Current News

by Secretary Michael Schirling, Agency of Commerce and Community Development Around the country, states and cities are competing for talent, financial investment, and to attract the next generation of workers and families. As this acceleration of “purpose built” economic ecosystems continues Vermont has clear advantage. We are one of the safest, healthiest and most vibrant places to live in the nation.

We have a good education system that, with the courage to innovate and modernize, can be transformed into the very best in country – adding an even greater incentive for young families to stay or relocate here. These attributes are the foundation of Governor Scott’s approach to significantly improving the economic trajectory in all 251 communities in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Trauma patients – with injuries ranging from those suffered in auto accidents to battlefield wounds – often seem, initially, to be stable, only to deteriorate without warning. If not recognized early, this deterioration in condition can lead to shock or even death. Doctors and researchers in the Emergency Department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), as well as colleagues at Dartmouth College, the Thayer School of Engineering, and the Geisel School of Medicine, hope to improve care for seriously injured patients with a new $3 million Precision Trauma Care Research Award from the Department of Defense’s Combat Casualty Care Research Program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) announced the employer award recipients for the “Spirit of the ADA” awards. Awards are given to employers who reflect the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act in their employment practices and successfully meet the following criteria:

by John McClaughry The 2018 legislature, alarmed by the repeal by Congress of the Obamacare tax on persons who failed to buy government-approved health insurance, decided to impose a state mandate to do the same thing, to take effect for the 2019 insurance year.

But the legislature balked at announcing the penalty needed to enforce its new mandate. It created a working group to recommend “a financial penalty or other enforcement mechanism” by November 1. That group’s inconclusive draft report is now out. It’s encouraging that some of the seven members balked at inventing a new Big Hammer, leaving open the precise method for enforcing the mandate.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) has released its complete slate of pro-environment endorsements for candidates running for the Vermont State Legislature. For the first time in nearly four decades, no Republicans made the list. VCV is a nonpartisan organization, and this year's endorsements include Independent, Democratic, and Progressive candidates.

by Secretary of State Jim Condos Election Day is fast approaching! On Tuesday, November 6^th Vermonters will head to the ballot box to vote for the people who will represent them, from Justice of the Peace all the way up to Governor and members of Congress.

Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy, here in Vermont and across the country. As Vermont’s Chief Election Official, I work hard daily to ensure that every eligible Vermont voter who wishes to cast a ballot can do so, with confidence in the security and integrity of their vote.

We can be proud of Vermont’s elections process. We have made tremendous strides in improving voter access and breaking down unnecessary barriers to register and vote for all eligible voters.

Vermont State Police At approximately 2230 hours on Saturday October 20, 2018, the Clarendon Fire Department was notified and responded to a fire alarm activation at a warehouse owned and operated by the Vermont Country Store. While en-route to this call it was upgraded to a working structure fire. This structure is a warehouse type structure of over 16,000 square feet. This warehouse stored overflow stock items for the VCS. It held approximately 5 percent of the stores stock. It was valued at over $2 million in loss.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc (ticker symbol LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, with a branch in Norwich, Vermont, today reported record quarterly earnings for the third consecutive quarter. Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, was $1,382,986 or $0.44 per share compared to $1,124,246 or $0.36 per share for the same period in 2017, an increase of $258,740 or 23%. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, was $3,932,184 or $1.27 per share compared to $3,252,706 or $1.07 per share for the same period in 2017, an increase of $679,478 or 21%. Revenue growth and the effects from tax reform continue to contribute positively to the Company’s results.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Democratic candidate for governor, Christine Hallquist, received the endorsement of former governor Madeleine May Kunin Monday. “I believe that Hallquist will move Vermont in the right direction. Her plan to connect every home and business with fiber optic cable will boost economic development, especially in rural Vermont.”

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty Vermont small business owners concluded a seven-month executive education course October 12 at Vermont Technical College in Williston. Emerging Leaders is a free program sponsored by the Small Business Administration. The program includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time, connects small business owners with a network of industry experts and peers, and supports the creation of a three-year strategic growth action plan.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department has contributed $20,000 to the WARMTH Support Program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) to help Burlingtonians and Vermonters with heating emergencies this winter. During last year’s 2017-18 heating season, WARMTH served 337 Burlington households with 528 assists, or direct payments to Burlington Electric to keep the heat on, totaling $48,557.

Vermont Business Magazine Dr Julie Lowell has joined Public Assets Institute’s staff as a Policy Analyst. Lowell comes to Public Assets after working at Vermont Works for Women for four years, as both a program evaluator and a direct service provider. She has worked directly with survivors of domestic violence, families experiencing homelessness, and women exiting correctional settings, informing her advocacy at the state level to positively impact policy for individuals living in poverty.

“We’re delighted to welcome Julie to Public Assets. Her academic research and direct social-service work in Vermont make her a great addition to our staff,” Public Assets president and founder Paul Cillo said Monday.

Julie Lowell, PhD, Public Assets Institute