Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) will hold the following public meetings in August.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power today announced it filed a new rate plan that calls for a modest 0.93 percent increase in electric bills. The filing, which is subject to Public Service Board approval, will take effect on October 1, 2016, and follows two consecutive years where customers have seen bills decrease. The proposal is part of the company’s overall commitment to keep rates low and stable for customers and if approved, customers will be paying 1 percent less next year than they were paying in 2012. 

“Our commitment is to provide the most reliable, clean and cost-effective power we can and this proposal is part of that commitment to maintaining low rates for customers, even as cost pressures continue to push rates up elsewhere,” said Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Cheese Council (VCC), an organization dedicated to the production and advancement of Vermont Cheese, announced that Vermont cheesemakers took home 34 ribbons from 13 cheesemakers and companies at the 33^rd annual American Cheese Society competition in Des Moines, Iowa last evening. In addition, a cheese named “Greensward” made at Jasper Hill Farm and aged in the caves of Murray’s Cheese Shop in New York City won third place in the prestigious Best in Show Category. This is the fourth consecutive year that a Vermont cheesemaker has placed in Best of Show Category. There were 15 cheeses from Vermont that won first place in their class, nine in second place and 10 in third place.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos reminds all Vermonters to register to vote for the August 9th Primary by this Wednesday, August 3rd at 5 pm. Voters can register by mail, in their town clerk’s office, or online at https://olvr.sec.state.vt.us/ Registered voters are welcome to vote anytime in the next two weeks by requesting an early or absentee ballot. Early voting is a wonderful program for busy Vermonters who may not be able to make it to the polls on August 9^th. Simply go to your town clerk’s office to vote early, call your town clerk to request a ballot, or request a ballot online at https://www.mvp.sec.state.vt.us/

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance has been formed to increase the voice of dairy farming in both the Regulatory and Legislative arenas. Membership is growing and attracting dairy farmers from working farms of all sizes. The Alliance will work together with members, industry partners and state government to adopt regulations that won’t cripple the economic viability of the Vermont dairy industry.

The Alliance serves to promote both the growth and vitality of agriculture here in Vermont while being mindful of its environmental impacts to Vermont's working landscape and waterways.  It is important to recognize that within Vermont agriculture, dairy farming alone contributes $2.2 billion in economic activity each year.

by Mike Smith Bernie Sanders was right all along. The Democratic presidential nominating system is rigged. Leaked emails prove the Democratic National Committee headed by their recently ousted chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was putting both feet on the scale to give Hillary Clinton the edge during close Democratic primaries. Of course, the DNC is supposed to be neutral in the Democratic presidential primary process.

Sanders' supporters have every right to be angry with Democratic leaders and are now reluctant to back Clinton because they suspect her campaign was in on the dirty tricks. Many believe the election results would have been different without party interference. While we'll never really know the full extent of the DNC's bias, some Sanders supporters will always believe the election was stolen.

by Lindsay Quella, Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program In early 2014, Chris and Annie Wagner, owners and operators of Green Dream Farm in Enosburg Falls, faced a challenge with which many farmers are familiar. They wanted to make several small upgrades that would greatly impact their farm, but at the time they were not in a financial position to do so. Worn stalls needed replacing; they wanted to add misters and new mattresses for the cows; and after building a manure composter, they needed a structure to house the compost bedding. At the same time, “we were purchasing the neighboring farm to better manage our heifers,” said Annie. In July 2014, they applied for a $32,250 Dairy Improvement Grant through the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board. They were awarded the grant, which the Wagners matched nearly two to one. 

Vermont Business Magazine The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Lisman today announced that five prominent Chittenden County leaders have endorsed Bruce Lisman for Governor.

Vermont Business Magazine In a 3-2 vote Thursday night, the Hinesburg Selectboard signed off on an agreement to allow Vermont Gas to continue its pipeline project through the Town of Hinesburg. Vermont Gas now has secured agreements with all landowners along its 41-mile route connecting Chittenden County with Addison County and Middlebury. The Hinesburg deal still needs regulatory approval by the Public Service Board. The agreement includes a permanent and a temporary easement through Geprags Park, for which the town will receive $250,000. The town will receive another $1,000 for plantings and as part of the Warbler Protection Plan and Audubon itself will also receive $1,000 for the Warbler Protection Plan. Vermont Gas has agreed to employ only horizontal directional drilling (versus the typical open trench digging) for the Geprags Park section. The horizontal drilling is less intrusive but also more expensive.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Lake Monsters and Oakland Athletics have announced that the two teams have extended their Player Development Contract for the next two seasons through the year 2018, the New York-Penn and American League teams jointly announced today. The signing of the two-year agreement assures that the Lake Monsters will continue as Oakland's short-season Single-A New York-Penn League affiliate for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Vermont has been an affiliate of the Athletics since the 2011 season when the Lake Monsters won the Stedler Division title.

“The Oakland Athletics have been great partners, both on and off the field,” said Vermont Lake Monsters Vice President Kyle Bostwick. “We are excited to continue to work together to help develop ballplayers into future Major Leaguers."

Vermont Business Magazine Matt Dunne today sent the following letter to Sue Minter regarding information his campaign received about a single source state contract with Ariel Quiros for management of the Newport State Airport.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Representative Joe Courtney (CT-02), Senator Bob Casey (D-Penn.) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), joined by a bipartisan coalition of 57 other members of the House and Senate that includes Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont), sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for assistance for dairy producers struggling with declining milk prices.  Specifically, the lawmakers are asking for the USDA to use its existing authorities to expand and maintain U.S. domestic markets, encourage the domestic consumption of dairy products, and help dairy farmers through this financial crisis.  Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a former chairman of the panel.