Current News

by Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos The term ‘voting rights’ is thrown around all too often today as a buzzword and policy stance that’s used as a political football. We must never forget that the right to vote is enshrined in our Constitution. Efforts to deny or restrict any eligible voter’s right to vote are an affront to our democracy. Every new denial chips away at the very bedrock upon which the foundation of our country was built.

Unfortunately, over the past few decades we have seen a growing wave of voting restrictions across the United States. The gutting of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court in 2013 has opened up the floodgates even further for partisan attempts to disenfranchise voters and suppress voter turnout, under the guise of nonexistent widespread voter fraud.

Vermont Business Magazine Twelve organizations received a total of $59,000 in funding from the Windham Foundation, recognizing and investing in their ability to positively impact the lives of rural Vermonters. Liz Bankowski, CEO of the Windham Foundation, said: “We are proud to be partnering with wonderful organizations in every corner of the state. Their initiatives speak to the empathy and creative problem-solving apparent in so many of Vermont’s nonprofits. We are eager to follow the positive impact of their work.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources (EPR), announced the Q1 of 2019 outlook results of their joint initiative, the VBR/EPR Business Conditions Survey and Index.
Survey results show that: More than 60 percent of respondents shared negative outlooks specifically with ease of hiring for available positions (64%); a slight shift toward neutral from the previous survey; a supermajority of respondents expressed a neutral or negative outlook about the state’s overall business climate (85%), a sharp increase from the previous survey.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College is included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2018-2019 Fulbright U.S. students – that is, American college students awarded Fulbrights for educational experiences around the world. Fulbrights are highly competitive international grants given to students, scholars, professors and young professionals to study, research or teach overseas. Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the top producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists annually, posting its latest report Monday morning, February 11.

Vermont Business Magazine Cost recovery for electric sector cybersecurity investments and development of resilience metrics to gauge the industry's progress are two of several recommendations unveiled Sunday by Vermont Law School researchers who briefed the Critical Infrastructure Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) on the findings of a six-month study of electric grid security.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont real estate developer Eric Farrell today announced that 375 North Avenue, LLC has raised $5.3 million in equity funding from accredited investors and closed on approximately $15.2 million in secured debt. VENTURE.co Brokerage Services, LLC, a FINRA-member broker-dealer based in Burlington, is engaged by the company to raise capital from accredited investors and institutions and to provide strategic advisory services to the Company. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont branch of the NAACP and the ACLU of Vermont are calling for a broader inquiry following revelations that Bennington officials failed to disclose information directly related to the safety of Kiah Morris and her family to investigators with the Attorney General’s office. On Thursday, Attorney General Donovan acknowledged that information should have been provided, though he did not elaborate. 

The significance of Bennington officials withholding relevant evidence must not be overlooked, particularly considering Bennington law enforcement’s track record, the two organizations said in a press release. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today recognized eight Vermont high school teams who participated in this year’s CyberPatriot XI competition, part of the nation’s largest youth cyber education program. The South Burlington Cyber Wolves claimed victory at the Vermont State Championship in January and advanced to the semi-final round on February 1. The top 12 of more than 6,000 competing teams from across the nation win an all-expense paid trip to the National Championships in Baltimore, Maryland in April.

“Congratulations to all the teams who represented Vermont this year,” said Governor Scott. “This competition, and others like it, help spark young Vermonters’ interest in cybersecurity, which is so important as we work to give our young people the tools they need for good careers and look to develop the next generation of professionals in this field.”

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.