Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Everbridge, Inc (NASDAQ: EVBG) has been selected by the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management as the new mass notification service provider for its statewide VT-ALERT program. VT-ALERT, powered by Everbridge, will enable Vermont authorities to communicate critical information directly to residents, businesses and visitors in near real-time. Everbridge is based in Massachusetts.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Climate Economy Action Team (CEAT) has released its action priorities for the 2018 legislative session. These initiatives will stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities in fast growing sectors that help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont spends over $1.6 billion a year in public education. This is higher than at any point in its history, but the number of students over the last 25 years has fallen by about 30,000. Property taxes will go up over 9 percent next year if the state doesn't do anything about lowering expenses, and Governor Phil Scott wants to do something about lowering expenses. But even he is not entirely sure how to go about it, since much of the solution relies on local school boards.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is reporting that today (12/18/17) at approximately 11:55 am the TD Bank on Route 100 in Waitsfield was robbed. An individual dressed in dark clothing, wearing a mask and hood entered the bank. The suspect was armed with a firearm and demanded money from the bank tellers. The suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect was last seen on foot on Route 100 heading north from the bank. The suspect is described as 5’ 10” to 5’ 11” tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds. No one was injured in the robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to call State Police Detectives in Middlesex.

CASE#: 17A305259

RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Lt. Jeremy Hill

STATION: Middlesex Barracks

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is making available up to $60,000 in Local Food Market Development (LFMD) Grants to assist eligible Vermont farmers, businesses, and value-chain facilitators to reach new markets. VAAFM works to support market opportunities with an institutional or other wholesale focus in Vermont.

This year the agency has engaged a public/private partnership with philanthropic partners to augment these efforts and match up to $30,000 from the Vermont legislature for this grant effort.

“The strong program similarities between the VAAFM’s Local Food Development Grant Program and the priorities of philanthropic partners’ farm to institution initiatives, provides an opportunity to grow economic success for Vermont agricultural businesses, while providing quality food to institutions like schools, colleges and hospitals,” says Secretary Anson Tebbetts.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan, in partnership with the Department of Financial Regulation, issued a report to the Vermont General Assembly that recommends regulation of the Data Broker Industry, otherwise known as “Big Data.” If the Assembly adopts the recommendations, Vermont would become the first state to implement Data Broker regulation.

“I have traveled all over the state and heard from many Vermonters who are frustrated and concerned that businesses are collecting their personal information, and people have no say in the matter,” said Attorney General Donovan. “Privacy is a fundamental value here in Vermont, and I look forward to work with the Assembly to draft a bill that will restore some balance in this area.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of the Grafton, Vermont-based Windham Foundation announced today that former Vermont Creamery CEO Bob Reese has been elected as a member of its Board of Trustees. Reese founded Vermont Creamery with Allison Hooper in 1984, where they led the company until 2017, when the company was acquired by Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement Monday regarding the end-of-year spending bill: "As I have stated many times, Congress must not break for recess unless it addresses some of the major crises facing this country. While Republicans believe that tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations is the nation's major priority, I strongly disagree. Here are some of the issues that Congress must deal with now. "We must act now to prevent 800,000 Dreamers, young people who were raised in this country and know no other home, from losing their legal status. Any end of the year spending agreement must address the fear and uncertainty unnecessarily caused by the administration's reckless actions, and a clean Dream Act must be signed into law.

Vermont Business MagazineComcast and Mobius have openedthe voting process for the 2018 Vermont Mentor of the Year Award. Voters can read the full nominations for each candidate, and submit their choice for one of the 10 finalists by clicking the link below. Public voting is open through Thursday, January 4, 2018, and will narrow the field down to three finalists. The final award winner will be determined by a selection committee of local mentoring supporters, and Comcast will present the award to the winning mentor at Mobius’ annual Mentoring Celebration at the Statehouse later in the month.

Vermont Business MagazineFollowing last week’s decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gutting the 2015 Open Internet Order, which prohibits content restrictions, website fees and the creation of internet ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ lanes by internet providers, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos released a statement condemning the decision, calling it a devastating blow to open information access and free speech.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan and 14 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit December 5 accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of violating the Clean Air Act by delaying air quality standards for ground-level ozone pollution. Ground-level ozone causes asthma and other respiratory problems. The EPA determined a new standard, adopted in 2015, would have public health benefits worth an estimated $2.9 billion to $5.9 billion.

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to designate areas around the country that do and do not meet the new standard within two years of its adoption. Areas that do not meet the standard face strict limitations on industrial and commercial facilities that are sources of compounds that lead to the creation of ground-level ozone.

by Mike Smith Republicans deserve what they got in Alabama last week when voters rejected their candidate for the US Senate, Roy Moore. This Senate seat should have been a slam dunk for Republicans. In Alabama they hadn’t lost a Senate race to a Democrat in over two decades. In fact, they had a candidate in Luther Strange who likely would have won the general election easily, but Moore defeated Strange in the primary.

Republicans decided to run a flawed candidate against Democrat Doug Jones even before sexual misconduct accusations surfaced.

Moore was removed from the state’s Supreme Court for defying judicial orders not once, but twice. He also said Muslims should not be allowed to serve in elective office and that homosexuality should be illegal. He even raised the notion that African-American families were better off under slavery.