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Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor and Governor Phil Scott recognized several Vermont businesses Friday for their strong commitment to providing safe, healthy and effective workplace programs at the annual Vermont Safety and Health Council held in South Burlington, Vermont. The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Workplace Safety is the highest honor given by the State and recognizes an employer’s commitment to excellence in workplace safety and health policy. The awards recognize companies that stand out above all others in their commitment to safety, and to reducing and eliminating workplace injury and illness.

This year’s Governor’s Awards for Outstanding Workplace Safety were presented by Commissioner Lindsay Kurrle and Gov. Scott to the following Vermont businesses:

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement Friday after President Donald Trumpdisavowed the international nuclear deal with Iran anddeclared his intention not to certify Iran’s compliance with the agreement: "President Trump’s speech today was the latest in a series of rash and reckless moves that make Americans less safe..."

Vermont Business MagazineFor his hard-hitting political reporting and successful efforts to pass a media shield law in Vermont,Seven Dayspolitical editor Paul Heintz has been selected as the AP New England Journalist of the Year. The New England Newspaper and Press Association honored Heintz at its fall conferenceThursdayin Natick, Mass. “He’s not just a dogged reporter and eloquent writer,” the judges said of Heintz, 33, of Hinesburg; “he’s a leader in the field.”

Heintz andSeven Daysalso received the 2017 Morley LPiper First Amendment Award, which is presented “to a New England newspaper that shows leadership on First Amendment issues, either by the exceptional quality of its reporting or commentary, or for the way it overcame legal challenges.

Vermont Business Magazine Earlier in October the 17th Annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference & Expo, REV2017, brought together 505 attendees, including 28 government officials from across New England and Quebec to focus on “Renewables For All”. Recognizing entrepreneur, citizen, and renewable energy champions and innovators for their outstanding contributions toward securing our sustainable energy future, Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) presented three awards.

“In today’s climate, it’s even more important to recognize our neighbors who quietly work every day to help others save money and protect our environment through renewable energy. Our clean energy transformation needs and takes all of us collaborating together”, said Jeff Forward, Chair of the Renewable Energy Vermont board.

Vermont Business Magazine The impact on Vermont’s economy by the state’s independent insurance agencies is estimated to be in excess of $61 million.Agencies employ 848 Vermonters and are "extremely philanthropic," according to a recent report. That’s just some of the significant results of the report commissioned in May by the Vermont Insurance Agents Association (VIAA). Conducted by LONDONmiddlebury of Burlington, the study reveals that principal member agencies of the VIAA play an important role in the state’s economy as employers, taxpayers, consumers and charitable contributors.

VIAA member agencies paid about 7.4 percent or an estimated $8.4 million of Vermont’s corporate tax revenue in 2016. Additionally, 54 percent of the agencies surveyed own buildings and real estate here, further contributing to the state’s tax revenue.

Vermont Business Magazine Ballots from 435 Community College of Vermont (CCV) faculty were counted Thursday at the Vermont Labor Relations Board. CCV faculty voted by mail on the question of whether to join the AFT Vermont union.300 CCV faculty voted yes to join AFT Vermont (70% of ballots cast) in order to negotiate for an improved CCV for faculty and students. The final tally was 300 voting for the union, 131 opposed, and 4 spoiled ballots.

"This is a very exciting moment for faculty," said Emily Casey a CCV Faculty member from the Winooski Campus. "We have been organizing our union for many years, and this vote validates what we already know: CCV faculty want a seat at the table in decisions that affect students and teachers. We look forward to working in a collaborative relationship with CCV administration to make the institution an even better place for faculty and students."

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) was presented with the 2017 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Prize before an audience of more than 10,000 nurses and conference attendees at the ANCC Magnet Conference in Houston October 11. The prize was given for SVMC’s Transitional Care Nursing Program, a part of the Accountable Community for Health Project. It is the highest honor that can be granted to a Magnet organization. Only one Magnet Prize is given worldwide each year.

Vermont Business MagazineSaving Our Waters, a three-part documentary on the health and resiliency of the Lake Champlain basin especially with the increase in extreme weather events, premieres online and on Vermont PBS Thursday, October 19 at 8 pm. Featuring interviews with scientists, community members, policy makers, farmers, business owners, and stakeholders, the series creates a comprehensive look at the watershed, which includes approximately 40 percent of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Public submissions for a new Burlington city flag will end this Sunday at11:59 p.m.Burlington City Arts is encouraging anyone that lives, works, attends school in, or owns a business in Burlington to submit a design.

Burlington is joining cities across the country in updating its flag to capture the spirit and character of its community today. Mayor Miro Weinberger first announced the city flag redesign project at a City Council meeting in January. City Council unanimously endorsed the public redesign competition, and the Mayor selected Burlington City Arts, the City of Burlington’s cultural planner, to lead the public competition process.In keeping with the spirit of community unity from the 1990 contest that led to the current City of Burlington flag, all residents of Burlington are encouraged to submit a design.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education today honored Linda Cloutier-Namdar, M.Ed., an Essex High School (EHS) English teacher, as the 2018 Vermont Teacher of the Year during the 2017 University of Vermont (UVM) Outstanding Teacher Day event.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine In the near corner of one the state's largest solar sites are several sets of solar panels that seem out-of-place against the vast rows of solar panels at a former corn field in Williston. This cluster of photo-voltaic panels look different. Some are shaped differently, or are of a different shape and color, several are quite small and some even appear to be facing the wrong way. Turns out they are facing the correct way for a specialized type of bi-facial solar panel that generates more than twice the output of a typical collector.

Vermont Business MagazineAttorney General TJ Donovan, with 37 attorneys general, urge consumer reporting agencies Experian and TransUnion to immediately stop charging fees to consumers. The AGs maintain that after the Equifax data breach, many consumers want to put in place credit freezes on their accounts. Donovan and the other attorneys general sent a letter to the consumer reporting agencies (CRA’s, also referred to as “credit bureaus”) urging them to stop charging fees for credit freezes and fees to lift or temporarily lift credit freezes on consumers’ accounts. The Equifax data breach reported last month has affected over 145 million Americans.