Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) yesterday joined the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s hearing on Supreme Court Ethics Reform to call for the creation of a code of conduct for members of the Supreme Court, amidst a series of reports of ethical impropriety among the Justices. Although public confidence in the Supreme Court is at an all-time low, the court has no formal code of conduct. Senator Welch centered his remarks on the importance of rebuilding the public’s trust in the court and protecting its role in our democracy. “We all have different points of view. But what is the problem with a Supreme Court Justice saying, ‘Let’s have a code of conduct that applies to all of us?’”

Vermont Business Magazine Union Mutual Insurance Company has announced it will once again be the presenting sponsor of the 40th annual Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race. The event, to benefit The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, will take place in-person in Montpelier on May 11 and virtually May 11 through May 31. Registration is open through Monday, May 8. The Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race is a popular 5k run/walk event open to teams from Vermont businesses, government, and non-profit organizations. Proceeds benefit the programs and events of the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, including the Vermont Senior Games, community wellness grants, parks pass prescriptions, Vermont Worksite Wellness Awards and subsidies for youth ski and snowboard lessons.

Vermont Business Magazine Looking for a new job this summer? The Vermont Department of Labor has you covered. The Department of Labor, in partnership with local employers and sponsors, is hosting a series of hiring events across the state over the next two months. Each event will feature on-the-spot interviews and hiring with great Vermont companies, and career specialists will be on hand to provide resources and direct support for jobseekers.

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium Fiber’s expansion of fiber infrastructure in southern Vermont, slated to be completed this fall, will give the Southern Vermont Communications Union District (SoVT CUD) the distinction of becoming first in the state to achieve its universal broadband coverage goals. More than 14,000 additional homes and small businesses in southern Vermont, including those in SoVT CUD, will gain access to Fidium’s symmetrical multi-gig speeds and exceptional service through this expansion. Construction is currently underway for southern Vermont’s expansion, which will bring Fidium to the communities of Arlington, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Peru, Pownall, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, South Londonderry, Sunderland, Rupert, Weston, and Winhall.

Vermont Business Magazine VGS (Vermont Gas) is launching a new program to install electric heat pumps in its customers’ homes, providing attractive sales and leasing options so more Vermonters can reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy the benefits of these highly-efficient heating and cooling systems. VGS’s new program is built around a centrally ducted heat pump concept that utilizes existing ductwork in a home. This configuration employs a smart thermostat to integrate a cold climate heat pump with a furnace. The heat pump is set as the primary heating source, while the gas furnace serves as an auxiliary backup system. The smart thermostat toggles between heat sources based upon outdoor temperature and the user’s desired comfort settings.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Environmental Conservation today announced $5.6 million in ARPA funding to help 193 low- to moderate-income Vermont households repair or replace failed or inadequate on-site water or wastewater systems like wells, springs, septic systems, and leach fields in 2022. This 2022 round of the Healthy Homes On-Site funding will help approximately 633 Vermonters – including 146 seniors and 156 children – gain access to safe drinking water and sanitation. To date, they have received approximately 1,200 applications and anticipate even more in the coming months and years. The state estimates that an additional 400 Vermont households will be served over the next two years, providing clean drinking water and proper sanitation for its residents.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is inviting community leaders, volunteers, and partners committed to Vermont to join the inaugural “Community Social” June 13 at the Lake Bomoseen Lodge & Taproom. The event will include a short speaking program with updates on VCRD initiatives and issues vital to towns across Vermont, as well as lots of opportunity to connect with friends old and new on the shores of Lake Bomoseen. Rutland County community leader Melinda Humphrey will give the keynote address. Humphrey currently serves on the NeighborWorks of Western Vermont Board of Directors, Executive Committee/Assistant Treasurer for NAACP, and a foster/respite provider with the Vermont Department of Children & Families. In prior roles, Humphrey was on the Rutland City Board of Alderman and a founding member of Rutland Young Professionals.

Vermont Business Magazine Newton, Massachusetts, is the wellbeing capital of the United States, outranking other 561 cities and towns across the US. It scored top marks in seven of the 34 analyzed categories, including health insurance and lack of heart, kidney and pulmonary diseases. Sunnyvale, CA, Bellevue, WA, and Cambridge, MA, are the next best places in the US for wellbeing, with South Burlington 7th. At state level, Vermont ranked first, followed by Hawaii and Massachusetts. Youngstown, Ohio, ranked worst in the 2023 Wellbeing Index, with Ohio also ranking last as a state. Worrying data suggests that around one in three US residents in metro areas is likely obese or has high blood pressure and/or does not sleep enough at night.

by Ciara McEneany, Community News Service Vermont students may have more protections when it comes to discrimination and harassment in schools as advocates are urging lawmakers to include them in a bill that right now only focuses on workplaces and places of public accommodations. The bill, S.103, passed in the Senate late last month and is moving through the House. Its core goal is to get rid of the existing legal requirement that harassment or discrimination must be “severe or pervasive” to be considered unlawful. Members of several civil rights and education groups in recent weeks have told legislators that the bill is an opportunity to free students from that legal standard too.

Vermont Business Magazine The Cancer Patient Support Foundation (CPSF) has awarded $3 million to local cancer patients and their families. CPSF supports over five hundred local cancer patients each year, removing barriers to treatment and helping them meet their basic needs. For over 20 years, CPSF has been the only local statewide fund supporting patients and their families. Over 11,200 families have received over $3 million since the organization’s inception in 2001. Each year over $170,000 is awarded.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of the importance of the nursing profession to its members and the community, New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) annually awards three nursing scholarships of $3,000 each. As part of their application, candidates submit an original, 250-word essay describing how they will use their degree to contribute to their community.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Care Network (CCN) today announced the creation of the Larry Wildes Memorial Bowling Fund, a pool of supportive funding designed to enable individuals with developmental disabilities to participate in CCN-led bowling activities at a reduced cost. The fund, which aims to secure new donations moving forward to ensure long-term sustainability, was made possible by an initial, anonymous donation of $10,000 in memory of Larry Wildes, a long-time Community Care Network client and avid bowler who passed away in 2022 at the age of 59.