Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims remained relatively high last week but are down after the New Year's spike. For the week ending January 11, 2025, new claims were 615, up 54 claims from the week before and are 6 more from last year. The holiday season brings wild swings in claims as temporary workers are hired and then laid off. Claims were 181 at the end of September. For the month of December the US jobs report beat expectations, while the US unemployment rate fell one-tenth to 4.1% for December. The Vermont report will not be released until January 28. The Vermont November rate was second lowest in the nation at 2.4%.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor offices, including the UI Claimant Assistance Center and local Job Centers, will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Vermont Business Magazine VCIA has launched a comprehensive rebrand, including a new visual identity, tagline and state-of-the-art website (vcia.com), reinforcing its position as community leader in the captive space, and a champion for Vermont’s thriving captive insurance industry. The new slogan “Captive Excellence Starts Here” emphasizes the inclusive, member-driven arena VCIA sustains for captive insurance professional development and business relations. The future-focused logo signals an innovative ethos akin to the evolving and expanding captive industry. The centerpiece of this transformation is the launch of a sophisticated new website, designed to serve as a comprehensive resource hub for members and industry professionals.

Vermont Business Magazine The Manchester Business Association, in partnership with the Shires of Southwestern Vermont, proudly presented the Shires Holiday Inn Tours again this past holiday season. Continuing a cherished tradition that spans over three decades, the Shires Holiday Inn Tours offered guests the chance to experience the festive spirit of 16 local lodging properties, including historic hotels, cozy inns, charming B&Bs, and scenic lodges, on Saturday, December 7, and Saturday, December 14. A total of 283 attendees were welcomed with holiday cheer as they toured these beautifully decorated lodging establishments across Bennington County, where they enjoyed seasonal beverages, local treats, and the warm, inviting atmosphere that Vermont is known for.

Vermont State Police At about 7:41 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, the Bristol Fire Department received a 911 call advising of a residential structure fire on East Street in the Town of Bristol. The Bristol Police Department was first to arrive on scene, followed shortly after by the Bristol Fire Department.  Arriving units found the structure to be fully involved. The departments received information that a man was still inside the residence. Due to the intensity of the fire, efforts to locate and remove the man were unsuccessful. The deceased victim, later identified as Steven C. Leopold, 78, was located inside the residence. His body will be transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) has released the 2025 Environmental Common Agenda, which lays out this year’s top legislative priorities for the Vermont environmental community. VCV releases the Common Agenda every January when the legislature convenes in partnership with other environmental advocacy organizations from across the state. This year, 19 organizations participated in the process of developing and setting the agenda. Last legislative session, Vermont lawmakers passed significant environmental policies aimed at protecting climate, communities, and natural resources, including holding Big Oil accountable, enhancing flood safety, achieving 100% renewable energy by 2035, modernizing housing development through Act 250, and strengthening protections against harmful chemicals like PFAS and neonicotinoids. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas released Vermont’s first ever Civic Health Index – a report measuring how civically engaged Vermonters are across the state and in relation to the rest of the country. Organizations and individuals engaged in a range of civic activities across Vermont provided feedback and helped contextualize the data about Vermonters’ civic behavior and mindsets. In addition, the Secretary of State’s office administered the YMCA and Knight Impact Youth Civic Health survey, receiving over 2,500 responses from students in grades 7-12 across the state. With the release of the report, the Secretary of State’s office is holding several community conversations around the state, starting with Brattleboro, to gather feedback and further input on how to improve Vermont’s civic health.

Vermont Business Magazine Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE), the region's largest provider of family planning services, today announced a plan to address the financial deficit with Vermont leadership and advocates. PPNNE’s CEO Nicole Clegg along with advocates and state leaders outlined how they will collaborate on addressing the organization’s projected $8.6M deficit. Speakers included advocate Kiah Morris, Senator Phil Baruth, Speaker Jill Krowinski, Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Senator Virginia ‘Ginny’ Lyons, Attorney General Charity Clark, and Treasurer Mike Pieciak. Clegg cited a significantly broken health care system and endless political attacks as the main drivers to the deficit. She went on to name COVID-19, inflation, insufficient reimbursement rates, and an increased demand for PPNNE’s free and discounted care as factors that have worsened the financial situation.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced the “Treasurer’s Task Force on the Federal Transition.” Composed of policy experts, business and community leaders, and individuals with a deep understanding of Vermont’s economy, the Task Force will assess the economic impact of the incoming Trump administration’s anticipated policy changes and provide recommendations to the Treasurer. The Task Force will be co-chaired by Treasurer Pieciak and Sue Minter, former Executive Director of Capstone Community Action, one of Vermont’s leading social-services organizations. Minter also served as Vermont’s Chief Recovery Officer after Tropical Storm Irene, as well as a state representative and Vermont’s Secretary of Transportation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Acting Commissioner Sandy Bigglestone announced today that the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation and 47 other state financial regulatory agencies have taken coordinated action against Block, Inc., for violations of Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws that safeguard the financial system from illicit use. More than 50 million consumers in the United States use Cash App, Block’s mobile payment service, to spend, send, store, and invest money. In the multistate settlement signed this week, Block agreed to pay a $80 million penalty to the state agencies, hire an independent consultant to review the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of its BSA/AML program, and submit a report to the states within nine months.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has a new solid waste plan that is more proactive and thorough than previous plans. Every five years, Vermont law requires the Agency of Natural Resources to update this plan. The 2024 Vermont Materials Management Plan will serve as a guide for the Agency’s and municipalities’ waste management-related actions from 2025 through 2029. The DEC Solid Waste Management Program, through the Plan, outlines annual requirements for both the State and Vermont’s municipal Solid Waste Districts, alliances, and independent towns that take responsibility for local or regional waste management.

by Commissioner Joan Goldstein The legislative session has officially kicked off! Last week, the Governor delivered his Inaugural Address outlining important policy priorities, including further housing reform and a new approach to education funding. This session is also an opportunity to meet flood recovery and housing needs by building on our successful Tax Increment Financing program. We look forward to continuing to work with Legislators over the next few months to meet shared goals with strategic solutions. The Governor also used the speech as an opportunity to highlight several successes, including a shoutout to the great work of the Brownfields Revitalization Fund! “Since October 2021, state funding for brownfields has helped clean up 42 contaminated sites, making way for over 700 new homes – adding economic value for communities after years of being an eye sore.”