Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications. a leading broadband and business communications provider in Vermont, has announced the launch of a new technology-focused educational grant program, Consolidated Connects, available to K-12 schools across its service area. As a leading fiber provider with a mission to turn technology into solutions and to connect people and enrich how they work and live, Consolidated’s new program encourages project-based learning and the use of innovative technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Énergir Inc, General Partner of Énergir LP, based in Montreal, has announced that Énergir L.P. completed today an equity offering, by way of private placement, by issuing 2,173,913 new units at a price of $23.00 per unit to Énergir Inc. and Valener Inc, prorated based on each entity's respective share of units outstanding, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $50 million. Énergir is the parent company of Vermont Gas and Green Mountain Power.

An additional issuance of 2,173,913 new units to Énergir Inc. and Valener will be completed on January 5, 2021, at the same conditions, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $50 million.

The proceeds of both offering will be used to rebalance Énergir L.P.'s capital structure by the repayment of a portion of its secured term credit.

About Énergir Inc. and Énergir, L.P.

Vermont Business Magazine Common Good Vermont has announced the 2021 Fundraising Development Certificate Program. This second annual program is designed for small to mid-sized non profit organizations and will provide leaders, executives and staff members with the knowledge and skills needed to build a development plan and improve fundraising capacity.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting two more deaths from COVID-19 (one in Franklin and one in Caledonia) for a statewide total of 74. Because it was a Friday, the individual placing the order needed to additionally select “Delivery on Saturday” in the drop-down menu when generating the packing slip. This step was missed. The shipping samples were picked up from the Guard at the Barre Auditorium and dropped off to the UPS site at 4:31 p.m. on Friday. As a result of the missed step, the shipper was not aware of the Saturday deliver need. The samples therefore did not arrive at the lab within the short amount of time they are viable for testing.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont will eliminate low-enrollment programs in the College of Arts and Sciences as it continues efforts to ensure its academic programs meet current and future student demand, and distribute resources, it says, in a way that will further strengthen the robust liberal arts education it offers. The College’s actions reflect the need to respond to enrollment declines and to address its substantial structural budget deficit, which is on the order of $8.6 million.

Vermont State Police Following a four-month investigation, the Vermont State Police has arrested the parents of a 1-month-old boy on charges related to the infant’s death in Swanton in August 2020. State police investigators were notified of the death of Leo Cushing at about 5 am August 1 inside the home he shared with his parents on Highgate Road in Swanton.

Vermont Business Magazine Luxury lighting company Hubbardton Forge announced key leadership transitions today. Maria (Scutaro) Mullen, appointed President & COO on June 1, will now assume the role of CEO. Bubba Sandford has completed his mission to assist the company in navigating the draw-down and closure, due to the pandemic, and subsequent successful re-opening of production. With Sandford’s guidance, Hubbardton Forge moved from one shift to two, and was able to ship through an unprecedentedly-high backlog due to a five-week closure in March/April. Today, the company is back at 100% employment, and boasting its highest production rates ever. Most importantly, Sandford’s direction helped to keep the Hubbardton Forge team safe and healthy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Loan Fund has launched the Northern Vermont Recovery Loan Fund, serving manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, forestry and wood products, education and early care, and nonprofits impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Business owners from Vermont’s six northernmost counties — Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orleans — are eligible. Loans include flexible terms and low- to no-cost debt financing, along with business coaching services and support.

Vermont Business Magazine Hundreds of community members from across the country rallied around Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports’ #GivingTuesday 2020 fundraising campaign yesterday, raising more than $135,000 for the organization’s year-round adaptive sports and recreational programs and athlete scholarships. Generosity prevailed even during a pandemic, as the organization had its best #GivingTuesday results since it began participating in the global initiative in 2014. This year, the organization harnessed the generosity of a collective matching donation of $30,000 from The Sills Family Foundation, the Kimpton Family, the Vermont Adaptive Board of Directors, and an anonymous donor.

Vermont Business Magazine Over the last couple months, The Vermont Council on Rural Development has been working on an initiative they’re calling the Vermont Proposition: an effort to engage thousands of Vermonters in articulating priorities designed to optimize the best of Vermont – for our economy, environment, communities, and people – and then build a non-partisan partnership to help drive them forward.

Vermont State Police On Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, an exercise of the Vermont AMBER Alert System will be conducted by the Vermont Department of Public Safety. Additionally, on Friday, December 4th, 2020 between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, an exercise of the Vermont BLUE Alert system will be conducted. These exercises will test the functionality of various components of Vermont’s AMBER Alert and BLUE Alert systems.

Vermont Business Magazine The Health Department reported Tuesday that three more Vermonters had died of COVID-19 since last Friday, for a statewide total of 72 and a total case count of 4,239. There have been 13 deaths since November 17. Also, the VDH is asking people who were tested for COVID-19 on November 27, 2020, at Barre Auditorium to get retested. This action is needed because a delay by the company responsible for shipping the original samples to Broad Laboratories in Massachusetts rendered the samples useless. Approximately 249 samples were affected. The Health Department late Monday sent emails to notify people of the shipping error and the need for retesting if desired.