Current News

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50-years of construction experience in solar, electrical and data services, announced its ranking as one of the top solar contractors in the United States by Solar Power World, the industry’s leading source for technology, development and installation news. iSun was ranked 38th overall, and 3rd amongst all commercial & industrial EPC contractors in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine Turtle Fur, founded in 1982 as the inventor of the ubiquitous fleece neck warmer, is for sale. The owner made the announcement that they intend to sell the iconic Morrisville manufacturer through a broker Wednesday evening.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast Business today announced it has launched its new wireless mobile service for small businesses, Comcast Business Mobile, nationally across its footprint. Comcast Business Mobile is designed to help small businesses be ready for today and whatever comes next with flexible data options, nationwide 5G coverage, and savings. Comcast Business Mobile benefits from the success and expertise established by top-rated mobile service, Xfinity Mobile.

Vermont Business Magazine This summer, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets’ Produce Program partnered with growers to celebrate the steps they take to bring food from the field to customers. The campaign features Vermont farmers telling their stories, a message that puts a face with the product and invites all Vermonters to value the food they buy, how it’s produced, and who grows it.

by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute In March, the American Rescue Plan Act allotted nearly $200 million of relief to Vermont’s local governments—$76.6 million to cities and towns, and another $121 million to Vermont counties—to respond to the COVID health emergency, boost essential worker pay, provide needed government services, and invest in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure. This money will have significant impact, as it is nearly 40 percent of what Vermont local governments collected in municipal taxes in 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Donovan today announced an anticipated settlement agreement in principle with three distributors of opioids sued last year by his office – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids. The amount of Vermont’s portion of this national settlement amounts to roughly $60 million. The settlement agreement would resolve investigations and litigation over the companies’ roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) Tuesday introduced new legislation to extend Social Security benefits to age 26 for students who are survivors, children of disabled workers, and eligible grandchildren of retired workers. The Senators’ legislation, the Helping Students Successfully Overcome Adversity and Rise (SOAR) with Social Security Act, would restore critical supports for families and bolster the higher education success of their children.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Cabinet are urging Congress to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF), negotiated by a group of Democratic and Republican senators and the White House. At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Scott was joined by Joe Flynn, secretary of the Agency of Transportation, Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources and June Tierney, commissioner of the Department of Public Service, to discuss the benefits of the package.

Vermont Business Magazine Today at 6pm, Representative Peter Welch (Vermont) and Representative Joaquin Castro (TX) will host a virtual town hall event to discuss the fight to protect voting rights, the rise of voter suppression legislation across the country, and what people can do to help the effort to combat these laws. Since January 2021, state legislators in 48 states have introduced over 390 proposed laws to make it harder to vote. To date, 28 of these bills have been signed into law in 17 states.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) on Tuesday released a report examining the financial impacts of COVID-19 on Vermont’s commercial health insurance marketplace to determine whether any consumer premium relief is warranted. The report focuses on the financial performance of BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont (BCBSVT), MVP Health Group (MVP), the Vermont Education Health Initiative (VEHI), and Cigna throughout the pandemic. Specifically, BCBSVT’s Medicare Supplement and Cigna’s large group market segments, which together totaled approximately $2.2 million in COVID-19 related profits. However, the report also concludes that additional premium relief in these or other market segments may be warranted in the future.

by John McClaughry There was a time, fifty years ago, when many teachers, superintendents, and academics belonged to their professional group, founded as the Vermont Teachers Association in 1850. For many years public school teachers – mostly women – usually had the respect of the community but barely enough salary to pay their bills. So in 1969 education activists persuaded a Republican legislature and governor to enact a collective bargaining law.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Patty Richards and Dan Nelson to the newly established Vermont Community Broadband Board. Richards will serve as chair and Nelson will fill one of four board member positions. The Board will be responsible for awarding grants and assisting the Communication Union Districts (CUDs) in their planning, development, and implementation of broadband projects.