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Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas released the second October Vermont 2024 Candidates and Campaign Finance. This report continues the Secretary of State’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency for campaign finance reporting during the 2024 campaign season. This report reflects candidate filings as of the most recent filing deadline on October 15. The report consists of three lists: 2024 candidates who filed an October 15 period disclosure statement with funds raised and/or spent during the current period (since the October 1 deadline), Candidates who filed an October 15 “No Activity Report,” Candidates who did not file an October 15 period report.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday joined the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) at the home of Sidney and Eleanor Martinez, of Isle La Motte, as their home was weatherized with the help of CVOEO’s weatherization program. The weatherization program is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, most recently, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Senator Welch championed the weatherization program funding in the IRA when he was a member of the House of Representatives. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) has revised the State’s Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) Rules. The revised AST Rules took effect on August 1, 2024, and replace the 2017 AST Rules. These rules apply to ASTs that hold heating fuel at residential and business locations. The revised rules include several important changes, including: The requirement to secure tanks and extend vent pipes above flood levels in flood prone areas; New design and installation requirements for new AST systems; Additional standards for existing tanks to be implemented by 2030; A new “Yellow Tag” provision that allows noncompliant ASTs serving residences to be filled until the end of the heating season.

by Sarah Copeland Hanzas The General Election is less than two weeks away. As the rhetoric and “noise” intensifies, it’s worth a reminder that Vermont’s elections are not only among the most accessible in the country, they are also incredibly secure.  Election policy is always a balance of accessibility and security. I feel very strongly that Vermont has the best of both of these. Every state in the US has a different set of procedures for conducting elections. From the foundation of our country, state legislatures have decided how to conduct elections, within the guidelines of each state’s constitution. This can sometimes confuse Vermonters who watch news coverage from other states or recently moved here from elsewhere. The key to our well-run elections is the People and the Processes.

by Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak As Vermont’s Treasurer, I am committed to growing Vermont’s economy and building a more inclusive future for our state. To keep our economy on a positive track, we must address our demographic challenges and grow our workforce. I regularly hear from employers about the difficulty of finding workers—a challenge impacting all sectors of our economy, from small businesses and our largest companies to service providers and local governments. One way to grow our workforce is to address our housing shortage, and though we’re making strides to build more homes, it’s clear that solving Vermont’s demographic challenges will require more than new housing. To prepare Vermont’s economy for the future we need to continue welcoming New Americans to our state. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Tinkering Turtle will close its doors on December 31, 2024. After a fun year of partnership with Vermont Teddy and presence up the hill, ECHO will refocus its retail energy at ECHO's Museum Toy & Gift Store at 1 College Street. Over the past year, they have connected with the community to bring imaginative toys and joy to families. Thousands of people came through the doors to find a unique selection of toys and bears. Starting in January 2025, ECHO will have a presence at Vermont Flannel and Vermont Teddy Bear’s new store — located at 72 Church Street — with curated STEM toys. Proceeds will continue to support science education and ECHO, Vermont’s science and nature museum. The new store represents Vermont Flannel, Vermont Teddy Bear, & ECHO’s ongoing commitment to local engagement. 

Vermont Business Magazine Cabot Hosiery Mills, a Northfield Electric Department customer and manufacturer of the renowned Darn Tough Socks, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 23, 2024, celebrating the company's ongoing energy efficiency improvements. The event will take place from noon to 1:00 PM at Cabot Hosiery Mills, located at 364 Whetstone Drive, Northfield, VT. In 2022, Senator Bernie Sanders secured $1,000,000 in Congressionally Directed Funding to support the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority’s Business Energy Repayment Assistance Program (“BERAP”). BERAP provides on-bill repayment loans to VPPSA’s member utilities’ commercial and industrial customers to implement energy transformation projects.  Cabot Hosiery Mills has received he first loan through this new program to fund upgrades to its facility’s roof, a project fund upgrades to its facility’s roof, a project that will significantly reduce energy costs and contribute to lowering the company’s carbon footprint. Senator Sanders, or an appointed surrogate, will speak about the importance of such initiatives for the future of sustainable business practices and Vermont’s leadership in energy efficiency.

Vermont Business Magazine Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its third annual Power Partner Awards. The prestigious list honors B2B organizations across the country that have proven track records supporting entrepreneurs and helping startups grow. This year’s list recognizes the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, Inc. (VCET) among the top organizations that are proven in helping to make other companies great. Every company on the Inc. Power Partner award list received top marks from clients for being instrumental in helping leadership navigate the dynamic world of startups. These B2B partners support entrepreneurs across various facets of the business, including hiring, infrastructure development, cloud migration, fundraising, etc., allowing founders to focus on their core missions. Inc. has selected 359 companies and organizations across B2B categories as Power Partner awardees.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today joined President Joe Biden in Concord, New Hampshire at the New Hampshire Technical Institute for an event on their work to lower prescription drug costs for the American people. Sanders: In America today we spend almost twice as much per person as any other major country on health care – over $13,000 for every man, woman and child. And one of the reasons for that is the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs in this country. The truth is that the American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents, are sick and tired of paying, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

Vermont State Police A Springfield, Massachusetts, man is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, to answer a charge of being an accessory to a fatal shooting last week in Waterbury. Samuel Niyonsenga, 18, is due for arraignment at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre on a charge of accessory to second-degree murder. He is accused of participating in the incident at the Kneeland Flats Trailer Park during which Shawn Spiker, 34, of Croydon, New Hampshire, was fatally shot, and Michael S. Perry, 57, of Waterbury was wounded. Niyonsenga was ordered held without bail pending arraignment. He is currently incarcerated at the Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury. 

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its pioneering game development major. As the first college in New England to offer a dedicated game program, Champlain has evolved its offering into a comprehensive Game Studio Experience, maintaining its position at the forefront of game education. The Game Studio 20th Anniversary Celebration will recognize this important milestone during Champlain Weekend on Oct. 25-26, which includes a slate of playable student-created games from over the years, guest speakers, and studio memorabilia. To date, Champlain College’s Game Studio has graduated more than 1,100 students. Many have gone on to work for major game studios, including Apple, Bend Studios, Blizzard, Boeing, Bungie, Disney, EA, Insomniac, Microsoft, Nintendo, Riot, Sega, Sony, Ubisoft, Zenimax, and more.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering September 2024. According to household data, the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for September was 2.2 percent. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The comparable United States rate in September was 4.1 percent, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised August estimate. The seasonally adjusted Vermont data for September show the Vermont civilian labor force decreased by 18 from the prior month’s revised estimate. The number of employed persons decreased by 210 and the number of unemployed persons increased by 192. None of the changes were statistically significant in the seasonally adjusted series. Vermont continues to have the second lowest unemployment rate in the US, with South Dakota at 2.0 percent and Nevada highest at 5.6 percent. Weekly unemployment claims remain low.