Heritage Aviation, Inc has acquired the Atlantic Aviation FBO (Fixed Based Operator) at Burlington International Airport (KBTV). Operations at the location will be managed under the Heritage Aviation brand.  Transient general aviation aircraft will be handled at Heritage Aviation’s existing South Ramp Facility. Heritage Aviation now offers nearly 100,000 square feet of heated hangar space. 

There were 1,260 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 489 from the week before. Altogether 6,572 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 544 from a week ago and 2,531 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 1,644 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 44 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 796 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 27 from the week before.

Draker Labs, a provider of high performance turnkey monitoring systems for large commercial and utility – scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, recently completed a new round of equity funding. Harbor Light Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in Keene, NH, led the $3 million round. Other major participants included existing Draker investors FreshTracks Capital and Campbell Scientific. In addition to the equity investment, Draker has secured a new $1.5 million credit facility to help the company manage its working capital requirements.

Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz today presented 23 Vermont organizations and individuals with the 2011 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Honorees were recognized for their efforts to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution, and promote environmental sustainability.    This year’s recipients by category are: 

The US Department of Labor today announced $83,941,360 in grants through the National Farmworker Jobs Program to combat the chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers who depend primarily on agricultural labor jobs. PathStone Corp of Jeffersonville received $190,798. A total of $78,253,180 will go to 52 organizations nationwide to provide training, employment and support services for farmworkers and their families.

Three communities were awarded grants this week by the Vermont Downtown Development Board to fund local infrastructure improvements such as new sidewalks and signage.

Vermont's congressional delegation – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) – and Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) on Thursday announced a $1.2 million National Emergency Grant (NEG) from the US Dept of Labor to create jobs for displaced workers and long-term unemployed Vermonters to help with flooding clean-up. 

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) learned today that the U.S. Department of Justice has no plans to intervene in a legal fight over the fate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor at this time.   Sanders had urged Attorney General Eric Holder to stay out of a lawsuit filed in federal court in Vermont by Entergy Corp. The plant owner sued after the Vermont Senate last year voted 26-to-4 not to renew a state license for the 40-year-old, problem-plagued reactor.  

Winstanley Enterprises of Concord, Mass., has formally notified local officials of its plan to apply for a Certificate of Public Good to build a 25 to 35 megawatt renewable woodchip-burning electric generating plant at its existing industrial site located in North Springfield.  The filing plan was announced on Monday in a letter from Chan Morgan, the project’s manager, to local officials.  The Winstanley development team is targeting early October to file its petition with the Public Service Board. 

NativeEnergy, one of the nation’s leading providers of carbon offsets, has moved into the Main Street Landing CornerStone Building at 3 Main Street in Burlington. The company was drawn to Main Street Landing’s commitment to sustainable development and corporate responsibility. NativeEnergy had previously occupied locations in South Burlington and Charlotte.