Monday
Dec312012

Recap 2012: State builds mental health system from scratch

The Shumlin administration and lawmakers had to put the state’s psychiatric system back together after Tropical Storm Irene damaged the Vermont State Hospital in August 2011. Rather than restoring the existing mental health infrastructure, Gov. Peter Shumlin decided to build from scratch.

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Monday
Apr092012

State of Vermont receives EPA Smart Growth Assistance

EPA recently announced that Vermont has been one of five selected recipients of the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program nationwide. This program will offer assistance to help understand new or cutting-edge development issues. With this SGIA assistance EPA will help communities in the Mad River Valley recover from flood damage, become more resilient to future natural disasters, and plan for future growth.

Link to full article

Wednesday
Mar142012

Vermont House panel recommends big bucks for roads, bridges

The House Transportation Committee proposes a record-breaking $639.4 million spending package on roads, bridges and other modes of transport next year. Much of the increase comes from federal funding the state has been able to tap because of the flood damage Tropical Storm Irene wreaked in August to roads and bridges.

Link to full article

Wednesday
Feb222012

Report: Vermont's infrastructure needs major improvements 

The Vermont Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the first "Report Card" of its kind in Vermont. The Report Card provides an evaluation and letter grade for Vermont’s roads, bridges, dams, municipal drinking water, and municipal wastewater systems. Of the five areas of infrastructure, grades ranged from a “C” to a “D-“, with roads and municipal wastewater scoring the lowest.

Link to full report

Tuesday
Feb072012

VTrans grants help establish four new bus routes

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has awarded grants totaling nearly $285,000 to help establish four new bus routes under the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program. The competitive grants were awarded to Chittenden County Transit Authority (CCTA), Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR), Deerfield Valley Transit Association (DVTA), Green Mountain Community Network, Inc. (GMCNI) and Rural Community Transportation (RCT). 

Link to full article

Friday
Jan272012

Report: Vermont ranked first in nation for pedestrian safety

ermont earned top honors when it comes to pedestrian safety, according to a new report from the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The state ranks first among states for pedestrian safety, and third among states for walking to work. Investment in bicycling and walking likely explains the high rankings.

Link to report

Thursday
Jul212011

Vermont firms team up to spread smart grid, broadband Internet

Up to 250,000 smart-grid meters, which allow energy consumers to monitor their electiricy use, are coming to under-served areas of Vermont during the next two years. Their success will depend on expanded broadband technology to transmit information. Green Mountain Power Corp, Central Vermont Public Service Corp., and Vermont Telephone Co. are all partners in the deal. 

Link to full article

 

Monday
May232011

Draft horses bring fiber optics to remote locations

FairPoint is one of a handful of companies that is working to lay fiber-optic cable to homes even in the most remote areas of the state.

Link to full article
Monday
May232011

Vermont lags in making roads safe for all

Vermont ranked just 34th in the nation for being bike-friendly last year, according to the League of American Bicyclists. 

Link to full article
Wednesday
Dec222010

A netbook for every student

For the students in Hannah Estey and Rebecca Zavadil’s fifth-grade classes, Christmas came a bit early this year. On Thursday, the Bristol Elementary School fifth-graders all received new Dell netbooks to use at school and at home through the end of the school year as part of the education portion of the “e-Vermont” grant awarded to the town earlier this year.

Link to full article
Tuesday
Dec212010

Google Delays Fiber Network Decision Until 2011

Burlington Telecom and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority can cross one item off their Christmas wish list: An announcement from Google about which community will be home to an experimental high-speed fiber internet in the United States. Google originally said it would make its decision by the end of the year, but last week the tech company announced it was delaying its decision until early 2011.

Link to full article
Thursday
Sep302010

Vermont receives funding for Amtrak

Vermont's congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday the release of $50 million in federal stimulus money for upgrades to the Amtrak passenger track from St. Albans to Vernon. Recently approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, the improvements to the 190-mile stretch will allow trains to decrease travel time by roughly an hour through Vermont and Massachusetts in the country's single largest rail improvement project. 

Link to full article
Monday
Sep272010

Vermonters get assurances on broadband service within three years

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Saturday secured a commitment that virtually all Vermonters will have affordable access to broadband Internet service within three years. The Vermont Telephone Co., which won the biggest slice of $172 million of federal stimulus funds to bring broadband service to Vermont, pledged to help bring 21st century computer access to Vermont businesses, schools and hospitals. .

Link to full article
Thursday
Aug192010

Vermont company wins $5.5 million broadband grant

A $5.5 million federal grant and loan package to Waitsfield and Champlain Telecom will help connect its most rural and remote customers to high-speed fiber optic Internet access, members of Vermont’s congressional delegation said Wednesday.

Link to full article
Monday
Jul262010

Vermont struggles to extend broadband

Marlene and Mike McCarty, real estate brokers who do much of their work at home less than four miles from the Statehouse, say they spend hundreds of dollars and hours each month on things they wouldn't have to if they had broadband Internet access. Despite promises for years by state officials and phone and cable companies that they would have broadband by 2010, they're still waiting.

Link to full article