Current News

MONTPELIER, Vt. In a move designed to boost effectiveness and save money, the Douglas administration is proposing to merge the Departments of Economic Development and Housing and Community Affairs.
The move would create a single Department of Economic and Community Development according to Commerce and Community Development Secretary Kevin Dorn, whose agency includes both departments as well as the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Division for Historic Preservation.
This consolidation will result in a more integrated and coordinated effort to retain and expand Vermonts employment opportunities, invest in communities, foster economic vitality and build housing that working Vermonters can afford, Dorn said. In a time of shrinking revenues, state government must use innovation and technology to do more with less.

Greenworks Courier, a greener alternative delivery service, has opened in Burlington. The owner, Mike Dowling, uses a Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicle to make deliveries throughout Vermont with minimum environmental impact. Greenworks Courier office is located at 110 Main St in Burlington.

Three utilities solicit new energy contracts

BURLINGTION, Vermont – Tod Austin has joined TD Insurance, Inc. in Burlington as the Regional President. TD Insurance is among the top 50 agencies in the U.S. with a reputation for quality customer service and a disciplined approach to managing insurance risk.
Austin has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. For five years prior to joining TD Insurance, he served as President of Hackett, Valine & MacDonald. Austin has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation.
A Shelburne resident, Austin is a past board member of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Chittenden County. He is a 1979 graduate of the University of Vermont, where he received an economics degree.

Shelburne, VT-November 13, 2008- Kilawatt Technologies is pleased to announce Ashley Wright has joined the energy conservation software company as a Sales Representative. Ms. Wright will support the companys wholesale conservation partners who use Kilawatt's products, based on the company's EnerSuite software, to lower energy consumption, cut costs and reduce greenhouse gases in commercial buildings. Ms. Wright will also be working closely with organizations that are using Kilawatt's LEED products to achieve valuable points in the Energy and Atmosphere section of the LEED certification for existing buildings. Ms. Wright graduated from UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources in 2007 and currently lives in Burlington.

FairPoint Files Provisional Notice of Cutover Readiness; Triggers Formal Process to Expected Cutover at the End of January
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FairPoint
Communications, Inc. (NYSE: FRP) today announced it has filed its
provisional notice of cutover readiness with the Public Utility Commissions
(PUC) in New Hampshire and Maine and the Department of Public Service (PSB)
in Vermont. The notice was filed after Liberty Consulting Group indicated
in its November 12th monthly Status Report that FairPoint had met
substantially all of the criteria required to cut over at the end of
January. The state PUCs/PSB will now hold technical conferences with
FairPoint and, if necessary, or at the request of intervening parties,
public hearings. Subsequent to the hearings, FairPoint expects to file its
irrevocable notice of cutover with Verizon.

Gibbs Appointed Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation
Montpelier, Vt. November 12, 2008 - Secretary of Natural Resources Jonathan Wood has announced that Jason Gibbs will be the next Commissioner of Forest, Parks and Recreation (FPR).
Secretary Wood said Gibbs' policy knowledge, experience in government, communication skills and passion for Vermont's natural resources will serve the state well. "Jason's expertise, creativity and ability to manage many issues will be a valuable asset to the agency and FPR, and we look forward to welcoming him to our team," Wood said.
"FPR is a department with a highly skilled staff and experienced natural resources professionals on its management team. Jason's leadership skills will be a great match with that team," Wood said.

HOFMANN APPOINTED HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY
Montpelier, Vt. (November 12, 2008)- Governor Jim Douglas has announced that Commissioner of Corrections Rob Hofmann will soon be Secretary of Human Services. Cindy LaWare, the current agency head, is stepping down to explore other opportunities to serve Vermont.
Governor Douglas thanked LaWare for her service. "Cindy has been an important and dedicated member of my cabinet and has served Vermonters with diligence and professionalism for the past seven years. I greatly appreciate her work to advance important elements of our agenda, including fighting to make health care more accessible and affordable, improving services for Vermonters with mental illness through the Futures plan, and implementing the Incarcerated Women's Initiative, the Children's Integrated Services initiative, and the statewide Housing Now initiative," Governor Douglas said. "I hope and expect she will continue to serve Vermonters in the future."

Week Ending November 8, 2008
There were 1,236 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 17 from the week before. Altogether 7,867 new and continuing claims were filed, 322 more than a week ago and 2,093 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,116 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, a decrease of 21 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

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Reports Very Strong Growth for Fiscal 2008 Fourth Quarter and Full Year

- Robust Earnings Driven by Success of Keurig(r) Brewers and K-Cup Demand

- Fourth Quarter EPS up 96% over Prior Year

- 2008 Fiscal Year EPS up 68%

WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)November 12, 2008 --Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., (NASDAQ: GMCR) has announced its fiscal 2008 and fiscal fourth quarter results for the thirteen weeks ended September 27, 2008, reporting strong sales and even stronger earnings growth. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, 273 million K-Cup portion packs were shipped system-wide by all Keurig licensed roasters, up 62% over the year-ago quarter.

Dealer.com Ranked Number 236 Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte's 2008 Technology Fast 500
Attributes its 755.50% Revenue Growth to continuous product development, customer service and proven results
Burlington, VT - (November 12, 2008) - Dealer.com, the leading provider of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, today announced that it ranked number 236 on Deloitte's 2008 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over five years, from 2003-2007. Dealer.com grew 755.50% during this period.

BURLINGTON, Vt.
Champlain College students plan to spend the week of Nov. 17-21 learning about what conditions are like for a growing number of families and individuals who have lost their home. Some 180 students have already made the commitment to sleep in tents on the Aiken green on campus and attend workshops and seminars to learn about social services and the underlying reasons related to homelessness. A series of workshops and lectures will also explore the issue throughout the week.