Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that G.W. Tatro Construction, Inc, a commercial-scale construction company in Jeffersonville, was fined $10,000 for failing to conduct leak detection and train operators to manage two 10,000-gallon underground storage tanks on the company’s property, in violation of Vermont Underground Storage Tank Regulations.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, the Vermont Drug Task Force partnered with the Montpelier Police Department, the Barre City Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct criminal investigations and arrests into drug sales and drug trafficking in the Washington County area. These investigations have been ongoing for several months.

Vermont has seen and continues to see an increase in the trafficking and sale of heroin and fentanyl. Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug that is 80-100 times stronger than heroin. It continues to be a serious public safety concern for illegal drug users and for first responders who may be exposed to the drug. All of Vermont’s law enforcement agencies recognize the importance of working together as a team to target and arrest dangerous drug traffickers.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington International Airport received its first American Airlines direct flight from Chicago on Thursday. In the tradition of first-flights into the airport, the celebration included a traditional water cannon salute, remarks from Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, and a pop-up performance by Jazzfest artists – as all welcomed the new daily nonstop. AA is initially testing the service with seasonal flights for now.

“American Airlines has made an important commitment to this airport and this region by expanding their service. We are very excited for this new service and the continued partnership and commitment from American Airlines to our airport and our region,” said Gene Richards, Director of Aviation.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims were up slightly last week but continue at low levels typical for this time of year. For the week of June 2, 2018, there were 396 claims, 9 more than than they were the previous week, and 67 more than they were a year ago. Altogether 3,472 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 154 from a week ago, and 461 fewer than a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims have been below the year before.

For UI claims last week by industry, Services, which typically accounts for most claims, accounted for 56 percent of all claims, as claims in most categories held steady except Manufacturing, whose claims nearly doubled to 71 from the week before.

Vermont Business Magazine The Thomas Hirchak Company of Morrisville, Vermont, has been retained to sell the assets of noted photographer Robert Lyons. The real estate auction takes place at the artist’s home, at 2239 Coles Pond Road in Walden on Friday, June 22. Bidders may register for the auction and inspect the property at 2 pm. The auction will begin at 3 pm. The property is comprised of a 1,862±SF custom Lindal cedar home on 19± acres, surrounded on three sides by 10,000 acres of the Steam Brook Mill Wildlife Management area. The property is within walking distance to Coles Pond.

An accomplished photographer, Lyons spent time photographing the nature around him and delving into the worlds of ham radio and weather monitoring. Lyons’s ham radio equipment, art mounting and framing equipment, electronics and home furnishings will be sold via online auction ending Wednesday, June 13. The lots will begin closing at 6:00 p.m.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will speak at the Vermont Employee Ownership Conference Friday afternoon at the University of Vermont, detailing how employee ownership plays a key role in creating a sustainable economy with jobs that pay a living wage. The 16th annual Vermont Employee Ownership Conference, which features 19 workshops, is the largest annual gathering of Vermont's employee-ownership community.

Friday, June 8

What: Sanders addresses the Vermont Employee Ownership Conference

When: 1 p.m.; Friday, June 8

Where: UVM Davis Center; 590 Main Street; Burlington ,Vermont

Vermont Business Magazine Two southern Vermont organizations and a state agency will get $500,000 for borwnfield remediation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The organizations are the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, the Windham Regional Commission and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

The awards are part of approximately $5.3 million in supplemental funding EPA has awarded to New England communities to assist them in cleaning up contaminated brownfield properties. EPA plans to provide supplemental funding to 11 successful, existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees in the region, helping communities carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects.

“Brownfields redevelopment is a win-win for New England communities” said EPA regional administrator Alexandra Dunn. “These supplemental funds can help cleanup projects get to completion and ready for redevelopment.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved an amendment to Vermont’s Global Commitment to Health 1115 Demonstration waiver that authorizes the state to receive federal Medicaid funding for treatment services offered at inpatient facilities provided to Medicaid enrollees to treat addictions to opioids and other substances.

“Addiction and the impact it has on communities and families is felt throughout Vermont,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I appreciate the hard work of our Agency of Human Services and our federal partners at CMS in providing this important approval to ensure all Vermonters have access to the care they need when they are seeking treatment for addiction.”

Vermont Business Magazine Late yesterday evening, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation authorizing Army Corps of Engineer dam and water projects around the country.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Gregg L Haskin, 54, President/CEO of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Berlin on Wednesday, June 6. Arrangements are being made with the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury and a service will be held June 14. Kurt Gruendling, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, told VBM that he received the call early Wednesday morning that Haskin had died in his sleep.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) on Thursday steered a funding bill through the US Senate Appropriations Committee that protects vital housing and community development programs important to Vermont from elimination by the Trump administration and maintains new investments achieved in last year’s bipartisan budget deal. Leahy is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The committee-passed bill provides $3.3 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $1.36 billion for the Home Investment Partnership Programs (HOME), and $147 million for NeighborWorks. The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to eliminate these vital programs only to be rebuffed by Republicans and Democrats on the Appropriations Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday preserves key infrastructure resources for communities across Vermont and the nation. The bill includes $255 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grants, $300 million for the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair, and $1 billion for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants.