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Vermont Business Magazine The Berkshire Bank Foundation announced today that due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic it has contributed more than $1 million to collaborative efforts supporting nonprofit organizations responding to community-based needs. The organizations supported in Vermont through Berkshire Bank Foundation’s contributions include Black River Good Neighbor Services, Inc, Arlington Food Shelf, Inc, Community Food Cupboard, Inc and Rutland Community Cupboard, among others.

Vermont Business Magazine Republican Governor Phil Scott is coasting to reelection and has become more popular than the three Democrats who serve in Vermont's Congressional delegation, according to a new poll from VPR and Vermont PBS released today. Meanwhile, six weeks from Election Day, the state's lieutenant governor's race is a statistical dead heat, and fewer than 50 percent of Vermonters say they are eager to take a COVID-19 vaccine in the next year.

Vermont Business Magazine Monday night, the Burlington City Council voted 11-1 to approve a separation agreement with Burlington Police Department Sergeant Jason Bellavance. Mayor Miro Weinberger and his administration developed the separation agreement. The mayor said he would not advance similar agreements with two other police officers whose previous actions in use of force actions are also the source of contention among Burlington protesters. The deals pays Bellavance $300,000 plus other benefits. Councilor Ali Dieng was the lone dissenter.

The full text of the resolution and details about the agreement are available online.

In part, the agreement states:

by John McClaughry Vermont tax dollars may soon be going to faith-based elementary and secondary schools, if a case filed last week in federal district court succeeds. The case is styled Valente v. French. The lead plaintiffs are Mt Holly parents who send their son to the Roman Catholic Mount St Joseph Academy in Rutland. French is the Secretary of Education.

Vermont Business Magazine Castleton University will help meet regional healthcare employers' needs by offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), beginning in the spring 2021 semester. The program offers a Clinical Nurse Leader concentration and a Nurse Educator concentration. It is designed for working nurses with a bachelor's degree who wish to advance their careers. Castleton is now accepting applications for the spring semester.

Vermont Business Magazine The Honorable William K. Sessions III sentenced Brian Folks, 45, to twenty-two years and six months in prison today, followed by ten years of supervision upon release. A federal jury in Burlington, Vermont, previously found Folks guilty of 13 federal felonies after a nearly three-week trial back in May 2019. Evidence presented at trial showed that Folks ran an extensive and violent sex and drug trafficking operation that sold heroin and cocaine base throughout the greater Burlington area and forced young, drug-addicted women to prostitute. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan for the District of Vermont, and DEA Special Agent in Charge-Boston Brian D. Boyle announced the sentence.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Public Service today announced $3,991,847 in grant awards to Internet Service Providers to serve over 1,651 eligible locations with broadband connections in response to COVID-19

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Burton Snowboards, the world’s leading snowboard company, announced its commitment to a healthy democracy. With our communities facing many converging crises and every level of government across America up for election – from school boards to the presidency – our biggest opportunity to fight for the future is to support voter participation. Burton is stepping up as a business to help ensure safe, trusted and accessible elections for all through November 3^rd, 2020. To turn out the vote, Burton will close its U.S.-based headquarters and retail doors on Election Day and is providing resources to the outdoor community to join in the fight for change.

Vermont Business Magazine Our website has COVID-19 fact sheets translated into a number of languages. You can also find translated videos from the Vermont Multilingual Coronavirus Task Force here.
Recently added: What Parents Can Expect for the return to school this year.
Visit our Travel to Vermont web page for continually updated information and guidance, including about quarantine requirements, testing, and to sign up with Sara Alert for symptom check reminders.
Reminder: Starting tomorrow (9/22), Vermont’s travel map will be updated each Tuesday instead of Friday. The map displays those counties from which travelers to Vermont may need to quarantine.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced today that Vermont will receive approximately $10.5M over three years in a structured settlement with major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds. Today’s settlement relates to an earlier 2018 settlement in which Vermont settled a series of disputes with major tobacco companies arising from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

“Vermont has always diligently enforced its tobacco laws, and we will continue to do so,” said Attorney General Donovan. “This settlement avoids lengthy arbitrations and puts money in Vermont’s pocket now. I encourage the Legislature to use these funds to support the public health for those who are most vulnerable.”

I am glad that the House introduced a continuing resolution today. I strongly urge Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate to take it up and pass it as soon as possible. The last thing our country needs is a government shutdown in the middle of a global pandemic and an unprecedented economic crisis.

But make no mistake, the urgent need for this continuing resolution is a symptom of a dysfunctional Congress. It’s a senseless and entirely avoidable made-in-Washington crisis. The Senate Appropriations Committee should have been allowed to do its work and complete all 12 appropriations bills months ago. The majority of these bills would have had strong bipartisan support. Instead, we are left with a continuing resolution that kicks the can down the road and offers no helping hand to the millions of Americans who are suffering during this pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine Jewett Construction hosted a beam-raising ceremony Thursday to commemorate the construction of a new 69 unit residential building on South Main Street.

The 43,600 S.F. mixed retail and residential building Designed by Studio Nexus Architects + Planners, and built by Jewett Construction, was inspired by the the nearby Gates-Briggs Building, the Village at White River Junction, and the architecture of Railroad Row. The studio units will feature modern brick and gray details with large windows and balconies overlooking the street.