In about a year, two new foreign companies expect to be operating in Newport at the site of a former skiwear manufacturer. AnC Bio, a Korean bio-tech firm, and Menck Windows, a German company, are the centerpiece of a $600 million economic development initiative promising to bring 10,000 jobs to the Northeast Kingdom.

According to a new economic profile, more than half of Windham County's population is at or near retirement age. And the region lags behind the rest of Vermont and New England in wages and job opportunities, especially opportunities for younger workers.

Economic indicators only tell us so much. Incomes rose a little bit in Vermont last year and the state minimum wage rose on January 1st. But we still have over 5 percent unemployment, and new unemployment claims spiked in the first week of the new year. We'll look at how our economy has fared in recent years, and what that might tell us about the year ahead.

The University of Vermont appointed former interim president John Bramley on Wednesday to develop the university's role in economic growth. Bramley will work with the governor and the legislature to make the most of limited resources.

Two Middlebury College political science professors say the results of the 2012 presidential campaign show that the election was largely determined by voters' views on the economy and not on the day-to-day events that received a lot of attention from political pundits.

Town representatives in Brattleboro voted over the weekend in favor of a $14 million upgrade of the town's police and two fire stations. But they overwhelmingly opposed a tax to pay for it.

The city of St. Albans was just approved by the state for the latest tax increment financing district. Other communities are interested in districts of their own, but state law limits how many there can be. So Gov. Peter Shumlin wants the Legislature to add more of them.

In Northfield, residents have formed a new group to celebrate and promote their community. Members of the group known as GO Northfield want to improve communication between the municipality and the public.

Barre's City Council is expected to approve a property tax break this week for a development project in the heart of downtown.

The city of Berlin, New Hampshire, is on the cusp of crawling out of its steep economic woes.

Owners of Vermont's largest enclosed shopping mall are suing the City of South Burlington for denying their plans to upgrade and expand.

The town of Wilmington is evaluating whether to hire an economic development consultant as the town continues to recover nearly a year after Tropical Storm Irene.

A tourism association in the Northeast Kingdom wants the town of Craftsbury to become a scenic byway destination for tourists.

The district environmental commission has denied a permit for a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store near Exit 3 of Interstate 89. Last month, the commission refused to approve plans for a Family Dollar outlet proposed for the same area.

With more than two months still left in the fiscal year, the town of Rockingham has surpassed its diesel fuel and gasoline budget. Rising gas prices and the cost of damages caused by Tropical Storm Irene have hampered future road projects.

Opponents say they'll appeal the Chester Development Review Board's approval for a dollar store in the Windsor County town.

Jim Yong Kim, an American who is president of Dartmouth College, has been chosen to be the next president of the World Bank. His selection Monday extends the U.S. hold on the top job at the 187-nation development agency.

With shrinking tax revenue and less federal aid, many cash-strapped Vermont cities and towns are employing a complicated financial tool designed to help them build public projects that they can't currently afford.

Vermont labor officials say the state's unemployment rate fell slightly in January to 5 percent. The seasonally adjusted rate was a decrease of two-tenths of a percent from December and 3.3 percent below the national rate for January of 8.3 percent.

In Chester, plans to build a dollar store have stirred up some members of the community who say the project isn't in keeping with the town's character. Many turned out last night as the town's Development Review Board met to review the plans.  

Some residents in Plymouth want to run a new farmers' market out of the town's elementary school.

Cities and towns along Vermont's Route 7 corridor have long fought unchecked commercial development and suburban sprawl, trying to maintain their community identity. One Vermont town hopes it has found a way.

People in Alburgh are working to lure a bank to town, on the heels of the news that its People's United branch will close at the end of March.

To boost the local economy, the City of Barre wants some of the state workers displaced by Tropical Storm Irene to move to its downtown.

Vermont's largest ski resorts are trying to get the message out that, despite the wrath of Tropical Storm Irene, they will be ready for the ski season.