Current News

Public Assets Institute “The vast majority of the most rigorous modern research on the impact of higher minimum wages—including robust increases to $13 or more—shows that these policies boost worker earnings with little to no adverse impact on employment.” Testimony to the Minimum Wage Study Committee from Yannet Lathrop of the National Employment Law Project on November 21, 2017. In other words, there is no credible evidence that minimum wage increases cause significant job loss.

Vermont Business Magazine Weather forecasts for Friday evening through Sunday include freezing rain, sleet, snow and wind across the state that could cause outages. Green Mountain Power has activated its workforce and brought in additional crews from around New England and Canada to ensure a strong response to whatever the storm brings.

Vermont Business Magazine As a benefit to customers all over the Northeast Region, Twinstate Technologies has partnered with FirstLight Fiber out of Albany, New York to broaden products and services. FirstLight, a leader in fiber-optic data, Internet, data center and voice services has become a tech giant throughout the Northeast for the past several years, stretching from Western New York to Vermont to Eastern Maine and as far North as Montreal to Southern New York State and New York City.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today at Burlington International Airport announced the Vermont at-par lodging promotion for passengers who travel from Toronto to Burlington aboard Toronto-based Porter Airlines. In a promotion created by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, more than 20 lodging properties in Burlington, the Stowe area, Smugglers' Notch and the Mad River Valley are offering Porter Airlines’ passengers lodging packages at a rate equivalent to the value of the Canadian dollar. Details and rates will vary for each participating property.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims began the new year on a down note, which is good. Hiring and then layoffs spike around the holidays as first retailers and mail order operations hire seasonal workers and then release them. Volatility is common this time of year. For the week of January 6, 2018, there were 945 claims, 625 fewer than than they were the previous week and 5 more than they were a year ago. Altogether 6,917 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 783 from a week ago, but 848 fewer than a year ago. For most weeks of 2017, including the last several months, claims have registered below the year before, until recently when they've been similar.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Life Magazine will remain part of state government, Commerce Secretary Michael Schirling told the House Appropriations Committee Thursday. The Agency of Commerce & Community Development received nine bids last fall following a state request for proposal that solicited bids to privatize the 70-year-old publication.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) have recommended Essex Police Chief Brad LaRose to President Trump to be Vermont’s next US Marshal. If nominated and confirmed, LaRose would oversee all US Marshals Service operations in Vermont. With offices in Burlington, Rutland, and Brattleboro, the Marshals Service plays a crucial role in protecting public safety in Vermont and is responsible for apprehending fugitives and sex offenders as well as managing federal prisoners and protecting federal courthouses.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan announced recent actions taken by his office to protect Vermont’s environment and issued the following statement: “Vermonters deserve clean air to breathe and clean water to drink,” said Attorney General Donovan. “Pollution knows no geographic boundaries and we will do our part to make sure that Vermont’s environment is not harmed by out-of-state sources. Sometimes that means opposing proposed federal budget cuts to the EPA, joining a lawsuit to make the EPA follow its statutory obligations, or fighting dangerous roll-backs coming from Washington that could hurt Vermont’s environment. We will continue to work to protect our environment.”

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont student-athletes closed the Fall with their best collective semester GPA on record. The Catamounts combined to post a 3.28 GPA, marking their 27th straight semester with at least a 3.0. The collective student-athlete GPA has now exceeded that of the overall UVM student body in 28 of last 31 semesters. Additionally, Catamount student-athletes had a 95.5 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the most recently reported data from the NCAA, which places Vermont in the top 15 percent of Division I schools. The GSR is a metric created by the NCAA to accurately reflect student-athlete graduation outcomes.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott was joined by his Opioid Coordination Council Thursday to present its initial report of recommended strategies, as part of its charge to strengthen Vermont’s response to the opioid crisis. The first report to Governor Scott follows eight months of intensive study, visits to many communities and collaboration across state government and with local organizations. It offers 21 strategies in the areas of systematic enhancements, prevention, treatment, recovery and enforcement. The strategies build on Vermont’s successes, and recommendations include specific actions and frameworks for key programs, next steps, and areas that require additional research and coordination.

Vermont Business Magazine Eversource on Wednesday completed the $175 million sale of its New Hampshire fossil fuel powered generation facilities to Granite Shore Power LLC. After decades of service to New England customers, Merrimack Station in Bow, Newington Station in Newington, Schiller Station in Portsmouth, and combustion turbines in Groveton and Tamworth will now continue operations under new ownership. The power stations employ a variety of fuel sources, including oil, coal, nautral gas and jet fuel. A deal iin 2016 with the NH Public Utilities Commission allowed Eversource to buy power on the competitive market in exchange for divesting its PSNH legacy fossil fuel and hydro facilities.

Eversource is the former Northeast Utilities, with retail, generation and transmission services across New England. NU acquired Public Service of New Hampshire in 1992. PSNH went bankrupt in 1988.

Vermont Business Magazine The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 (IBEW), the Vermont Building Trades Council, and the Plumbers and Pipefitters UA 693 today endorsed Mayor Miro Weinberger in support of his upcoming re-election effort on Town Meeting Day, March 6, 2018.

“IBEW has endorsed Mayor Weinberger in his past two elections, and we are proud to endorse him for a third term,” said Jeffrey Wimette, Business Manager for IBEW, which represents unionized public employees at the Burlington Electric Department. “Because Mayor Weinberger is a good listener and follows through on his commitments, the Burlington Electric Department employees are now working under a contract negotiated without going to arbitration for the first time in 15 years. That contract took on big challenges, including a successful reform of the City’s retirement system that strengthened it, and reduced the pressure on taxpayers.”