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Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Monday released the remaining nine Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bills. Monday’s announcement follows months of Leahy calling for bipartisan, bicameral negotiations with the White House on topline spending and the successful, bipartisan passage of the Energy & Water, Military Construction and Veteran’s Affairs, and Agriculture and Rural Development appropriations bills out of the Committee back in August.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor, VocRehab Vermont, Creative Workforce Solutions, and local partners will host two in-person outdoor job fairs in southern Vermont this week, with October Job Fest events taking place in Bennington (Wednesday) and Rutland (Thursday). Also this week, the Department of Labor’s weekly #Hiring2Day Virtual Job Fair (Thursday) focuses on jobs in the ski industry and will feature employers from across the state. The virtual event will include a presentation from Ski Vermont about the benefits of careers within the industry.

Vermont Business Magazine Lawson’s Finest Liquids has been named the 2021 First-Generation Family Enterprise Award winner by the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business’ Family Business Institute. Established in 2011, the UVM Family Business Awards honor four local, family-owned businesses annually. Nominees are evaluated on financial success, governance structure, contribution to community or industry, as well as commitments to sustainability and innovation. The Grossman School of Business’ Family Business Institute also awarded 2021 Family Business Awards across to Healthy Living, Giroux Farms, and H.N. Williams.

Vermont Business Magazine At a meeting on September 29, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board committed $5.24 million in federal funds and $3.68 million in state funding to acquire, construct, and rehabilitate 316 affordable homes in Newport, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, Barre, Bellows Falls, Bennington and Burlington, including acquisition of two cooperatively owned mobile home parks in Colchester with 233 lots, helping those households stabilize lot rents, invest in improvements, and actively participate in management of their parks. Seven new homes for homeless households will be placed in mobile home parks in Braintree, Milton, and Swanton.

Vermont Humanities Council Join author Bill McKibben tonight for "Thinking through the Future," the next event in the VHC Fall Conference 2021: “This Mazéd World:” The Humanities and Climate Change. Science can help us understand the greatest crisis we’ve ever found ourselves in—but so can the humanities. From the biblical book of Job to the latest science fiction, literature can help us learn what it means to have suddenly become so large and can also give us clues to how we might shrink ourselves and our society a little.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets When the coronavirus first appeared, most of us thought of the pandemic as a transitory disaster - something to endure. But as case counts have ebbed and flowed and the virus has continued to evolve, it seems obvious that we will be living with the impacts of this disease for much longer than anyone hoped. That's a poignant reality for the people, businesses and organizations still struggling to recover. Fortunately, there are several programs still available that can help provide some relief.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting another spike today with 241cases of COVID-19 (down 101 cases) after after setting a pandemic record Saturday. The three worst days for cases have all come since mid-September, as the Delta variant has taken over since early July. There may some variability from day to day because of when cases are reported to the VDH, but the seven-day average remains high.

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine The unpredictability of the COVID pandemic makes Bill Colvin cautious when assessing the county’s economy. “I think it's still a little uncertain,” said the executive director of the Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC). Many acknowledged similar reservations, but overall, optimism outweighs concern in Bennington County.

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine This winter, the Vermont Innovation Box, a coworking space and incubator program, will open in downtown Bennington. Once open, VIB has the potential to become part of a network of support for entrepreneurs. One such effort is the Bennington County Regional Commission’s entrepreneurial support committee

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine Annie Bessette feels grateful. The principal broker with TPW Real Estate said that the past 18 months have treated the Bennington real estate market well. Residential sales have remained constant, and new people have settled in the county.

Vermont Business Magazine Energy efficiency is the gift that keeps on giving, and Efficiency Vermont encourages Vermonters to treat themselves to some savings on National Energy Efficiency Day this Wednesday, Oct. 6. Energy Efficiency Day is a collaborative effort of dozens of energy efficiency advocates around the nation, working together to raise awareness of the vital role energy efficiency plays in helping consumers save money, protect the environment, and improve the comfort of their homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

Vermont Business Magazine On August 20th Mayor Miro Weinberger announced a new vaccination policy requiring all City employees to either be vaccinated or submit to regular COVID-19 testing, effective October 11th. This week, the City reports that more than 95% of employees have submitted proof of vaccination, with 56 employees beginning weekly testing. New hires are required to show proof of vaccination with no option to meet the policy requirements through testing.