Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims our on their typical holiday season rollercoaster. Claims fell last week after the previous week's spike of 2,013, but have been trending up consistently the last two months. Claims fell 579 to 1,434 last week (up 895 from the same time last year).

Vermont Business Magazine As a significant trail project at Mt Philo State Park ends for the season, project managers and visitors alike are commending the improvements and the broader benefits to Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. The project, managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR), was awarded by a competitive bid process. Designed and constructed by Timber and Stone, LLC, it updates major sections of the main trail to provide a more sustainable and safe ascent, and features a universally accessible trail that improves access at the summit.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts for November were a combined $26.55 million, or 18.0 percent above consensus expectations in November. The vital personal income tax was up as were the consumer taxes – sales and use and rooms and meals – with sales up nearly 20 percent over projections. Of course, those projections were significantly downgraded by economists last summer.

The Center for Research on Vermont recently asked its members to share the titles of high impact Vermont books. The enthusiastic responses ranged from a single title to long lists. Some members simply submitted titles, while others provided extensive notes to explain why the titles are important. Some members reached back through the decades, and others offered hot-off-the-press publications.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor reported today that the state unemployment rate for November has now fallen back to its pre-pandemic level of 3.1 percent. This is not good news. Vermont claimants could lose some federal extended benefits because the rate is so low. The rate also hides the fact that the VDOL still estimates that 30,000 Vermonters are out of work, far higher than the official level. The unemployment rate is based on household data accumulated by the US Census. The seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for November of 3.1 percent reflects a decrease of one tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate of 3.2 percent. The comparable United States rate in November was 6.7 percent, a decrease of two tenths of one percentage point from the revised October estimate. Vermont is tied with Nebraska for lowest rate in the nation.

Vermont Business Magazine OnLogic (www.onlogic.com), a global industrial and IoT computer hardware manufacturer based in South Burlington, and a launch partner in the IGEL Ready Program announced by provider of the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces IGEL earlier this year, has expanded their line of IGEL ready industrial thin client hardware. Built for distributed computing, virtualization and thin client applications in challenging environments, OnLogic’s newly expanded line now includes an even wider range of ruggedized small form factor thin client devices and touch screen terminals, intended for distributed computing in manufacturing, automation and energy management applications.

by Shap Smith The University of Vermont is an important part of many people’s story. It’s central to our family. My spouse and I are graduates of UVM, and our son just completed his first semester. Many of our closest friends are people we met while at UVM. My liberal arts degrees provided me with a firm foundation for a career in law and public service. So, when I was elected to serve on UVM’s Board of Trustees, I felt a special kinship to the students, faculty, and institutions that make it such a sought-after university.

Vermont Business Magazine Smugglers’ Notch Distillery continues their assistance to Vermonters to battle the Covid-19 virus with a $2,700 donation of SND Hand Sanitizer to folks in their local community. These bottles are being distributed through The United Way of Lamoille County to people who are experiencing financial strain, housing insecurity or homelessness, and elders in the community.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today joined a bipartisan coalition of 37 attorneys general in suing Google for anticompetitive conduct in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The coalition alleges that Google illegally maintains its monopoly power over general search engines and related advertising markets through a series of anticompetitive exclusionary contracts and conduct. As a result, Google has deprived consumers of competition that could lead to greater choice, innovation, and better privacy protections. Furthermore, Google has exploited its market position to accumulate and leverage data to the detriment of consumers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting 136 new cases of COVID-19, or about double from the last two days. Most of the cases are reported in Chittenden County. There are 22 hospitalized statewide, but no new deaths, which are holding at 105. Vermonters who are Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) represent 6% of the state’s population but 18% of COVID-19 cases. BIPOC Vermonters with COVID-19 have significantly higher hospitalization and chronic disease rates, relative to white non-Hispanic people with COVID-19.

Vermont Business Magazine Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. (Schneider Electric), a nationwide provider of electricity solutions for buildings and data centers with its principal place of business in Carrollton, Texas, will pay $11 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations relating to kickbacks and overcharges on eight federally-funded energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs), the Department of Justice announced today. Under the contracts, Schneider Electric was to install a variety of energy saving upgrades such as solar panels, LED lighting, and insulation in federal buildings.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on December 17, 2020, David Hughes, 39, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Rutland, Vermont, to serve 96 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.