Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is alerting drivers that needed repairs to a line over Interstate 89 will require rolling roadblocks that could slow traffic to 5 miles per hour on Friday morning. The roadblocks will take place as crews work between Richmond and Waterbury, and will affect both lanes of travel in both directions during a 30 minute timeframe scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m.

Vermont Business Magazine Community National Bank CEO and President Kathy Austin is proud to announce Community National Bank was ranked as the number one bank in Vermont according to Forbes’ America’s Best Banks In Each State published June 21, 2022. Forbes teamed up with market research firm Statista to conduct interviews of more than 26,000 U.S. citizens for all 50 states about the financial institutions where they maintain accounts.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Christopher Coons (D-Del.) Thursday introduced a $21 billion emergency supplemental funding bill to provide the necessary resources to prepare for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and to address other emerging diseases that pose a significant threat to public health. The bill provides $16 billion in emergency funding through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday released the Chairman’s mark of the 12 senate appropriations bills. The nearly $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 appropriations package includes $653 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, a 10.1 percent increase over fiscal year 2022; $850 billion in defense discretionary spending, an 8.7 percent increase over fiscal year 2022 and consistent with the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House; and $118.7 billion for VA medical care, a 22 percent increase over fiscal year 2022. The package also includes $21 billion in emergency supplemental funding to provide the necessary resources to prepare for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and to address other emerging diseases that pose a significant threat to public health.

Vermont State Police During search efforts Thursday morning, crews located a body believed to be that of Joshua Hwang in the Green River Reservoir in Hyde Park. The body was recovered and will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, and to confirm identity.

by Chris Graff New ratings by the Cook Political Report confirm Vermont’s status as the most Democratic state in the nation. That fact is why – for the statewide races at least - the upcoming Democratic primary election is far more important than November’s General Election. The US Senate and US House seats and the offices of lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state, and attorney general are to be decided in this year’s elections. And Democrats are favored to win all of those races, again making the August 9 primary a critical election.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Jennifer Morrison as the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). She will be the first woman to serve in the role, overseeing the State Police, Vermont Emergency Management, Vermont Crime Information Center, Forensic Lab, Division of Fire Safety and more. She joined the DPS in October 2020 as executive director of policy development and later deputy commissioner. She joined the Burlington Police Department as an officer in 1990 and advanced through the ranks, ultimately becoming deputy chief. In 2013, she accepted the position of chief of the Colchester Police Department, a role she held for five years before retiring. She returned to the Burlington Police Department in January 2020 as interim police chief.

by Darren Springer, General Manager, Burlington Electric Department Last year, we wrote a commentary discussing the McNeil Generating Station’s benefits, including its contribution to the Vermont economy, its support for sustainable forestry, and its importance as a renewable generator from a climate and reliability perspective. As policymakers continue to consider how to support renewable energy in Vermont, we write today to share two new important data points – one economic and one environmental - relative to McNeil that should inform discussions.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50-years of experience accelerating the adoption of innovative electrical technologies, today announced its ranking as one of the top solar contractors in the United States by Solar Power World, the industry’s leading source for technology, development and installation news. iSun was ranked 61st amongst all solar contractors, and 11th amongst all commercial & industrial EPC contractors in the United States. iSun’s residential brand, SunCommon, played a significant role in these rankings. SunCommon installed over 7400 kWh of energy storage in 2021, propelling iSun to a 24th place ranking in the solar and storage installation category.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is asking lake visitors to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. Aquatic invasive species are organisms such as zebra mussels or water chestnuts that have spread or been introduced beyond their native range. These organisms can harm the environment, economy, and human health.

Vermont Business Magazine Hikers and rock climbers can return to Vermont cliffs starting August 1, now that peregrine falcon nesting season has ended. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has confirmed that all the young falcons have learned to fly and should not be disturbed by human presence on the cliffs. According to Audubon biologist Margaret Fowle, who coordinates the monitoring effort on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Department, biologists and volunteers monitored peregrine pairs that occupied about 50 Vermont cliffs in early spring and summer.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday July 25 Solar Power World magazine, the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market, released its list of Top Solar Contractors in the US. The list ranks applicants according to their influence in the U.S. solar industry for the 2021 year of operations. For the fourth year in a row, Solar Power World has listed Norwich Solar as one of the Top Solar Contractors in the country. The company’s overall nationwide rank is #151 out of 411. When compared to other developers serving the commercial market, that places the company in the top half of comparable companies nationwide. The company is ranked 4th for total kilowatt capacity installed in Northern New England (VT, NH, ME).