Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday, December 20, at approximately 5:05 p.m., a 61-year-old male pedestrian walking a dog was struck and killed by a southbound vehicle in the vicinity of 1205 North Avenue. Police investigation suggests that the pedestrian was crossing between intersections, in a location during low light conditions. Preliminary calculations suggest the driver was driving below the posted speed limit and obeying all applicable traffic laws.

In response, Department of Public Works Director Chapin Spencer issued the following statement:

Senator Patrick Leahy On Saturday nine of our 15 federal departments, and several dozen agencies have shuttered their doors, denying vital services to millions of American citizens. Since midnight last night, and just a few days before Christmas, more than 800,000 public servants and their families have been told not to expect their next paycheck for the foreseeable future. There is one reason and one reason only that our federal government has shut down today and countless Americans are living with uncertainty – and that reason is President Donald J Trump.

Improvements Made to Margin Protection Program

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont dairy farmers could see much needed relief in the 2018 Farm Bill which was signed into law last Thursday in Washington. Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) Secretary Anson Tebbetts said in a statement today that the 2018 Margin Protection Program provided valuable dollars to our state’s dairy farmers and began to increase the confidence of our farmers in this type of insurance program. With the signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, more improvements have been made to the renamed Margin Protection Program, now called the Dairy Margin Coverage program.

by Robert Zulkoski Why do we wait until a pig is dead before we cure it? Vermont recently lost its longstanding triple A bond rating with Moody’s Investors Service as the influential credit rating agency factored in the state’s slower-than-average economic growth, aging population and high pension obligations as a reason. The financial cost of this downgrade may not (yet) be devastating, but the message to Vermonters should be. Crisis is not coming, it’s here. Wake up and deal with it. Stop Cussing the Mule and Load the Wagon!

On the farm, there are always dirty jobs that no one is eager to do. Simple errands, important duties, and critical and difficult special projects can stack up over time. Sometimes we lock horns with a chore or project that, without doubt, we absolutely, positively don’t want to tackle.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont College (SVC) is pleased to announce a new major in Environmental Sciences effective Fall 2019. The major is part of the curriculum within The John Merck Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “We are excited to find more ways to utilize the many resources of our campus,” said Chair Jennifer Nelson, PhD.

Our environment is faced with a network of interlinked challenges in climate change, natural resources management, population growth, and sustainability. Students in the Environmental Sciences major will acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to develop solutions to complex issues while integrating sustained economic growth with respect for integrity of the environment.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2018, the Vermont General Assembly passed Act 183, directing the Vermont Commission on Women, in consultation with the Vermont Attorney General and the Vermont Human Rights Commission, to develop a public education and outreach program designed to make Vermont employees, employers, and members of the public aware of, methods for reporting employment and work-related discrimination and sexual harassment, laws, best practices, and prevention.

Vermont Business Magazine Aqua ViTea has launched two new CBD-infused Kombucha flavors, Chaga Chai and Green Tea, creating some of the most functional – and delicious – beverages out there. The new CBD Kombucha currently is available only in Vermont through Farrell Distributing but following the passage of CBD (Cannabidiol) federal legalization in the Farm Bill, Aqua ViTea will begin spreading the benefits of its new CBD Kombucha throughout the eastern United States.

“We want the funktional here at Aqua ViTea, and these two tasty CBD flavors really go to work for you,” said Aqua ViTea founder Jeff Weaber. “We’ve been looking to make CBD Kombucha for some time but wanted to take our time to create a premium, functional beverage from scratch.”

Vermont Business Magazine Accel-VT, a business accelerator providing support, mentorship, and access to capital for early stage companies committed to climate economy innovation, announced the winners of the latest Accel-VT Ag & Food Tech business cohort last week at Ben & Jerry’s headquarters in South Burlington, VT. AgHelp of Michigan and Ceres Greens of Barre, VT, each took $25,000 in prize money back to their businesses after three months of intense work and competition.

Vermont Business Magazine On December 19, the Vermont Center for Independent Living honored Burger King on the Barre-Montpelier Road in Berlin with a Rosemary J Miller Dining for All Award. The award is named for VCIL’s longtime receptionist, who retired in 2011. Miller, who was born with cerebral palsy, has never let her disability slow her down. She can often be seen out and about in central Vermont, whether she is eating out, shopping or advocating for disability rights.

One of the restaurants Miller most likes to frequent is the Burger King in Berlin. Last summer, the restaurant built a new store in approximately the same location. The new state-of-the-art building is about the same size and is slightly closer to the road. Miller is impressed with the increased accessibility, including wider entrance doors, a spacious bathroom and a level entrance.

Vermont Business Magazine The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, announced today that it will provide $600,000 in grants to 24 food banks across the bank's Maine to Florida footprint to help provide meals locally to families and individuals in need. The grants focus on food stability; healthy growth and development; and access to fresh food for underserved communities.

The grants will help food banks stock shelves to support thousands of people who are experiencing a lack of or limited access to food during this holiday season.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is reminding customers about safety with minor to moderate flooding in the forecast. The National Weather Service has all parts of Vermont under Flood Watches and Warnings through Saturday afternoon, with up to 2.5 inches of rain expected in some locations. The storm blew into Vermont late Thursday night bringing strong winds and scattered power outages. Warmer temperatures combined with snow melt add to forecasters concerns.

“Safety is our priority and we are prepared. The amount of rain and snow melt forecasted is unusual and more like what we see during a typical January thaw,” said Jason Lisai, GMP’s Director of Generation Operations. “We watch the forecasts closely and have been making preparations for days. We are ready to respond to changing conditions.”

The National Weather Service says flooding is likely on multiple rivers with localized flooding and minor ice jams possible.

Public Assets Institute Vermont’s unemployment rate hit an 18-year low of 2.7 percent last month—matching the rate recorded in May of 2000 and just a tick above the all-time low of 2.6 percent, reached in March of that year. Despite the decline in joblessness, however, Vermont has not seen a corresponding increase in the number of Vermonters employed, which fell for the fifth month in a row in November.