Current News

by Paul Cillo, Public Assets Institute After growing steadily for the first half of the year, Vermont employment has fallen for the last three months. The number of Vermonters working, including the self-employed, rose to almost 340,000 in June—an increase of more than 4,600 since December 2017. Since then, however, employment declined by nearly 2,300, erasing half of the 2018 gains. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed Vermonters has been ticking up since March, although it remains below 2017 levels.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed a proclamation designating October 19 as Vermont Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Day in Vermont, recognizing the organizations’ commitment to developing a skilled future workforce of Vermont students.

Vermont State Police On Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, Bernard Rougeau was discharged from Albany Medical Center in New York and arrested by Albany City Police on an arrest warrant from Vermont arising from the October 18 incident in Pownal. Rougeau was transported to Albany City Court, where he waived extradition to Vermont. He is being transported to the Albany County Jail, where the Vermont State Police will make arrangements to return him to Vermont for arraignment on charges arising from the Pownal incident. He was in the hospital as the result of an officer-involved shooting during his arrest on suspicion of the offenses of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment and interference with access to emergency services.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Congressman Peter Welch will represent Vermont at the christening of the USS Vermont on Saturday, October 20 in Groton, Connecticut. The Virginia-class submarine will commemorate the history between the US Navy and the State of Vermont. It will be the third vessel named after the state in the history of the US Navy.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for September was 2.9 percent. This reflects an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised August rate. The rate had been unchanged since February. The rate has not gone up officially since April 2009 (6.7 percent to 6.9 percent), resulting from the Great Recession. However, because of the nature of these numbers, they could be further adjusted, which could result in a lowering of the rate, as has happened before. Data for the labor force and number employed fell by nearly an identical amount, while the number of unemployed was virtually unchanged.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is clearing a path for a new tasting trail that will encompass two countries, two states, and two provinces. A collaborative effort among officials from Vermont, New York, Quebec, and Ontario will link authentic farms and food experiences across the region. On Tuesday, officials from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM), the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM), University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, and the Vermont Fresh Network joined partners from around the region on a Canadian Culinary Tour to learn more about agritourism efforts and opportunities for farms and food producers.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB) reported third quarter 2018 net income of $32 million, a 40% increase over $23 million in the third quarter of 2017 due primarily to the benefit of business growth including expansion in Greater Boston through acquisition and business development. Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank, with branches in southwestern Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine A group of national cable and telecom organizations is expected to file suit against the State of Vermont today regarding a law passed in the previous session and an Executive Order issued by the Governor protecting net neutrality in Vermont. Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement: “Our net neutrality legislation and my Executive Order demonstrate a clear commitment from Vermont’s elected officials, across branches and party lines, to preserving and promoting a free and open internet in Vermont...

Vermont Business Magazine Mother Nature has turned up the cold and Mount Snow in Windham County has turned on the jets and started making snow this week. Update from Mount Snow on Thursday October 18: "We turned on the most powerful snowmaking system in the Northeast and started making snow last night around 9 pm and with that winter has returned to the Green Mountains of Vermont. As you might remember, we just finished a $30M upgrade to our snowmaking system at the start of last season, which doubled our capacity to make snow and increased our water storage six-fold, and once again it’s paying off BIG!"

Vermont Business Magazine Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, is scheduled to kick off its 2018-19 winter season at 10 on Friday, October 19, 2018, becoming the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and snowboarding. The first turns of the season, on Friday, October 19, will be reserved exclusively for Season Pass, Express Card, Beast365 and Ikon Pass holders. The resort will open to the general public on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 9 am. Killington’s operating schedule for the remainder of the week will be updated in real time at www.killington.com/conditions.

Vermont Business Magazine 1% for the Planet is excited to announce My Planet Pass, a new program modeled after popular multi-mountain ski pass programs with the goal of increasing individual engagement with the environmental movement. With one easy transaction, My Planet Pass holders become 1% for the Planet members as well members of Protect our Winters (POW), TreeSisters, National Forest Foundation, Save the Waves Coalition, and Slow Food. Passholders also receive access to exclusive member benefits, including gear from these partner nonprofits, beyond what is available to the general public.

Vermont Business Magazine Eight months of work is underway to improve public access areas at the Waterbury Reservoir. The project will require temporary closures at some sites while work is underway, and will include improvements to parking lots, erosion prevention, and boat ramp upgrades. The locations include Waterbury Dam Boat Launch, Blush Hill Boat Launch and the Moscow Paddler Access. Green Mountain Power (GMP) will be doing the work as part of the company’s commitment to improving the Waterbury Dam and surrounding areas. GMP recently received a renewed license from the Federal Energy Regulation Commission to operate a hydropower generation facility at the Waterbury Dam.