Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos called upon members of Congress to pass comprehensive voting rights legislation. The U.S. House of Representatives may vote soon on the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act protections that were stripped from law by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Senator Patrick Leahy authored and led 46 senators in introducing the Senate version of the Voting Rights Advancement Act earlier this year.

“The right to vote is a sacred right enshrined in our Constitution,” said Condos. “In the last decade we have seen a renewed assault on voting rights in states across the country. It’s time for Congress to step up and ensure that every eligible American can access their right to register and vote.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Kathy Lavoie of Swanton to the State Board of Education. Lavoie is currently the program manager for the Franklin Grand Isle Restorative Justice Center. From 2000-2008 she served in the Vermont House of Representatives, and previously served as executive director of Franklin Grand Isle Workforce Investment Board.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Transportation has approved $500,000 in emergency relief funding following the Halloween rainstorm that left widespread damage throughout Vermont. These emergency funds will assist the Vermont Agency of Transportation in repairs to roads on the federal highway system damaged during the October 31-November 1 storm event. The severe storm and flooding are estimated to have caused more than $5 million in damages to state, local, and federal roads in Vermont. Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn requested emergency funds from the Federal Highway Administration, and the state has been granted a quick release of $500,000 for VTrans to begin emergency repairs to the federal system. Remaining federal highway funds will likely be released as the work is completed. Repairs on some of the most heavily damaged infrastructure may extend out 24 months.

Vermont Business Magazine Subaru of America, Inc (SOA) and Subaru of New England, Inc. (SNE) announced today that in the spirit of their adventure-seeking owners, Subaru has been named the official vehicle of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, both part of POWDR. Subaru owners headed to these Vermont ski destinations this winter will enjoy exclusive resort benefits, including Subaru VIP Parking, Subaru concierge, shuttle vehicles, and surprises throughout the season designed specifically for the Subaru brand’s intrepid owners. The partnership with Killington also includes the New England debut of Subaru WinterFest, the Subaru brand’s winter lifestyle event series and concert tour.

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction has donated $5,000 to Common Roots, a local nonprofit organization committed to food education and food access. Common Roots, founded in 2009, is based in South Burlington, Vermont, with a dynamic mission to foster relationships among farmers, educators, youth, families, and the wider community through place-based education and service programs.

Said PC Construction President and CEO Jay Fayette, “Common Roots is such an important organization for our community. Not only do they provide children and families in need with quality food and vegetables – particularly during school breaks when meals aren’t readily available – but they also support local farmers by educating the community about our food system. PC’s employee-owners understand the importance of supporting basic needs in our community and we are proud to partner with organizations doing great work to help our neighbors in need of the essentials.” 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has experienced 41 traffic fatalities so far this year.  Of those killed, 58 percent were not properly restrained with seat belts, and more than 42 percent occurred in crashes involving impaired drivers. As part of the continual and ongoing efforts to reduce deadly and serious injury crashes on Vermont’s roads, the Vermont State Police will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) over the holiday period from Wednesday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 1.  Operation C.A.R.E. is a national campaign in which police agencies across the United States join in the effort of reducing fatalities on our highways, particularly during national holidays when there’s an increase in the number of motorists on the roadways.  The Vermont State Police will have zero tolerance for people who make the reckless decision to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Vermont Business Magazine At the annual ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in San Diego this past week, the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) presented one of its highest honors, the Landscape Architecture Firm Award, to Heritage Landscapes, LLC headquartered in Charlotte, Vermont.

The ASLA Landscape Architecture Award recognizes the Heritage Landscapes distinguished body of work, with a litany of successful projects addressing landscapes of great historic significance throughout the United States and abroad. In collaboration with ASLA, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the National Park Service, state and local government agencies, non-profits, and talented colleagues, Heritage Landscapes has had a significant, transformative and beneficial impact on the fields of landscape architecture and historic preservation over a period of 32 years.

by Robert Zulkoski, Social Entrepreneur Can you be in the right place at the right time or do you make your own luck?  Philosophers and scholars have debated this for centuries but to the modern entrepreneur, the distinction makes no difference.  You must do both. Cam MacKugler, founder and CEO of Seedsheet, knows this all too well.  I continue my series of conversations with Vermont entrepreneurs this month by exploring how timing has had an effect on the trajectory of the Vermont company Seedsheet.

Vermont Business Magazine Mary Engisch is the new local host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, which airs on VPR Saturdays and Sundays from 8-10 a.m.Mary began hosting on the weekends in October. She joined VPR in 2011 as a board operator and announcer. From 2014-2018, she also hosted a weekly arts segment and interview with local artists. In addition to hosting and creating on-air content for Weekend Edition, Mary works on VPR's programming team producing specials and promos.

Vermont Business Magazine A critical vote in the nation’s capital has restored funding for Vermont’s transportation infrastructure. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act is a five-year, $305 billion federal bill that provides funding to state transportation agencies from 2015 to 2020. Vermont receives an average of approximately $220 million annually under this bill. This funding represents the primary way in which Vermont funds state transportation projects, and it generally accounts for half the state’s total transportation budget. A $7.5 billion rescission was included in the final year of the bill that would have resulted in Vermont losing $55.5 million in federal funds. The consequences of this rescission would have been severe, with less money to fund transportation projects and a delay in funding planned projects.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan, joined by several stakeholders, announced that his office will be submitting comments in opposition to the Trump Administration’s third proposal in the past year to cut benefits from SNAP, known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT. The latest proposal threatens to cut over $25 million in benefits to Vermonters by changing the way in which utility costs, including heating and cooling, are calculated when determining benefit amounts. The change will result in a benefit reduction for an estimated 68 percent of Vermont households receiving 3SquaresVT.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Supreme Court overturned the Environmental Court’s decision that economic considerations trump environmental factors in setting conditions for Morrisville Water and Light’s (MWL) application for a Water Quality Certificate (WQC) pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). VNRC said the Environmental Court had made the unprecedented ruling that the VWQS protect hydroelectric facilities’ right to operate above the impact that these facilities have on Vermont’s waters, which the Supreme Court has now reversed.