Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Following continued investigation and laboratory analysis, the substance Trooper Flansburg encountered has been identified as heroin. The results of any medical tests must remain confidential due to Trooper Flansburg’s personal privacy rights. The ultimate cause of the incident in March is inconclusive.

Vermont Business Magazine Women Business Owners Network (WBON) is pleased to announce the launch of WBON+, a new small group program to help women business owners succeed. Combining the value of collective knowledge and experience with the support of community, WBON+ matches women business owners with peers who commit to meeting monthly in a structured fashion to explore challenges and provide encouragement.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Welch (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive $21 million in new affordable housing and community development funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and NeighborWorks America.  These new funds will help reduce and end homelessness by investing in rental assistance, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of affordable housing and community development projects.

by the Public Assets Institute The purpose of the minimum wage is to provide a floor for most workers’ hourly pay.

Policymakers already agree that Vermont should continue to set a minimum. The question is whether now is the time to raise it. An assessment of economic indicators shows that low-wage workers, especially those making minimum wage, have lost ground compared with higher-wage workers and compared to the cost of living.

by Sen. Patrick Leahy When I became a senator for Vermont in 1975, one of the first votes I cast was for a law to stop funding the war in Vietnam.  That law passed by one vote.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Public Utility Commission opened a proceeding to consider ways to facilitate the review of net-metering systems, including net-metered solar projects. The goal is part of the Commission’s ongoing effort to clarify and streamline the review process wherever possible, while also ensuring that the Commission and all stakeholders can review the potential impacts of a project before the Commission determines whether a project serves the public good.

Vermont Business Magazine As the popularity of craft beers and breweries continues to rise, so does the variety − and strength – of those beers. The ever-changing options in the size and types of beer available means it’s important to know that you could be drinking more alcohol than you intended.

During Alcohol Awareness Month, health officials are reminding Vermonters to “Know Your ABVs,” or alcohol by volume, so you can adjust how much you’re drinking and keep yourself safe.

Vermont Business Magazine WHAT: The American Lung Association is releasing the results of its 20^thannual “State of the Air”report, including air quality grades of counties and rankings of cities in Vermont as they compare to others nationwide based on ozone pollution and particle pollution.

Vermont Business Magazine GMP customers are switching to electric vehicles (EVs) after GMP launched new financial incentives on March 14^th. The new program offers up to $2,500 in rebates, and GMP has helped customers purchase or lease 67 all electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. 5 of the rebates were extra incentives for low-and-moderate income customers.

by Brandon Arcari, Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power announced it plans to shift entirely to renewable power by 2030 at its Earth Day Every Day fair in South Burlington on Saturday. The plan, which also calls for the company to shift entirely to carbon-free energy by 2025, and would beat the state of Vermont’s goal of 90% renewable energy generation by 20 years.

Vermont Business Magazine Two recent reports issued by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) federal evaluator, RTI International, and The Milbank Quarterly show early significant progress in health care reform. Vermont was one of six states to leverage federal government State Innovation Models (SIM) funds to accelerate health care reform and implement accountable care organizations.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Kim Gleason of Essex and Jenna O’Farrell of St. Johnsbury to the State Board of Education on Monday. Gleason and O’Farrell will fill the vacancies of outgoing Board members Mark Perrin and Stacy Weinberger, whose terms expired in March.

“It’s never easy to step up for public service, so I appreciate Kim and Jenna taking on this important work,” said Governor Scott. “As our demographics continue to shift, the State Board of Education, my Administration, local administrators, educators, local boards and the Legislature must all work together to ensure we provide high-quality and equitable education to kids across our diverse schools and school districts. Kim’s and Jenna’s experience and perspective will be a great addition to the Board.”