Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Colleges System has adopted a new “Welcome Home” tuition policy making it easier for former Vermonters to return to the state and immediately qualify for in-state tuition at a college or university within the system. Under the new policy, adopted by the VSCS Board of Trustees on Saturday, any Vermonter who was a resident of the state, or whose parents or guardians were residents of the state, when they earned a high school diploma or equivalent certification, will be eligible for in-state tuition rates upon their return.

Currently, only those Vermonters who have returned and lived in the state for at least one year are eligible for the lower, in-state rates. The new policy is effective for the fall semester and applies to all Vermont students who earned their high school diploma after January 1, 2015 and are now residing in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce five Local Food Market Development (LFMD) Grants, totaling $50,000, awarded to support projects that will assist Vermont farmers, businesses, and food system service providers in reaching new markets with an institutional or other wholesale focus in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Long praised for their ideal mix of comfort, durability and fit, Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Cushion socks have been awarded the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry: 2018 BACKPACKER Editors’ Choice Gold Award. BACKPACKER Magazine awards an unspecified number of Editors’ Choice Awards each year and even fewer Editors’ Choice Gold awards, reserved only for products that have delivered “sustained years of best-in-class performance.”

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House Tuesday evening passed landmark gun violence protection measures in Senate bill S55 on a vote of 89 to 54, with tri-partisan support. The preliminary vote last Friday night was 85-59. The bill now must go back to the Senate, where it also passed, but without the bump stock and magazine limit provisions. The Senate could approve the changes or further amend the bill or send it to a conference committee, where it could also change. It would then go to the governor, who wants to sign a gun control bill with the House provisions, but who also wants to see what the final version looks like before he commits. At press time, it appeared the final version would not get to his desk before the first week in April.

The House version of S55 incorporates:

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Coffee Roasters today announced the launch of Alpine Roast Cold Brew coffee, marking the brand’s first foray into the cold brew, slow steep coffee space. Simple to make at home, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Alpine Roast Cold Brew Coffee requires no coffee maker, and instead uses the simplicity of slow extraction to produce a harmonious and balanced cold brew coffee.

Vermont Business Magazine The statement below is from Major General Steven Cray, adjutant general, Vermont National Guard. The statement is in response to the Burlington City Council voting Monday night to pass a resolution that will be sent to the Honorable Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force. The City Council "respectfully" asks Air Force Secretary Wilson to "provide an alternative mission for the Vermont Air National Guard at Burlington Airport," instead of the F-35 stealth fighter. Opponents to the new jet, which would replace the F-16 at the Vermont Air National Guard, won a non-binding vote at Town Meeting to find a quieter plane for the Guard. Opponents say the planes are too loud and the airport too close to populations centers.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas D Anderson issued the following statement in response to Governor Scott’s request that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) review its files for any previous investigation related to claims arising from or in connection with a trip to China in 2013 by then Governor Shumlin and others. Anderson said that the Vermont State Police investigated allegations made by Attorney Brady Toensing in 2014 that a Vermont state employee was arrested while on an official trip to China in September 2013. The issue came up again last week after Stowe Attorney Russell Barr made an allegation outside the Lamoille County courthouse that a state official had sex with a minor in China.

Vermont Business Magazine The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (“CLOUD”) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law last week. In February, the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter urging Congress to pass the Act, which updates the federal law known as the Stored Communications Act (“SCA”). The bipartisan letter was sponsored by Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and signed by the attorneys general of 34 other States.

The CLOUD Act addresses when and under what conditions law enforcement may obtain data that an electronic communications provider has stored in a foreign country. The Act solves a problem that has led to litigation in courts around the country, from the Vermont state courts to the United States Supreme Court.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement regarding Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe’s April 1 departure from the Agency of Education. He did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding this decision. In a statement, he praised her for her service. She was first appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the People’s United Bank announced that it was investing $15 million with Housing Vermont to create affordable apartments in several areas of the state. “People's United Bank has a long-standing and successful relationship with Housing Vermont, and we are pleased to provide this major commitment of low-income housing equity in support of affordable housing in Vermont,” said Art Casavant, Vice President and Community Reinvestment Officer for People's United. “The Bank is focused on economic development, support for low- and moderate- income communities and the well-being of the communities where we do business. This important extension of capital will allow us meet community needs and support an important partner,” Casavant said.

Vermont Business Magazine The VA Medical Center in White River Junction has recently initiated a joint venture with Excision Biotherapeutics to develop a curative therapy for hepatitis B virus infection. More than 2 billion people are infected with the hepatitis B virus worldwide, and of these, more than 350 million develop a chronic liver infection characterized by liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and ultimately liver cancer. The US veteran population is disproportionately affected by hepatitis B virus, and rates are even higher in homeless veterans compared to the general veteran population. Thus, developing approaches to cure hepatitis B infection is a critically important area of research for the VA.

Vermont Business Magazine As the national opioid crisis worsens, eight community health practices and regional hospitals in northern New England have teamed up to produce an online toolkit to help maternal child health providers keep women with histories of substance use and their babies healthy. This resource is the result of collaborative work funded by a three-year grant that March of Dimes awarded in 2016 to the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network (NNEPQIN) and Dartmouth–Hitchcock’s (D-H) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.