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Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Legislature passed the Essential Maintenance Practices (EMP) Law in 1996. The purpose of the law is to prevent children from getting lead poisoned in rental housing or child care facilities, requiring annual EMP inspections and the use of lead safe work practices when renovating or maintaining these properties. The law applies to all residential rental units and childcare facilities in buildings built prior to 1978.

Vermont Home Inspection Services is certified to perform visual EMP Inspections. EMP Inspections are a visual on-site inspection of the interior and exterior of the building looking for deteriorated paint. Deteriorated paint is identified as any interior or exterior paint or other coating that is peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking or separating from the substrate.

US Senator Bernie Sanders “In Vermont, alone, over 1,300 federal workers may be going without a paycheck, thanks to Trump’s misguided government shutdown. These include employees who work at the TSA, the US Department of Agriculture, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Internal Revenue Service. As a result of this shutdown, there is growing concern in Vermont and around the country about how these federal employees are going to pay their mortgages, feed their families and provide for other basic needs without a paycheck...

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today presented Albert Besser of Morrisville with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his heroic service as part of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor that Congress can award to a civilian.

“Albert Besser is an American hero deserving of this honor,” said Welch. “Though no award can adequately do justice to the immense sacrifice and bravery of OSS veterans, I am pleased that this remarkable unit is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Mr. Besser is truly exemplary of the Greatest Generation.”

The OSS was the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and special operations community. Created to gather intelligence and wage unconventional warfare in enemy territory, the OSS was a critical component to the Allied victory in World War II.

Vermont Business Magazine Encore Renewable Energy has been selected as one of the “Top 100 Impact Companies” of 2019. This first of its kind ranking was developed by Real Leaders, Big Path Capital, and B Lab, the organization leading the global movement of people using business as a force for good and overseeing the B Corp certification process. The RL100, in its inaugural year, recognizes and ranks the positive impact companies in North America that are leveraging the engine of capitalism for the greater good. Encore ranked 20th, Vermont's SunCommon ranked 22nd, Rhino Foods 32nd, and Chroma Technologies 66th.

The ranking is based on the formula for force – that is mass times acceleration: Three-year growth rate (acceleration) x Revenue (mass) x B Impact assessment score = A Company’s Force for Good score.

Vermont Business Magazine Electricians, nurses, and web developers are just some of the 60-plus Vermont careers expected to pay at least $20/hour and have at least 250 openings over the next decade. Newly updated research from the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation and the Vermont Department of Labor makes clear that high-pay, high-demand jobs do exist across the Green Mountain State for people of all interests and backgrounds. They don’t all require a 4-year degree, but the data reveals that employers are usually looking for training and education beyond a high school diploma.

Vermont State Police An investigation is underway Monday following a police shooting in the southwestern Vermont town of Arlington involving an armed man who fired multiple times at state troopers. The individual, Matt Novick, 40, of 535 Red Mountain Rd. in Arlington, is undergoing treatment for multiple gunshot wounds at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont will receive $350,000, thanks to Vermont Student Assistance Corp’s $31 million, seven-year federal GEAR UP grant awarded in October.

Vermont Business Magazine College Consensus, a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published their ranking of the 25 Best Colleges for Skiing & Snowboarding at www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/top-ski-colleges. A college education is a crucial step in reaching a professional career and financial opportunity, but the community, camaraderie, and fun of the college years is just as important to character development and future success. For students looking for fun in the snow, College Consensus is featuring the 25 Best Colleges for Skiing & Snowboarding, a ranking that brings focus to the universities and colleges that are the perfect setting for winter activities.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 4, 2019 the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) began accepting applications for registration to grow and process industrial hemp for the 2019 registration year. The registration process is now online. Hemp growers and processors have separate registration applications and the forms provide VAAFM the opportunity to collect information about the hemp industry in Vermont, which supports VAAFM’s research as part its Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. The fee to register is $25.

Vermont Business Magazine Long Falls Paperboard (LFP) and Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) announced today the sale of the Brattleboro paperboard plant, formerly owned and operated by Neenah Paper, Inc. On December 31, 2018 LFP completed a complex financial transaction to acquire the business. This project has had support from numerous local, regional, and statewide partners. Neenah Paper, Inc bought the assets of the former FiberMark in 2015 for $120 million. Neenah reported in February that it received $5 million in cash for the Brattleboro plant.

Vermont Business Magazine The Paramount Theatre will present two screenings of David Giancola’s latest film, “Axcellerator” on Friday, January 25th, at 6 PM and 8:30 PM. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. “Axcellerator” director, David Giancola, commented on the upcoming premiere, “Something rare and unique is about to happen in Rutland, Vermont. A bit of Hollywood is coming to The Paramount Theatre in Rutland on Friday, January 25th with the World Premiere the sci-fi adventure “Axcellerator.” The public is invited to join the film’s cast and crew with screenings at both viewings and an After-Party at The Franklin Conference Center in Howe Center. The independent feature was filmed primarily in Rutland, Killington, and Londonderry at locations that include the Magic Mountain Ski Resort, The Rutland Free Library, The Killington Mountain Lodge, The Diamond Run Mall, and the streets of Downtown Rutland.”

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University officials announced a partnership with Respond Software to integrate its Respond Analyst tool, the first fully autonomous virtual analyst with decision automation, to augment students’ experiential learning with this new operational and academic experience.

This partnership is designed to keep Norwich students educated in relevant technologies that they can be ready to operate upon graduation in the longstanding Norwich tradition of experiential learning. The goal of the partnership is to develop student cybersecurity competencies with hands-on experience, as well as to introduce students to next generation cyber security tools incorporating artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics.