Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce announces all the winners from the recent Best of Vermont Summer Festival in Ludlow, Vermont. The festival organizers also wanted to thank all the sponsors, vendors, performers and attendees. For the Car Show, sponsored by Coldwell Banker Lifestyles Real Estate, the 1st Place Winner was a '57 Saab owned by Bruce Welch who was also awarded a $500 cash prize. The 2nd Place Winner was a '79 Camaro owned by Tom Ciufo who was also awarded an overnight stay at Echo Lake Inn. The 3rd Place Winner was a '69 Jeep owned by Jarrod Jowdy who was also awarded a gift bag from The Vermont Country Store.

Vermont Business Magazine I Heart Mac & Cheese, a South Florida-based fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches, announced it will open two locations in Vermont. The fast casual concept has signed a new franchise agreement that will be owned and operated by franchisee Robert Leonard. Leonard has inked a deal for St Albans and Williston slated to open in 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine Lawson’s Finest Liquids is redefining its Super Session series of IPAs, announcing today that the brewery is introducing its first Super Session IPA, featuring multiple hops. Made with a blend of Lotus and Mosaic hops, Lawson's Finest Liquids Super Session will now be available year-round throughout a nine-state distribution area (VT, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI) in the Northeast. Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ Super Session series began with a series of limited, specialty-release beers focused on a singular hop variety, with a lower ABV than many of the brewery’s famed IPAs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced a grant funding opportunity for 2023 municipal highway and stormwater mitigation projects, as part of the Agency’s ongoing commitment to improve the quality of state waters and provide financial assistance to municipalities in these efforts. The enabling legislation that determines eligibility states: Any environmental mitigation activity, including pollution prevention and pollution abatement activities and mitigation to address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff.

Five major grants go to women in both STEM and liberal arts fields

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University announced that three professors have earned Pilot Awards and two have earned Project Awards from the Vermont Biomedical Research Network (VBRN) to support research for 2022-2023.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Young Professionals (BYP), a program of the Lake Champlain Chamber, has launched the second edition of the "Greater Burlington Young Professionals Perception Survey”. The survey aims to better understand the challenges and opportunities young professionals see in the greater Burlington area through professional, civic and personal lenses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC) applauds the decision by President Biden to announce student loan relief for Vermont borrowers. Under the President’s plan, Vermont federal student loan borrowers earning less than $125,000 will be eligible for up to $10,000 of undergraduate student loan cancelation. Borrowers who received Pell grants will be eligible for an additional $10,000. It is estimated that 30% of Vermont borrowers will be eligible for the additional cancelation. The Biden Administration will also extend the repayment pause, scheduled for Aug. 31, 2022, a final time through Dec. 31, 2022, with payments resuming in January 2023. According to the Department of Education, there are currently 77,000 federal student loan borrowers in Vermont. The average student loan balance is $37,000 and 15% of borrowers have less than $5,000 in outstanding debt.

Vermont Business Magazine With the statewide canvassing of the primary election completed last Monday, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos issued a reminder that all Vermont voters will be mailed a ballot for the November 8 General Election, and encouraged voters to update or confirm their voter registration information by August 31.

Vermont Business Magazine At his weekly media briefing in Hyde Park on Tuesday, Governor Phil Scott highlighted available Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, new state investments in the affordability and accessibility of these programs, and the important role of CTE in the development of new infrastructure and housing here in Vermont. The governor was joined by state leaders from the Agency of Education, the Department of Labor, Green Mountain Technology and Career Center (GMTCC), and Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) to discuss available programs and newly passed assistance that will make CTE pathways more accessible for all Vermonters.