Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive more than $16 million in new affordable housing and community development funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and NeighborWorks America. Earlier this year, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy successfully negotiated a bipartisan deal to lift the budget caps on discretionary funding to allow Congress to fund the nation’s domestic priorities, including significant increases in infrastructure, community development, and affordable housing construction, rehabilitation and rental assistance programs for low-income individuals and families.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and his Administration today presented a five-year plan that intends to revitalize Vermont's education system by generating nearly $300 million in savings that can be used to provide tax relief, expand educational opportunities like early care and learning and technical education, while improving overall quality – without raising tax rates. Further, it would reverse deficit growth and stabilize education tax rates for five years. Of the savings, most will come from reducing student-staff ratios, Special Education and health insurance.

by C.B. Hall Vermont Business Magazine With cautious and sometimes unwelcome statements coming from Amtrak, the possible suspension of the passenger rail provider's two Vermont trains at year's end continues to worry advocates intent on preserving the trains: The New York-to-Rutland "Ethan Allen Express" and the Washington, DC-to-St Albans "Vermonter." Parties to the discussions are, however, expressing optimism that service will remain intact.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, today announced the 2018 Summer Event Schedule including the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking August 1-5, 2018, and the Under Armour Mountain Running Series August 25, 2018. In addition to more than 20 events this summer, Killington’s summer operations continue to expand. A Woodward WreckTangle and additional summer attractions will be added to the Adventure Center. Inspired by Woodward, WreckTangle is an outdoor ninja obstacle challenge course designed to encourage kids and adults to overcome challenges by using skill, strength, creativity, imagination and determination while igniting spatial awareness, athleticism, agility, and amusement.

Vermont Business Magazine Recently Vermont Mutual Insurance Group held its 191st annual meeting at its home office in Montpelier. Over the course of 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group increased its direct written premium by 7 percent to $464,285,033, grew policyholders’ surplus by more than 10 percent to $464,866,549 and was recognized as a top insurance company nationally for the ninth consecutive year.

President and CEO Dan Bridge commented, “I am pleased with the accomplishments of the Group in 2017 as we continued to strengthen the Company by achieving consistent underwriting profits and superior policyholder surplus growth. In addition, our performance was again recognized by Ward Group as best-in-class on a national level and we again earned a Best Places to Work distinction in Vermont. Importantly, we distributed more than $300,000 to organizations in need through the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund.”

​Vermont Business Magazine Rights & Democracy is organizing a rally today on May Day at the Vermont State House to urge lawmakers to pass legislation that will raise the basic standard of living for thousands of their neighbors, friends, and family members.

Vermont Business Magazine Several members of the Norwich University faculty have secured competitive research grants through the Vermont Genetics Network, which is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). In addition, Norwich has received funding to award three student fellowships for research during either the summer or academic year.

The professors and their research:

Vermont Business Magazine Representative David Deen, (D-Westminster) Chair of Vermont House Committee on Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife, on Monday announced he will not seek reelection in the fall of 2018, after 30 years of service in the Vermont Legislature. Below are statements from environmental advocates.

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: CNSL), a leading broadband and business communications provider, today announced the launch of SD-WAN, software-based network technology that provides a simplified management and automation of WAN connections. Consolidated’s SD-WAN solution streamlines IT operations and optimizes network performance by prioritizing traffic across a customer’s entire network. Consolidated is Vermont's largest telecom. It acquired FairPoint Communications in 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine Lucky babies born May 29 in Vermont will receive $100 deposit into a Vermont 529 college savings account opened by the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. Plus, one lucky Vermonter – baby or not – will be chosen to receive $529 in a college savings account in an online month-long drawing at vsac.org and vheip.org. The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems is joining VSAC, which administers Vermont’s 529 college savings plan, to help educate Vermont families about saving for college for their children.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) has announced a regular quarterly dividend of $0.17 payable June 5, 2018 to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2018. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc., headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire, with a presence in Vermont, is the holding company for Ledyard National Bank. Ledyard National Bank, founded in 1991, is a full service community bank offering a broad range of banking, investment, tax and wealth management.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont per pupil public education spending is the highest in the nation ($23,557) according to the National Educational Association, which is the teachers' union. While Vermont's peers in the Northeast are also relatively high against the national average (2015-2016: $11,787), school funding in the Mountain West states of Utah and Idaho is under $7,000 per student. In a sweeping speech to the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Governor Phil Scott argued that Vermont needs to ratchet down its spending as enrollment continues to decline. He said Vermont can still maintain a high level of educational excellence while spending less. He also said the high spending has not equated to high achievement.