Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is reporting that several important fall foods for wildlife are less abundant this year, following the bountiful 2021 fall season. Fish and Wildlife biologists survey oak and beech stands around the state each fall season to assess how plentiful these important foods are for wildlife. Last year both acorns and beechnuts were plentiful across much of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Millennials have quickly become the leading generation of the United States over the past few years. This generation, born from 1981 to 1996, will become leaders in the workplace, and the biggest contributors to the economy. They will also continue to be political leaders and the drivers of social change. As they work towards this, it is important for millennials to live in the best environment. The good news for Vermont is that the state ranks 8th in the nation as the best state for Millennials; the bad news is Vermont has the fewest of them.

Vermont Business Magazine On October 26th, 2022, the Essex-based cannabis company, Magic Mann, received an email from the Cannabis Control Board. The email was a sign that the challenges faced in preparation for the company's future were well worth their efforts. Magic Mann has announced that its recreational dispensary is now licensed and opened to the public on November 2.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported November 2 that hospitalizations decreased from 76 to 47 last week, as overall COVID-19 cases fell from 585 to 532. COVID-19 infections are back down to a "Low" level, according to the VDH, after increasing hospitalizations had sent them to "Medium" the last few weeks (from a low of 30). There were 9 more COVID-related deaths since last week's report, for 25 in October and a pandemic total of 754

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Recovery and Revitalization Program (CRRP) will provide recovery funding for projects that spur economic recovery and revitalization to mitigate the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 in communities across the state. Program guidelines have now been posted on the ACCD website and the application will become available in the coming weeks. To best support entities preparing to apply, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is hosting a series of five informational webinars unique to each eligible project type. All potential applicants are encouraged to attend live or watch the recordings prior to submitting their application.

by Mike Donoghue, Correspondent, VermontBiz Three Vermont men are part of a requested class action lawsuit filed in US District Court in Burlington against Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. and its distribution arm on claims they repeatedly failed to pay premium wages for work beyond 40 hours a week. Arthur Provencher of South Hero, Michael McGuire of Colchester and Ronald Martel of Essex maintain they are falsely classified as independent contractors by Bimbo and Bimbo Food Bakeries Distribution LLC. Bimbo has about 30 listed brand names, including Freihofer's, Sara Lee, Thomas and Arnold, according to the company website.

Vermont Business Magazine Unveiled at its annual meeting and luncheon last week, the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) reflected on the 2022 fiscal year with its annual report. VEDA CEO Cassie Polhemus said the agency, in its 48th year, approved $160.9 million in new financings from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. This equates to a 244 percent growth from the previous year, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has reached the next step in filing a suite of new rules and amendments to existing rules related to low emission and electric vehicles. These rules support meeting Vermont’s emission reduction requirements, as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act. These proposed amendments set standards for auto manufacturers that will reduce greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, along with engines that are delivered for sale or placed in service in Vermont. The final proposal will also require auto manufacturers to deliver lower emitting and more electric vehicles to Vermont. Vermont’s Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules will review these rules at a meeting in November. Pending LCAR’s consideration of the rules, ANR plans to adopt them by December 1.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board released a Workforce Development Plan Thursday focusing on targeting, recruiting, and training people to work on all aspects of Vermont’s universal build-out of broadband. The VCBB is partnering with state agencies, the Communications Union Districts, the Vermont Technical College, Vermont State Colleges, and industry leaders to launch education and training programs to address worker shortages, speed up the build-out of universal broadband, and provide high-paying jobs and career paths for Vermonters. The build-out will require the construction of 8,000 miles of fiber optic network over a five-year period. This will create additional demand for more than 200 fiber optic technicians, as well as interrelated jobs, such as tree-trimmers to prepare rights-of-way and electric utility lineworkers.

Vermont Business Magazine Nomad Transportable Power Systems, a company founded by US-based battery manufacturer KORE Power, has sold the industry’s first mobile energy storage unit to Green Mountain Power (GMP) in Vermont. The sale makes NOMAD first-to-market with a utility-scale transportable power solution, which was designed and built in Vermont and will deliver benefits for GMP customers. NOMAD’s power systems can do everything fixed energy storage can do – like boosting reliability and making renewable energy dispatchable – while also providing mobility. They meet any application or project’s energy needs by bringing power where and when it’s needed most. Then, unlike a fixed storage asset, NOMAD’s systems can be re-deployed to meet other needs. NOMAD’s systems bring tremendous value to disaster recovery, on-demand grid support, and off-grid power applications.

Vermont Business Magazine Building upon its longstanding leadership in environmental sustainability, the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Miller Inpatient Building has been awarded LEED Gold Certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. This key milestone is an important step toward the goal of becoming one of the most environmentally responsible health care organizations in the country, while supporting the health of our communities. Efficiency, energy conservation and sustainability were key planning principles from the outset of the Miller Inpatient Building project, which officially opened to patients in June 2019.