Current News

by Bill Schubart Today, the pandemic is exposing Vermont’s endemic problems, accelerating some into full-blown crises, the latest of which is the state and federal failure to meet the challenge of inequitable broadband deployment, which, at present, is driven by return-on-investment as measured by population density and capacity to pay – or privilege.

Senator Patrick Leahy Yesterday, I stood by Justice Ginsburg as she lay in state at the US Capitol, honoring her life, her legacy, and our friendship. Today, barely a week after she passed, President Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill her seat on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg hasn’t even been laid to rest yet.

Vermont Business Magazine The Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday issued another order extending the temporary moratorium of involuntary utility disconnections through October 15, 2020. The Department of Public Service had recommended extending the moratorium “until October 15, 2020, consistent with the governor’s most recent extension of the state of emergency.

Vermont Business Magazine The Town of Northfield has hired its first ever Economic Development Director, Jon Ignatowski, who began the role on Sept. 15.

Northfield, population 6,100, is home to two major central Vermont employers, Cabot Hosieries (Darn Tough Socks) and Norwich University, and aims to grow into a central Vermont destination town.

“Northfield is an amazing community with many different volunteer groups, great employment opportunities, beautiful waterways and ponds and so much potential,” Town Manager Jeff Schulz said. “With the help of key volunteer groups including the Northfield Community Development Network (NCDN), we are very excited to begin this critical work to help our town reach its fullest potential in attracting new residents and businesses.”

Vermont Business Magazine To serve an extraordinary increase in need for civil legal aid across the state, Legal Services Vermont (LSV) hired six new staff members recently. The new attorneys and paralegals help Vermonters tackle issues such as renting, eviction, public benefits, relief from abuse, and debt — often brought on by the COVID-19 crisis.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Student Assistance Corp. is offering a free online webinar for students and families on how to make smart borrowing decisions, Tuesday, July 28 at 6 p.m. The event also will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

Vermont Business Magazine OnLogic, a global industrial and IoT computer hardware manufacturer based in South Burlington, has announced a collaboration that will provide customers with immediate access to a new line of industrial servers powered by the newest generation of AMD Ryzenand AMD EPYCprocessors. OnLogic’s new AMD-powered server lineup combines the company's years of experience designing reliable edge computing hardware with the performance, versatility and capabilities offered by AMD technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Co-operative Insurance Companies, today announced that it has won the prestigious ValChoice award for Best Value in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire for the award year 2019/2020. This is the fourth consecutive year the company has won the awards. To win these awards, Co-op provided their customers with a unique combination of excellent customer service, claims handling and value in the auto insurance products they sold over a three-year period.

Vermont Business Magazine The Health Department has ordered more flu vaccine than usual to prepare for the increased demand, and is working closely with providers in getting their patients vaccinated. They are encouraging community partnerships to provide clinics where access may be limited, like at schools, community centers or assisted living facilities. Governor Scott is also urging Vermonters to stay vigilant to keep themselves, and by extension, keep schools safe. He also praised the new childcare hubs set up for when kids aren't in school on school days.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Led by the Personal Income Tax, Administration Secretary Susanne Young today released the monthly tax revenue report, which showed General Fund and Education Fund results were better than anticipated, while the Transportation Fund fell short. The PI tax is the most important revenue source. Meanwhile, the Rooms & Meals tax, the third most important, suffered along with the hospitality industry.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vergennes community celebrated the official grand opening of Vergennes Community Apartments with socially-distanced property tours and live music. The Addison County Community Trust (ACCT) and Evernorth partnered to develop this highly energy-efficient, multi-family apartment building located on Armory Lane in close proximity to downtown Vergennes. Evernorth is the former Housing Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Legislature advanced to the governor a state budget that underscores the state’s commitment to the Vermont State Colleges System. The package includes an additional $56.1 million for the Vermont State Colleges System: $30 million of annual base funding, $23.8 million of emergency bridge funding to stabilize the colleges’ finances, and $2.3 million of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) for workforce training to support Vermonters impacted by the pandemic. This brings the total state funding for this fiscal year to $68.6 million.