Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Throughout December 2021, Vermont State Police received multiple reports of thefts from Dollar General stores in Richford, Enosburg, and Georgia. The same suspect was observed on security cameras loading shopping carts full of merchandise, exiting without paying - even when confronted, and loading the stolen merchandise into a vehicle before fleeing. VSP’s investigation identified the suspects as Jessica and Robert Bigelow, who reside on Weaver Street in Winooski, and a Search Warrant was granted for their residence.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections detected an incarcerated case of COVID-19 during intake quarantine at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) in South Burlington. Vermont DOC conducted the test on December 27, with results returned December 29.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health on Thursday reported a record 1,352 COVID-19 cases, the day after cases spiked to a then record of 940. The previous record was 739 cases set on December 9. The state expected a surge in cases for the holidays, driven by the new Omicron variant.

by Kelly Nottermann, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Passionate about climate change and sustainability, Jesse Thornburg and Javad Mohammadi met in Pennsylvania through their respective research on ways to reduce energy demand on the power grid—the key, they felt, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing climate change. Thornburg came from a renewable energy background, while Mohammadi had worked with utilities, but they both came to the same conclusion: big companies, including Google and Honeywell, were making headway in the residential space, but there was one niche not being targeted by the biggest players—commercial refrigeration. Drawing on their respective experience and shared research, Thornburg and Mohammadi launched Grid Fruit in late 2018 to reduce costs and emissions by bringing data-driven intelligence to food retail operations.

Vermont Outdoor Guide Association If increased traffic to our website is any indication, 2022 is going to be a great year for Vermont's recreation industry. Over the last two years, we have gone from an old website design with a declining number of visitors to our new website with a record number of visitors. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Vermont’s outdoor recreation to state gross domestic product (GDP) was ranked the 3rd highest in the nation in 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, President Joe Biden appointed the following individuals to serve in key regional leadership roles at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Sarah Waring was named the USDA State Director, Rural Development for Vermont and New Hampshire.

“We are grateful to have Sarah Waring in the role of State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “With diverse skills and experiences, she will be an important representative of USDA in her jurisdiction as we work to improve the lives of the American people and build a better America.”

RD State Directors serve as the chief executive officer of Rural Development in the states and territories and are tasked with carrying out the mission of Rural Development to the benefit of everyone in rural America.

by Anson Tebbetts And just like that, 2022 is here. Where do the days go? 2021 was another year of constant change under COVID-19. At times, we returned to our former world with its schedules, routines and traditions but the cloud of the pandemic was always with us. We welcomed vaccines to protect us against the virus arrived and so did the booster shots. Vermonters continue to do their part to mitigate the virus but it’s still with us. We are grateful for our farmers and producers who continue to feed us under challenging circumstances. We know expenses are up for feed, supplies and fuel. We also are working on solutions with finding help to do the work.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that parents and caregivers of Vermont’s K-12 children will be able to pick up one free rapid antigen test kit per student this week at sites around Vermont. The state is encouraging parents to use these kits to test kids before they return to school next week, but a test is not a requirement for returning to school. Families with children in kindergarten through grade 12 will be able to pick up one kit per child at one of 51 Agency of Transportation sites around the state on Thursday, December 30 or Friday, December 31.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health on Wednesday reported a record 940 COVID-19 cases. The previous record was 739 cases set on December 9. The state expected a surge in cases for the holidays, driven by the new Omicron variant.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Democratic Candidate for Congress Molly Gray announced her first campaign hires and key advisors. Samantha Sheehan will serve as Campaign Manager and Liz Brown will serve as Deputy Campaign Manager. Owen Milne will serve as Finance Chair, and Dr. Sefakor G.M.A. Komabu-Pomeyie joins the team as a Special Advisor to the campaign on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“Our campaign has continued to build strength and momentum,” said Gray, “that is in large part thanks to the hard work of this incredible team. I’m so proud to introduce this talented group of Vermonters who are committed to using their skills and experience to build a brighter future for our state. Together, we’ll build a bold and inclusive campaign that reaches every corner of Vermont.”

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, announced that on December 22, 2021, it entered into a $650 million Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and swing line lender, Bank of America, N.A., Citizens Bank, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and Comerica Bank as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, and certain other agents and lenders (the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility matures on December 22, 2026, and replaces Casella’s prior $550 million credit facility.