Current News

A line of severe storms that rolled across the state last night knocked out power to about 12,000 CVPS customers at the peak of the event around 6:30 p.m. The storms caused outages in Franklin, Chittenden, Addison, Orange, Windsor, Rutland and Bennington counties, before largely sparing the Brattleboro area and leaving the region.
The high wind gusts broke several utility poles (five in the Middlebury area alone), brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines, and lightning strikes caused damage across the state.
CVPS crews and support staff worked through the night last night and will continue working through today to restore power to the fewer than 300 CVPS customers still out this morning. Those customers should have their power restored by late this afternoon, barring any other problems.

Comcast, Vermont’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced that Tuck Rainwater has been named Director of Government and Community Relations for Comcast in Vermont.
In this newly-created role, Rainwater will be responsible for interacting with state and local officials and will work with the Department of Public Service on behalf of Comcast. He will also take the lead on overseeing Comcast’s cable franchises, compliance and access management organization relationships across the state. Furthermore, Rainwater, a longtime resident of Vermont, will serve as the local Comcast representative for the company’s community investment activities.

Kelliher Samets Volk (KSV), a marketing communications firm with offices in Burlington, Boston and New York, has named Janine Allo, a seasoned communications executive, to lead the growing agency. Allo will be based at KSV’s Burlington office.
Allo has a rich and varied career that she brought to KSV when she joined the management team as executive brand coach in 2010. A leadership and organizational development consultant with degrees from Cornell University, Harvard University and a doctorate in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont, she has helped numerous organizations achieve their goals during her more than 20 years of experience in leadership and management.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has recently incorporated the latest high-tech ways of getting the word out about disaster assistance, including websites, mobile applications and cell phones. However, one of the best ways to spread information is still the old-fashioned way: word-of-mouth.
That's why officials from FEMA and Vermont Emergency Management are encouraging Vermonters who have experienced damage from the spring flooding and already registered for disaster assistance to let their friends and neighbors know that help may be available.
"Vermont is the kind of state where we talk to our neighbors," said VEM's director Mike O'Neil. "So if you know someone who has experienced damage from the recent flooding, encourage them to register for disaster assistance."

By Governor Jim Douglas July 6, 2011. As Governor of Vermont, one of my first priorities was to strengthen and grow our state's centuries-long partnership with the Canadian Province of Quebec. I believed then as I do now that this relationship is critical to the success of our great state. Quebec is our largest trading partner and a significant source of clean, stable and, most importantly, renewable energy from Hydro-Quebec. Not only do we share an international border, but we share a deep cultural and historic connection; indeed many families have relatives on both sides.
In December of 2003 I led the first of many delegations north to Montreal, Quebec City and Sherbrooke.

The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, today announced it will award $2.5 million in grants to support affordable housing initiatives through its sixth annual ‘Housing for Everyone’ grant competition.
The ‘Housing for Everyone’ grant competition is one of the TD Charitable Foundation’s most widely known signature programs. The competition invites local non-profit organizations from Maine to Florida to submit proposals outlining their plans and initiatives to support and provide affordable housing initiatives in their communities. Twenty-five organizations throughout TD Bank’s footprint from Maine to Florida will be awarded a $100,000 grant for a total grant donation of $2.5 million.

Attorney General William Sorrell announced today that, barring the receipt of additional evidence, his office has completed its criminal investigation and neither Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee (ENVY) nor any of its current or past employees will be charged with having committed perjury when state officials and others were repeatedly misled about the existence of underground piping carrying radionuclides.
During January of 2010, discovery of a tritium leak at its plant in Vernon prompted ENVY to inform state officials that during sworn testimony and through other communications in 2008 and 2009, it had provided incorrect information when it denied the existence of underground piping carrying radioactive materials. Then-Governor Jim Douglas, then-President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin and Speaker Shap Smith requested the Attorney General to investigate and determine whether in providing this incorrect information, ENVY or its personnel had violated Vermont’s criminal laws.

Learning Materials Workshop today announced that it has won both the 2011 Toy of the Year Award and the 2011 Seal of Excellence Award. Creative Child Magazine awarded Learning Materials Workshop two selective awards in recognition of their excellence in creative toys for children. MAD Constructs, an open-ended building toy designed in collaboration with the Museum of Arts and Design NYC won in 2 categories- Toy of the Year Award in the Builder and Construction Toys Category and Seal of Excellence Award in the Wooden Toys Category.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced travel time on Amtrak’s Vermonter line will be cut by nearly 30 minutes through a $72.8 million grant to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The project will restore a rail line, improving 50 miles of track and infrastructure on a direct route from Springfield to East Northfield, MA, along the Connecticut River Valley.
‘Thanks to President Obama’s commitment to create jobs and strengthen our manufacturing sector, these dollars are delivering more than 200 new jobs along with the purchase of 50 miles of American-made steel rails,’ said Secretary Ray LaHood. ‘Coupled with previous federal investments along the Vermonter line, these improvements will bring almost a one hour reduction in travel time for passengers traveling in Vermont and Massachusetts.’

The Northeast Resource Recovery Association has been awarded the contract to administer the State of Vermont’s E-Cycles program starting July 1, 2011. NRRA and the Association of Vermont Recyclers have worked with Goodpoint Recycling of Middlebury as a primary recyler to begin the process of collection. The program will offer free collection of computers, monitors, printers and computer peripherals from residents, non-profit organizations, school districts, and small businesses with 10 or fewer employees at year-round collection sites statewide.
NRRA and its partners were selected from a competitive RFP process in late April based on their ability to provide oversight and transparency to a very detailed tracking process required by State law. The Program is reimbursed by manufacturers of covered electronics.

The chief executives of Vermont’s leading businesses appear poised to hold steady their growth plans through the remainder of 2011, with sales and employment expectations less optimistic when compared against the first quarter survey period. The survey was completed between June 10 and June 24 and released today by Vermont Business Roundtable Chair Steve Voigt, CEO, King Arthur Flour and President Lisa Ventriss.

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Robert Ide announced today that the Department will be moving its Chittenden County office from its current Burlington, North Avenue location to 4 Market St. in South Burlington.
The move will occur over the weekend of July 15-17 and will require the DMV to close the North Avenue office at noon on Friday, July 15th. The new office in South Burlington will open for business at noon, Monday July 18th.
‘We pride ourselves on the quality service we provide to Vermonters. However, in order to ensure a successful move, with all the logistics involved, it is necessary to close our Chittenden County operation from noon Friday until noon on Monday.’ Commissioner Ide said.