Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s School of Nursing will host its third White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of training, at 3 pm on Thursday, December 10. The White Coat Ceremony impresses upon the students of the great privilege they will have as nurses to be with patients during some of the most important times in life — from birth through end of life.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Public Service (PSD) on Tuesday announced the kickoff of the next update of the Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP). The CEP is required by 30 V.S.A. § 202b and incorporates the Vermont Electric Energy Plan, required by 30 V.S.A. § 202. The last CEP was adopted January 1, 2016, and updates are required every six years. The CEP is a distinct requirement from the Climate Action Plan being developed by the Vermont Climate Council appointed as part of the Global Warmings Solutions Act (GWSA), although the two efforts do overlap in several areas. Most directly, the CEP is expected to meet the greenhouse gas reduction requirements of 10 V.S.A. 578 and be consistent with the Vermont Climate Action Plan adopted pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 592.

Vermont Business Magazine The inaugural Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics, celebrating outstanding writing on the environmental limits of a finite planet, has been awarded to Bathsheba Demuth for her book 'Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait.' The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont (UVM), in partnership with the US Society of Ecological Economics, has announced the inaugural winner of the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics.

Vermont Business Magazine Between July and September of 2020, the rate of consumer redemption of empty beverage containers fell another two percentage points to 58%, according to beverage sales data from CalRecycle, the state's overseer of the bottle deposit program. That means 42% of annual consumer bottle deposits—or about $546 million paid through September this year—is not being returned to consumers who could really use that money, according to Consumer Watchdog.

Vermont Business Magazine CSWD has introduced its 2020 Solid Waste Implementation Plan, approved by the CSWD Board of Commissioners October 28, 2020, and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources November 10, 2020. The SWIP, required by State statute, states how CSWD will meet specific Performance Standards outlined in the November, 2019, Vermont Materials Management Plan (MMP).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has launched the Vermont Outdoors mobile application, a new tool to help citizens and visitors explore outdoor recreational opportunities in ways that meet COVID-19 pandemic safety practices. Built in partnership with the state’s digital government services partner, NIC Vermont, the mobile app provides a wide offering of features, including interactive maps, and enables users to easily access policy information and guidelines for activities, such as hunting, trapping, fishing, boating and hiking in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The 6th annual Dunkin’ Hot Chocolate Day fundraiser for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is set for Friday, December 11 at several Dunkin’ stores in the greater Burlington region. Participating Dunkin locations owned by local Franchisee Ari Souliotis will donate $1 to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta from the sale of any size and any flavor hot chocolate.

Vermont Business Magazine Several Vermont businesses have partnered with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) to outfit homeless Vermonters currently residing at the Holiday Inn with winter clothing and accessories. Vermont Gas (VGS), Mutual of America, Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel and the South Burlington Rotary donated much needed coats, boots, hats and gloves to CVOEO to help these Vermonters stay warm this winter.

Vermont Business Magazine As Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said earlier this week, we are in the very first stages of vaccine production and distribution to the states, and there will likely be a limited supply of vaccine early on. Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in Vermont. The VDH reported today 105 new cases of COVID-19 statewide in Vermont, with one more death for a total of 86.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) today announced the recipients of this year’s Building Communities Grants for Facilities. These grants will fund $600,000 in construction and capital improvements for 68 projects across Vermont, which contribute to strong communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan and a bipartisan coalition of 47 other attorneys general today filed a lawsuit against Facebook Inc, alleging that the company illegally stifles competition to protect its monopoly power. The lawsuit alleges that, over the last decade, the social networking giant illegally acquired competitors in a predatory manner and cut services to smaller threats, depriving users of the benefits of competition and reducing privacy protections and services along the way — all in an effort to boost its bottom line through increased advertising revenue.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and the Vermont Community Foundation today announced $90,000 in grant funding to launch Better Places, a statewide initiative that aims to speed economic recovery by creating places in downtowns and village centers to safely serve residents and visitors this winter and into the coming year.