Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Kingdom Games, a series of competitive athletic events for all ages and skill levels, returns starting Feb. 10 to Newport, Vermont. The event marks the fifth consecutive year for the Games, which take place on the ice and in the water of beautiful Lake Memphremagog.

by Darren Springer, COO BED Despite federal rollbacks on climate policy, we still have a path toward impactful climate action. Through the transformation of a 19^th Century industry – the electric utility sector – into a 21^st Century catalyst for beneficial change, we can make a meaningful impact on the fight against global climate change. In a forthcoming article in the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, I outline how smartly-regulated utilities, coupled with innovative technologies, can move us more quickly toward our climate goals.

Vermont Business Magazine The House today gave preliminary approval on a vote of 142-1 to the fiscal year 2018 budget adjustment, House bill 633. The bill was approved unanimously by the House Appropriations Committee earlier in the week and is expected to receive final approval by the House tomorrow. The annual budget adjustment process makes midpoint updates to the current operating budget of the state to meet unexpected needs and keep the budget in balance.

Vermont Business Magazine Ninety-one Americans die daily from an opioid overdose per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”); 40 percent of those deaths involve a prescription opioid. As we are all painfully aware, Vermont is a part of this statistic. In 2016, 112 opioid-related deaths occurred in the State of Vermont, with 106 being reported as accidental and undetermined. In 2014, then Governor Peter Shumlin focused his annual State of the State address on the opioid crisis in Vermont, referring to the problem as a “full-blown heroin crisis.” Four years later the fight continues.

Senator Patrick Leahy Democrats have been ready and willing to negotiate a spending agreement since June. The House bill does not address the needs of our military, our veterans, or the opioid epidemic, and it does not protect the DREAMers. Instead of working on these important matters, congressional Republican leadership spent the last year overturning consumer protections, stripping health care from millions of Americans, and passing a massive tax cut for big corporations and wealthy Americans to be paid for by middleclass Americans and future generations. During that time, they have continued to kick the can down the road and failed to do their jobs to pass sensible spending bills to keep our government open. They have cast aside Congress’s fundamental responsibilities in pursuit of a hyper-partisan agenda.

Vermont Business Magazine In a new study, SmartAsset analyzed data across four metrics to find the states that are most dependent on the federal government, and Vermont ranks in the number five spot. Vermont ranks high in terms of federal funding compared to income taxes paid. For every dollar Vermont sends to the federal government the state gets back $1.14. In that metric, the Green Mountain State ranks sixth. Federal government employees are also big producers in the state’s economy. According to SmartAsset data, the average federal government employee makes 1.89 times what the average worker earns. Vermont ranks eighth in that metric. Vermont's lowest ranking is in percentage of federal workers in the labor force (tied for 33rd). Vermont ranked 18th in percentage of federal share of state revenue.

​Vermont Business Magazine Conscious Capitalism Media (CCM), a global company focused on celebrating inspiring, cutting edge stories about business as a force for good, has named Green Mountain Power president and CEO Mary Powell to its 2018 list of 30 World-Changing Women in Conscious Business. In her write-up about Powell, CCM’s editorial director, Rachel Zurer, relayed how since Powell took the helm at Green Mountain Power (GMP) in 2008, she has continued to break barriers and shake up assumptions about what a utility can be.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 16^th, H.624 was introduced, proposing increased protections for Vermonters’ sensitive and personal data contained in the statewide voter checklist. H.624 is sponsored by Rep. Dylan Giambatista of Essex Junction. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos and Attorney General TJ Donovan have underscored the importance to legislators of ensuring that Vermonters’ most sensitive personal data is protected in light of the request for sensitive data about Vermont voters from the President’s Election Integrity Commission.

Vermont Business Magazine The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties (VNA) is pleased to announce the recent completion of its McClure Miller VNA Respite House capital campaign. Begun in March 2016, the capital campaign successfully raised $7.1 million dollars to fund construction of the larger, state-of-the-art hospice residence in Colchester. McClure Miller Respite House is the only Medicare-certified residential hospice in Vermont.

Through the generosity of 567 donors, led by benefactors Lois McClure and Holly and Bob Miller, for whom the new VNA Respite House is named, and the sale of the VNA’s original Vermont Respite House property in Williston, the vision of building a larger residence to meet the growing demand for residential hospice services became a reality.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) announces the availability of grant funds for the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of Vermont specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture crops (including honey, hops, and maple syrup), and nursery crops (including Christmas trees and floriculture). These funds are awarded through a competitive review process guided by industry, nonprofit and government stakeholders.

Vermont Business Magazine The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School, Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), and Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) today launched an online Farmers Market Legal Toolkit, a free resource to support building resilient and accessible markets throughout the United States. The toolkit, created with support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is available at farmersmarketlegaltoolkit.org.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department today contributed $20,000 to the WARMTH Support Program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) to help Burlingtonians and Vermonters with heating emergencies this winter. During last year’s 2016-17 heating season, WARMTH served 351 Burlington households with 564 assists, or direct payments to Burlington Electric to keep the heat on, totaling $43,912.