Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Wednesday that Vermont organizations have been awarded three highly competitive National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) matching grants totaling $270,000. The grants, to a Brattleboro history project, the University of Vermont, and the Vermont Farmers Market Education Center, will fund projects for humanities research and public engagement.

Leahy said: “Grants like these help us foster and conserve the rich and cohesive communities that we want. These funds will help fund programs, art and stories that bring together Vermonters and give us a better understanding of our great state. I have fought hard on the Appropriations Committee to protect funding for the humanities from the drastic cuts proposed by the Trump Administration, whose priorities do not match Vermont’s priorities, or the priorities of the American people.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources announced today that Central Vermont Motorcycles, Inc, a powersports dealer and service center in Rutland, is now required to pay a fine of $23,062 for multiple violations of Vermont Hazardous Waste Management Regulations. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recognizes that many businesses and important industries in Vermont generate some amount of hazardous waste during the normal course of business.

Vermont Business MagazineLedyard Financial Group, Inc(ticker symbol LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, today reported record quarterly earnings for the second quarter of 2017. Ledyard is based in Hanover, NH, with a branch in Vermont. Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, was $1,121,791 or $1.09 per share compared to $1,062,432 or $1.05 per share for the same period in 2016, an increase of $59,359 or 6%. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $2,128,460 or $2.08 per share compared to $2,067,477 or $2.02 per share for the same period in 2016, an increase of $60,983 or 3%.

In a statement, Ledyard said the strength ofitscore businesses continues to drive improvement in operating results and returns to shareholders.

Vermont Business MagazineThat motorcycle gang you might find roaring around Vermont this week is in search of the best entrepreneurs in Vermont.Road Pitch was founded in 2014 by Cairn Cross, co-founder and managing director of FreshTracks Capital. The event is a multi-day motorcycle trip around Vermont where a pack of motorcycle riders with investing, entrepreneurial/business and business advisory experience ride together and stop in small towns where “Local Hosts” have organized a pitch session for entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to the group.The “pitcher” who is voted the Riders’ Choice Award will win a $500 cash prize from the statewide sponsor, Fresh Tracks Capital, and will be invited to participate in a “pitch off” event in October and which the winners at all 10 stops will repeat their pitches and have the opportunity to win an additional cash prize and a full year of no cost mentoring.

Vermont Business Magazine Wells + Associates today announced that it has acquired Burlington-based BreakShuttle, the largest provider of charter trips for college students departing and returning directly to campus during academic breaks. BreakShuttle began in Vermont in 2012 with funding from VCET and Fresh Tracks. W+A is a national transportation consulting firm with a mission to plan and modernize transportation networks, based in Virginia.

Vermont Business Magazine VPR has announced several changes to its news and digital staff that bring new leadership to Vermont Edition, integrate digital and broadcast content and focus on podcast development. Sam Gale Rosen has been named Managing Editor of Vermont Edition. A producer on VPR’s daily newsmagazine program since 2015, he replaces Executive Producer Patti Daniels, who is stepping down after more than 10 years.

“I'm incredibly excited to be stepping into a leading role on Vermont Edition,” Gale Rosen said. “Under Patti’s leadership, Vermont Edition has earned deep trust in our region over the last 10 years, and I'll do my best to build on that strength. We want the program to be a conversation for all Vermonters, and we hope to go even further in including more voices, issues, priorities and positions.”

Investigative Reporting

Vermont Business Magazine Recipients of the 2017 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence have been announced and will be recognized at a ceremony at the State House on August 4th. Environmental excellence awards have been given since 1993 to recognize efforts and actions of Vermonters to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution, and promote environmental sustainability. To date, more than 200 efforts have been recognized.

“The Governor’s Awards are a longstanding tradition in Vermont to highlight the value of actions that go above and beyond what’s required by law. The actions taken by the recipients represent a culture of commitment to doing the right thing environmentally” said Kim Greenwood, Director of the Environmental Compliance Division of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has approved nearly $6.6 million in financing to support several important economic development projects undertaken by Regional Development Corporations (RDCs) throughout the state. Several manufacturing expansion projects were approved for financing assistance through VEDA’s Local Development Corporation Loan Program. This Program provides financing to nonprofit local and regional development corporations to build facilities for lease to identified eligible tenants, or to plan and/or develop industrial parks. Four of the projects recently approved by VEDA -- two in Franklin County, one in Windsor County, and one in Rutland County -- total $33 million, with VEDA funding nearly $6.6 million through this program.

Vermont Business Magazine Hearings for Vermont hospitals have been set. The initial budget submissions by Vermont’s 14 non-profit hospitals continue the trend toward aligning health spending more closely with general economic growth, according to data made public by the Green Mountain Care Board. This fiscal year, FY18, the submissions of an aggregate Net Patient Revenue (NPR) of 3.6% (just over the 3.4% target set bythe Board).

Vermont Business MagazineIn partnership with the Pillsbury Manor,Home Care Assistance- Greater Burlington, a leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is excited to announce that it will be hosting a fun and informative six-part series. Led by Dr. Julie Richards, Home Care Assistance’s brain fitness expert and Director of Cognitive Therapeutics, The Mind Fit Series: Activities to Boost Brain Health will cover proactive ways to enhance cognitive functioning, including activities used in theCognitive Therapeutics Method, a science-based cognitive stimulation program. The series will kick-off August 2nd with subsequent sessions every Wednesday from 2:00 pm to 3 pm through September 6th in the Activities Room at Pillsbury Manor South, 20 Harborview Road, South Burlington. This event is open to all residents and the public free of charge.

by John McClaughry Governor Phil Scott has created a Vermont Climate Action Commission, in support of his commitment that Vermont will shoulder its share of the US obligation under the Paris climate agreement. This is the Obama agreement which, to the horror of the climate action boosters, President Trump excused us. It’s worth tracing the history of climate action inventions back to 2002. In that year Gov. Dean, planning his run for President, went to Quebec to endorse an enviro-produced climate action plan for the northeastern states and provinces, chock full of scary predictions about the dire consequences of inaction.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep Peter DeFazio (D-OR) proposed a rule Monday that would end price gouging on prescription drugs and other health care products developed with taxpayer money. Sanders and DeFazio reintroduced their bill, which they first proposed two decades ago with bipartisan support, after drugmaker Sanofi Pasteur refused to agree to fair pricing on a Zika virus vaccine developed with over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars.