Current News

​Vermont Business Magazine Common Good Vermont is pleased to announce the Vermont launch of the 2022 Survey on Nonprofit Wages and Benefits in Northern New England. The survey is conducted every two years in partnership with the Maine Association of Nonprofits and the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits and is used to produce an annual report that tells an important and deeply informative story about nonprofit employment in Vermont and northern New England.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced that Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters and members of his elections division attended a two-day regional conference on election cybersecurity and preparedness alongside other New England colleagues and federal partners led by the Depart of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS CISA).

“Cybersecurity is a race without a finish line. Ensuring the cybersecurity of our Vermont election systems has been and is a top priority of my office,” said Condos. “Our Vermont cyber posture grows stronger when we work together in partnership with other states and with our federal partners, sharing best practices and growing our channels of communication to improve our collective situational awareness.”

Vermont Business Magazine Bipartisan legislation backed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to crack down on anticompetitive behavior by foreign oil producing nations advanced Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill now goes to the full Senate.

The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC, will let the federal government take action against price fixing by OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and its partner nations. The bill is sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and cosponsored by Leahy and by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). Their bill was approved in a strong vote of 17 to 4. Leahy, a former chair and ranking member of the committee, led in developing and introducing earlier versions of the bill.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 345 cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. There were 504 on Tuesday, 304 on Monday, 98 on Sunday, 294 cases on Saturday, 323 on Friday and 417 on Thursday. Cases have edged up in recent weeks, especially in Bennington and Washington counties, and grew 5 percent in the last week (2,317 new cases, 318 more cases compared to last week).

Vermont Business Magazine Today Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced his plans for the 2022 campaign cycle by issuing the following statement:

“I will not seek reelection as Attorney General in 2022. I have wrestled with this decision for the past few months and it feels like the right choice. After nearly sixteen years as an elected official (19 years in public service), it is time to take a break from the political world and pursue other opportunities.

I have tried my best to do what was right over the course of my career. I have been guided by the belief that Vermonters are good, decent people who should not be defined by their mistakes, but should be given the opportunity to comply with the law. This belief stems from my own experiences growing up in Vermont, which taught me a valuable lesson: trust Vermonters and believe in their goodness. I’ve tried to pass this on to others and instill this philosophy in my office.

Vermont Business Magazine Nick Guastamachio wasn’t sure which employers were going to be at May Job Fest: Rutland, but after learning about the event he decided to take a look. Having recently applied to a few customer-service positions, Guastamachio used the job fair to explore and reconnect.

“I’ve been trying to find work and have had a few interviews at a few different places, but I haven’t had much luck in getting hired just yet,” said Guastamachio. “[The job fair] gave me a chance to see a few employers that I did interview with or filled out an application for and just hadn’t heard back from.”

Guastamachio said that he also learned about opportunities with other employers, including Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The inaugural America East Sustainability Conference is pleased to announce that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Casella) (NASDAQ: CWST) has been named Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 conference, taking place June 7-9, 2022, at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters turned in almost 3.5 tons of unused, unwanted and expired medication on the 22^nd nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day this past Saturday.

The total of 6,950.1 pounds collected eclipsed every previous Prescription Drug Take Back Day except for the event held in spring 2021.

“The continued success of this program is a testament to how seriously Vermonters take the issue of properly disposing of unused medication, which we know can fuel addiction when treated less carefully,” said Governor Scott. “Getting these drugs out of people’s medicine cabinets is a key element of our prevention strategies, and I thank our local, state and federal partners — and especially every Vermonter who participated — for their determined and ongoing work to address the opioid epidemic.”

Vermont Business Magazine H.466, a new bill that will help Vermont protect its surface waters, passed second reading in the Vermont Senate today. Its recent passage in both the Vermont House and the Senate represents a significant step toward thoughtful climate-resilient protections for our rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, while ensuring equitable access for surface water users in the future.

Vermont Business Magazine Efficiency Vermont is honored to receive the 2022 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

2021 was a year of recovery and transformation for Vermont. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt lives, Efficiency Vermont maintained a focus on the hardest hit sectors of the economy. Energy-saving programs helped Vermonters and businesses lower costs, build resilience, and reduce carbon emissions.

​Vermont Business Magazine As more employees head back to the office and some consider a job transfer, CapRelo, a global employee relocation and assignment management firm serving private and public sector clients, recently commissioned a survey about what makes a great coworker. The top trait of a great coworker is being collaborative.

“We were curious about the connection between colleagues—especially as more are going back into the workplace and juggling a hybrid work environment,” explained Barry Morris, CEO, CapRelo. “Not surprisingly, we learned that working together with coworkers is very important. The results underscore the importance of work culture, and for those embarking upon a relocation for work, understanding how coworkers interact helps integrate into a productive environment faster.”