Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims nearly doubled last week as claimants were required to refile. Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said on Friday that the pandemic hit one year ago. The annual refiling then triggered the increase. On March 28, 2020, the Labor Department reported 1,511 new weekly filings, an increase of 729. This week's filings, which are a recent high, are, however, 13,122 fewer than the same time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The nonpartisan Campaign for Vermont on Friday released a list of bills in the Vermont Legislature that are still active. If a bill does not make crossover it will likely have to wait until next year for final passage. That being said, making the crossover deadline does not guarantee a bill will pass or that it won't change significantly before it does. So, now that that's out of the way. What bills have already made crossover you ask? Here is a breakdown (items in bold are new since the Campaign for Vermont's last update).

Passed by both chambers:

by Jen Kimmich I am a proud Vermonter. Born and raised in this state, my husband and I made Vermont our home because there is no place that we love more. We cherish the land, the people, even the muddy roads and drastic weather. My young parents moved here from Jersey City, NJ, where their life had been difficult. They had heard about this place called Vermont – a place with beautiful and affordable land, and even more important to them at the time, a safe place to raise their children. With very little money, two little boys, and a Volkswagen full of their belongings, they arrived in Brattleboro, Vermont in 1971; I was born the following year.

Vermont Business Magazine Technology-related employment in Vermont is poised to accelerate in 2021 and could surpass 22,600 workers by year’s end, according to CompTIA. CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2021 report shows that at the end of 2020 net tech employment in Vermont totaled 22,509 workers, 6.8% of the state’s overall workforce. The estimated median wage of $75,828 for tech workers is 71% more than the median wage for all occupations in the state. Vermont is home to more than 2,000 tech businesses and the tech sector has a direct impact of $2.6 billion on the state’s economy, 8.3% of the total.

Vermont Business Magazine Resident ownership has long been on the minds of the residents at the former Sterling View Mobile Home Park, but now that it is a reality, the new cooperative is anxious to get to work. The homeowners in Sterling View Mobile Home Park, a 55-plus community of 113 homes that sits 30 miles north of Montpelier, formed Sterling View Cooperative Community and purchased the land and infrastructure for $3.25 million on Friday afternoon from Kenneth & Martha Harvey.

Vermont Business Magazine A new federally funded Vermont Emergency Rental Assistance Program (VERAP) will launch in early April 2021 and provide aid to eligible residents of Vermont who cannot pay their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. VERAP will be administered by the Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) with an online application provided by ReFrame Solutions, call center, and case management services from BPO American and a comprehensive outreach and marketing campaign by Fourteen G, all leading experts in their field.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will hold a series of virtual meetings on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) on Wednesday, April 7, and Thursday, April 8, with Vermont small businesses, municipalities, and public libraries. The ARP, the coronavirus relief package enacted in March, is bringing substantial federal funding to Vermont, including $1.3 billion in state and local aid, assistance to small businesses, and over $2 million in additional funding for public libraries. The ARP is also bringing direct aid to individuals through stimulus checks, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and critical investments in housing, health care, and education.

Vermont Business Magazine A new round of Local Food in Your Community Grants will open Tuesday, April 6th at noon. This grant will fund projects that aim to expand direct-to-consumer or retail markets for Vermont specialty crop producers in Vermont through improved marketing efforts. Eligible applicants include producer cooperatives, food hubs, farmers markets, and independent retailers.

Senator Bernie Sanders Join me for a series of virtual meetings on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) on April 7 and 8. I will be meeting with local small businesses, town leaders, and public libraries to discuss their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic and how we can best use the substantial federal funding coming into the state to strengthen our local economies and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Air National Guard will begin three weeks of night flying operations starting Tuesday, April 6. Takeoffs are scheduled between 4 and 8 pm with landings between 9 and 10 pm on the following dates: Tuesday, April 6 through Saturday, April 10; Tuesday, April 13 through Friday, April 16; Tuesday, April 20 through Thursday, April 22.

Vermont Business Magazine Union Bank announced today the purchase of the 5068 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, VT property (formerly a Citizens Bank location), that will house Union Bank’s newest full-service branch and third location in Chittenden County.

by Holly Groschner In this most unusual year, we could finally see how “short” we are on broadband. Perhaps you were one of the 22 million Americans over 70 who didn’t have an internet account to get a vaccine appointment. You may have seen the cars pulled up around the town clerk’s office or the library. Look closely and you’ll see the occupants catching a Wi-Fi signal to attend work meetings and doctors’ appointments. Four kids doing homework on one cellphone in a car all day is another visible demonstration that there isn’t enough broadband to go around.