Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Hanson & Doremus Investment Management is excited to announce the successful transfer of ownership to three of its long-time partners. Sven Eklof, Julie Won, and Art Wright assumed full ownership and management of the firm on January 1 of this year. Former partners Eric Hanson and Anne Doremus have stepped down from their partnership roles but remain actively engaged in the firm’s investment strategy and client advisory work on a part-time basis.

Vermont Business Magazine Motorists should brace themselves for even higher gas prices in the days ahead, enhanced by the extreme cold weather hitting much of the country. According to GasBuddy, the travel and navigation app used by more North American drivers to save money on gas, the national average price of gasoline may jump 10-20 cents per gallon from its current price of $2.54 per gallon over the next two weeks. Millions of barrels of refining capacity has gone offline due to the extreme cold in the South, with little relief on the horizon as overall gasoline demand continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported 59 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths, which are holding at 191 statewide. More than 20,600 of the 33,200 Vermonters who are age 70-74 have now made vaccination appointments through the state’s registration system, since eligibility was expanded to that age group on Tuesday.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the North American Talc Subsidiaries of Imerys (Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont, and Imerys Talc Canada) announced the completion of the sale of substantially all of their assets to affiliates of Magris Resources Canada Inc. The US assets and related operations are now owned by Magris Talc USA, Inc. and the Canadian assets and related operations are now owned by Magris Talc Canada Inc.

by Jake Wheeler As a 47-year resident of the Northeast Kingdom, I have watched with great interest the statewide conversations around the future of the Vermont State Colleges System, and Northern Vermont University in particular. While the Kingdom has faced its share of challenges over the years, it remains a region of the state bursting with promise. Driven by the success of our creative economy, our diverse outdoor recreation and our growing and entrepreneurial food sector, we see bright economic indicators throughout our region. NVU has played a critical role in this success.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration is accepting applications for the 2021 Vermont Emerging Leaders Program which will be held virtually and is slated to begin in the April. Emerging Leaders is an intensive executive-level series intended to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses in America’s underserved cities and rural areas. During the course, small business owners will learn to create a three-year strategic growth plan to build a sustainable business of size and scale.

Vermont Business Magazine All 158th Fighter Wing members who deployed for training last month to Florida have tested negative for COVID-19. Upon their return from last month's deployment to a Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., members of the Vermont Air National Guard were tested for COVID-19.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced today that he is seeking applications for two openings on the State Board of Education. The Board is responsible for the establishment, advancement, and evaluation of public education policy. Board duties include making regulations governing attendance and records of attendance of all pupils, standards for student performance, adult basic education programs, approval of independent schools, disbursement of funds, and equal access for all Vermont students to a quality education.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed a proclamation naming Wednesday, February 17, 2021 Recovery Day in Vermont and reiterated the State’s commitment to supporting Vermonters with mental illness, addictions, and co-occurring conditions.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s tax revenue results for January 2021 show that General Fund revenues came in above target, while the Transportation and Education Fund revenues came in below target. Compared to the January revised estimate, the state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $12.1 million, or 4.8% above the consensus expectations

Vermont Business Magazine School for International Training (SIT) is pleased to announce it will host the Spring 2021 Critical Conversations Webinar Series, which aims to inspire community-wide dialogue on global, interdisciplinary topics within SIT’s Critical Global Issues Framework. Launching in mid-February, the semester-long series will feature more than 40 webinars, all of which are free and open to anyone who is interested.

“This webinar series offers an opportunity for engaged global citizens to explore some of the world’s most pressing challenges and connect with SIT’s extensive network of faculty, staff, alumni, and partners,” said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “Our inaugural fall webinar series ‘Perspectives from the Global South’ was a tremendous success, and we are proud to be able to offer a continuance this spring now with a focus on ‘Alternative Modernities’.”

by Rob Roper The Vermont Tax Structure Commission released its 180-page draft report to the legislature in January, and one of the major recommendations it makes is to expand Vermont’s 6% sales tax, currently limited to non-essential goods and a few select services, to all goods and services except healthcare. Doing this would be accompanied by an overall rate reduction to 3.6%.