Current News

Vermont Business Magazine An inmate at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St Albans assaulted a correctional officer on Thursday, October 22. Other inmates in the unit immediately came to the officer’s aid and stopped the assault. Other officers responded to the unit within seconds. The officer was taken to the hospital and released with a concussion and bruises. The inmate was transferred to another facility. At this time, we are withholding the names of the corrections officer and inmate until an investigation is completed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported that there have been 2,083 cases of COVID-19 in Vermont. There have been 67 cases since Friday. There have been no deaths from the novel coronavirus since early August, which are holding at 58. Meanwhile, as life continues in the shadow of the pandemic, we are learning there is a lot to discuss about how to feel comfortable and stay safe before seeing friends and family. Here are four tips to help have the “COVID Talk” – a conversation to negotiate boundaries and establish expectations ahead of time.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos took further steps to protect the health of Vermont voters by issuing an addendum to his First Statewide Elections Directive. Measures in the addendum include new procedures regarding poll watchers, under the statutory process by which formal challenges to voters may be issued at the polls, and the process by which voters who do not bring the ballot they were mailed to the polls may obtain a ballot to exercise their right to vote. The directive and addendum can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella today announced his proposal to keep tuition frozen at current levels for a third year. He also proposed holding room & board at the current level, cutting the comprehensive fee and pushing ahead with a $150 million campaign to increase scholarship opportunities. Trustees would need to approve Garimella's tuition, room & board and fees plan when they meet next spring.

Vermont Business Magazine ANEW Place today announced the purchase of the Champlain Inn at 165 Shelburne Road, and its plans to transform the space to provide temporary housing for those in our community who are experiencing homelessness. The Inn will fill the void left by the closing of the low-barrier shelter on South Winooski Ave, and realize the goal of establishing a year-round low-barrier option in Burlington. The City actively worked to support ANEW Place’s efforts through technical assistance, an emergency resolution, and funding for ongoing operations, and by fully backing and advocating for COVID-emergency funds to be used for this project. At the Inn, there will be space for up to 50 people experiencing homelessness to access shelter in a way that is COVID-safe and available throughout the year. ANEW Place will provide Inn guests with onsite services, including case managers and assistance with finding permanent housing.

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to assist Vermont small business owners and their employees with access to a robust and cost-effective retirement savings vehicle, Vermont Retail & Grocers Association (VRGA) and affiliated entities, are rolling out of a Multiple Employer 401k Retirement Plan (MEP) for its members. VRGA has partnered with the Alliance of State Retail Associations (ASRA) to offer their multi-state MEP 401k. ASRA is a non-profit advocacy group which administers the MEP for many state retail associations. Currently, ASRA affiliate states include ME, NH, MA, CT, PA, MD, IN, IL, CO, and now VT.

Bringing it All Back Home:VCLF Borrower KAD Arrives in Vermont
Vermont Business Magazine In their specialized corner of Silicon Valley’s high-tech hotbed, advanced machining firm KAD Models & Prototypes has been developing into a business to watch. But their latest move - locating KAD’s new satellite production facility in CEO Brian Kippen’s native Vermont - could prove to be their best yet.

Vermont Business Magazine In order to ensure patient safety in response to growing COVID-19 infection rates throughout the Northeast, Rutland Regional Medical Center announced new visitor restrictions for the hospital and clinics. As of November 2, 2020, visitors may not enter the hospital or associated medical clinics unless a patient’s treatment team has identified them as an Essential Support Person. Pediatric patients, labor and delivery patients, and patients who are near the end of life are among the patients who will be permitted to be accompanied or visited by essential support persons.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and partnering organizations were awarded five different COVID-relief marketing grants by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) recently. The Restart Vermont Regional Marketing and Stimulus Grant Program through ACCD provided grants to organizations for efforts and activities related to economic recovery, consumer stimulus, marketing, or tourism related projects to support businesses that have suffered economic harm due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The grants are intended to enable local, regional, or statewide organizations to implement campaigns and initiatives that will increase consumer spending, support local businesses, and advance community recovery efforts.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland-based Casella Waste Systems has closed its public offering of shares of its Class A common stock, including the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 352,500 shares, at a public offering price of $56.00 per share, before offering discounts. The exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares brought the total number of shares of Class A common stock sold by Casella in the offering to 2,702,500 and increased the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering to $151.3 million. Casella intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including potential acquisitions or development of new operations or assets with the goal of complementing or expanding its business, working capital and capital expenditures.

by Valentina Czochanski, Community News Service, UVM For the first time ever, every registered voter in Vermont received a ballot in the mail. According to town clerks across Vermont, those ballots are being returned in record numbers. As of October 23, over 190,000 people have already cast their vote by mail, according to a daily-updated dataset provided by the Vermont Secretary of State’s Elections Division. With three weeks to go, that number has already surpassed the 2016 general election total of 91,000 for early and mail-in ballots.

Senator Patrick Leahy A day after we gathered in Statuary Hall, with the nation in mourning — and days before Justice Ginsburg was laid to rest with her husband in Arlington Cemetery — the President held a celebratory ceremony to nominate her replacement. From that moment, the confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett has been a caricature of illegitimacy. I will not dispute that it is the responsibility of this body to consider Justice Ginsburg’s replacement to the Supreme Court. But this is not how we should do it.