Current News

by Dawn Schneiderman Blue Cross employees are taking the Vaccine Pledge. To support Vermont public health goals, encourage our friends and neighbors to get their COVID vaccinations, and contribute to our overall community health goals, our employee Worksite Wellness Program is donating $100 for each employee who commits to be vaccinated when their group is approved by the state. These donations in the employee’s name will go to their choice of three local community service organizations. Employees have enthusiastically joined the movement, boosting their overall wellness, and supporting our local community organizations.

Vermont Business Magazine Union Bankshares, Inc (NASDAQ - UNB) has announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and declared a regular quarterly cash dividend. Consolidated net income for the first quarter was $2.9 million, or $0.64 per share compared to $2.2 million, or $0.49 cents per share, for the same period in 2020, an increase of $680 thousand, or 30.9 percent. Union Bankshares, headquartered in Morrisville, Vermont, is the bank holding company parent of Union Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Natural Resources Council awarded a Small Grant for Smart Growth to the Cross Vermont Trail Association to further its goal of connecting villages, schools, and conserved natural areas in Central Vermont. CVTA is working to build out a network of trails that serve the upper Winooski Valley, from Montpelier to the Groton State Forest, winding through East Montpelier, Plainfield and Marshfield, providing a way for pedestrians and cyclists to conveniently access the outdoors. The basis of the Cross Vermont Trail lies in an old railbed formerly used by the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad, which for many decades was used as an informal public trail.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s well known that low-income students in urban schools face significant challenges in attending college. But rural students go to college and remain there at even lower rates than their urban counterparts. A new initiative, the North Country Brilliant Pathways Program, aims to address this under-recognized gap for students at 20 elementary, middle and high schools in rural Vermont and northeastern New York by providing them with a multi-faceted, comprehensive college readiness program.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of Earth Day, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced that it has joined the effort to protect the Monarch butterfly by enrolling highway right-of-way lands throughout the state in a voluntary nationwide conversation program. The eastern Monarch population has declined by approximately 77 percent since 1995.

Nature Notes by ANR Secretary Julie Moore I recently finished Bill Gates’ new book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. It was a worthy read. I was particularly struck by one of his concluding remarks: “I hope you will spend more time and energy supporting whatever you’re in favor of than opposing whatever you’re against.” I am an optimist by nature, and so perhaps it is for that reason this quote spoke to me.

Vermont Business Magazine Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today re-introduced bipartisan legislation that requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take enforcement action against manufacturers labeling non-dairy products as dairy. The DAIRY PRIDE Act would stop the use of dairy terms such as milk, yogurt and cheese on the labels of non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae. The legislation does not prevent the sale of non-dairy products, only their mislabeling as dairy products.

Vermont Business Magazine Customer reviews earned Green Mountain Power top spots on the 2021 Environmental Champion Utility List, joining 30 other utilities from around the country as ‘best-in-class’ for dedication to the environment. GMP earned the No. 1 spot among utilities in the east region and the No. 6 spot overall. The study of customers was conducted by Escalent, a behavior and analytics firm, which released the list in conjunction with Earth Day.

Vermont Business Magazine OneCare Vermont has been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) organization operated for non-profit purposes. OneCare filed an application with the IRS seeking 501(c)(3) status, in recognition of its commitment to supporting Vermont’s health care delivery and payment reform efforts. This designation by the IRS that OneCare and its provider partners are acting in furtherance of non-profit purposes is a major milestone for the organization, and a testament to the organization’s commitment to transparency and value based reform efforts.

Vermont Business Magazine Harbour Industries LLC, a Marmon | Berkshire Hathaway company announced Wednesday they have achieved qualification to MIL-DTL-25038/3 from the Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency. With a continuous operating temperature rating up to 260 C AeroPOWER Firezone M25038/3 wire and cable are high-temp solutions for harsh environments such as aircraft engines.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Plank Flooring is one of those businesses that seems quintessentially “Vermont.” Family-owned for three generations, VPF is hidden in plain sight right off of Putney Road in Brattleboro. VPF uses selectively cut, sustainably harvested wood that is “as local as possible” to create wide plank, hardwood flooring for customers all over the country.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Dairy Industry Association (VDIA), in partnership with the A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund, has announced the 2020 Vermont Milk Quality Awards. Traditionally presented at the Vermont Farm Show each year, the 2021 awards were announced on the UVM Extension program “Across the Fence” Wednesday, recognizing the dairy farmers who produced Vermont's best quality milk in 2020.