Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Zero Gravity Craft Brewery issued a statement on Instagram today that all employees have tested negative for COVID-19. The Burlington brewer, along with Foam Brewers and their associated restaurants Deep City and the Great Northern, were temporarily closed last week following a possible exposure of one employee. All subsequent tests, however, have returned negative results. They will reopen on Tuesday.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Health Department is reporting 10 new cases today of COVID-19 statewide. Deaths are holding at 56, where they've been for more than a month. As for possible cases in Manchester, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said: “Although the Health Department’s investigation is not complete, it appears that a majority of the positive antigen results have not been confirmed by subsequent PCR testing. We have not yet found connections that would lead us to believe there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in Bennington or Windham counties.”

Vermont Business Magazine As a reminder to individuals on unemployment insurance benefits, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which has provided $600 per week in federal assistance, is scheduled to end on Saturday, July 25. FPUC has provided assistance to those on regular unemployment insurance, extended benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). The CARES Act requires states to provide FPUC through July 31. Vermont, like many other states, ends its benefit week on Saturdays. July 25 is the last Saturday in the month. Federal law does not allow the state to pay this particular benefit through Saturday, August 1.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Monday highlighted the urgent need for a fourth coronavirus supplemental appropriations package. Ahead of the anticipated release of Leader McConnell’s bill this week, Leahy released nine documents outlining the need for additional funding for the Census, child care, domestic violence programs, education, election aid, food insecurity, foreign aid, rental assistance, and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unemployment special benefits expire next week. The eviction moratorium expires next week. The Small Business Payroll Protection Program authority expires in less than three weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Donovan today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop a new Trump Administration rule that makes it easier for health care providers and insurance companies to discriminate against certain vulnerable and protected classes of Americans. In a lawsuit filed against the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the coalition argues that the new rule emboldens providers and insurers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals, those with limited English proficiency, and women, among others, by stripping express protections for these groups in HHS regulations that implement the nondiscrimination provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This provision of the ACA prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age by health programs or facilities that receive federal funds.

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Housing Trust’s Board of Directors announced today that CEO Brenda Torpy will step down at the end of 2020 after leading the organization for nearly 30 years, and that current Chief Operating and Financial Officer Michael Monte will be hired as its next CEO beginning in January 2021. Torpy was a founding member of the organization over 35 years ago when she worked in the office of Mayor Bernie Sanders and its first Board President. In these roles she was trailblazer for a new type of affordable housing called a Community Land Trust, which grew locally and more recently, across the globe. CHT is the largest Community Land Trust in the world.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) today released its review of Marlboro College’s proposed disposition of assets to Emerson College and campus sale to Democracy Builders. The AGO’s review, issued as a notice of non-objection, found that the proposed transactions are consistent with relevant state laws governing charitable nonprofits and their assets. The AGO acknowledged that Marlboro College’s impending closure is an occasion of significant and challenging import for many of the College’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as community members of Marlboro.

Vermont Business Magazine The country’s oldest flour company is now King Arthur Baking Company. The rebrand of King Arthur Flour reflects what the company has always been: a company of bakers who believe in the power of baking to forge community and bring joy. The new logo, which features a wheat crown, celebrates the brand’s commitment to baking. Since its start in 1790, King Arthur has evolved from America’s first flour company to the leading baking resource, providing bakers with hundreds of ingredients, baking mixes, and tools, and a thousands-strong library of free recipes and resources. In recent months, baking has become a national pastime, with 80 percent of infrequent bakers – those who previously baked a few times a year - now baking at least a few times a month.

Vermont Business Magazine Chris Cole, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services, will be leaving State service on August 21. Cole was originally appointed by Governor Shumlin as Director of Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development at the Vermont Agency of Transportation and was appointed to lead the Agency as Secretary in 2015. In 2017, Cole was tapped by Governor Scott to head up BGS.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced his issuance of a Directive pursuant to Act 92 and Act 135 of 2020 which puts in place several temporary procedures to ensure Vermonters can vote safely and confidently in the 2020 elections, including mailing every active registered voter a ballot for the November General Election. Other provisions include not allowing a candidate or a paid staff member to return ballots of unrelated voters and for the allowance of early processing of ballots by the Clerks.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) approved $6.4 million in new financing for Vermont businesses and farms in the quarter ended June 30. The Authority also approved an additional $11.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for 268 Vermont businesses throughout the state and across a variety of industries. PPP was established by the CARES Act and is implemented by the US Small Business Administration (SBA). PPP supports small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis with forgivable loans to pay payroll and operating costs.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos last week explained the just-implemented process of universal mail-in voting and the enthusiastic response to it. The number of requests for mail-in ballots is far exceeding the state’s experience with absentee ballots by more than 12-fold. But those who still want to go to the polling place to vote in-person will still be able to for the primaries in August and the general election in November. As of Monday morning, there have been 108,721 requests. Requests have now surpassed total votes cast for the 2018 Primary elections.