Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) went to the Senate floor this afternoon to seek unanimous consent to pass legislation he had introduced earlier today to provide direct payments to working families across the United States. Sanders’ proposal provides a direct payment of $1,200 for every working-class American, $2,400 for couples, and $500 for children. He was joined on the floor by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who spoke in support of the legislation.

Vermont Business Magazine Mary W. Davis Realtor & Associates, also known as Okemo Real Estate which is based in Ludlow Vermont, recently announces new ownership for the company. This 63 year old local realty firm is a long time member of the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce (OVRCC) and the new ownership plans to continue that investment and partnership.

Last month, Mary W. Davis Realtor & Associates was sold to the new ownership team including Real Estate Broker Suzanne Garvey, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Julie Abraham and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Stephen Messina. The previous owner Patricia “Tricia” Davis also announced her retirement.

Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington is organizing a pop-up test site for Covid-19 tomorrow morning -- and there are still plenty of spots available.

Public Assets Institute After six months of slowly returning, hotel and restaurant jobs dropped off again in November, as increasing COVID-19 cases limited travel and socializing. And this mid-month count probably does not capture the effects of new restrictions that began on November 14. Vermont hotels and restaurants had 40 percent fewer jobs last month than in November 2019. Private-sector jobs overall were down 10 percent year over year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 86 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths for 107. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said at Friday’s press conference that all hospitals have now received their allocation of COVID-19 vaccine for the first week and have been busy vaccinating their higher risk healthcare staff. Meanwhile, the state pharmacy partners — CVS, Walgreens and HealthDirect/Kinney Drugs — are scheduled to begin clinics at long-term care facilities next week.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims our on their typical holiday season rollercoaster. Claims fell last week after the previous week's spike of 2,013, but have been trending up consistently the last two months. Claims fell 579 to 1,434 last week (up 895 from the same time last year).

Vermont Business Magazine As a significant trail project at Mt Philo State Park ends for the season, project managers and visitors alike are commending the improvements and the broader benefits to Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. The project, managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR), was awarded by a competitive bid process. Designed and constructed by Timber and Stone, LLC, it updates major sections of the main trail to provide a more sustainable and safe ascent, and features a universally accessible trail that improves access at the summit.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts for November were a combined $26.55 million, or 18.0 percent above consensus expectations in November. The vital personal income tax was up as were the consumer taxes – sales and use and rooms and meals – with sales up nearly 20 percent over projections. Of course, those projections were significantly downgraded by economists last summer.

The Center for Research on Vermont recently asked its members to share the titles of high impact Vermont books. The enthusiastic responses ranged from a single title to long lists. Some members simply submitted titles, while others provided extensive notes to explain why the titles are important. Some members reached back through the decades, and others offered hot-off-the-press publications.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor reported today that the state unemployment rate for November has now fallen back to its pre-pandemic level of 3.1 percent. This is not good news. Vermont claimants could lose some federal extended benefits because the rate is so low. The rate also hides the fact that the VDOL still estimates that 30,000 Vermonters are out of work, far higher than the official level. The unemployment rate is based on household data accumulated by the US Census. The seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for November of 3.1 percent reflects a decrease of one tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate of 3.2 percent. The comparable United States rate in November was 6.7 percent, a decrease of two tenths of one percentage point from the revised October estimate. Vermont is tied with Nebraska for lowest rate in the nation.

Vermont Business Magazine OnLogic (www.onlogic.com), a global industrial and IoT computer hardware manufacturer based in South Burlington, and a launch partner in the IGEL Ready Program announced by provider of the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces IGEL earlier this year, has expanded their line of IGEL ready industrial thin client hardware. Built for distributed computing, virtualization and thin client applications in challenging environments, OnLogic’s newly expanded line now includes an even wider range of ruggedized small form factor thin client devices and touch screen terminals, intended for distributed computing in manufacturing, automation and energy management applications.

by Shap Smith The University of Vermont is an important part of many people’s story. It’s central to our family. My spouse and I are graduates of UVM, and our son just completed his first semester. Many of our closest friends are people we met while at UVM. My liberal arts degrees provided me with a firm foundation for a career in law and public service. So, when I was elected to serve on UVM’s Board of Trustees, I felt a special kinship to the students, faculty, and institutions that make it such a sought-after university.