Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) late Wednesday announced that a bipartisan agreement has been reached on dairy and seed cotton improvements to the farm safety net programs for dairy and cotton farmers, led by Leahy and Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss). Dairy and cotton farmers are facing severe financial strains, which threaten many farms’ survival.

Vermont Business Magazine Award-winning public radio journalist Sarah Ashworth will return to Vermont Public Radio in March as director of news. She will lead the station’s 15-person news team. Ashworth brings a variety of experiences to VPR, which has significantly increased its public service journalism over the last 17 years as a result of audience demand. She will lead VPR’s initiatives in broadcast and digital news gathering as the organization develops new ways to provide news, enterprise and investigative reporting while engaging the community in the process.

Vermont Business Magazine The Trump Administration appointed Anthony Linardos as the new State Director for USDA Rural Development in New Hampshire and Vermont. Linardos began his new role on Feb. 5, 2018, he will serve out of the jurisdiction’s Concord office. “I am honored to be appointed by the Trump Administration to serve the hard-working rural residents of New Hampshire and Vermont,” said Linardos. “As State Director, my top priority is to implement Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s initiatives of increasing innovation, strengthening rural infrastructure and building local partnerships to increase prosperity in our rural communities.”

by Governor Phil Scott On my first day in office, I set three strategic priorities: strengthen the economy, make Vermont more affordable and protect the most vulnerable. These goals guide my Administration in everything we do, including in the budgets I’ve recommended to the Legislature. My budget prevents state spending from growing faster than wages, while making smart investments for our future. To ensure spending increases no longer outpace income growth, we established a Growth Rate Calculation – a six-year average of wage growth in Vermont – and moved away from the practice that relied on anticipated growth in revenues, which have proven to be inaccurate.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced that the City of Burlington, University of Vermont, and Champlain College have now all approved new agreements that include payments by the institutions to support the City’s 10-Year Sustainable Infrastructure Plan. The payments are contingent upon voters approving ballot question number 3 on the March 2018 ballot to support a new infrastructure bond funded by the agreements. The bond would pay for new investments in Burlington’s streets, sidewalks, and other core infrastructure as detailed in the City’s 2016 Sustainable Infrastructure Plan. If voters approve the ballot question, UVM and Champlain would contribute collectively $8.9 million over 20 years to cover all debt service payments on the projected $6.1 million bond in 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and US Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Wednesday reintroduced the Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2018, which gives states a meaningful role in the development and approval of reactor shutdown plans and post-shutdown license transfers.

Vermont Business Magazine After spending much of his first year getting to know his new home state, Magic Hat’s brewery manager, Robert Kuntz, has accidentally made a lot of new friends. In his off time, Kuntz hiked and biked across the state, exploring Vermont’s many homegrown goods, from wineries to farms, and meeting the proprietors of each. As a result of these gregarious gatherings and newly forged friendships, Magic Hat is announcing the beginning of the Accidental Friends Project: a series of Vermont-only beers featuring the foods and flavors of Vermont-made products.

Introducing Two Must-Have Hybrids

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College Online, one of the nation’s most innovative nonprofit colleges, has announced that Rutland Regional Medical Center—the second largest hospital in Vermont—has joined Champlain’s truED Alliance Program. Based on this partnership, Rutland Regional’s team of 1,600 staff members will have affordable access to over 60 degree and certificate programs offered by the regionally accredited online college, so they can advance their knowledge and skill sets, and ultimately better serve their community.

Vermont Business Magazine Copley Equity Partners, a private investment firm and single-family office, has announced that it has completed a majority investment in North Star Leasing, a provider of equipment financing solutions for businesses in a variety of industries. Daniel Feeney, North Star Leasing’s CEO and President, will continue to lead the Company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Burlington, VT, North Star Leasing provides specialized lease solutions for customers across numerous industries including Automotive, Healthcare, Pet-Supply, and Restaurant. North Star works with thousands of equipment vendors, manufacturers, and resellers to help end customers finance and access mission critical pieces of equipment. In recent years, North Star has grown its asset base by a 20% annualized growth rate and nearly quadrupled its workforce.

City of Burlington A winter PARKING BAN will go into effect tonight at 10pm to help city crews maintain the safest possible road conditions. The ban will be in effect from 10PM until 7AM throughout Burlington, except the downtown zone (midnight-6AM). Free parking is available in the city-owned Marketplace Garage (47 S. Winooski: entrances on Cherry St & Bank St), College St Garage (60 College St: entrances on College St and Battery St) and Lakeview Garage (41 Cherry St: entrance on Cherry St) starting at 10pm tonight. For a map of these city-owned parking locations, please see below or go here to view ALL parking options (including privately owned): https://parkburlington.com/downtown-parking /parking-map/

Vermont Business Magazine The Boston area farm-to-table movement is getting a boost thanks to the Vermont-based company Localvore, a website that brings together restaurants, farmers, producers and retailers that support local sourcing, their community, and quality cuisine with like-minded food lovers. The matchmaking process occurs through Localvore’s marketing platform which allows its merchant customers to create deals and events - from happy hours to $1 oysters to wine pairing dinners - and promote them to an engaged audience looking for the best in local food and beverage.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank NA recently presented Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity with a $17,500 donation as part of a challenge grant pledged in December. The bank partnered with CVOEO to raise money for the organization’s WARMTH program by matching WARMTH donations dollar for dollar during December, up to a total of $17,500.

Statewide, donations totaled more than $100,000 to help low-income Vermont families stay warm this winter. All funds will be distributed by CVOEO for use by all five community action agencies statewide for the emergency-based WARMTH program to help to offset home heating bills. One hundred percent of all donations will be used for WARMTH client services.