Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Lisa Senecal of Stowe is now Chair of the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW), an independent non-partisan state government commission dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. Senecal, elected unanimously, takes the helm from Marcia Merrill of Jericho.  Merrill steps down after ten years, leading the only entity in Vermont expressly considering broad implications of state policy and budget priorities for women in our state.  

"Like the women’s movement, VCW has evolved over our 55-year history in response to current issues,"  said VCW's director Cary Brown. "Our Chair helps to guide and steer this process, and we’ve been blessed with gifted leaders, like Marcia and Lisa, who volunteer hundreds of hours of their time in service to women of Vermont.  We celebrate and thank Marcia for her service to the women of Vermont and we welcome Lisa to this position."

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment numbers fell again last week continuing a downward trend. Claims had spiked to nearly a 1,000 in April but are well below that peak now. Claims for the week of June 8, 2019, totaled 3125, down 93 from last week. Claims were 20 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, June 15, 2019, the Vermont State Police will deploy an aggressive traffic enforcement campaign throughout Chittenden County. This is a two-phase, high-visibility initiative. Phase 1 will employ a zero tolerance “See the Violation, Write the Violation” directive as Troopers target and identify aggressive driving violations. During this phase, police will be on the lookout for drivers who engage in this risky – and potentially life-threatening – behavior, such as speeding, failing to move over, following too closely, cellphone/hands-free violations, etc. These drivers will be issued civil and/or criminal citations as appropriate. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce & Community Development today announced that NuHarbor Security has been awarded a total of nearly $325,000 from the Vermont Training Program (VTP) and the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program through the Department of Economic Development.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture’s Vermont Rural Development office has announced that Does’ Leap Farm is receiving a grant for $8,049 that will be used to install a ground-mounted 12.4kW solar array. Does’ Leap is an innovative, diversified organic farm specializing in a variety of fresh and aged goat cheeses in Fairfield. Does’ Leap Farm will alleviate overhead by generating 100 percent of the farm’s current electrical needs with the new array.

“Many rural small business owners need support to incorporate renewable energy and energy efficiency technology into their operations,” said Anthony Linardos, USDA Rural Development Vermont State Director. “USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program helps businesses, like Does’ Leap Farm, to become more energy independent and reduce costs for their businesses.”

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) has introduced legislation that would provide federal funding to revitalize forests being destroyed by the Emerald Ash Borer and help stem future infestations of invasive pests.  
 The Invasive Species Prevention and Forest Restoration Act (H.R. 3244) would create a federal grant program to fund research into promising strategies that advance the recovery of forests damaged by invasive pests.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is alerting customers that with the nicer weather, they should also protect themselves and their property by thinking ahead, paying attention and being safe when driving, or doing yard work.  GMP is seeing an increasing number of reports of customers felling trees onto lines, excavating work digging into lines, construction and other large vehicles pulling down lines and drivers hitting utility poles. These incidents are dangerous, cause property damage at people’s homes and outages for other customers.

Vermont Business Magazine The College of St Joseph’s Board of Trusteeshas  voted to keep the college open and restructure it as a professional development and certificate-granting institution. The board’s decision reflects its continued commitment to the community and attracting youth, diversity and innovation to help grow and maintain the economic vitality of the Rutland region as it has for over 50 years.

by Nina LeMieux Two months ago, I told Vermont legislators the story of how I lost my job, my life savings and my apartment after I lost access to child care. It all started in January 2017 when my child care provider suddenly closed her doors. I was a full-time state employee and single mother of three children; not working wasn’t an option but I couldn’t get to work because I couldn’t find child care. I was forced to leave my job and begin collecting welfare and food stamps. I burned through my life savings and retirement within a few months. Then I had to give up our apartment and live with friends. I became severely depressed.

Vermont Business Magazine Eighteen Vermont working lands businesses and service providers were recognized Wednesday at an event celebrating the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI), created by the Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The awardees received over $800,000. Governor Phil Scott and Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Secretary Anson Tebbetts recognized each grantee on the grounds of the Intervale Center in Burlington, also a grantee, to emphasize the importance of working lands businesses to Vermont’s economy and heritage.  

by Christine McGowan Luke Persons and Roger Pion wanted to start a business, preferably one that kept them connected to the forested working landscape in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. With backgrounds in logging, excavating and trucking, the friends had heard about an emerging market for biochar, but knew little about its production or use.

Vermont Business Magazine A brand new hydropower curriculum developed by the Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) will be offered to public middle and high schools this fall. The project, which was recently supported in part by the Vermont Electric Co-op’s Community Fund, will target grades five through 12, and is designed to be easily integrated into teachers’ lesson plans. It follows Next Generation Science Standards and uses an interdisciplinary approach that will not only be easy for teachers, but also make students more engaged, according to Cara Robechek, executive director of VEEP.