Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters who want to upgrade their home water heater have a chance to win a brand new, highly-efficient electric heat pump water heater installed at their residence thanks to a contest held by VGS in celebration of its three decades as northwest Vermont’s thermal energy efficiency leader. The giveaway contest began September 6 and will run through November 6, 2022. Three randomly selected winners will be gifted an electric heat pump water heater (HPWH) that VGS will install free-of-charge. The contest is open to all Vermonters who are eligible for VGS’s HPWH program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont-NEA Board of Directors has announced its general election recommendations, giving the nod to Democrats and Progressives for the major statewide offices. The board is recommending the election of Democrat Brenda Siegel for governor; Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman for lieutenant governor; Democrat Sarah Copeland-Hanzas for secretary of state; Democrat Mike Pieciak for treasurer; Democrat/Progressive Doug Hoffer for Auditor of Accounts; and Democrat Charity Clark for attorney general. The board earlier announced its recommendations of Rep. Peter Welch for US Senate and State Sen. Becca Balint for US House.

Vermont Business Magazine Deer hunters who applied for a Vermont muzzleloader season antlerless deer permit by the August 3 deadline can now go to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website to see if they won a permit. Fish and Wildlife announced the permit winners on September 14, after conducting a randomized computer drawing. Permit winners are listed in two categories: regular lottery winners and landowners. Landowners who apply for a landowner antlerless permit are prohibited by law from posting their land against hunting.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced the appointment of Nicolas Longo as Director of Aviation. “After a rigorous and competitive search, I am proud to announce Nicolas Longo as Burlington’s next Director of Aviation,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Through his nearly decade-long career here at the Airport, and at every step of the selection process, Nic demonstrated that he has the skills, expertise, vision, and commitment to lead the next chapter of growth and success for the Airport.” Weinberger thanked the selection committee for their hard work, the committee brought forward three strong candidates for the position, as well as the Airport Commission and Airport employees for their support and leadership throughout the search process.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday, Champlain College will celebrate the grand opening of a state-of-the-art esports arena at its Miller Center Lakeside campus in Burlington. The new facility is home to Champlain’s varsity and club esports teams. In addition to supporting students in competitive play, the esports program paves the way for students to learn about and gain experience in the multi-billion-dollar video game industry, and cultivate skills in related fields such as marketing, graphic design, broadcast media production, communication, business management, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Refugees making their home in Vermont will now be able to access in-state tuition rates at all Vermont State Colleges system institutions, thanks to an expansion of Act 166 of 2022. Act 166 updates residency policies to ensure that refugees making their home in Vermont can access in-state tuition rates at the Community College of Vermont. The Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges adopted and then expanded this initiative to apply to all Vermont State Colleges institutions. Effective June 1, 2022, refugees living in Vermont and attending Castleton University, Community College of Vermont, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College will pay in-state tuition rates. This policy will be upheld when the new Vermont State University launches in July of 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Commerce and Community Development has announced that it received a $249,000 exporting grant to assist small businesses in the state. The grant is awarded through the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), a federal-state partnership initiative to increase the number of small businesses exporting their products. Vermont’s exports and imports accounted for approximately $5.8 billion in 2021; international trade accounts for 17 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

The Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks is investigating an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that occurred earlier today on Interstate 91 southbound near mile marker 35 in the town of Rockingham. Members of the public should be aware that an unknown, dangerous subject is at large in the area. The incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, when an unknown individual struck and slashed a member of a construction crew working on a project on the interstate. The suspect then ran into the woods following the assault.

Income Data Provided to Support Universal School Meals, Other Education Programs

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) is encouraging all families with school-aged children to “Fill the Form,” by returning a request for information on household income by October 1, 2022. These data, collected by individual school districts and reported to the Agency, are used to administer Vermont’s new universal school meals program, as well as secure funding from the federal government for a broad range of education programs.

VermontBiz Richard Bliss is a LinkedIn expert and social media coach, not a paleontologist. However, he warns business executives who give little thought to their LinkedIn profiles that they are in danger of turning themselves into dinosaurs.

"Your inability to master a 21st century communication tool calls into question your ability to lead a 21st century organization," Bliss states bluntly.

Many people meet these days through social media, Bliss said, "and that means we have to start thinking as leaders and solopreneurs that our digital presence defines who we are long before we are able to reinforce it with our physical presence."

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s School of Architecture + Art begins this year’s lecture series during Homecoming with a presentation by Jesse Tyree of black dog DESIGNS LLC; presentations by Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship Awardees Alyssa Brink and Giselle Maroki; and School of Architecture+Art Alumni Wall of Fame inductions and reception starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 in Chaplin Hall Gallery.