The Frequency

Campaign finance reports submitted Monday show that Gov. Peter Shumlin is resting on a seven-figure war chest heading into the 2014 election season.

Shumlin’s largesse comes thanks to out-of-state donors, who have contributed more than $240,000 to the second-term Democrat since last July. Shumlin raised only about $80,000 from Vermonters.

Employment statistics released Monday by the Vermont Department of Labor show an upswing in employment in the month of January as the state’s unemployment continued to fall.

“The January numbers start the year on a positive note,” said Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan in a statement.

Seasonally adjusted data shows that the civilian labor force increased by 350 from December to January even as the rate of unemployment fell to 4 percent.

“The number of employed increased by 1,250 and the number of unemployed decreased by 950,” the monthly jobs report said.

The Vermont Land Trust has withdrawn support from legislation it was backing that would allow conservation easements to be altered or lifted after a legal review.

The move Friday followed criticism by others in the conservation community that the bill opened the possibility that a donor’s intent to preserve a particular piece of land would not be fulfilled.

Burlington Public Schools have selected 48 teaching positions that could be cut in an effort to cut back the school system’s budget after voters turned it down on Town Meeting Day. Nine additional positions in the district's central office were also named for potential cuts.

Superintendent Jeanne Collins said the list of positions is just preliminary.

“It’s kind of like setting the stage for the discussions,” she said.

An effort to mandate paid sick days for all Vermont workers appears destined to wither on the vine this year. But at least one class of employees could soon be enjoying the new benefit.

The union that represents state workers and the Shumlin Administration have struck a tentative deal on issues surrounding the use of temporary employees. And the agreement would provide up to five days of paid sick leave per year for all temps working in state government.

Vermont Public Television will keep its federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the station's board announced today.

The board's audit committee chairman, Tom Pelletier, said in a statement that CPB had informed Vermont Public Television that its funding was safe.

The union representing drivers for the Chittenden County Transportation Authority rejected an offer from CCTA management proposed last weekend.

The drivers voted against the offer Wednesday night and voted to strike. Molly Smith of WCAX reports that a strike is set to being next Monday, March 17.

BREAKING: CCTA sets a new strike date for March 17 #publictransport #vt

Sen. Bernie Sanders says more than 300 IBM workers laid off last year at the company’s Vermont facilities are eligible for additional training and employment services.

The Trade Adjustment Assistance is available to workers the U.S. Department of Labor considers displaced by foreign competition or because jobs were moved overseas.

Previously 115 workers who were part of the same round of layoffs had been deemed eligible for the benefits, but the state subsequently requested that all of the former IBM employees qualify for the benefits.

Think of Marlboro as a gas station on the information superhighway.

There’s enough gas for everyone, but there’s a limited number of pumps.  

As a result, some Marlboro FairPoint customers have to wait in line to get broadband service, even though it’s available at their address. They are unserved residents in an area with broadband service.