Current News

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.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Wednesday issued the following statement on community health center funding in Vermont. Sanders over the years has been a major advocate for the community health center model.

Senator Patrick Leahy Bob, what a flood of memories come to the surface, to be here with you and Elizabeth. Marcelle and I feel blessed for the opportunities we’ve had to spend time with you both on so many occasions, but especially at your wedding reception. I’ve enjoyed and learned much from working with Senator Bob Dole, with Majority Leader Bob Dole, and with Republican Leader Bob Dole, beginning when I was a young member of the Senate. And as time went on, also as a not-so-young member of the Senate. Beyond the impressive fact that Bob Dole is the Nation’s longest-serving Republican Leader of the Senate, it can be safely said that Bob Dole is a Senate legend.

Vermont Business Magazine Union Bankshares, Inc (NASDAQ:UNB), based in Morrisville, today announced results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017. Consolidated net income for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was $1.9 million, or $0.43 per share, compared to $2.3 million, or $0.53 per share, for the same period in 2016, and $8.4 million, or $1.89 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $8.5 million, or $1.91 per share, for the same period in 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine Four times each year, New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) selects four recipient organizations at random to receive $625 each, for a total of $10,000 annually.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced today the top 50 Best Places to Work in Vermont 2018. The awards program was created in 2006 and is presented in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management, Vermont State Council, (SHRM), the Vermont Department of Labor and the Vermont Department of Commerce and Community Development and Best Companies Group.

The Best Places to Work in Vermont list has been broken down into three categories this year, Small Businesses (15-99 employees), Medium Businesses (100-249 employees) and Large Businesses (250+ employees).

Of the 50 companies being recognized, fifteen are new to the list in 2018. Two companies, Edward Jones and King Arthur Flour have won the distinction of Best Places to Work in Vermont every year since 2006, the first year Best Companies Group started surveying Vermont companies.

Vermont Business Magazine Once considered out-of-sight, the state’s environmental permitting system recently got a massive makeover that’s making information significantly more accessible. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has launched the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB). Now, for the first time, there is an online hub (enb.vermont.gov) that gives anyone the ability to easily track permit applications and add public comments.

DEC issues more than 9,000 permits annually. Nearly half of these permits will be publicly noticed on ENB in the coming year, making the entire process more straightforward and transparent. ENB gives users the power to add comments directly to the website, request a public meeting, and receive notice of the final permit application decision.

Vermont Business Magazine Morgan True is joining Heady Vermont as a writer and editor. He brings more than five years of journalism experience to Heady’s editorial team, most recently as Burlington bureau chief for VTDigger.org. Before that, Morgan was VTDigger’s health care beat reporter. He graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a bachelor of science in journalism, and spent the next several years working for newspapers in Massachusetts and as a legislative relief reporter for the Associated Press in New Hampshire.

A Seattle native, Morgan has spent close to a decade in New England and has found the culture and character of region suits his intellectual and curmudgeonly bent. An avid snowboarder and swimming hole enthusiast, Vermont jibes with his hobbies too.