Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Marlboro College concluded their Sugar Rush 2019 spring fundraising challenge on April 3, exceeding their donor goal and unlocking $350,000 in challenge funds. The Sugar Rush goal was to reach 225 donors during the two weeks leading up to April 3, and the final donor count was more than twice that number at a stunning 455 gifts, raising a combined total of more than $429,000 in gifts and challenge dollars.

“We couldn’t be happier with the results, both in terms of the number of people who participated but also the awareness raised,”said Rennie Washburn, director of advancement at Marlboro. “This effort blows all of our recent spring campaigns out of the water. It will result in a substantial contribution to our Annual Fund, moving us closer to our total goal of $2 million.”

Vermont Business Magazine A bipartisan official US Senate delegation of nine Senators will visit South Korea and Vietnam for meetings with government and military leaders during the Senate’s April recess. They will depart Washington on April 14 and return on April 23. The delegation is headed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and the ranking member of its Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations. 

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police is assisting New Hampshire authorities that are investigating the murders of two individuals in the town of Hinsdale. Arrest warrants have been issued for Derrick Shippee, 28, on two counts of second-degree murder. Mr. Shippee has ties to southern Vermont. State police are asking the public to be aware and alert during this active and ongoing investigation.

VSP photo of Derrick Shippee

The murders of a man and woman were reported Thursday afternoon, April 11, at a home on Plain Road in Hinsdale, a town on the New Hampshire border with Vermont near Vernon.

Vermont Business Magazine The April shower this week with another system moving through dropping four inches of snow Tuesday through Wednesday at Burke Mountain Resort. The 2018+19 season now holds the title for the largest snow accumulation (within the last 8 seasons ) of 232 inches recorded since opening day back in November, and may just hold the title for the longest season as well.  

Vermont Business Magazine An important component of ReArch Company’s corporate mission is giving back to our communities.  This philosophy is embodied in a portion of our Mission Statement, as follows: ReArch will be a recognized and well-respected leader, in the project development and construction industry, through supporting our communities by being involved, engaged and philanthropic.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Smoke & Cure, a Hinesburg-based maker of smoked meats and meat snacks in Vermont since 1962, was granted more than $15,000 in Vermont Training Program (VTP) funding.  Vermont Smoke & Cure’s steady growth (30% annually) pushes toward the need for ten new hires as the company works to plan and create a second shift.

Employee training will include food systems, machine operations, and leadership training.  Being a ready-to-eat meat facility adds additional risk and food safety requirements.  Training will keep employees on top of best practices amidst the company’s rapid expansion.

Vermont Business Magazine Investments in Vermont’s 529 college savings plan have reached another milestone, topping 22,000 accounts and $400 million in assets, according to Vermont Student Assistance Corp., which administers the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims have been bouncing up and down this spring, but are at a typical level of around 500 now. Claims for the week of April 6, 2019, rose from a relatively low level of 397 the previous week to 519 last week. But claims were 104 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Altogether 5,194 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 44 from a week ago, and 285 fewer than a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims were lower than the year before, but have been up and down in 2019. Vermont, like the nation as a whole, is locked into a historically low period of unemployment and a tight labor market.

Vermont Business Magazine Marlboro College’s 72nd commencement will take place on the morning of May 12, 2019, when community members will gather to celebrate the accomplishments of both undergraduate and graduate students. Radio producer and Marlboro alumnus Sean Cole ’93 will give a commencement address, and renowned artists Emily Mason and Wolf Kahn will also receive honorary degrees.

Vermont Business Magazine One of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals in the state was held last Thursday and Friday at the Doubletree in South Burlington. Throughout the two-day event, keynote speeches and breakout sessions focused on the need for increased tourism marketing funding, the importance of industry collaborations, and how private-public partnerships can extend marketing resources.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s School of Nursing, in collaboration with the University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (CGCS), has launched a new online bachelor’s degree completion program, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), designed for licensed RNs who want to pursue their degree while balancing work and other life responsibilities. The program is set to begin its first trimester in August 2019.

Vermont State Police On 04/11/2019 at approximately 1307 hrs Troopers from the Vermont State Police New Haven Barracks, were detailed to a reported motor vehicle crash near 6552 VT Rt 125, Addison, VT.  According to State Police Dispatch, a vehicle had gone off the roadway and was submerged in Lake Champlain. Preliminary investigation indicates the operator, Richard Finnessey, was traveling south on VT RT 125 when his vehicle left the travel portion of the roadway, travelled down an embankment and ultimately into Lake Champlain.  Neither speed nor impairment appear to be contributing factors in this incident.   It is believed that Finnessey suffered an undetermined medical event prior to crash. 

VSP photo.