Current News

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) It was 169 days ago that the world witnessed a violent insurrection take place in the seat of American democracy. The memory of rioters in combat gear, armed with zip ties, smashing in the windows of the Capitol Building is seared into the American consciousness. The images of the National Guard patrolling the Capitol grounds behind fences topped with barbed wire will fill the pages of text books on American history for generations.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that Jeremy Quillia, 38, of Hartland, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on two counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Quillia are the result of a criminal investigation including the execution of residential and online data search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police, and with the assistance of the Hartford Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Senate voted to override the Governor’s vetoes of Winooski and Montpelier charter changes (H227 and H177) by identical votes of 20-10. They also passed S79, act relating to improving rental housing health and safety. The House on Wednesday also overrode the two charter change vetoes. Action on the S79 housing bill was expected during this veto session.

Vermont Business Magazine Renewable Energy Vermont celebrates the fifteenth annual Pollinator Week, June 21-27, an international celebration promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, beetles, and other pollinating insects. By utilizing the land under and around solar arrays for native, pollinator-friendly plantings, Vermont’s solar businesses are playing a significant role in re-establishing critical pollinator habitat and supporting vital pollinator species.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University announced a partnership with Raymond James’ Advisor Mastery Program (AMP), the firm’s new financial advisor training program for financial advisors to receive additional academic credits through Norwich University. This new partnership, made possible through an existing relationship between Raymond James’ talent acquisition team and The Veteran Initiative (TVI), a non-profit 501(c)(3) military employment organization, is the first-of-its-kind, according to Emily Howell, vice president of executive education at The Veteran Initiative.

Vermont Business Magazine Act No. 56 of the Acts of 2015 established a Renewable Energy Standard and Energy Transformation Program for electric utilities in the State of Vermont which specifically includes biomass to produce electricity. These standards may include minimum efficiency requirements for wood boilers and requirements for harvesting and procurement.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based iSun, Inc has announced that Fusion Renewables has selected the company for turnkey development services and EPC services subject to competitive tendering. The contract represents an initial $1.25 million in development financings and construction of 118MW of solar projects across eight sites in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Vermont Business Magazine The world’s leading Gen Z and Millennials speaker, Jason Dorsey, is coming to Vermont this Friday…virtually. On June 25 at 1 p.m., the statewide business community will have an opportunity to attend a unique and inspiring presentation delivered by the industry leader Adweek calls a “research guru.”

by Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County Forester The Hinesburg Town Forest Committee and the Chittenden County Forester invite the public to visit the Hinesburg Town Forest to learn more about responsible forest management. From 2018-2020, an innovative forest management project at the Hinesburg Town Forest (HTF) was completed, using a type of forest management called “ecological forestry.” Through this project, the HTF sought to demonstrate a thoughtful approach to the stewardship of Vermont’s forests, simultaneously managing for wildlife, biodiversity, climate resilience, carbon sequestration and storage, local, renewable resources and more.

Public Assets Institute As the Vermont economy reopens, there’s a lot of talk about jobs going unfilled. In fact, we don’t have good state-level data on how many jobs are open, what they are, or how much they pay. We know Vermont lost more low-wage than high-wage jobs last year, so it’s likely that many of the jobs returning now are at the low end of the scale.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation announced today that—in partnership with many of its generous fundholders—the Spark Connecting Community grant program has awarded $93,756 to 38 nonprofit organizations for local projects in communities across the state, including some nonprofits that serve residents in multiple counties. Of the total funding awarded, $29,250 was made possible by Giving Together, a program at the Community Foundation that shares grant proposals with fundholders and donors to give them the opportunity to co-fund projects.

Spark Connecting Community is a competitive grant program at the Foundation that puts building and nurturing community front and center. The Community Foundation aims to support the work happening throughout Vermont’s 251 towns that builds social capital. These grants—where a small amount can make a big difference—are intended to light the spark that keeps Vermonters healthy and happy.