Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in Bennington County, United Counseling Service (UCS) announced it will require all employees, interns, and volunteers to be fully vaccinated by November 1, 2021, unless exempted due to medical or religious reasons. The community behavioral health center which employs approximately 300 people and serves over 3,000 individuals per year, is a large employer in the county and one of the first to mandate the vaccine.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University recently received a $20,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, to fund the development of the Affordable Shipping Container Homes Project. The Affordable Shipping Container Homes Project will design affordable housing units with recycled shipping containers.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Most of us know the joys of Vermont maple syrup poured over a hot stack of pancakes, but there are plenty of other creative (and delicious) ways to enjoy maple. From mid-September to mid-October, Vermont’s Maple 100 invites you to explore all the ways to enjoy one of the state’s most treasured treats - through themed fall activities, events, and specialty products found around the state.

by Michelle Monroe, Vermont Business Magazine The strength of Franklin County’s economy has always been its diversity. The county houses multiple manufacturing operations, government workers, health care and agriculture, along with a touch of tourism and attractive, historic downtowns. But 2020 was still a challenging year. Northwestern Medical Center laid off workers, while damage to the building housing US Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Vermont Service Center had workers leaving St Albans City to work in Essex.

by Michelle Monroe, Vermont Business Magazine By just about any measure St Albans City’s economic development strategy has been a success. In a decade, the city has added $75 million to its tax base, a roughly 60 percent increase, without increasing taxes, according to city manager Dominic Cloud. The key to that success has been public private partnerships and a tax increment financing (TIF) district.

​by Michelle Monroe, Vermont Business Magazine Census data from Vermont’s fourth most populous county reflects ongoing population trends in Vermont and around the world – people leaving rural areas for more urbanized ones. Communities on the western side of Franklin County, which benefit from proximity to Chittenden County, home to the state’s largest city and Vermont’s economic powerhouse, gained population. Those on the more rural eastern side lost.

Vermont Business Magazine “At Last!” exclaimed Saint Michael’s College President Lorraine Sterritt as she welcomed 206 members from the Class of 2020 and their families to their long-awaited “In-Person Celebration of the 113th Commencement” on Saturday morning, September 18, 2021, outdoors on the Durick Library steps and lawn.

Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront The third and final phase of the Burlington Greenway has kicked off, with BPRW contracting with VHB, a South Burlington engineering firm that has provided design services for phases 1 and 2 previously. Phase 3 begins at the City’s southern border (Queen City Park Road), parallels the Champlain Parkway alignment, connecting to Oakledge Park via Austin Drive, through the Lakeside neighborhood, behind the former Blodgett Oven factory, then passing through Roundhouse Park and Perkins Pier.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report for the week of September 20, 2021, is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 210 new cases of COVID-19 (187 Saturday). The VDH also reported on Saturday two more deaths, which now stand at 298 statewide. There are 41 people hospitalized (down one from yesterday) and 12 in the ICU (down two). Hospitalizations have remained relatively steady. The IT glitch discovered Thursday has been resolved. The glitch caused a delay in reporting of cases since September 9, with cases too low and then seeming to spike. But the recent surge in cases and deaths attributed to the Delta variant remain high. The Delta surge was expected to plateau by now in Vermont, as it has in other countries.

Vermont State Police On Friday 09/17/2021, at approximately 1812 hours, Vermont State Police responded along with 45 Parallel EMS and Colebrook NH Fire Department to a report of a motorcycle crash on VT RT 102 in the Town of Lemington, VT. Upon arrival the operator of the motorcycle was identified as Andre Dostie. Dostie succumbed to his injuries on scene.

Vermont Business Magazine Northfield Savings Bank (NSB) has announced the opening of a new temporary branch office in Richmond Vermont at 53 Railroad Street. The new location opened its doors to the public on July 1. The temporary branch is equipped to accommodates three NSB bankers and an equivalent number of customers at one time.