There were 797 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 133 from the week before. Altogether 7,568 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 110 from a week ago and 2,507 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 1,539 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 64 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 784 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 1 from the week before.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will pave an additional 23 miles of state highway than was originally planned to occur.  

The Vermont Foodbank is asking the community to “do nothing” about ending hunger through an innovative initiative that highlights the despair of having nothing to eat with the launch of the “Nothing Can End Hunger” campaign. Beginning today through September 30, Vermont residents will have the opportunity to purchase cans of “nothing” – empty cans with slots for collections – at all participating Hannaford locations throughout Vermont for $2.99 each. All proceeds collected will go directly to support the Vermont Foodbank.

The Attorney General’s Office announced today that John Burgart of Fair Haven, Vermont pled guilty in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, to one count of Home Improvement Fraud.

Attorney General William H. Sorrell has announced that Danny Francis, age 48, of Colchester, Vermont, was convicted on July 12, 2011, in Vermont Superior Court, Criminal Division, Windsor County, of five misdemeanor counts of False Pretences. The convictions stemmed from Mr. Francis’s submission of falsified timesheets in order to obtain payment for services that were not rendered, while he was employed as a personal caregiver under a Vermont Medicaid Program.

The Honorable Justice Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will speak at the Coolidge Center at Plymouth, VT on July 30 at 6:45 pm. Justice Breyer will deliver his remarks at the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation’s Annual Dinner. He will speak about his new book Making our Democracy Work: A Judge’s View.

The US Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) that provide non-critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available in Caledonia County in Vermont following a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by the severe storms and flooding that occurred on May 26-27. 

Green Mountain Power (GMP) hosted the first of two Jobs Fairs in the Northeast Kingdom Tuesday at the Lowell Fire Department in conjunction with the Kingdom Community Wind (KCW) project to be built on Lowell Mountain.  About 60 people from the area came to learn about job openings.  GMP’s General Contractor, Reed & Reed, along with three newly hired, Vermont-based contractors were on site to speak with attendees. 

Williston, Vermont-based AllEarth Renewables has announced a new Vermont dealer- installer partnership, making their innovative solar tracker systems available around the state. The dealer network expansion coincides with Vermont’s new statewide solar customer benefit, enacted as part of Act 47, which assures net metered solar installations receive at least $0.20 per kilowatt hour from utilities for the energy produced. 

This summer, EPA will be continuing its work at the Pine Street Canal Superfund Site in Burlington, by gathering public input on plans to enhance part of the site’s remedy and by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the cleanup.