Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Trustees voted in favor of keeping the college open following a three-hour meeting on Monday afternoon. The decision was announced by Board Chair A. Jay Kenlan to a cheering audience of students, faculty, administrators and alumni gathered in Tuttle Theater. A plan for sustainability, presented by CSJ President Larry Jensen, calls for the implementation of several new programs and initiatives, and the expansion of others, with a goal of increased revenue.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) delivered a video response to President Donald Trump's announcement Tuesday that he will pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement. "President Trump’s speech today was the latest in a series of reckless decisions that move our country closer to conflict. By reimposing nuclear sanctions on Iran and withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement, President Trump has put our nation on a dangerous path.

by Representative Heidi E Scheuermann (R-Stowe) Late last week, the Vermont House of Representatives passed S105, a bill with which many have significant concerns (Page 1514 of House Journal). Indeed, the breadth of the bill is exceptionally broad, and will have a significant impact on a number of industries and their ability to do business in Vermont. These include the technology industry, utilities, telecommunications, and many more. That said, the impact about which I am most concern is on our incredibly important, statewide, outdoor recreation industry.

Vermont Business Magazine The fifth annual FreshTracks Road Pitch, a four-day motorcycle tour of Vermont in which a gang of “business bikers” (comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors) ride around the state and stop in eight Vermont towns to listen to entrepreneurs pitch their business, will be held July 30th through August 2^th 2018. Entrepreneurs interested in pitching their concept or existing business to the riders should contact one or more of the local organizers noted below in order to apply for a pitch slot. At each of the eight stops, the riders will award a “Riders Choice Prize” of $500 and a special edition “Vermont Biker Bear” contributed by Vermont Teddy Bear. Each stop is open to public viewing.

For information about Road Pitch, the riders, as well as valuable pitching tips, visit www.roadpitch.co.

Vermont Business Magazine After a US Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration investigation, the US District Court for the District of Vermont has entered a consent judgment requiring the fiduciaries of the Sonnax Industries’ employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to pay $2,225,000 to the plan. The judgment resolves violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act stemming from the ESOP’s 2011 purchase of Sonnax Industries Inc, a Bellows Falls supplier of automotive drivetrain products. The settlement was announced today. Principals Tommy Harmon and Frederick Fritz have vigorously denied the DOL claims and any suggestion of wrongdoing.

by John McClaughry This week will likely see a Trump initiative to drive down pharmaceutical prices, and passage of a bill in Montpelier (S.175) to again plunge Vermont into the arduous (and illegal) process of importing prescription drugs from Canada.

Leonine Public Affairs There is a storm brewing between Governor Scott and legislative leaders over how to bring the legislative session to a close. Bucking the custom since the early 1990’s, legislative leaders announced this week they do not intend to schedule a veto session in June for lawmakers to come back to Montpelier to try to override any gubernatorial vetoes. If the governor vetoes the budget and the tax bill and no override session is scheduled, the Governor would be forced to call lawmakers back for a special session. A special session would be necessary because the state cannot deficit spend and without a property tax yield set by law there would be an estimated $400 million hole in the Education Fund. Significantly, in an override session lawmakers are limited to considering only those bills that are vetoed, while a special session allows lawmakers to start from scratch on bills and they can consider any topic they choose.

Vermont State Police Early this morning, law-enforcement officers arrested Erika Guttilla and Corey Cassani without incident following a motor-vehicle stop in South Burlington. Members of the Vermont State Police, South Burlington police, Shelburne police and the FBI made the arrests at about 1:30 a.m. on U.S. Route 7 in South Burlington just north of the Shelburne town line.

​Vermont Business Magazine As part of the ongoing response to the recent discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) within the state, Vermont has joined the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s 31-state quarantine boundary. The quarantine will help reduce the movement of infested ash wood to un-infested regions outside of Vermont’s borders. Ash wood may not be moved from Vermont to Maine, Rhode Island, or 7 counties in New Hampshire because the pest has not been identified in these states and counties. Vermont will be directing available resources to protect state forest health by providing Vermonters with low-risk options for use and disposal of wood that is already infested.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters turned in more than three tons of unused, unwanted and expired medication at nearly 70 collection sites across the state on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28. The 6,008 pounds of collected prescription medication marked the highest total in Vermont for the six Take Back Days since fall 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine Paul Donovan, DO, emergency medicine and sports medicine physician at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) since 2011, has written the third and final volume of a history of North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH), which closed in 2014. Donovan had worked at NARH for 22 years.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office continues its Elder Protection Listening Tour throughout May with public events in Washington, Bennington, Essex, Chittenden and Caledonia Counties. Attorney General TJ Donovan announced last month the launch of a listening tour to engage older Vermonters about their most pressing concerns. Staff from the Attorney General’s office will be at each event to facilitate conversation around two central questions:

• What are older Vermonter’s greatest needs, concerns and vulnerabilities?
• How can Vermont’s systems for elder support and protection be improved?

The events listed below are open to the public. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to notify the public as more public meetings are scheduled.