Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine With the end of the year at hand, a threat by Amtrak to suspend all passenger rail service in Vermont appears to have evaporated, at least for the time being. Fears of a service suspension grew out of a announcement last February by the company's chief, who said that Amtrak would probably stop serving routes that, like those in Vermont, lack a safety technology known as positive train control, or PTC.

Senator Patrick Leahy December 31, 2018: There is one reason and one reason only that much of our federal government is shut down through the holidays and countless Americans are living with uncertainty – and that reason is President Trump. For 10 days he has held the federal government hostage in an attempt to force us to pay for an ineffective and expensive wall on the southern border, a wall he promised that Mexico would pay for. It will not work. He does not have the votes.

Today, House Democrats introduced a commonsense path forward to end the Trump Shutdown: six bipartisan appropriations bills and a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. Following this path, we can finish six of the seven appropriations bills this week and get the government back open and working for the American people.

Vermont Business Start the New Year on the right foot with a hike in a Vermont State Park on January 1, 2019. Join a free, family-friendly, guided hike taking place in state parks across Vermont. Professional guides and outdoor educators will lead the way, sharing their knowledge and love of the Vermont outdoors. Don't need a guide? Explore a state park on your own. The parks are always open and close by. Entry is free and you will discover a whole new world in the winter.

Vermont Business Magazine VSECU, a credit union for everyone who lives or works in Vermont, is offering assistance for members impacted by the partial government shutdown. The Member Emergency Loan (MEL) is a low-rate loan of up to $1,500, intended to help replace the lost wages of furloughed federal employees, including military personnel. VSECU staff will be working to quickly process these loan applications so affected Vermonters won’t have to enter the New Year with financial uncertainty.

“It’s a frightening prospect to suddenly lose income at any time of the year, but winter in Vermont is an especially difficult time to find yourself suddenly without funds,” said Valerie Beaudin, head of Consumer Residential Lending. “VSECU is here to support our members, and together we’ll get through.”

Vermont Business Magazine Mobile Semiconductor has announced their new 22nm FDX ULP (Ultra Low Power) Memory Compiler complete with a comprehensive set of features that cement their leadership position in FDX Memory Compiler offerings. Mobile is based in Seattle with a design center in Williston, Vermont. This new Memory Compiler offers an Ultra-Low Power mode at 0.65V that is useful to a wide range of wearable and battery powered devices. The 22nm FDX ULP joins their expanding 22nm FDX Memory Compiler family that currently covers a wide range of speeds, power requirements, and ultra-low leakage offerings. The 22nm ULP product draws from the expertise developed over the past three years with our successful 28nm and 55nm Memory Compilers.

Public Assets Institute Unlike last year, nobody seems to be panicking over education funding as legislators prepare to return to Montpelier. But that doesn’t mean we should forget about the Education Fund. In fact, now, when the Legislature’s hair is not on fire, is a perfect time to reform management of the $1.7 billion fund.

Why do we need reforms?

Because the Education Fund, which funds pre-K to 12 public education and accounts for almost 30 percent of all state spending, has become more susceptible to political manipulation.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy, US Senator Bernie Sanders, and US Representative Peter Welch will recognize 18 young Vermonters who are being nominated to United States Service Academies to be members of the Class of 2023. At an annual reception in the Cedar Creek Room at the Vermont State House on Saturday, nominees from across Vermont will receive nomination certificates signed by each member of the Vermont Congressional Delegation.

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police reported two separate fatal accidents on Thursday. On the evening of 12/27/18 at 1815 hours Troopers were notified of a 2 vehicle head on crash with injury and entrapment on US Route 5 at the Lyndon/Burke town line. Troopers responded to the scene along with member's of the Lyndon and West Burke Fire Departments as well as Lyndon Rescue.

Operator #1 Stanzione (71) was extricated from her vehicle and was transported to NVRH. Operator #2 Burke (21) was treated for minor injuries. Investigation revealed that vehicle #1 crossed over the double yellow center lines and into the oncoming lane of travel colliding with vehicle #2 in a glancing head on collision. Stanzione was later airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where she succumb to injuries she sustained in the crash.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine It’s been a long time coming, but the University of Vermont will have modern, indoor athletic facilities finally. UVM announced December 18 that it received a $15 million gift from Rich and Deb Tarrant, Vermont philanthropists with strong ties to the university. The gift, one of the largest ever made to UVM and the largest capital gift in its history, will help bring the highly anticipated, $95 million Multi-Purpose Center project to fruition.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom has never had it easy. Tucked away in the northern most reaches of the state, the region inevitably takes the brunt of every recession and never fully enjoys the fruits of the eventual economic recovery. And it could be another two years before the big ski resorts – Jay Peak and Burke – are sold. Some 20 years ago a number of individuals and organizations got together to promote the Kingdom’s strengths.

Today, the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative continues with that mission developing strategies and funding sources to improve the economy of the three-county region.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Newport isn’t looking in the rear-view mirror, at least not any more. Two years ago the city was blindsided when two projects key to the city’s economic development efforts collapsed under the weight of the EB-5 debacle. But that was yesterday. Today, Newport is forging ahead taking the future into its own hands. Key to the revitalization plan is a project that would connect the downtown with the waterfront along the shores of Lake Memphremagog.

Vermont Business Magazine The Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine team at Gifford Health Care has been named Vermont’s 2018 “HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion” for outstanding efforts to protect adolescents from cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The award, announced last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Cancer Society, and Association of American Cancer Institutes, recognizes clinics and practices that go above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination in their community.