Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) reminds all Vermonters and those looking to contact VDOL to only do so through verified and approved methods. Recent fraud alerts sent out by the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF) detail national phishing attempts through social media, where fraudulent pages attempt to communicate directly with unemployment insurance claimants online.

Here are some helpful tips for detecting a potential scam:

Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) was reappointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to the exclusive and powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Friday afternoon. Last Congress, the committee, with Rep. Welch’s active participation, conducted the investigation into President Trump’s improper actions that led to the House impeaching the former president for the first time. In addition, the committee serves as an important check on the President’s executive power by monitoring covert actions and intelligence programs within the United States intelligence community.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced updates to COVID-19 guidance for small multi-household gatherings and table seating at restaurants. Effective today, the changes allow two unvaccinated households to gather at a time, and permitting restaurants to seat multiple households together, but no more than six people can be seated at the same table. Masking, distancing, capacity limits, and other mitigation guidelines remain in place.

Vermont Business Magazine The Crosby-Gannett Fund, a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, has granted $23,000 to fifteen nonprofit organizations in its 2021 competitive grant round. This year, the Crosby-Gannett Fund chose to focus on community needs related to the pandemic. Awards represent a combination of grants to organizations for education, food access, the arts, and business support, all of which exhibit a vast array of creativity, increased collaboration, and the ability to adapt service delivery within the confines of the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and as vaccination rates rise in our communities, the University of Vermont Health Network urges everyone to continue practicing the proven simple measures that help to stop the spread of COVID-19 to keep our family, friends and neighbors healthy.Meanwhile, vaccine eligibility is constantly expanding in both Vermont and New York. UVMHN has hospital partners in both states.

Vermont Business Magazine With Orleans Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout presiding, the court today ruled for the state on the final merits of its enforcement action against HNR Desautels LLC, currently doing business as Derby Port Press, and its owner, Andre “Michael” Desautels. Judge Teachout accordingly ordered the defendants to stop violating Governor Scott’s Executive Order and Addenda. “Specifically, Defendants shall not employ any persons or open any premises for business without compliance with EO 01-20 and its addenda and ACCD’s Phased Restart Work Safe Guidance,” ordered Judge Teachout in today’s decision.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims last week fell by 13 to 990, which is still at a historically high level. Numbers were up somewhat nationally and remain at a relatively higher level. Economists suggest 2021 is off to a sluggish start, but is starting to spring back. The stock market is riding the wave of the new federal $1.9 trillion American Recovery Plan, signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.

by Scott Giles, President and CEO, Vermont Student Assistance Corp VSAC has been here for Vermont students for more than half a century. We were founded in 1965 upon the belief that education and training lie at the heart of ensuring social and economic equity and opportunity in our society. Since our very first day, that principle has driven us to advocate for programs that we know make education and training more attainable, equitable, and achievable.

Vermont Business Magazine There’s snow place like Killington Mountain Lodge! MCR — the country’s fourth-largest hotel owner-operator — has acquired the 102-room winter wonderland located next to the largest skiing and snowboarding area in the eastern United States. MCR is operating the Killington Mountain Lodge as a Hilton Tapestry affiliate. The hotel will have a grand re-opening as a Tapestry in November 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine Building on early fulfillment of its groundbreaking $16.5 billion Community Benefits Plan, KeyBank today announced it will increase its commitment to $40 billion. The investments will continue focus on economic access and equity for underserved communities and populations. This includes $107 million of investments in Vermont supporting small business and home lending in low- and-moderate income communities, affordable housing and community development projects, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

Vermont Business Magazine Washington is the Best State in the country, according to the 2021 US News Best States rankings. Vermont was 11th overall, down from number 5 in 2019. Vermont ranks third in the Crime & Corrections category, it's highest ranking among the sub-categories. It ranks lowest (37th) in Fiscal Stability. US News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and civic journalism, evaluated all 50 states across a range of categories to capture how states best serve their citizens.

Vermont Business Magazine The annual School Breakfast Scorecard , released by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) found that Vermont ranks 2nd in the nation, behind only West Virginia, for the ratio of low-income students eating breakfast to those eating lunch. Vermont and West Virginia were the only states to meet FRAC’s benchmark of 70 breakfasts for every 100 lunches. On an average pre-pandemic school day during the 2019–2020 school year, 55 percent of low-income children in Vermont participated in the national School Breakfast Program.