Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As we prepare to celebrate Veterans Day, the American Red Cross recognizes those who have served our country - our veterans – and offers support to them at every step – from the time a service member takes the oath, through active duty, to their transition to becoming a veteran.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Labor today celebrated the fifth annual National Apprenticeship Week during a proclamation signing at Benoit Electric in Barre.

Vermont Business Magazine A new solar project benefiting Upper Valley Haven not only promotes a more sustainable future, it helps them save money and serve more people in its 40-year mission to provide food, shelter, education, and support services related to poverty in the Upper Valley.
The Net Metering Credits produced by the 150-kilowatt Newbury Scotch Hollow Solar project also benefits the Town of Newbury and Newbury Elementary School in the form of reduced power bills for 25 years. The project was successfully developed by Norwich Solar Technologies and is hosted on Town of Newbury land in a former gravel pit on Scotch Hollow Road.

Vermont Business Magazine Carrie walked into the Maple Landmark showroom early on a Monday morning with an idea. An employee at a nearby food storage company, she brought a concept from their design team to see what possibilities might be available. The concept, a simple one-piece toggle, would be used as part of their product packaging. Carrie began explaining the idea to Maple Landmark owner, Michael Rainville, when he came up with an idea of his own: why not make a prototype on the spot for her to show her team? In a matter of minutes, Rainville had mocked up a design on the computer and created a sample using a laser cutter. As she left Maple Landmark to make the short 1-mile journey to work, Carrie took with her several sample pieces for them to try.

Vermont Business Magazine The Richards Group is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to merge with IPG Employee Benefits, based in Keene, NH. The two firms have long been leaders in employee benefits consulting across the twin state region, and the merger further strengthens their collective offering to clients.

“We’re delighted to have Walter Rohr, John Round and their team join The Richards Group. IPG has an excellent team, strong client relationships and a terrific reputation”, said Drew Richards, Vice President of The Richards Group. “We’ve had clients in Keene for years and have had considerable growth in Cheshire County over the past decade. We’re thrilled to be part of the vibrant community in Keene and joining with IPG certainly deepens the commitment we’ve already made to the area.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets is now accepting applications for two grant programs that provide support to Vermont schools and early care providers who want to establish or expand their farm to school programs. Both the Infrastructure Grant program and the Farm to School Child Nutrition grant program are open to any Vermont licensed and registered early care provider or Vermont school, including consortiums of schools or early care providers

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center Cardiac Rehab Program recently announced the expansion of available sessions in their cardiac rehab gym for Phase II patients. Phase II refers to patients who are in the acute phase of their recovery after a cardiac event.  According to the American Heart Association, patients with certain conditions and procedures will benefit from a cardiac rehab program. These include a heart attack, heart failure, angina, coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery,percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and valve replacement.

Vermont Business Magazine A discussion on "invisible" diversity and identity has led Castleton University faculty and staff to launch an initiative called CU/See Me.

Peter Kimmel, Dean of the College of Health and Sciences, said this home-grown initiative serves as a way for members of the Castleton family to get together to recognize diversity and identity in a positive way.

Vermont Business Magazine The removal of Mill Pond Dam on Indian Brook in Colchester is now complete. The new stream channel and floodplain have been graded and seeded. Indian Brook will gradually be restored to a free-flowing stream, to the benefit of aquatic ecosystem and public safety. 

The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) began the dam removal in August following a two-year design and permitting process after the dam owner, Kim Scofield, requested assistance to remove it, citing it as a “financial burden I can live without.”

“The river will continue to adjust and regenerate, but we are already seeing tangible results,” said B.T. Fitzgerald, Dam Project & Vermont Dam Task Force Coordinator at VNRC. “Most importantly, 30,000 cubic yards of phosphorus-containing sediment has been removed.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Winooski City Council voted affirmatively to enter a negotiation phase with Nedde Real Estate (Nedde), a developer who met the response requirements for the City’s Lot 7D Request for Proposals issued in July 2019. The negotiation phase would explore the terms of a public-private partnership to create a 100-room boutique hotel, a municipal parking structure for more than 300 cars, and a new 36,000sf office for VEIC, a nonprofit sustainable energy company.

By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
When most people think about world-class athletes from Vermont, they think of Olympic skiers and snowboarders like Kelly Clark, Hannah Kearney and Sophie Caldwell. And while it’s true that Vermont is a breeding ground for snow legends, it’s also home to one of the world’s most highly ranked competitive lumberjacks, Calvin Willard.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2019, OneCare Vermont (OneCare) Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has awarded $1,065,181 in competitive grant funding, over two funding cycles, to providers in the ACO Network and their partners, with the goal of improving the quality, cost, and experience of healthcare for Vermonters.

In May 2019, OneCare released the request for proposals (RFP) for the second round of funding for the Innovation Fund. In July 2019, 36 proposals were submitted from across ten of Vermont’s 14 health service areas. The selections were made by OneCare’s Board of Managers’ Population Health Strategy Committee. This committee includes representatives from throughout the state and the full spectrum of care providers. In the first round of funding, three proposals were selected, and in the second round of funding five proposals have been awarded.