Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As expected, the manic nature of weekly unemployment claims continued last week. Claims fell by nearly a thousand last week. While this is typical for the post-holiday period, claims this year have been even more up-and-down than last year. Initial claims for the week of January 4, 2020, were 680, which is a more typical weekly number. They were down 967 from last week and 19 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine GenNx360 Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, announced Thursday that its portfolio company, Miller Environmental Group Inc, a leading provider of environmental and emergency response services in the Eastern United States, has acquired Environmental Products & Services of Vermont, Inc. Headquartered in Syracuse, NY, EP&S is a leading provider of emergency response, remediation, and environmental services and operates across 17 service locations along the eastern seaboard from Vermont to Florida. MEG is majority-owned by New York-based GenNx360 Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm investing in industrial and business services companies, which invested in MEG in March 2019. The transaction closed on December 27, 2019. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Vermont Business Magazine After nearly a decade of work and with substantial public input, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) has completed the long-range management plan (LRMP) for Mt. Philo State Park. This plan will guide the long-term management and stewardship of the area’s natural resources and human use. Work on the Mt. Philo plan has been a lengthy process, during which several public input meetings were held and the plan underwent multiple revisions to incorporate public feedback.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) welcomes applications from Vermont agricultural and forestry businesses for Trade Show Assistance Grants. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative has set aside $30,000 to be distributed on a first come first serve basis to support yearly marketing plans for Vermont businesses with reimbursement directly to Vermont businesses to exhibit at trade shows outside of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College has awarded three grants of $5,000 each to implement and support community-proposed initiatives that explore and expand food systems in Bennington county. Project proposals from Willy’s Variety Store, Shires Housing, and Project Against Violent Encounters (PAVE) were selected among applications from community members to Bennington College’s Community Resource and Strategy Fund. This fund supports catalyzing, collaborative projects that further understanding of local food systems and leverage innovative solutions to address food insecurity in Bennington County.

Vermont Business Magazine Last month, City Market offered its 22nd Annual COTS Tree Sale to benefit Vermont’s Committee on Temporary Shelter. City Market once again sold fresh balsams from Moffatt’s Tree Farm in Craftsbury, Vermont. The Co-op sold 662 trees starting on Wednesday, December 4 and the net proceeds were donated to COTS. City Market continued the “Buy a Tree, Plant a Tree” program for the second year in a row.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today delivered his 2020 State of the State address, calling for unity and collaborative leadership in making a difference in the lives of Vermonters across the state. But one minute into it, his speech was disrupted by climate change protesters. The "Extinction Rebellion" group called out swift action on saving the planet. The chanting, with included the refrain "Listen to the People" lasted 10 minutes. The governor patiently waited until it became clear the chanting had become circular and he asked them to now hear him. The call-and-response chants continued and Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman, who presided over the joint session of the Legislature in the Well of the House, called a recess and the protesters were peacefully removed.

Vermont Business Magazine Here are reactions to Governor Scott's State of the State Address delivered Thrusday afternoon at the State House in Montpelier. We publish them verbatim in the order in which they reached us.

Vermont State Police The Capitol Police Department and Vermont State Police issue the following statement on the removal of disruptive protesters from the House Chamber at the Vermont Statehouse on Thursday, January 9, 2020: Shortly after Vermont Governor Phil Scott began his State of the State Address, a group of protesters interrupted the speech by chanting. They continued to demonstrate uninterrupted for several minutes before being asked to stop. Eventually, Vermont Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman requested that the Sergeant at Arms clear the disruptive demonstrators from the House Chamber.

​Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-op is continuing to offer a wide range of bill credits this year for members who purchase certain electricity-powered devices for their homes or businesses to transition away from fossil fuels.

Vermont Business Magazine The Kresge Foundation, Montpelier-based Clean Energy Group (CEG) and New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC) announced today a groundbreaking $3.3 million commitment – through a Kresge loan guarantee and connected grants – to accelerate the market development of solar PV plus battery storage (solar+storage) technologies in historically underserved communities.

The Foundation’s investment represents the first time a U.S. foundation has committed to use both its grantmaking and endowment resources in a comprehensive strategy to bring these new clean energy technologies to affordable housing and critical community facilities in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. NYCEEC is the lender selected to participate in the loan guarantee initiative. CEG will manage the effort.