Current News
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine In honor of our Golden Anniversary and in celebration of 50 years of love, Subaru of New England (SNE) is proud to sponsor Green Up Day, once again, this Saturday, May 1 in Vermont. Through our Subaru Loves the Earth initiative, we seek such opportunities to preserve the environment for generations to come. For the 15th consecutive year, SNE and a group of its employees will be traveling to The Green Mountain State to support Green Up Vermont’s statewide initiative to make the state even greener. The SNE team will be cleaning nearly a mile of roadway near Stowe, VT’s downtown.
All seven of our Vermont Subaru Retailers will, once again, be serving as official drop-off locations for the cleanup: Brattleboro Subaru, Burlington Subaru, Lundgren Subaru, Rutland Subaru, Saint J Subaru, Twin City Subaru, and White River Subaru. Each location will have a dumpster for disposal of Green Up bags.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, April 28, the Vermont Department of Labor disabled its online unemployment insurance initial claim application in response to a sharp increase in fraudulent claims being filed. Upon review of the claims being submitted, more than 90% of initial claims were being flagged as fraudulent.
In the meantime, Vermonters who need to file a first-time claim or open a new benefit year can do so by contacting the UI Claimant Assistance Center at 877-214-3330. The Claimant Assistance Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:00a.m. to 5:30p.m.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Applications for the BTV Ignite STEM and Technical Skill Grant Fund are open now and remain open through July 23, 2021.
The STEM & Technical Skill Fund, provided by Burlington Telecom, is a competitive process open to Burlington-based non-profit or entrepreneurial support organizations well-positioned to support teaching technical skills, STEM education, and workforce development for the Burlington youth and workforce, principally those for whom this would create new economic opportunities.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Mike Smith, Secretary of the Agency of Human Services, announced today that Sarah Squirrell, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and Cory Gustafson, Commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA), will resign from their positions effective July 1, 2021 and May 31, 2021, respectively.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Women may now join any combat arms unit in the Vermont Army National Guard, following authorization by National Guard Bureau. The Vermont Army National Guard is the first in the nation to open all combat arms units within its organization to the recruitment of women.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger announced that the City of Burlington received a $20,000 TD Green Space Grant from TD Bank Group (TD) and the Arbor Day Foundation to support innovative urban greening and tree planting projects in Burlington.
The City of Burlington plans to use the grant to plant 210 trees the Old North End. Burlington was one of 20 U.S. and Canadian cities selected to receive a grant.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Colleges System Chancellor Sophie Zdatny released a statement today on the Vermont Senate’s proposal to support the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) with a total proposed appropriation of $88.9 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 State Budget.
Notably, the Senate and House are in agreement on major aspects of the VSCS budget, including:
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Earlier this week, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed bill S.60 into law. The new law provides cooperative and community-owned public power utilities with the ability to make minor adjustments to electric rates and provide customers with new, innovative services. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Ann Cummings, is the result of collaboration among electric utilities, state utility regulators, and Vermont legislators.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine An agreement between The University of Vermont and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America, Local 267 (“UE”) has been ratified by the UE membership. The union represents over 330 service and maintenance workers at UVM. The three-year contract includes wage increases and a $15 minimum wage or so-called “wage floor.”
“The university greatly appreciates the contributions that its employees make, which are integral to UVM’s continued success,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “I am pleased that we were able build on the progress we have made toward ensuring that all employees earn a livable wage. The increase to a $15 per hour wage floor in this contract is an important milestone.”
by tim
Bill Would Make Green Mountain State the First in the Nation to Offer Breakfast to All School Children
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate on Thursday unanimously gave preliminary approval to a bill that would bring Universal School Breakfast to all Vermont schools by 2022. The bill (S.100) would make Vermont the first state in the nation to provide breakfast free of charge to all public school students every school day. The Senate is expected to give final approval to the bill on Friday, and then it will move to the House for consideration.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc, based in Rutland, on Thursday reported its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2021. They include: Revenues were $189.5 million for the quarter, up $6.6 million, or up 3.6%, from the same period in 2020; Overall solid waste pricing for the quarter was up 3.4%, driven by collection pricing, up 3.5%, and landfill pricing, up 3.5%, from the same period in 2020; Net income was $4.3 million for the quarter, up $3.3 million, or up 349.5%, from the same period in 2020.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Association of Vermont Independent Colleges, and 14 Vermont colleges and universities are announcing the 2021 Choose Vermont Scholarship Program, which will award $70,000 in scholarship money to students who commit to attend a Vermont school by June 1. Both out-of-state and Vermont students are eligible to enter.
The program was developed through a partnership across Vermont’s higher education sector to market Vermont as a top destination for attending college. The campaign targets students already accepted to a Vermont school, encouraging them to take the next step and “Choose Vermont.”