Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, legal cannabis sales for adults 21 and over will begin in Vermont. Last month, the Vermont Cannabis Control Board issued its first licenses for adult-use cannabis retail sales to Mountain Girl Cannabis in Rutland, a social equity applicant, and Flora Cannabis in Middlebury. Additionally, the Board granted permission for Ceres Med in South Burlington to transition from medical to adult-use cannabis sales. As reported by the Burlington Free Press, at least 30 applicants have applied for retail licenses, and more licenses are expected to be issued in the near future.

Vermont Business Magazine Suicide is preventable and there is hope. September, Suicide Prevention Month, sheds light on the resources to help Veterans who are struggling. These resources are available year-round, but Don’t Wait. Reach out. In addition to the local resources offered, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council have created an ongoing national campaign: “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” First released in 2021, the public service advertisements direct audiences to VA.gov/REACH, a comprehensive website designed to help Veterans navigate the wide range of resources available.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education today named Robyn Newton, a physical education teacher at Vergennes Union Elementary School, as the 2023 Vermont Teacher of the Year. Newton will begin her tenure as Vermont Teacher of the Year on January 1, 2023. Also recognized are the 2023 Vermont Teacher of the Year Distinguished Finalists, Abbie Bowker, visual art teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School, Amy Clapp, upper elementary teacher at Salisbury Community School, and Aziza Malik, upper elementary teacher at Champlain Elementary School.

Vermont Business Magazine Next month, Vermont Public will host a series of debates between major party candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and lieutenant governor, leading up to Election Day on November 8. Debates begin October 11. Hosted by Connor Cyrus and Mikaela Lefrak, all debates will air live during Vermont Edition’s radio broadcast at noon and on Vermont Public’s YouTube channel. The debates will air on Vermont Public’s main TV channel the same day at 7 pm and will be available in the Vermont Edition podcast feed.

Vermont Business Magazine Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that this morning, countless Floridians woke up to a world turned upside down in the wake of Hurricane Ian. And hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico remain without power more than 10 days after the storm that ravaged the island. Vermonters will stand by your side as you rebuild your communities and your lives, and so will this chamber. The continuing resolution we are about to consider contains $18.8 billion for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, which would bring available resources in the fund to approximately $35 billion to respond to these and other disasters.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) this week issued a request for proposals (RFP) for renewable energy resources to ensure that the municipal utility is able to continue to source 100 percent of the City’s power from renewable energy generation in pursuit of Burlington’s Net Zero Energy by 2030 goal. BED will continue to go above and beyond the State of Vermont renewable energy requirements as it invites proposals for renewable energy resources to replace contracts that will be expiring in the next two to five years.

Vermont Business Magazine When Patti O’Brien organized the first Women’s Health and Cancer Conference, in the fall of 1997, the University of Vermont Cancer Center event was among the only meetings in the world devoted to the information needs of patients, who were often kept in the dark about their treatment. In 2022, the 25^th anniversary of the conference, patient information about a myriad of treatment options is everywhere but, because of that pervasiveness, the need for the conference is greater than ever. The free, 2022 conference will be held on September 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. both in-person, at the Dudley H. Davis Student Center on the UVM campus, and online via Zoom. The conference is supported by the Victoria Buffum Fund and Eleanor B. Daniels Fund at the UVM Cancer Center. Continuing medical education credits are offered free of charge.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont continue to fall and now are below the national average. Prices today in Vermont stand at an average of $3.66 per gallon, down 9 cents in the last week, down 43 cents in the last month and are 56 cents above last year's average price. Nationally, the average is $3.71/g, which is down 6 cents from last week, down 11 cents from last month and 47 cents higher than last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, announces its 2022 grant awards to working lands entrepreneurs, totaling $797,108 to support businesses improvements and improve water quality. This year, 19 farmers were awarded a total of $601,368 to invest in on-farm capital improvements that enhance water quality. Additionally, $195,740 in grant awards will support 20 farm and forest businesses with completing projects that advance business development and viability. Grantees include organic and conventional farms, cow dairies, a goat dairy, and livestock operations. These projects will improve manure management and soil health, reduce runoff, and ultimately support the long-term success of farm enterprises.

Vermont Business Magazine Artist Michele Brody will present her solo exhibition “Papers of Place,” which will be displayed in the McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester starting Thursday, September 29. Brody, a mixed-media environmental artist from New York, used plants gathered from the College’s natural area in producing the pieces that will be shown. The art will be hung on the glass of the gallery using paper she made from the plants. She has also been working with Saint Michael’s students on paper-making, and students helped install her work in McCarthy.