Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Housing Trust announced today that it had closed on the permanent financing for its efforts to transform the St. Joseph School into the Old North End Community Center. The $8.8 million transaction secured $2.6 million in federal tax credits by leveraging several other local funding sources. CHT will now initiate construction and ensure that rents remain affordable for the nonprofit tenants and public uses. Just two weeks ago the Trust announced a lead gift of $500,000 from Trey and Dominique Pecor. Since then, $90,000 in donations have come in, leaving just $110,000 to raise from the community to finalize the $8.8 million project.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center released the findings of its 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Thursday, highlighting issues identified by the community as central to improving people’s lives in Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. The report is issued every three years, and serves as a guide for targeting funding and other resources. The top six topic areas identified in 2019 are mental health, substance use disorder, affordable housing, childhood and family health, disease prevention and cancer.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Club (GMC), the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), and the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) call on Vermonters and recreational tourists to be wary of the return of mud season to the Green Mountains and to respect associated trail closures and advisories.

The wet soils on and around hiking trails are very susceptible to erosion at this critical time of year. To protect fragile soil and surrounding vegetation, some trails may be closed by land managers. We ask everyone to please respect the signage you see. Hikers walking on saturated soils or on the sides of trails cause damage to surrounding vegetation, widen trails, and inhibit natural drainage of our beloved hiking trails.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-operative members will be able to get the very latest on the fast-moving electric vehicle marketplace in Vermont and also enjoy a complimentary breakfast and great door prizes at the co-op’s annual meeting May 11 at Jay Peak Resort. The meeting’s theme is Driving into the Future: Electric Vehicles in Rural Vermont, and the event will feature a panel of experts on electric vehicles - including a VEC member who owns an all-electric Nissan Leaf - who will share their expertise and experience with this emerging technology.

A variety of electric vehicles will also be on display, and members will also have a final opportunity to vote in VEC’s 2019 director election, and the results will be announced.

The event starts at 8 am with breakfast and an exhibitor showcase, and the formal part of the meeting runs from 9:30 am to 12 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has garnered a national reputation for its award-winning specialty food and drink products and inventive, locally focused cuisine. For the last decade, Seven Days’ Vermont Restaurant Week has celebrated the state’s chefs, farmers, producers and others food-service professionals that have helped put the Green Mountain State on the map. The event has also raised $95,375.32 and counting for the Vermont Foodbank, the festival’s beneficiary.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Free clinics are open to people of all ages and levels of experience, including those who are completely new to fishing. Equipment will be provided, but participants should dress for the weather as the programs will take place outside. 

Vermont Business Magazine Northfield Savings Bank (NSB) announces changes to its Board of Trustees. The Bank is grateful to outgoing Board member Lauren Wobby for 18 years of dedicated service and pleased to welcome Kyle Dodson. Wobby, of Northfield, joined the Board in 2001 after serving as a Corporator since 1998. The Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer at Norwich University, Wobby carries on as a Corporator after completing her term on the Board this month. 

“Lauren’s tenure on our Board has corresponded with an era of robust growth for our company.  Her impact has been central and her example an inspiration to all of us at Northfield Savings Bank,” said Thomas Leavitt, President & CEO of Northfield Savings Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced  today that his Office has reviewed the police-involved shooting incident that occurred on the morning of January 7, 2019 in Arlington, Vermont.  The Attorney General’s Office is declining to prosecute Vermont State Police Trooper Raymond Witkowski for charges related to discharging his firearm at Matthew Novick.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House of Representatives passed S.49, a bill that regulates polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and surface waters in Vermont on a vote of 135-1. Representative Amy Sheldon (D-Middlebury), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Fish, and Wildlife, said, “This bill is integral in creating a healthier and safer environment for all Vermonters. PFAS are found in everyday products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, and cosmetics. These substances can be toxic to humans in extremely small concentrations and unfortunately have been found in public and private water supplies in Vermont. This bill establishes regulatory monitoring of Vermont drinking waters to ensure that Vermonters remain safe and manufacturers are held accountable for their waste.”

Vermont Business Magazine Marlboro College has always provided a wealth of interdisciplinary coursework, including courses drawing important links between the humanities and sciences. Now, with the support of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, the college is positioning itself to offer a new undergraduate Data Humanist Certificate Program, making these links even more explicit and demonstrating students’ preparedness for the workplace.

“There is an obvious utility in a student being able to say to a prospective employer, ‘I did some relevant data work,’” said Adam Franklin-Lyons, history professor and one of the faculty members who applied for the grant. “They might have studied literature, but they also worked with a state agency or nonprofit on a data project. If they are applying to do something similar, I think that’s a no brainer.”

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, April 17, officials at Castleton University were alerted of a potential threat. Castleton Director of Public Safety Keith Molinari reviewed a recording of a current nursing faculty member making specific threats of violence against targeted members of the Castleton community. The recording is suspected to be up to two weeks old. The Castleton community was alerted of the potential threat through the University's emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon. Castleton's Emergency Management Team is coordinating a response with regional law enforcement, who are further investigating.

Source: CASTLETON, VT (04/17/2019) 2:15 pm

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness at Norwich University after more than two dozen students and staff reported being sick. Health officials say the administration at Norwich is cooperating in the investigation. Based on the symptoms and length of illness reported, norovirus is suspected but has not yet been confirmed through laboratory testing.

Norovirus is a common cause of gastrointestinal illness. Symptoms often include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. People who are ill from a norovirus may also experience headaches, body aches and fever.