Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Thanks to a $1.3 million allocation included by Vermont legislators in the final version of bill S.11, signed by Governor Scott today, June 8, the groundbreaking Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE) program now has the necessary funding to continue to leverage FEMA support in providing COVID relief support for Vermont restaurants, farmers, and meal recipients. Everyone Eats is an innovative, multi-sector COVID relief program providing economic support to local restaurants, economic benefit to farmers, and restaurant-prepared meals for food-insecure Vermonters negatively impacted by COVID. All three pillars of the program — restaurants, farmers, and eaters — continue to benefit significantly from the relief this program provides.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed into law S.11, An act relating to economic and workforce development, which contains a comprehensive package of workforce and economic development initiatives first proposed by the Scott Administration and passed by the Legislature this session. The bill invests $84.5 million of both state and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to address Vermont’s workforce shortage and provide local businesses and municipalities with resources to grow in the years ahead.

Vermont Business Magazine Agilitas Energy, the largest integrated developer, builder, owner and operator of distributed energy storage and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the northeastern US, announced today it has raised $350 million of equity in a two-tiered investment from funds managed by CarVal Investors L.P. The investment will fund a national footprint build-out of Agilitas Energy’s large pipeline of renewable energy and battery storage systems. Agilitas is working with GMP on developing a battery storage project in Bristol.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) It is hard really to know where to start. I am here on the Senate Floor to talk about guns. In a world in chaos, we cannot forget about the chaos right here at home. Gun violence is killing our children. Nineteen students, and two of their teachers, in Uvalde two weeks ago. Twenty children, and seven others, in Newtown, Connecticut — nearly 10 years ago. Twelve students, and a teacher, at Columbine — 23 years ago. In between? Las Vegas — 58 dead. The Pulse Nightclub — 49 dead. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School —17 dead. All victims of gun violence. And this is just a snapshot of the epidemic of gun violence in our country. I look back at my 48 years here in the Senate and say, when will we say enough?

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont utilities are reminding their customers that help is available for those struggling to pay existing and past bills. Vermonters financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for two grant programs for renters and homeowners to help with overdue utility bills. Customers may be eligible for tens of thousands of dollars through these programs, and should apply now before money runs out: Vermont Emergency Rental Assistance Program (VERAP); Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VT HAP).

Vermont Business Magazine For Pride Month, Out Leadership, the premier global network for LGBTQ+ business leaders and companies, unveiled the 4th annual State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index for 2022. The Index is a ranking from highest to lowest of all 50 states as it relates to legal, political, emotional support, health, business and other parameters for LGBTQ+ Americans. Vermont ranked as #5 in the 2022 LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index. Vermont did well in all the subcategories except Work Environment & Employment. The top 10 states are New York (ranking #1), Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, Oregon, California and Colorado, while the bottom 10 states are Montana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and South Carolina (ranking last at #50).

VermontBiz Chris Tuff is known as "The Millennial Whisperer" because of the book he authored of the same name. However, the partner at Atlanta ad agency 22Squared speaks loud and clear when he talks about what managers of businesses large and small need to do to attract, develop and retain talented young people who are millennials and part of Generation Z.

"Take a vested interest in younger employees' lives and have the conversation about what motivates you, what excites you, what is it that you want to do in the world," Tuff advises leaders. "And when we start doing that, that is where your retention rate will skyrocket, your culture will get better and you will actually be able to retain your top talent."

Vermont State Police An autopsy was performed Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington on the adult man found deceased Monday on Greeley Road in Springfield. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death is a homicide. The Vermont State Police has completed notification of next of kin and is able to identify the victim in this incident as Justin Gilliam, 38, of Springfield, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Housing Trust of Rutland County (HTRC) has relocated to 27 Wales St., Suite 201 in downtown Rutland. HTRC will hold an Open House and Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 30, 2022, 4-6pm. The open house and annual meeting are open to the public. Housing Trust of Rutland County’s Open House and Annual Meeting will include tours of the new location, a ribbon cutting, a brief presentation and election of Board Members for the next year. Their new space is the former home of the Rutland Herald and has been completely remodeled by owners The Belden Company. Hors d’oeuvres will also be available.

Vermont Business Magazine Along with the housing bills S210 and S226, Governor Phil Scott signed eight bills into law, including the property tax rate bill (for which there is modest relief) and one to modernize the liquor laws. However, he vetoed H728, the "safe injection sites" bill. He said that it would divert resources from proven harm-reduction strategies to a program whose efficacy is not yet known.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott gathered with members of the Legislature and local housing partners at the Salisbury Square, a planned affordable housing neighborhood, in Randolph today to sign two historic housing bills. The bills, S.226 and S.210, dedicate substantial state investments to bolster Vermont’s housing stock. The two bills are funded with both state funds and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and will deliver more than $45 million to housing programs. These funds add to the $200 million allocated last fiscal year and in the Budget Adjustment Act, as part of the Governor’s $250 million housing package. The bills will provide additional funding for downtown and neighborhood revitalization and reforms to Act 250, all of which will pave the way to more housing of all types across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Make-A-Wish Vermont reached new heights today as they celebrated their 900th wish with a little help from their friends at Beta Technologies and the Vermont Flight Academy (VFA). On Saturday, 17-year-old Wish Kid Dylan of Williston, who wished for the flight hours to earn his pilot’s license, clocked his first flight with a view of the Make-A-Wish Vermont office out his window. On Saturday morning, Tom D’Urso, Executive Director of VFA, and Katie Clark, a founding member of Beta Technologies, greeted Dylan at the Make-A-Wish Vermont office to reveal that his wish was coming true and his Discovery Flight would be that day.