Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims continue at a very high level as claimants were required to refile. Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said last that the pandemic hit one year ago. The annual refiling then triggered the increase. However, initial claims are nearly 15,000 fewer than the same time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointments of Sabina Haskell and Wendy Knight as deputy commissioners at the Department of Liquor and Lottery. The Department of Liquor and Lottery was created in 2018 when Governor Scott signed Act 1 of the special session into law, merging the Department of Liquor Control with the Vermont State Lottery.

by Gary Derr, University of Vermont vice president for operations and public safety There has been much attention in the news in recent weeks about UVM’s coronavirus cases. But focusing only on the number of positive test results, as news reports have done, is misleading. There is likely no other population in the state that is being tested more extensively than UVM students are. In a recent 14-day period, UVM conducted about 32% of all the tests across the entire state. That is a staggering statistic; nearly a third of all the coronavirus tests conducted throughout Vermont come from UVM tests.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Senate voted to advance two proposed amendments to the state Constitution. The Senate voted 29-1 in favor of Proposal 2, which seeks to clarify that slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited, and 26-4 in favor of Proposal 5, which seeks to ensure the personal reproductive liberty of every Vermonter.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders on Friday issued the following statement after workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama lost a vote to form a union: “I am disappointed but not surprised by the vote. It is extraordinarily courageous for workers to take on one of the world's wealthiest and most powerful corporations, a company that spent unlimited sums of money to defeat the organizing effort. It also appears that some of Amazon's anti-union efforts may have been in violation of NLRB law. And that is something that the union is addressing with the NLRB right now."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Vermont Afterschool and the Agency of Education today outlined a plan to enhance and expand summertime enrichment opportunities for Vermont students grades K-12. In response to the impact of the pandemic on children, youth and families, Governor Scott, Senator Sanders and other partners are working to ensure that every child, of every age, has access to engaging, enriching activities this summer. Knowing the challenges of this past year, these leaders are committed to making sure kids can re-connect with themselves, their friends, and their communities in safe and rewarding ways.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has released new travel guidance for both Vermonters traveling out of state and coming back and for those coming to Vermont. As part of Vermont's phased reopening plan, the new travel guidance is effective today, April 9, 2021. The CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated, because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.

Vermont Business Magazine The federal district court in New Hampshire ruled yesterday that an ACLU lawsuit challenging Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) immigration checkpoints in New England may proceed. While an individual CBP agent was dismissed from the case, the court rejected CBP’s argument that the case against CBP should be dismissed. As part of these immigration checkpoints, CBP has detained hundreds – if not thousands – of individuals lawfully traveling in northern New England during the summer and fall tourist seasons without any suspicion that they have committed a crime.

Vermont Business Magazine MILK MONEY VERMONT, an equity crowdfunding portal for Vermonters, announces its first 2021 campaign from LOCAL MAVERICK LLC. Vermonters will have the opportunity to learn more about and invest in the Local Maverick campaign via the Milk Money platform. Milk Money Vermont offers a unique opportunity for “impact investing” since a dollar invested in a local business generates potential financial return as well as tangible social return on investment. By investing in a local business such as Local Maverick, wealth will be circulated and help build a stronger community that will foster new relationships between businesses and community members.

Vermont Business Magazine The creative team responsible for the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) exhibit “Children of the Sun”—artist Jennifer Mack-Watkins, curator David Rios Ferreira, and poet fayemi shakur—will discuss the exhibit in a free Zoom presentation hosted by BMAC on Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. To register, visit brattleboromuseum.org. “Children of the Sun” celebrates the beauty, importance, and complexity of positive representation of African American children.

Vermont Business Magazine Union Mutual was recently honored by The Vermont Department of Health and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports with a 2021 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award – GOLD Level. This is the Company’s third consecutive top-tier wellness honor.