Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell steeply last week as the typical holiday season volatility continued. But year-to-year claims were higher. For the week of December 8, 2018, there were 633 claims, 229 fewer than they were the previous week, but 47 fewer than they were a year ago. The holiday season sees wild swings in claims, as retailers in particular hire and layoff workers in spikes in November and December.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks 6th nationwide in funding programs that prevent kids from using tobacco and help smokers quit, according to a report released today by leading public health groups. Vermont is spending $3.8 million this year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is just 45.2 percent of the $8.4 million recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report challenges states to do more to fight tobacco use – the nation's No. 1 preventable cause of death – and to confront the growing epidemic of youth e-cigarette use in America. In Vermont, 9.3 percent of high school students smoke cigarettes, while 12 percent use e-cigarettes. Tobacco use claims 1,000 Vermont lives and costs the state $348 million in health care bills annually.

Vermont State Police None of the threats received in Vermont (Thursday) has been determined to be credible. The FBI, US Department of Homeland Security, Vermont State Police and the Vermont Intelligence Center continue to monitor the situation, respond as appropriate and investigate the emails, which are reported to have been received across the country, in Canada and elsewhere around the world.

Vermont Business Magazine Childhood best buds, Fairfax natives and culinary entrepreneurs Tyler Stratton and Silas Pollitt are serving much more than just pizza at their new localvore restaurant. They’re serving their community, with delicious food and a gathering place for neighbors, friends and family. Stone’s Throw Pizza in Fairfax had plenty to celebrate (and eat!) at their grand opening on November 11th. Tyler, Silas and their team fired up the pizza ovens to produce specialty pies including ‘The Farmer’ (house-made white sauce, braised short ribs, toasted hazelnuts) and ‘The Harvester’ (white sauce, roasted squash, dried cherries, ricotta), alongside classics like pepperoni and cheese.

Vermont Business Magazine High school students with a passion for mathematics and science will have an exciting new opportunity starting in the fall of 2019 thanks to an innovative new program at Castleton University. The Castleton University STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) Academy is designed to provide students an immersive experience that further develops their critical thinking skills and stimulates their passions while opening their minds to careers in these high-demand areas.

"Introducing students to an immersive program like the Castleton University STEAM Academy is critical to developing their skills and cultivating their passion for learning," said Castleton University President Dr. Karen M. Scolforo. "This program will serve as a springboard to a future of lifelong learning and rewarding careers for our students."

Vermont Business Magazine This holiday season, Main Street Alliance of Vermont is making it easier for shoppers to identify local businesses that share their values. An initiative called ‘Shop Your Values’ helps shoppers locate businesses that are serving their communities by advocating for policies that support working families and foster a thriving small business economy. Businesses on the list have rallied behind policies like paid leave and high-quality, affordable health care and child care. Shoppers who wish to locate these businesses and others around the country can search on the organization’s site, shopyourvaluesmsa.com.

Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available from the Vermont Women’s Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation for growth-stage efforts and programs that support viable career pathways and career prospects for Vermont women and girls. The Vermont Women’s Fund was established in 1994 as an enduring resource to support women and girls in the state. The Fund remains the largest philanthropic resource dedicated exclusively to this mission. A council of women from around Vermont advises the Fund and participates in its grantmaking and leadership work, including the work of its partnership with the Vermont Commission on Women and Vermont Works for Women—Change The Story—an initiative seeking to fast-track women’s economic security in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine FASTSIGNS of Burlington, a local sign and visual graphics company has recently opened under the direction of franchise owners, Geoff Poulin and Dan Emmons. After working together for over 20 years, Poulin and Emmons decided to go into business and open the first FASTSIGNS location in the state of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has released a guidance to assist Data Brokers in complying with Vermont’s new Data Broker Regulations, Act 171 of 2018. These regulations go into effect on January 1, 2019. The new law requires Data Brokers to register with the Secretary of State annually and maintain certain minimum data security standards. The deadline for registering is January 31, 2019, and, starting in January registration can be completed on the Secretary of State’s website.

A copy of the registration form is also attached to the guidance and may be completed and delivered by mail or in person to: the Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-1104.

Vermont Business Magazine This fall, through the 2018-2019 Vermont Mentoring Grants, MENTOR Vermont (formerly known as Mobius) has awarded 29 grants, totaling $310,300 to support adult-to-youth mentoring programs throughout the state. This funding will support more than 100 new and existing program sites, and nearly 1,800 adult-to-youth mentor pairs in communities across Vermont.

“Mentoring programs throughout the state continue to play a crucial role in helping youth in their community grow and develop into thriving, productive, and engaged adults,” said Chad Butt, executive director of MENTOR Vermont. “MENTOR Vermont and our funding partners are thrilled to be able to continue supporting this important work.”

Vermont Business Magazine While winter storm Bruce packed a punch with severe winds and heavy wet snow knocking out power to more than 116,000 customers, those in GMP’s Powerwall program were able to keep the lights on through outages. There are more than 1,000 Powerwalls providing backup power in customers’ homes as part of this innovative pilot program and installations continue, with all 2000 Powerwalls fully subscribed.

GMP photo of linemen fixing power lines November 27, 2018.

The Tesla Powerwall battery acts like a generator, kicking on seamlessly during outages to power your home, but without fossil fuels. Customers can charge them off the grid with GMP’s 90-percent carbon free power, or with their own home solar array.

Vermont Business Magazine Four University of Vermont faculty, including a dean at the university, have been named to a list of the world’s most impactful researchers, based on the number of times their published studies have been cited by other researchers over the past decade. Researchers on the list are in the top 1 percent of all scholars whose work has been cited by others. The prestigious Highly Cited Researchers list is compiled and published annually by Clarivate Analytics.