Current News

by Secretary Anson Tebbetts This week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Boston regional office announced that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture has made significant progress toward meeting the state’s water quality goals. In a letter to the Agency dated April 2nd, EPA regional administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn noted, “Your staff have clearly been working hard to get new programs off the ground, rapidly award large amounts of new funding to priority phosphorus reduction projects, ramp up inspection programs and establish the new comprehensive tracking and accounting system. The many milestones that have been completed reflect this excellent progress.”

Click here to view the EPA Report Card.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has become Kentucky-based Virtual Peaker’s home away from home. In early 2018, the company drew a substantial portion of its seed funding from the Vermont technology and clean energy communities. Virtual Peaker is a cloud-based energy management platform that is helping utilities build the grid of the future.

Vermont Business Magazine Mack Molding has welcomed spring with capital investments at its Vermont-based headquarters. The leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services announced today that it continues to experience heightened commercial activity, and the new equipment is geared toward meeting current needs and future opportunities.

A new laser is used for automated sheet metal fabrication at Mack Molding’s headquarters in Arlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today issued a proclamation supporting the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program by recognizing National Community Development Week, April 2-9, 2018. Spearheaded by the National Community Development Association (NCDA), National Community Development Week serves as an opportunity for the City of Burlington to celebrate its significant successes in providing housing, economic resources, and community services to thousands of Burlingtonians under federal grant funding.

This year marks the 44^th anniversary of the national CDBG program. Now in its 27^th year, the HOME program provides grants to over 600 local jurisdictions to create safe, sanitary, and affordable housing in communities nationwide. Both programs are administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Vermont Business Magazine The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, announced a $20,000 grant to the Champlain Housing Trust as part of the foundation’s commitment to giving back to the community. Champlain Housing Trust serves the communities and people of northwest Vermont with affordable housing options and services to help people succeed in their housing. The funds from the TD Charitable Foundation will support CHT’s education and financial literacy program, which provides training and counseling to ensure that people have sound financial footing and can find housing they can sustain. Over 1,000 people access the financial fitness program annually.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center has been awarded the Advisory Board 2018 Workplace of the Year Award. The annual award recognizes hospitals and health systems nationwide that have outstanding levels of employee engagement. Lesley Classen, Rutland Regional’s Manager of Employee Relations & Recruitment, accepted the award on behalf of the hospital at The Advisory Board Company’s annual summit held on March 29^th, in Chicago, Illinois. Rutland Regional is one of only 20 hospitals recognized nationwide and the ONLY HOSPITAL IN VERMONT to receive this award.

Vermont Business Magazine In a new report released by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM), Vermont schools called for an increased sourcing of Vermont-branded milk. While Vermont dairy farmers supply most of the milk served in Vermont schools, respondents reported difficulty finding milk from local distributors that also meet federal nutrition standards. The statewide survey, designed to inform the dairy industry about how Vermont schools engage with fluid milk, provides valuable information to help milk processors, bottlers, and distributors connect directly with schools. Serving more than 13 million meals a year, Vermont schools demonstrate potential for market growth. The report includes recommendations and proposed projects schools and milk suppliers can use to build stronger relationships.

Vermont Business Magazine Caledonia Spirits, nationally recognized distillers of Barr Hill since 2011, is launching Experiments in Agricultural Rectification – a new small batch spirits project with a mission to capture the provenance of Vermont’s agricultural and forage crops. The first release of the project will be available on Saturday, April 7th at the Caledonia Spirits Distillery in Hardwick, and the Made in Vermont Marketplace at the Essex Fairgrounds.

Vermont Business Magazine A storm heading toward Vermont this afternoon is bringing precipitation and strong winds. Weather experts shifted their predictions overnight and are now forecasting gusts to 65 miles an hour in some locations. That increases the chance for downed trees and power lines. GMP has been tracking the forecast and preparing in advance of the storm. GMP crews are positioned around the state to respond to possible outages as well as additional external crews.

The National Weather Service issued High Wind Warnings for later today into tonight for Eastern Rutland County, Bennington County, Windham County and Windsor County. The rest of Vermont is under a Wind Advisory.

See Outage Center.

Green Mountain Power is reminding everyone to stay safe during this storm. Don’t touch downed lines and be prepared for possible outages.

by Scudder Parker Education of our young people is one of the most important obligations of our democracy. And a funding system that enables school district voters throughout the state to make thoughtful budget decisions is key to fulfilling that obligation in Vermont. After the Vermont Supreme Court’s Brigham decision in 1997, the Legislature made a structural school funding change. The result was the current system, which is not a "formula" that attempts to equalize a flawed and inherently unfair local school property tax as the various efforts in the seventies and eighties were.

Instead, it is a fundamentally fair, sustainable, and workable statewide system that supports local school districts to equitably invest in the education of our children. Vermont’s school funding system is widely viewed as the most equitable in the nation.

​Vermont Business Magazine Shelburne business Vermont Tortilla Company has been named a winner of The 2018 American Small Business Championship by SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. The Championship awarded this title to 102 entrepreneurs for their dedication to the success of their small businesses, awarding them an all-expense-paid trip to a training and networking event, SCORE mentoring and publicity throughout the year, and a chance to win one of three $15,000 grand prizes, made possible with the support of Sam’s Club.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Thomas J Donovan, Jr, and Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore announced today that the State of Vermont will continue to vigorously oppose the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) planned efforts to weaken greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards for 2022-2025 model year cars and light-duty trucks. Late Tuesday, the EPA announced that it had completed its mid-term evaluation process for greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light duty trucks for model years 2022-2025 and determined that the standards were too stringent. The EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) intend to begin rulemaking to weaken greenhouse gas emission standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. EPA’s threat to weaken the federal standards will endanger both public health and the environment and make driving more expensive.