Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Former Castleton University President Dave Wolk was on hand September 1 as current President Karen M Scolforo officially unveiled new signage for the Dave Wolk Stadium. Wolk, who was the architect of more than a decade of growth at Castleton University was credited in remarks from Dr Scolforo with providing the "vision and determination" that brought football to Castleton.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Windsor County and the Upper Valley don’t have much to complain about. The county posted a June unemployment rate of 2.6 percent (not seasonally adjusted), one-tenth better from the prior year, and slightly better than the state’s rate of 3.0 percent (Vermont’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8 percent; county rates are not adjusted.)

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s free, weekly historic tour of campus will extend into the fall season. The tours, which began in July, will take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon through October 13. The tour begins at the statue of Ira Allen, just to the south of the fountain on the UVM green. There is no tour on September 29.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont National Guard newsletter below includes a joint statement from Maj Gen Cray, Ken Gragg, Deputy Adjutant General, and Col Greg Knight, Human Resources Officer, a fact sheet and a question and answer page. The newsletter that includes details about the new Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit Program. Vermont recently passed a law that provides members of the Vermont National Guard a tuition entitlement to Vermont colleges and certification programs with a service obligation.

Vermont Business Magazine City and State officials celebrated a decision by the Vermont Economic Progress Council board to approve Montpelier’s application for a TIF district that includes the Capital City’s core downtown and Barre Street corridor. The VEPC board voted unanimously on Thursday to approve Montpelier’s application, opening the door for the City to focus on improving infrastructure to support and encourage private development, including affordable and market-priced housing, business development and expansion, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Electric Cooperative will receive $1,743,876 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the repair of 54 transformers and 2,887 miles of transmission and distribution electric conductor line poles damaged in the October 2017 severe storm and flooding. The grant represents the federal share of the total project cost of $2,325,168. The remainder will come from non-federal sources.

This grant is funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance program which provides grant reimbursement to communities for expenses incurred in the immediate response and the recovery from a disaster. Eligible applicants include states, federally-recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. The grant applications are submitted by the state, which coordinates the process with local governments.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) filed the final proposed rule amendment to the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) with the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) and the Secretary of State (SOS). The amendment includes requirements for reducing nutrient contribution to waters of the State from subsurface tile drainage on agricultural fields.

Vermont Business Magazine US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is adjusting the premium processing fee for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker beginning on October 1, 2018, to more effectively adjudicate petitions and maintain effective service to petitioners.

Vermont Business Magazine A Finnish company might distribute thousands of winter tires from its warehouse in Vermont, but it now relies on the power it gets from the sun to do it. Nokian Tyres has installed solar panels to help power its Colchester distribution facility. Currently, the total annual output of the facility is approximately 427,500 kWh, which covers over 110% of the facilities annual usage, allowing the solar array to send excess energy to the renewable power grid.

“We continuously work to protect the planet and want to ensure we are doing everything possible to contribute to our long-term work towards environmental sustainability,” said Hans Dyhrman, director of marketing, Nokian Tyres. “Not only will this project contribute to keeping business costs at a minimum, but it will assist in our efforts to generate clean and renewable energy.”

Vermont Business Magazine College is an exciting time full of new faces, newfound freedom, and new expenses. While it’s important to find a campus that gels with your personality, it’s no secret a city’s living cost—and a school’s tuition—can end up making your decision for you. Between rent, utilities, and groceries, a weekly $4.50 trip to Starbucks can push your monthly student budget over the limit. Lucky for you, Move.org got its hands dirty and dug up the 25 most affordable college towns to help you vet your options and Burlington came in at 13.

Vermont Business Magazine A grant from the US Department of Agriculture will help fund startup and operational costs in the first year of the Lyndonville Coworking Space, an initiative of Northern Vermont University-Lyndon scheduled to open November 1 downtown. The one-year Rural Business Development Grant of $51,377 and a contribution of $65,123 from NVU will support expenses from rent and marketing to event hosting and bike racks.

Vermont Business Magazine What do a brewery, a coffee company, and a semiconductor facility all have in common? These businesses represent some of this year’s winners for the Governor’s Award of Environmental Excellence. Every year, the Governor recognizes several organizations and companies that are striving for excellence when it comes to sustainability. The 2018 winners are the Alchemist Brewery, Downstreet Housing and Community Development, Global Foundries, Vermont Coffee Company, and the Village of Essex Junction.

Alchemist photo of founders John and Jen Kimmich

The awardees took on a range of ambitious and innovative projects from renewable energy to water conservation initiatives. Here's a quick look at the five award-winning projects: