable giving program.

Montpelier, VT -- Following a two-day marathon of presentations, ten artists have been chosen to receive nearly $250,000 in total commissions for The Art of Action: Shaping Vermont s Future Through Art . The finalists nine Vermonters and one from Massachusetts will receive commissions ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to create projects that grapple with diverse issues facing our state, as identified over the past two years through the work of the Council on the Future of Vermont. The project, coordinated by the Vermont Arts Council, is funded by visionary philanthropist Lyman Orton and his associates Craig Byrne and Janice Izzi. The finalists were chosen from more than 300 applicants spanning the United States and three foreign countries.

Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville has released General Fund revenue results for the month of January, the seventh month of Fiscal Year 2009. General Fund revenues were well below target for the month as compared to the consensus revenue target revised in mid-January. The General Fund revenues of $119.20 million for the month of January 2009 were -$14.05 million or -10.54% below the $133.25 million consensus revenue forecast for the month. Year-to-date, General Fund revenues were $674.91 million or -$14.05 million (-2.04%) below the consensus revenue forecast for FY 2009. It is important to understand that these revenue results are not only unfavorable as compared to the most recent targets, but that they are also below where we were one year ago, said Secretary Lunderville.

The Vermont Department of Labor is proposing that the state increase the tax charged to businesses to support the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and should also decrease the benefits paid to unemployed workers in order to head off a deficit in the trust fund.
Labor Commissioner Patricia Moulton Powden presented her department s Unemployment Insurance Reform Proposal (http://labor.vermont.gov/Portals/0/UI/UI%20Brief.pdf) to the Government Affairs Committee of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced the formation of a five-member task force to examine the Vermont State Colleges and University of Vermont systems to determine what academic and administrative efficiencies could be achieved through their consolidation.
The Governor announced in his recent inaugural message that he was recommending a 20% increase in the appropriations for both early childhood education and higher education. The Governor also announced that he would appoint a working task force to undertake a review of the structure, administration and program offerings of Vermont s two public higher education systems.

As Vermont is poised to make major financial decisions with far reaching policy implications, new research may prove instrumental in shaping the discussions. The Council on the Future of Vermont and St. Michael s College just published Vermont in Transition: Social, Economic and Environmental Trends, a comprehensive study of the major trends that are impacting life in the state. Over 300 graphs are included in this 150 page research book which documents and explains the key transitions that have occurred in Vermont in areas as diverse as education, the economy, agriculture, demography, crime, energy, climate and civic engagement. The study was commissioned by the nonpartisan Vermont Council on Rural Development as a facet of its two-year Council on the Future of Vermont program.

Washington, D.C.--Today Sean Cota, co-owner of Cota & Cota in Bellows Falls Vermont testified before the House Agriculture Committee. The committee asked for insight on how the Derivative Markets Transparency and Accountability Act could help heating fuel dealers and consumers. The goal of the legislation is to end the abusive practices by paper oil speculators that has created wild volatility in the energy markets.

Week Ending January 31, 2009. There were 1,339 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 33 from the week before. Altogether 16,248 new and continuing claims were filed, 343 more than a week ago and 5,780 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,816 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 8 from last week.
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

The College Board released its fifth annual AP Report to the Nation today, and highlighted Vermont as a national example in preparing students for college. Vermont saw the largest five-year increase in the country in the percentage of its student population scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP (Advanced Placement) exam in high school.
Vermont is leading the nation in getting its students college ready for the second year in a row, said Michael Bartini, Regional Vice President for the College Board. Kids are thinking about college, and behind that are the teachers and administrators who deserve credit for the work they have done to provide these opportunities.

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1926 with the assistance of Helen Keller and remains to this day the only private agency in the state to offer free support, education and rehabilitation services to all blind and visually impaired residents. VABVI s mission is to enable Vermonters with vision problems, whether blindness or impairment, to achieve and maintain independence. From its four branches located in Brattleboro, Montpelier, Rutland and the main office in Burlington (soon to be South Burlington), VABVI serves residents in all of the state s 14 counties.

The following was sent in a mass email to the UVM community from Daniel Mark Fogel, President of UVM.
I am writing to inform you that Ben Stein, a renowned economist and public personality, has informed me of his decision to withdraw from our Commencement ceremonies in May.
As you may know, Mr. Stein delivered an excellent Kalkin lecture on our campus last year, focused primarily on economic issues, to which our students responded warmly and enthusiastically. It was on the basis of that experience that I extended him an invitation to be our Commencement speaker.

Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc was the listing agent of the 6,600 SF office building at 1191 S. Brownell Rd. in Williston. The Tenant was Dominion Diagnostics, LLC. of Rhode Island. Nicole L. Senecal was also the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 5,436 SF of space at 104 Old Colchester Rd. in Essex Junction. The Buyers are Happy Land Child Care. Duncan Harris of Redstone was the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 700 SF of space at 300 Cornerstone Dr. in Williston. The Buyer was Happy Land Child Care. Omega Real Estate Associates was also the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 5,800 SF of space at 329 Harvest Ln. in Williston. The Buyer was Lumber Liquidators. Esther Lotz was the selling agent.