Current News

Leonine Public Affairs Week five had some moments of high intensity as the House deliberated on a bill that would delay forced school mergers and a public hearing on reproductive rights drew a very large crowd of people from around the state (and likely beyond). On Wednesday evening hundreds of people gathered for a public hearing held by the House Human Services and House Judiciary Committees. H.57 would codify Roe v. Wade in Vermont law as protection against a possible reversal of that landmark decision by the US Supreme Court. The hearing drew impassioned testimony by members of the public with both pro-choice and pro-life views. Statehouse security did their best to control the influx of people with lines stretching out both sides of the building onto adjoining sidewalks. The House Human Services Committee passed H.57 soon after the hearing by a vote of 8-3. The bill now goes to the House Judiciary Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is seeking petitions from eligible candidates for three seats on its twelve-member board of directors. Elections will conclude during VEC’s Annual Meeting of the Membership on Saturday, May 11 at Jay Peak Resort. Every year co-op members elect local representatives to serve on the board. Directors participate in setting policies and mak­ing decisions and are expected to represent the interests of the VEC membership. Terms are for four years.

In order to run for the board, a candidate must be a VEC member and have a principal residence within VEC service territory and in the district they are running to represent. Employees of the co-op are not eligible to serve on the board.

Vermont Business Magazine February 11th  has been designated National 2-1-1 Day, in recognition of the free, confidential, easy-to-remember phone number that serves 95% of America's population and connects some 16 million Americans a year to critical information, resources, and services. Since its inception in 2005, Vermont 2-1-1 responded to over 450,000 calls/texts/emails providing Vermonters with 401,151 referrals to health and human services throughout the state and beyond.

Vermont Business Magazine These days, it’s nice to have issues we can all agree on – like the need for clean, safe water for all Vermonters. Unfortunately, clean water is not something we can take for granted in Vermont right now. More than one hundred of Vermont’s rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, in every part of the state, are impaired due to water pollution. Polluted waters are resulting in cyanobacteria outbreaks, beach closures, loss of property value, and damage to our outdoor recreation and tourism economies. We’re already feeling the impacts of inadequate investments in clean water.

Vermont Business Magazine The ReArch Company, Inc, based in South Burlington, has announced a $30,000 donation to the Vermont Foodbank. ReArch is committed to philanthropy and one of the missions that we support is helping to fight hunger across Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank is leading this charge; therefore, ReArch has pledged $30,000 over the next three years to help them implement this meaningful mission.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain College trustees voted January 23 to close the Poultney college following commencement in May. The surprise announcement was made at an all-college meeting. Economists added $11 million to expected tax revenues for FY2019. Labor force falls again, jobless rate holds at 2.7 percent. Entergy completes sale of Vermont Yankee to NorthStar. Brattleboro paper company sold, jobs saved. And more...

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased for the first time this year. For the week of February 2, 2019, there were 692 claims, 164 more than they were the previous week, and 224 more than they were a year ago. The holiday season usually sees wild swings in claims, as retailers in particular hire and layoff workers in spikes in November and December and then claims quiet down in January, but have now jumped the first full week in February.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to an increasing number of Champlain Island year-round and seasonal homeowners looking for ways to use less energy and save money, the Energy Co-op of Vermont is now offering their full menu of services to the town of North Hero.

Community Bank N.A. recently presented a $1,500 donation to Howard Center & South Burlington Rotary Club to support its 2019 Curling Challenge.

Vermont Business Magazine Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, will be the University of Vermont’s 2019 commencement speaker. Walker has served as president of the foundation, an internationally renowned philanthropic organization, since June 2013. Among many successes in his career, he chaired the philanthropy committee that brought a positive resolution to the city of Detroit’s historic bankruptcy and is co-founder and chair of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance.

Vermont Business Magazine The 2019 Vermont personal income tax season has opened. The IRS and the State of Vermont began accepting income tax returns on Jan. 28. This year, the federal and state due date for returns and requests for extensions is April 15. Many of the changes come as a result of Act 11, Vermont’s response to the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which became law during the 2018 special legislative session and prevented a $30 million income tax increase.

Vermont Business Magazine In February, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources concluded legal action against two Vermont entities that failed to perform and record monitoring of commercial underground storage tanks (USTs), as required by the Vermont Underground Storage Tank Rules. During routine inspections in July 2018, the Agency discovered violations of the UST Rules at the Williamstown Town Garage and at Cunningham’s Full Service Station, LLC, in Canaan. An inspection of the two 2000-gallon USTs at the Williamstown Town Garage revealed that the Town was not conducting weekly leak detection monitoring or performing monthly inspections, as well as failing to maintain spill buckets free of liquid and debris. Similarly, an inspection of the four 6,000-gallon USTs at Cunningham’s Full Service Station, LLC revealed the auto business was not monitoring for leaks on a weekly basis.