Wednesday, June 4, 2014

WVTK Local & State News June 4, 2014

Governor Peter Shumlin says a new "Great Jobs in Vermont" campaign will help put job seekers in touch with job openings in businesses. The campaign is a partnership among the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, the Vermont Department of Labor and the Vermont Recruiters' Association, as well as businesses, chambers of commerce, higher education institutions, and alumni networks. The page can be seen at www.greatjobsinvermont.com.

The Vermont Ski Areas Association says the state had another successful season. 4.5 million skier & rider visits were reported for the 2013-14 season. The preliminary figures from the National Ski Areas Association rank Vermont number one in the East, and number three in the country.

Voters in six school districts, including Burlington have now approved the school budgets. That passage in Burlington Tuesday just barely made it by 68 votes, although more than 64-hundred votes were cast. The new budget approved is actually an increase over the one which failed on Town Meeting Day, but it covers a budget shortfall which was later discovered. Other districts which approved new school budgets Tuesday are Colchester, Milton, Georgia Elementary and Middle School, Elmore, and Fairfield.

Governor Peter Shumlin has signed 2 bills to help protect minors in Vermont. The first bill addresses guardianship, in a case where parents cannot properly care for their child. This includes what to do if for some reason, a caregiver cannot look after the child. The second bill will allow for a study on how to better help children with incarcerated parents, or parents who are addicted to drugs. The study will focus on what resources these children need. The Department of Corrections says on any given day, Vermont has on average 1,600 children with a parent in jail.

The state of Vermont is still trying to get the Federal Emergency Management to help pay for repairs to the fish hatchery in Roxbury. Restoring the hatchery is the state's largest remaining Irene repair project. At issue is whether FEMA should help for a replacement hatchery that meets federal clean water standards. If the hatchery, Vermont's oldest, were to be restored to its pre-Irene condition it would violate federal water quality laws.