Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced the dates and locations for his fifth biennial Transparency Tour. Throughout late October and November Secretary Condos will travel to several locations across Vermont to provide training and facilitate discussion on Vermont’s transparency laws; Vermont’s Public Records Act, and Open Meeting Law. They begin October 28 and run through November 21.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $25,000 Healthy Communities Grant award to the University of Vermont in Burlington. Announced during Children's Health Month in October, the grant will help create a new partnership project between the University of Vermont, middle school and high school teachers and students, and community partners to pilot a team-based approach to education, hazard reduction, and educational materials development related to addressing lead in water and soil in Burlington and Winooski.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, October 18, Chelsea Hoadley, former Tax Examiner with the Vermont Department of Taxes, pleaded guilty in Washington County Criminal Court to one felony count of embezzlement in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 2537. Superior Court Judge Mary Morrissey presided over the matter. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hoadley was sentenced to 18 months to 3 years, all of which were suspended except for 90 days of home confinement furlough.

Vermont Business Magazine An independent poll by Vermont Public Radio (VPR) and Vermont PBS (VTPBS) found tremendous public support for dairy in the Green Mountains. The scientific poll released by the VPR and VTPBS found a total of 93% of Vermonters support Vermont dairy. “These independent results are encouraging as we try to grow the Vermont economy,” said Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts. “We are working hard to improve the livelihood for dairy farmers throughout Vermont.  One major way to have an impact is to improve the outlook for dairy farming.”

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly 500 emergency responders and officials from local, state and partner agencies will test their disaster recovery skills during Vermont’s fourth Catastrophic Exercise (CAT 4) from October 23-25. The exercise simulates the aftermath of a statewide catastrophic disaster and tests the ability to restore critical infrastructure. CAT 4 will involve 19 cities and towns and 20 state and volunteer agencies from around Vermont. Unlike past exercises that practiced a response to an active natural disaster, this event will simulate the aftermath of a major storm on the scale of Tropical Storm Irene.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc (ticker symbol LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank based in Hanover, NH, with a branch in Norwich, VT, today reported record quarterly and year-to-date earnings. Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, was $1,579,252 or $0.50 per share compared to $1,382,986 or $0.44 per share for the same period in 2018, an increase of $196,266 or 14.2%. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, was $4,450,056 or $1.42 per share compared to $3,932,184 or $1.27 per share for the same period in 2018, an increase of $517,872 or 13.2%. Strength in the Company’s core businesses and the ability to control operating expenses are the primary contributing factors to these record results.

Vermont Business Magazine Groennfell Meadery, a Vermont craft beverage company, recently received a grant totaling $3,237.50 from the Vermont Training Program (VTP). Groennfell, which means “Green Mountain” in old Norse, is Vermont’s premier craft meadery. Its mead is made from 100% True Source honey. Based in Colchester since opening in 2013, the meadery recently moved to St Albans to focus more of its attention on production.

Public Assets Institute The Pew Research Center estimates that there are several thousand undocumented immigrants in Vermont. These workers pay roughly $3 million in taxes annually and support a number of state industries, especially agriculture. And their contributions aren’t just economic: immigrants writ large are an integral part of our families, schools and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Specialty Food Association (VSFA) will host its annual Fall Meeting on Tuesday, November 5th at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort in Stowe, VT. The event features five informative sessions focused on business essentials, including common and complex HR challenges and a panel discussion on cash flow. VSFA invites all food producers, retailers, and business service providers to attend to network, learn, and connect on a shared vision of promoting Vermont's brand and business growth. This year’s schedule has been streamlined to provide more built-in networking opportunities, a benefit that VSFA members and retailers find invaluable.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment numbers increased last week and for the first time in two months exceeded 300 claims, which is still relatively low. Initial claims for the week of October 12, 2019, totaled 3089, up 29 from last week but 64 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The VT Web Marketing Summit started in 2010 with only 80 attendees and a goal to instill a digital mindset to marketing professionals in the region. For almost a decade now, thousands of marketers have trusted VT Web Marketing Summit to deliver actionable, brand-agnostic tactics. Today, it is recognized as one of the leading conferences that delivers some of the boldest, brightest, and immersive digital trends, strategies, challenges and success stories. A brainchild of Curve Trends Marketing, a digital marketing firm based in Vermont, this year’s summit attempts to address the current state of digital marketing.

by Geoff Robertson Remember Tuesday, July 30, a few months back? It was the hottest day of a record-breaking month – the warmest recorded in the history of the earth. It was also a day when thousands of Vermonters cranked up their air conditioning, resulting in what power companies refer to as “peak demand” for electricity. On that day, and many others throughout the summer, New England’s century old electric grid kicked into overdrive, tapping into reserve generators to meet the spike in demand.