Current News

Vermont Business Magazine After a fire tore through the Vermont Timber Works building, the timber frame company in North Springfield is celebrating the reopening of their new building one year later. In September 2019, the building located at 16 Fairbanks Road in North Springfield caught fire and was ultimately destroyed. After the fire, the building was determined to be unsalvageable and most tools, equipment, trucks, and current projects were lost. Since that time, owners Doug Friant, and Dan Kelleher have been working hard to build a new Vermont Timber Works in the original location. Almost exactly one year after the fire, Vermont Timber Works is ready to reopen their new building on September 18.

Vermont Business Magazine Open Road Ski Company and legendary trail-map artist James Niehues have partnered with Mad River Glen for a Kickstarter project to fund a striking all-new hand-painted image of the iconic mountain, with plans to use it for trail maps and mountain signs. Building on the success of their Kickstarter-funded book, The Man Behind the Maps, Open Road Ski Company has turned toward crowd-sourced funding to raise money for new Mad River Glen trail maps and signs, with proceeds going to the Stark Mountain Foundation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Buy Local Vermont Program begins today. A rush of consumers looking for bargains and looking to help local businesses stalled the system when it went live at 11 am. In the first hour about 10,000 consumers signed up online. But it shortly got back on track. It is designed to maximize the effect of local consumer spending, including at restaurants, retail stores, entertainment and performing arts venues, lodging and tourism-related businesses to support businesses in Vermont that have suffered economic harm due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Over 1,300 local Vermont businesses have signed up to offer discounts. The $30 discount for consumers is funded by $500,000 in federal CARES Act money.

by John McClaughry The pending Global Warming Solutions Act (H.688) has become the must-pass Holy Grail of Vermont’s climate activists. During his six year tenure (2011-2016) Gov. Peter Shumlin enthusiastically signed numerous bills, mostly aimed at forcing electric utilities to rely more on renewable electricity, less on fossil fueled grid power, and none from Vermont’s nuclear plant.

Vermont Business Magazine In Vermont, 26.4% of high school students used e-cigarettes in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Vaping harms developing lungs and overall health and may place people at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Now, when protecting lung health is more important than ever, the American Lung Association today announced a broad plan to end youth vaping.

Vermont Business Magazine For patient convenience, the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) Breast Health and Imaging Center will offer screening mammograms 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on eight Saturdays this fall. The special Saturday dates include September 12 and 19; October 3, 10, and 24; and November 7, 14, and 21. The American College of Radiology recommends beginning screening mammograms at age 40 and continuing annually thereafter.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Weinberger announced that Jennifer Morrison will not return to the Burlington Police Department as initially planned when she left to care for her husband in June. And while Morrison acknowledged that her husband's health is still on the mend, it is her negative reaction to the City Council and their budget cutting and general attitude toward the Police Department that is the primary reason for not returning.

Leonine Public Affairs The legislature has finished its second week of the fall session, which was largely devoted to finalizing a budget for the 2021 fiscal year. Most of the House committee activity consisted of developing recommendations to the House Appropriations Committee regarding how the remaining federal Coronavirus Relief Fund money should be spent. The House Appropriations Committee then worked to incorporate those recommendations into the budget bill.

Agency of Commerce & Community Development ACCD is continuing to encourage interested businesses to sign up now for the #BuyLocalVermont program. More than 1,000 businesses have registered thus far. Businesses can enroll to take part in the program now, which will launch to consumers September 8, 2020 at 11:00am. For full details on the process to sign up, and to find an informational slide deck and webinar, visit the ACCD Recovery Resource Center.

Governor Phil Scott Every year, on first weekend of September, we celebrate the workers of our nation – those who, throughout our history, have powered our economy and communities. This year, I especially want to recognize the frontline heroes of this once-in-a-century health emergency.

Vermont Business Magazine The week of September 12 – 19 has been designated as Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in Vermont. The week is part of a nationwide effort to raise public understanding of an invasive forest pest that has destroyed millions of ash trees in the U.S. This wood-boring beetle, first found in Vermont in 2018, is now confirmed in eight Vermont counties. Experience in Midwestern states has shown that once this pest is detected in an area, unless treated with insecticides, the majority of ash trees will become infested and die within a decade.

Vermont Business Magazine The Division for Historic Preservation (VDHP) and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum announced the discovery of two paddlewheels, likely fragments of the Steamboat Phoenix, which caught fire and sank exactly 201 years ago Friday on Lake Champlain. On the dark night of September 4, 1819, the Steamboat Phoenix was floating dead in the water north of Colchester Shoal and burning furiously. Passengers who were unable to board the lifeboats jumped into the water and clung to debris or swam for their lives.