Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) is offering expanded financial incentives in 2018 to VEC members who purchase or lease electric or plug-in hybrid cars. VEC members Eric and Ingrid Nuse were among those who recently took advantage of a VEC bill credit when they bought an all-electric Nissan Leaf last fall.

Vermont Business Magazine Next time you toss that banana peel in the trash, you may want to consider composting it instead. Each year, Vermonters throw away almost 100,000 tons of organics, like food scraps and yard debris, all of which could be composted or managed in better ways. This waste adds up, filling landfills and contributing to massive greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), former chairman and current member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump tweeted that he will replace his Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin with Ronny Jackson, who currently serves as the president's physician.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has been recognized as one of “America’s Magnificent Eight Exceptional Companies” by CEO Forum, a media company that highlights the innovative work of chief executives from around the country. Additionally, Mehran Assadi, National Life’s chairman, CEO and president, was featured in a column on Forbes.com in which seven CEOs shared their insights into building an exceptional business.

Vermont Business Magazine At a meeting on March 15, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board awarded $2,955,197 to create new homes in a downtown Bennington development, to conserve 440 acres of farmland in Rutland and Orleans Counties, and to protect public access to water in Calais, Burlington and Bolton.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, announced Tuesday that it has priced two previously announced transactions relating to certain of its industrial revenue bonds, relating to the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds and Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Colleges System has adopted a new “Welcome Home” tuition policy making it easier for former Vermonters to return to the state and immediately qualify for in-state tuition at a college or university within the system. Under the new policy, adopted by the VSCS Board of Trustees on Saturday, any Vermonter who was a resident of the state, or whose parents or guardians were residents of the state, when they earned a high school diploma or equivalent certification, will be eligible for in-state tuition rates upon their return.

Currently, only those Vermonters who have returned and lived in the state for at least one year are eligible for the lower, in-state rates. The new policy is effective for the fall semester and applies to all Vermont students who earned their high school diploma after January 1, 2015 and are now residing in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce five Local Food Market Development (LFMD) Grants, totaling $50,000, awarded to support projects that will assist Vermont farmers, businesses, and food system service providers in reaching new markets with an institutional or other wholesale focus in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Long praised for their ideal mix of comfort, durability and fit, Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Cushion socks have been awarded the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry: 2018 BACKPACKER Editors’ Choice Gold Award. BACKPACKER Magazine awards an unspecified number of Editors’ Choice Awards each year and even fewer Editors’ Choice Gold awards, reserved only for products that have delivered “sustained years of best-in-class performance.”

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House Tuesday evening passed landmark gun violence protection measures in Senate bill S55 on a vote of 89 to 54, with tri-partisan support. The preliminary vote last Friday night was 85-59. The bill now must go back to the Senate, where it also passed, but without the bump stock and magazine limit provisions. The Senate could approve the changes or further amend the bill or send it to a conference committee, where it could also change. It would then go to the governor, who wants to sign a gun control bill with the House provisions, but who also wants to see what the final version looks like before he commits. At press time, it appeared the final version would not get to his desk before the first week in April.

The House version of S55 incorporates:

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Coffee Roasters today announced the launch of Alpine Roast Cold Brew coffee, marking the brand’s first foray into the cold brew, slow steep coffee space. Simple to make at home, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Alpine Roast Cold Brew Coffee requires no coffee maker, and instead uses the simplicity of slow extraction to produce a harmonious and balanced cold brew coffee.

Vermont Business Magazine The statement below is from Major General Steven Cray, adjutant general, Vermont National Guard. The statement is in response to the Burlington City Council voting Monday night to pass a resolution that will be sent to the Honorable Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force. The City Council "respectfully" asks Air Force Secretary Wilson to "provide an alternative mission for the Vermont Air National Guard at Burlington Airport," instead of the F-35 stealth fighter. Opponents to the new jet, which would replace the F-16 at the Vermont Air National Guard, won a non-binding vote at Town Meeting to find a quieter plane for the Guard. Opponents say the planes are too loud and the airport too close to populations centers.