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Vermont Business Magazine According to data released by Forbes Advisor, Vermont is the safest state to drive in the US and is second overall only to Washington, DC. Fatal car accidents are on the rise nationwide. In 2021, more than 39,500 fatal car crashes occurred on U.S. roads, a 10% increase from 2020. In some states, dangerous driving tends to be more common, putting everyone at greater risk when they get behind the wheel. Texas tops the list of worst drivers by state. Five of the top 10 states with the worst drivers are in the South, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky and South Carolina. Seven of the top 10 states with the best drivers are in the East Coast area, including Washington, DC, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group Chairman, CEO and President Mehran Assadi announced Thursday at an all-employee meeting simulcast between the Vermont and Texas campuses the company’s first national sponsorship, National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. The sponsorship aligns National Life with the Stars in messaging and programming over four years beginning with the 2023 season. Founded in 1848, National Life marks 175 years in 2023 and this sponsorship is one of many ways the mutually held company is highlighting the anniversary over the course of the year.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Calling all farmers! Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Vermont Open Farm Week! This year’s event is scheduled to take place from August 6-13, 2023. Open Farm Week provides an excellent opportunity to connect with your community, engage with customers, and highlight the unique aspects of your farm. You can choose any day during the week to host an event, or host on multiple days during the week if your schedule allows! To ensure a memorable experience for visitors, Open Farm Week events must include an activity that is not part of the regular farm schedule. This could include tours of fields or barns, tastings, cooking demonstrations, workshops, direct product sales, and more.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine How does a self-described delinquent kid from Bellows Falls become a revered comics master with a profound effect on American popular culture? Ask Rick Veitch, who last month finished his three-year term as the fourth Cartoonist Laureate of the State of Vermont. As an aside, the cartooning world adores Vermont precisely because it has a cartoonist laureate; it's the only state in the union that honors the art in this way. The state is cartoon-rich, also having the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in White River Junction, as well as being the home of celebrated cartoonists (and past laureates) like the late New Yorker cartoonist Ed Koren and cartoonist and playwright Alison Bechdel; graphic novelist Tillie Walden is now the state's fifth cartoonist laureate.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, May 5th, over 200 tradespeople came together in South Burlington at the construction site of the future headquarters of OnLogic for a Trades Appreciation Party hosted by ReArch Company. Attendees enjoyed a BBQ, ice cream, yard games, and raffle prizes. This event was twofold in that its purpose was to recognize, support, and honor the skilled trades while also raising money to support the Vermont Foodbank. OnLogic and ReArch provided matching donations to the funds raised through raffle ticket sales and charitable donations. The total raised was $15,000. A check was presented to the Vermont Foodbank on Wednesday, May 17.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont for the week beginning May 22, 2023. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine Town of Williston is exploring the possibility of introducing a local public transit option known as "microtransit" -- an on-demand transportation service for trips around town. Williston is partnering with VTrans and Green Mountain Transit, and the study is being performed by Via Strategies, for planning. The survey that will be used to gauge public interest in microtransit and to gather feedback that will inform how the system may be designed. The survey is intended for those who live, work or conduct business in Williston.

Leonine Public Affairs The 2023 Vermont legislative session ended right on schedule, late in the evening on May 12. The session was defined by a historically large incoming class of new lawmakers and Democratic supermajorities in both the House and Senate. While the first half of the 2023 legislative session was characteristically slow to get up and running, the final months were filled with dramatic policy debate and political maneuvering. The child care initiative, including the payroll tax, was added to H.217, a workers’ compensation bill that passed the legislature before adjournment. Governor Scott has pledged to veto H.217 and the FY2024 budget (H.494) because of the tax increases and spending priorities outlined in both bills. For example, H.494 also includes DMV fee increases, which the governor opposes. When the legislature adjourned Democratic leaders set June 20 as the date to return for a veto session. The Democrats proved the power of their supermajorities the week before adjournment when they successfully overrode the veto of S.5, the bill to create a Clean Heat Standard. However, when it comes to the FY2024 budget, Governor Scott appears he may have support from an unlikely source – the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus in the House.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Berkshire Bank, hosted over 130 attendees, mostly women, at the second annual Women In Leadership Luncheon at the Inn at Manchester’s Celebration Barn in Manchester, Vermont on Wednesday, May 17th. The luncheon highlighted the many women leaders in the Southwestern region of Vermont, while creating connections, partnerships and networking opportunities with those in attendance. Ashley Austin, the new co-owner of the Northshire Bookstore and CEO of ALG, provided the keynote address. Austin started her firm specializing in intellectual property rights management for iconic musicians, entertainers and artist estates, by bringing a fresh approach that is unrivaled in the entertainment industry. Since launching the company in 2013, she has built her professional brand on a philosophy of integrity and an unyielding respect for artistry. A Vermont native, Austin and her husband Scott have called Manchester their home since 2017. She and her sisters Cathleen and Nicole Ihasz acquired the Northshire Bookstore in 2022

Vermont Business Magazine Scott vetoes S.5, will 'financially punish' those who can't afford it: S.5, An act relating to affordably meeting the mandated greenhouse gas reductions for the thermal sector through efficiency, weatherization measures, electrification, and decarbonization, also known as the "Affordable Heat Act," passed both the House and Senate and was then vetoed by Governor Phil Scott. He issued the the following statement: “From the start of this conversation, I have clearly, and repeatedly, said I agree we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, including in the thermal sector. However, I strongly believe the right approach is to help people make the transition, not financially punish those who cannot afford to do so... For these reasons and more, I will veto S.5." The Legislature subsequently overrode the governor's veto (in the Senate by one vote) and the law will go into effect on July 1. 

Vermont Business Magazine BHAKTA Spirits, the world’s preeminent House of Vintages, announced today the limited release of its next BHAKTA 50 (1868–1970), Barrel 24: “Gandhi” ($450). This novel new expression of the oldest spirits on Earth will be distributed nationally in limited supplies. Only 100 bottles will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis through the brand’s e-commerce partner. Each barrel of BHAKTA 50 is named for an iconic historical character whose deeds echo through time. This 24th barrel honors Mahatma Gandhi, whom we remember for his intelligence, commitment to nonviolence, and unique ability to inspire a largely fragmented country.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Longtime real estate developer O’Brien Brothers broke ground today on a housing development that will bring Vermont its first 100% fossil fuel-free community of climate resilient, energy-efficient residences powered by clean electricity. Backed up by in-home and onsite battery storage, the neighborhood will ensure protection from increasingly severe weather and power outages. US Senator Peter Welch, Governor Phil Scott, O’Brien Brothers CEO Evan Langfeldt and GMP CEO Mari McClure were joined at the groundbreaking celebration by more than 100 guests at Hillside East off Old Farm Road in South Burlington. The neighborhood and homes are designed with climate and storm resiliency in mind and the Hillside East residents won’t need fossil fuel to run their homes. The neighborhood plan includes a mix of 155 single family, multi-family and permanently affordable homes and will create a model for taking on the damaging impacts of climate change across Vermont.