Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Last week the Vermont Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to government transparency and accountability.

The Court’s decision cloaks the use of hundreds of millions of Vermont taxpayer dollars in secrecy, allowing Vermont state agencies to protect themselves and their contractors from independent performance and spending oversight.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of a comprehensive plan to stabilize facility staffing levels, reduce the need for field staff to cover overtime shifts, and improve the quality of life for staff on the frontlines, the Department of Corrections announced Wednesday that security staff at Vermont’s six correctional facilities will move from 8-hour to 12-hour shifts and the State will conduct a market factor analysis of corrections security staff pay.

Twelve-hour shifts are currently in place on an emergency basis at Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury and Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield. The schedule change will take effect at the remaining four facilities on August 28, 2022. Staff will be on a five days on/two days off schedule to start, with the ultimate goal of moving to a biweekly schedule which allows for seven days off during a 14-day pay period.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA) announced today that the State is now offering two new license plates to honor Vermont veterans who received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star for their service to our country.

“Our work to honor military veterans is never ending,” said Governor Scott. “We will be forever indebted to the heroes who earned these medals in the line of duty, and this is a small gesture of our appreciation for their bravery, service and devotion to our country and its citizens.”

“Many of us notice license plates as we drive around town and throughout the state, and these two additional license plates for our decorated veterans will enable them to be further recognized by their neighbors, community members, and others around Vermont,” said DMV Commissioner Wanda Minoli.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced that it is now accepting grant applications for the SFY 2023 Municipal Park-and-Ride Grant Program, which provides funding for improvements of small park-and-ride facilities in Vermont communities. These facilities will assist in the effort of reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on the roadway, which in turn helps to reduce vehicle pollutants and traffic congestion.

A total of $215,275 is available for this program for the 2023 state fiscal year. Applications are due by e-mail by September 2, 2022.

To learn more about this year’s grant program and to access the Municipal Park-and-Ride Program information and applications, visit http://vtrans.vermont.gov/highway/parkandrides.

VermontBiz Looking to up your positive leadership? Needing a way to improve communication among your team? Join us on July 13 as Jon Gordon dives into the many ways he champions positivity and combats negativity on The 21st Century Business Forum. Learn how to keep connection and commitment to the mission in your team’s performance.

Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and nonprofits.

Vermont Business Magazine At 8:00 AM on Sunday July 3, a passerby in downtown Morrisville noticed a fire at the Village Center Apartments affordable housing development and contacted emergency responders. Area fire departments responded quickly. Firefighters successfully contained and put out the fire, and remained on site for several hours to ensure that the fire did not reignite. Village Center Apartments is currently under construction and does not have residents residing in it presently. Work crews were not at the job site the day of the fire. No injuries to people or property damages in the vicinity related to the fire are known at this time.

Local and state police and fire professionals have begun an investigation into the cause of the fire, and a building assessment is underway by insurance professionals. At this time, these efforts are currently inconclusive.

Vermont State Police Sometime during the Holiday weekend an antique 1958 John Deere Tractor was stolen out of a garage on Moody Hill Road in Vershire. Through the course of investigation and the tire tracks on scene, it is believed the tractor was loaded onto a trailer and driven out of the area. Vermont State Police are asking anybody with any knowledge of this incident or anyone who might have seen anything in the Moody Hill Road area over the weekend to contact Trooper Haley of the St Johnsbury Barracks at 802-222-4680.

Vermont Business Magazine Selective Insurance, a leading carrier for business insurance, is now open for business in Vermont. Selective is offering its unique commercial insurance solutions and bonds to small, mid-sized, and large companies operating in the state. Partnering with many of Vermont's high-caliber independent insurance agencies, Selective offers customized policies to meet each business's unique risk management needs.

"Vermont is home to a variety of extraordinary businesses, each deserving tailored coverages that help them mitigate risks that are unique to their work and recover after a loss. Selective and our elite network of independent Vermont insurance agencies have extensive market knowledge and expertise with more than 80 types of businesses," said Thomas Purnell, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, Northeast Region. "In addition, our innovative, customer-centric solutions enable us to deliver a superior customer experience."

Vermont Business Magazine “Thirty years ago my Dad called and ask me to help out for a summer at a roadside market he was buying in Woodstock,” said Patrick Crowl, owner of Woodstock Farmers’ Market (WFM), which now has two stores in Woodstock and Waterbury, 85 employees, and grosses $15 million in sales between both locations. “Needless to say, it’s been a long summer. I can’t believe we’re celebrating 30 years.”

This summer the WFM team is putting a special spin on their annual celebration, “Local Food Is Love,” with a focus on their 30-year history as a destination for locally grown produce, meat, and dairy products, as well as Vermont-made grocery items.

Vermont Business Magazine After two years of virtual programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) is once again holding their signature summer programs in person. More than 500 rising 10th–12th graders, representing seventy-five high schools from every corner of Vermont, are spending 1-2 weeks on a college campus diving deeply into the topics they love: Arts, Astronomy, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science & Technology, Global Issues & Youth Action, Health & Medicine, Mathematical Sciences, and Technology & Design.

GIV kicked off the 2022 summer session at Champlain College with the Technology & Design Institute. Celebrating its 20^th year, this Institute provides an opportunity for tech savvy students to explore the intersection between art and science and hone their ability to develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Vermont Business Magazine Due to circumstances related to and created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Trustees of the Vermont Farm Show, Inc., is cancelling the 2023 show and assessing how to ensure the event successfully serves the state’s agricultural interests in the years to come.

In a recent meeting, the Board unanimously agreed that the Vermont Farm Show should return in 2024, after a period of critique, evaluation and review to ensure the event evolves with current needs and wants of the Vermont agriculture community in the 21^st century. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) will coordinate a focus group with agricultural sector stakeholders to help meet this goal.