Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the efforts of federal facilities that took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). Included in the honor is the Vermont Army National Guard. “Federal agencies across the country are doing their part to minimize their environmental impact, in doing so saving American taxpayers millions of dollars,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said. “Their efforts resulted in an estimated cost savings of $17 million across the federal government.”

Through their involvement, FGC participants reduced the federal government’s environmental impact by reducing fuel oil consumption by more than 500,000 gallons, sending 310 tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party certified recyclers, saving 9.2 million gallons of industrial water, and diverting over 336,000 tons of waste from landfills.

Vermont Business Magazine Wheel Pad, a leader in developing eco-friendly bedroom suites that can be temporarily attached to an existing home to meet the needs of individuals with limited mobility, is pleased to announce the installation of its first module in Vermont, and invites the public to a free tour. Explore the installed Norwich Model prototype on-site at an existing home, learn about the design features, see how it attaches to the home, and experience this suite for yourself.

Vermont Business MagazineOver 70 rowers and paddlers dug deep in the waters of Lake Champlain on Sunday in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's 21st Annual Challenge Race. The race, an annual event for 21 years, has a distinctly communal spirit – with a delicious and bountiful potluck picnic afterwards – while also fueling participants’ desire to fiercely compete.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJDonovan issued a letter last week to the United States Department of the Interior, opposing the potential rollback of national monument protections. By executive order in April, President Trump directed the United States Department on the Interior to review all designations of national monuments greater than 100,000 acres created since 1996.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northern New England population will be the beneficiary of a new partnership between academic medical centers and primary care practices in rural communities, which will focus on health problems endemic to the region, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, as well as the unique challenges of effective rural health care delivery. A five-year, $20 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Research (CTR) Network grant will fund a joint program between the University of Vermont (UVM) and Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine to develop and sustain a clinical and translational research infrastructure improving rural and community health for residents of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor today announced two changes to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program starting July 1, which will reduce tax rates for employers and allow claimants to receive benefits sooner. Nearly 22,600 employers remit state unemployment taxes to the Department that are deposited into a trust fund used for the payment of unemployment insurance benefits to eligible claimants. The unemployment trust fund is “forward funded,” meaning tax schedules are designed to raise more funds during periods of economic growth to ensure that there is adequate funding during recessions. The department is now under tax rate schedule 4, which triggered the reduction in unemployment insurance tax rates for employers.

UPDATE:Circus Arts president and executive director resign, finances failing

Vermont Business MagazineThe Board of Directors of New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) today announced a leadership reorganization of the 501(c)(3) non-profit. Michael Helmstadter, executive director, in a statement said: “The past 18 months have been spent working to resolve management and personnel problems to the benefit of the entire organization. The board of directors of NECCA has chosen a difficult, yet necessary decision to separate the co-founders of NECCA—Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion—from the organization as employees. We are bound to sound governance by law. We are also bound to protect the confidentiality of personnel matters.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and a group of 15 other senators in sending a letter Tuesday to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), urging the agency to better prevent painkillers from flooding the market by setting lower opioid production quotas for 2018. Last year the DEA heeded the senators’ call to alleviate the opioid epidemic hitting Vermont and the nation by reducing nearly all opioid quotas by 25 percent or more. This was the first reduction of its kind in more than 20 years, but DEA-approved opioid production volumes remain troublingly high — including 55 percent higher oxycodone levels in 2017 than in 2007.

Vermont Business Magazine So how does a program like Financial Futures get from interpreted financial capability classes on site to the “Financial Empowerment for New Americans Project?” Start by building on a grant-funded project in 2015/16 through the Refugee Targeted Assistance Program with the goal of developing the financial capability of refugees and asylum seekers, then add staff participation in IDEO’s Human-Centered Design course, then strengthen existing and forge new partnerships.

Then add funding support from Jane’s Trust in the amount of $80,000 to bring on an Americorps*VISTA and a project manager, provide training for Community Ambassadors who will lead classes in year two, and a Financial Wellness Day with activities for the whole family.

Vermont Business Magazine FirstLight, a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in Vermont and across the Northeast, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquireNashua, NH-based 186 Communications. The transaction will combine 186’s high-capacity fiber network in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont with FirstLight’s expansive fiber network and complete portfolio of data, Internet, data center, cloud and voice services.

by Stephen Barraclough, General Manager, Burlington Telecom Right now, a battle is raging at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the country’s large, incumbent telecommunications firms try to undo key customer protections that prevent American internet customers from facing new fees, website blocking, and traffic throttling. However, not all telecom providers feel the same.

Since we’re in the business of selling internet access, we know better than anyone that broadband is essential infrastructure for our economy and our democracy. Imagine trying to apply for a job, going back to school, or staying in touch with friends and family without a high-quality internet connection. In 2017, high-speed broadband is critical to our labor market and civic participation.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington County has been added to the FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) request after Vermont Officials identified additional damage this week. The PDA will be conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) beginning on Wednesday afternoon. Rain storms and resulting floods washed out roads and damaged other public infrastructure in several Vermont towns from June 29 – July 1. The state has identified more than $6-million in public infrastructure damage, far exceeding the $1-million threshold Vermont must show to be considered for a major disaster declaration. Bennington joins Addison, Caledonia, Orange, Rutland, and Windsor counties in exceeding the county minimum of $3.61 per capita to qualify communities in those counties for aid.