Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today joined local, state and federal partners Wednesday to announce over $3.5 million in community development grants to eight communities. Brownfield clean-up in Rockingham, downtown redevelopment in Springfield and funding for home repair programs statewide are among the projects receiving more than $3.5 million in grants from the Vermont Community Development Program.

The Town of Springfield and its partners, Housing Vermont and Springfield Housing Authority, will leverage a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant to restore the iconic Woolson Block property on Main Street, building affordable apartments on the upper floors and new commercial space on the ground floor.

Vermont Business MagazineAttorney General TJDonovan today announced that he and 50 other Attorneys General have reached a $13.5 millionsettlementwith Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc(BIPI) regarding deceptive statements BIPI made regarding four of its prescription drugs: Micardis, Aggrenox, Atrovent, and Combivent. Vermont will receive over $130,000 under the settlement. The settlement resolves allegations made in the State’sComplaintthat BIPI violated Vermont’s Consumer Protection act when it misrepresented the drugs’ benefits and/or promoted the drugs as superior to other drugs for the treatment of the same condition.

Vermont Business Magazine Hospitalized patients who need lifesaving care available only at another hospital in the region will benefit from a new collaboration between the University of Vermont Health Network and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. As part of an ongoing commitment to provide access to high-quality care for patients through stronger connections between the region’s hospitals, UVM Health Network has signed a contract to staff a helicopter provided by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART)’s air ambulance program.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger, accompanied by City officials and community leaders, officially reopened the entire northern section of the Burlington Bike Path at Leddy Park this morning. Over three miles of the beloved Bike Path, from North Beach to the Winooski River Bridge, underwent major rehabilitation during the 2017 construction season. The entire Bike Path is now open for winter use. Because of the new pavement in the northern section of the Burlington Bike Path, this winter, for the first time, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront has updated its plowing policy and will be plowing the northern sections.

Vermont Business Magazine City Market in Burlington has donated the proceeds from its 20^thAnnual Tree Sale to the Committee on Temporary Shelter, also known as COTS. This year it presented COTS with a check totaling $10,500. The annual Tree Sale to benefit COTS has brought in a total of over $136,000. This year, City Market once again sold fresh balsams from Moffatt’s Tree Farm in Craftsbury. The Co-op sold 660 trees from Wednesday, November 29 through Friday, December 8. City Market staff, Co-op Members, and community volunteers assisted customers with trees throughout the sale.

Vermont Business MagazineFreshTracks Capital has made a new investment in a rapidly growing Vermont distillery, Caledonia Spirits, maker of Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka.This is the fifth Vermont company that FreshTracks has invested in during 2017. Terms were not disclosed. The Vermont-based distillery has received numerous national and international awards and accolades, including “Gin of the Year” at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition, “Double Gold” at the New York International Spirits Competition, and “Best in Class” at the American Distilling Institute’s Judging of Craft Spirits.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Police Officers’ Association (BPOA) today endorsed Mayor Miro Weinberger in support of his upcoming reelection effort on Town Meeting Day,March 6, 2018. Weinberger faces independents Carina Driscoll, the daughter of Jane Sanders and stepdaughter or Senator Bernie Sanders, and Infinite Culcleasure. Driscoll has already received the endorsement of the Burlington Progressive Party. Weinberger already has been elected to two, three-year terms.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce is part of a coalition of state and local public finance officials who have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt repeal of the Clean Power Plan, an EPA regulation developed to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.“Environmental and social stewardship is critically important for Vermont’s continued economic prosperity,” said Treasurer Pearce. “We call on the EPA to maintain policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of our planet, and ensure the long-term profitability of our investments.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Vermont Land Trust and theIntervale Center received a three-year, $546,000 grant from the USDA’sBeginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to help Vermont’s nextgeneration of agricultural entrepreneurs access land and grow viablebusinesses.VHCB’s Viability Program is a nationally-recognized provider ofcomprehensive, one-on-one business and transfer planning services forestablished farm, food and forestry sector businesses. The Vermont LandTrust’s Farmland Access Program connects farmers with affordable farmland,helping 62 new and beginning farmers make the transition to farm ownershipsince 2009.The Intervale Center provides one-on-one business planning andtechnical assistance to about 80 farms throughout Vermont each year as wellas specialized assistance in the areas of land access.

Vermont Business Magazine America's strength depends on workforce-ready, law abiding men and women who are able to defend our nation. Unfortunately, a new report shows the majority of America's young adults fail to meet at least one of these indicators. More than three-fourths of the states (37 states) earned a grade of C or worsebased on the percentage of young adults who miss the mark. Vermont was one of only three states to make an "A."

Nationwide:

Vermont Business Magazine State officials reported that nearly 23,000 Vermonters had confirmed a 2018 health plan and qualified for financial help to make the plan more affordable. Total enrollment in qualified health plans, which typically includes 46,000 small business employees and 11,000 individuals who don’t qualify for financial help, is expected to surpass 80,000. While enrollment will be similar to past years, this year’s earlier deadline means fewer members will experience gaps in coverage. In past years, nearly 2,000 members missed out on January coverage.

Senator Patrick LeahyLittle more than a month ago, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was unveiled in the Senate. Just a few short weeks later, we are on the verge of passing a colossal bill, publicly available for just four days, that makes sweeping changes to every aspect of our economy. We are moving so fast that the American people would be forgiven for thinking we were addressing a national emergency. And yet, fires are still blazing in California, power in Puerto Rico is still not fully restored, and victims around the Gulf of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria are still struggling to pick up the pieces and rebuild. There are indeed national emergencies we should be addressing, but instead of doing so, Republicans in Congress are focused first on passing tax cuts for corporations and billionaires – tax cuts that will add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the deficit.