Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Leaders from the Rutland Area NAACP visited the Castleton campus on Wednesday evening, bringing with them a $2,000 check to support the University's student chapter. Rutland Area Branch President Mia Schultz presented students with the generous check, which was made possible with some of the proceeds from their Freedom Fund Dinner in September. The Freedom Fund Dinner raises necessary funds and highlights the work of the NAACP. Much of this year's event was filmed at Castleton's Casella Theater. Raynolds Awusi, a 2021 graduate and a student in Castleton's MBA program, was honored at the Freedom Fund Dinner for his work to found the University's student chapter - the only of its kind in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a month's long effort to identify and recruit Burlington’s next permanent Police Chief, Mayor Miro Weinberger has notified the City Council that he has accepted the Police Search Committee’s recommendation that the current pool is insufficient for the appointment of a permanent chief, and that he is suspending the search pending future Council action needed to make this effort successful. Deputy Chief Jon Murad has agreed to stay on as Acting Chief.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting today that COVID-19 cases fell by 110 from yesterday's pandemic record but at 377 were still the second highest daily total. VDH reported 487 cases on Thursday. The 11 worst days have all come since mid-September, following from the Delta variant surge that began in July. There also were three additional COVID-related deaths, for 383 statewide.

Vermont Business Magazine On October 25, 2021, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) informed the Vermont Telephone Company, Inc (VTel) that a significant portion of their service area in Vermont will now be considered eligible for USDA ReConnect funding. VTel’s service areas that do not meet the current minimum broadband service speed threshold of 100 Mbps Download x 20 Mbps Upload will be removed from RUS Protected Borrower Status and considered eligible under the new ReConnect rules. Because VTel has a large USDA loan to provide WI-FI service in much of the state, that shut most providers in Vermont, public and private, out of this funding stream. Now they can access it. This could be a big boost for broadband in Vermont, especially when combined with ARPA and other funding.

Vermont Business Magazine Nedde Real Estate on Monday celebrated the groundbreaking of 79 Pine Street, known as “The Nest.” The 47,000 Square foot building will add 49 apartments in Burlington’s Downtown District and is the first new apartment project in the Downtown District in two decades. The Nest is scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine The Manufacturing Institute has recognized Julie Martin of 89 North in Williston as an Honoree in their ninth annual STEP Ahead Awards, and her achievements, along with other honorees, was celebrated at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, on Thursday. The STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry. The award follows Martin’s recent promotion to Vice President.

Vermont Business Magazine After little more than a year since being approved as a B Corp™, socially responsible investment firm Greenvest® has been named a Best for the World™ B Corp for their exemplary performance beyond commercial metrics. Specializing in clean impact investment management for individuals, Trusts and employee retirement plans, Greenvest’s main offices are located in Vermont – Montpelier and Wells – with additional offices in the Boston and San Francisco Bay areas.

Vermont Business Magazine Thursday, November 4, 2021 – Former NBC5-TV Anchor Stephanie Gorin, WCAX-TV Photographer Shelly Holt Allen, Radio Vermont Group General Manager Steve Cormier and WVTK-FM Human/Canine co-hosts Bruce & Hobbes will be inducted in the Vermont Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame Saturday, December 4, 2021 at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a Williston-based leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50-years of construction experience in solar, electrical and data services, and a provisor of proprietary electric vehicle charging platforms, today announced that its iSun’s PALM solar-powered EV charging system has been selected by an undisclosed party for a Wisconsin commercial EV charging installation.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement Thursday afternoon after COVID-19 cases spike to by-far their highest level since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, with 487 cases. This is 140 more than the previous record set three weeks ago on October 15 (347). In part, Governor Scott said: "Invoking a state of emergency is unnecessary at this time, but we need Vermonters to think about what they can do to protect those at risk of hospitalization and deaths. That means each and every one of us taking individual steps to protect the vulnerable in our lives – the elderly and those with underlying conditions like heart or lung disease, smokers, or people who are pregnant."

Vermont Business Magazine As part of continuing work to meet unprecedented need and improve the community’s access to acute and emergency care, the University of Vermont Medical Center this week opened a space that will allow up to 8 extended recovery outpatient beds for patients recovering from surgery, and an additional 12 inpatient beds in existing space. A collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine has enabled the opening of up to 8 extended recovery outpatient beds in a space typically used for clinical research.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is hosting a webinar series throughout November to provide more details about the American Rescue Plan Act funding opportunities available through the Agency. This online series features six different webinars, with each one focused on a specific funding priority area. The webinars are designed for communities, individuals and businesses interested in using ARPA funding to invest in water infrastructure projects. ANR has $100 million in ARPA funding available to Vermonters ready to in invest in critical infrastructure projects that support water and sewer systems, housing affordability, and water quality improvements.