Current News

by Amy Spear, VP of Tourism for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce From mid-September to mid-October, Vermont’s Green Mountains transform into a vibrant landscape of gold, red, yellow and orange. It’s the ultimate fall foliage destination with over one million visitors traveling to Vermont in the month of October alone to capture memories while enjoying Vermont specialty products and attractions with mountain vistas, picturesque lakes, classic New England villages and countryside ablaze with color. While Vermont tourism is thriving and our brand is strong, visitor impacts go beyond lifetime memories and Instagrammable moments; last year, visitors contributed $391 million to the state’s coffers in tax revenue

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont0 issued the following statement in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to open an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump: “I applaud and strongly support the decision by Speaker Pelosi to commence impeachment proceedings against President Trump.

Vermont Business Magazine Following the two-year anniversary of Hurricane María’s devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) led more than a dozen lawmakers in a call to reverse the crippling austerity imposed on Puerto Rico; end the priority given to the demands of Wall Street vulture funds over of the needs of the Puerto Rican people; and put a moratorium on any payments on Puerto Rican debt until an independent investigation is completed to root out corruption. 

Vermont Business Magazine Following the close of a two-week campaign for donations, Attorney General TJ Donovan announced the completion of the 3rd Annual Lawyers Fighting Hunger Food Drive. The Lawyers Fighting Hunger Food Drive is a collaboration between the Office of the Attorney General, the Vermont Bar Association (VBA), and the Vermont Foodbank. The drive ran during September, which has been designated Hunger Action Month in Vermont. Twenty Vermont law firms and law offices signed up in advance to participate in this year’s event, and for the first time ever, a team from Vermont Law School also participated.

Vermont Business Magazine Garnet Transport Medicine, a state-of-the-art medical transport service, provides 24/7/365 inter-facility transport throughout Vermont. It began providing services today from their facility in Essex. Garnet’s services include Basic and Advanced Life Support ambulance service and Non-Emergency Medical Transport for those requiring wheelchair accommodation, all with a focus on patient-centered care.

Public Assets Institute The young Vermonters at the September 20 Climate Strike might soon be joining the state’s green jobs market. About 18,900 people now work in jobs related to clean energy, according to the 2019 Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report from the Department of Public Service. That’s an increase of about 28 percent since 2013. And while job growth has slowed, the time devoted to clean-energy work has increased, according to the report. Meanwhile, the Vermont Department of Labor announced Friday that the total number of nonfarm payroll jobs in the state fell by 600 in August.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos Our free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy. Today, September 24^th, is National Voter Registration Day, and in Vermont we have a lot to celebrate in honor of this important day. The right to register and vote is enshrined in our Constitution, and is one of the most important ways we can help shape the future of our towns or cities, of our state, and of our country. From local school budgets, to who represents us in the State House or in Congress, and all the way up to the President, voting is one very important way that we all can make our voice heard in the democratic process.

Vermont Business Magazine On Sunday, November 3rd in Colchester, Rutland, and St. Johnsbury, veterans are invited to speak, unscripted, about what their service means to them. All community members are encouraged to attend and to listen. Inspired by author Sebastian Junger, these gatherings aim to establish a greater understanding between local veterans and the friends and neighbors they fought for. In the tradition of warrior storytelling, veterans are invited to describe the pride, grief, rage, or quiet appreciation of life that the war bestowed upon them ⁠—to share a story, summary of service, message, letter home, excerpt from a war journal, or even the story behind a photograph. The events are non-political, and all perspectives are valued.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation and the organizing committee for the Con Hogan Award for Creative, Entrepreneurial Community Leadership announced Monday that Jan Demers will be honored with this year’s award. Demers is the Executive Director of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), serving Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties.

The $15,000 award, to be used however the recipient chooses, will be presented at a public reception on Wednesday, October 2 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.

Vermont Business Magazine VetriScience Laboratories recently won the Exclusive Content Strategy category in the international 2019 PR Daily Media Relations Awards. The Williston-based animal nutritional supplement company was selected over three other finalists in the category for a project that resulted in a CBS Evening News story about the pay-it-forward kindness of Maine resident and Army veteran Christy Gardner.

Gardner and her service dog Moxie were featured in the VetriScience Take Good Care video series last fall. When VetriScience learned that Gardner was caring for a puppy that would need surgery on his leg before training to become an in-school therapy dog, they stepped in to help Gardner and her dog.

by John McClaughry As this Global Climate Strike week moves forward, let me share an interesting perspective on the “defeat climate change” movement from somebody who believes in all the climate apocalypse hype – but seems to have suddenly awakened to the interests promoting it.

Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care today announced the winners of its inaugural Workplace Well Being Awards. The award recognizes 20 companies and organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of their employees through workplace wellness programs. Gold, Platinum, or Diamond level awards were distributed to various companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies across New York and Vermont.  Additionally, Oneida County was recognized with the Innovation in Workplace Well-Being Award and United Counseling Services (UCS) was recognized with the Excellence in Workplace Well-Being Award.