News
Union Bankshares, Inc (Nasdaq:UNB) today announced net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 of $1.44 million or $0.32 per share compared to $1.17 million or $0.26 per share for the same period in 2008. Net Income year to date was $3.95 million or $0.88 per share for 2009 compared to $3.76 million or $0.84 per share for 2008.
TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation, recently donated a total of $29,000 to local organizations in Chittenden County as part of the bank’s commitment to giving back to the community.
The following organizations received a donation from the TD Charitable Foundation:
Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee today announced the availability of $$204,289.94 in grants to enhance the competitiveness of Vermont’s specialty crops. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is funding through the 2008 federal Farm Bill to assist Vermont’s specialty crops, which includes fruits, vegetables, maple and honey and horticulture crops.
The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2009 was 6.7 percent, down one tenth of a percent from the revised August rate and up 1.9 points from a year ago.
President Barack Obama today signed legislation to provide $350 million in emergency assistance for hard-pressed dairy farmers. US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sponsored an amendment that added the dairy funds to the Department of Agriculture appropriations bill. He joined the president at the White House for the Oval Office bill-signing ceremony.
Even as the Vermont unemployment rate for September fell to 6.7 percent, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called today for immediate action by Congress to extend unemployment insurance benefits.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin today addressed several concerns that Speaker Shap Smith and other legislative leaders have with the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the Department of Public Service and Entergy Corporation regarding Entergy’s petition to spin off Vermont Yankee to a highly leveraged company named Enexus.
There were 1,034 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 134 from the week before as filings continue their upward trend. The September Vermont unemployment rate was also released today and actually went down one-tenth to 6.7 percent. However, economists believe that it will rise dramatically by the end of this year. The current US rate is 9.7 percent.
The most recent Dodge Report analysis of construction contracts shows that Vermont is ahead of where it was a year ago because of heavy investment in highway and bridge building, much of which is due to federal stimulus funding.
Sovernet's recent 3rd Annual Harvest Walk raised $16,440 for the Vermont and New Hampshire Foodbanks. Surpassing their goal by more than 50 percent, Sovernet attributes this year's success to tremendous support for the event, as well as to an increased awareness of the foodbanks' mission in challenging times.
The current economic downturn is not sidetracking state-level efforts to make the most of energy efficiency as the cheapest, cleanest and quickest of all energy resources, according to a 50-state scorecard on energy efficiency policies, programs, and practices from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Vermont was ranked number 6 in the nation.
US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has brought together Obama administration officials, Vermont state lawmakers and the state Department of Mental Health commissioner to discuss federal funding for the Vermont State Hospital.