Current News

Leonine Public Affairs A mid-week press conference by House leadership to "remind" Governor Scott that"Vermonters expect him to present responsible budget proposals" put a spotlight on the tension between lawmakers and the Governor on the development of the FY18 state budget. House leaders in a statement pointed out Vermonters approved 90 percent of school budgets at Town Meeting. They argued the Governor's proposal for school boards to level fund K-12 budgets in order to invest in higher education and early education had been rejected by Town Meeting voters. Governor Scott responded through a spokeswoman that his budget proposal is balanced and put the burden back on lawmakers to come up with a budget of their own if they didn't want to adopt his plan.

Vermont Business Magazine United Children’s Services has been awarded an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant to expand high quality early learning opportunities for Bennington’s most vulnerable infants and toddlers. The grant is for $1.2 million from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and will support 48 infants and toddlers in Bennington County.

“We are pleased we will be able to offer Early Head Start to children in our community,” says Lorna Mattern, Executive Director of United Counseling Service . “When children attend high quality programs they are better prepared for school and have improved outcomes. “

Vermont Business MagazineVermont’s famous Maple Season will continue to be a top tourism draw throughout the month of April, culminating with the immensely popularVermont Maple Festivalin downtown St. Albans during the weekend ofApril 28 to 30.Coming on the heels ofMaple Open House Weekend(March 25-26), which provides visitors a firsthand opportunity to experience Maple Season at the state’s legendary sugarhouses, the Vermont Maple Festival is a three-day celebration that showcases maple producers, vendors, exhibits, and attractions and events for kids. Growing in popularity, the Vermont Maple Festival drew a record estimated crowd of 40,000 people in 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) and Hotel Vermont are thrilled to announce that March’s “Food & Beverage” event will feature Allison Hooper, co-founder of Vermont Creamery, and Jen Kimmich, co-founder of The Alchemist. The event will be heldMonday, March 20th,5:30-7pmin beautiful Juniper Hall at Hotel Vermont, 41 Cherry Street in downtown Burlington. All are welcome, but tickets are limited so interested parties are encouraged to act fast.

The cost of each event in the series is $15 per person, and 100% of proceeds benefit a local charity or nonprofit. March’s “Food & Beverage” event will benefit the The Good Food Truck, whose goal this season is to “provide 120 days of free meals to low income Vermonters.”

Vermont Business Magazine Dr Robert K Triest, vice president and economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, will talk on economic conditions in Vermont and regional economic conditions at a forum March 22 at Johnson State College. The forum, co-sponsored by Johnson and Lyndon State Colleges, will be at 5:30 pm in Stearns Performance Space at Johnson State College. The event is free and open to the public.

The forum will include a panel discussion and an opportunity for attendees to network afterward.

Panelists will include Lyndon State Assistant Professor of Business Bill Morison, Johnson State Business and Economics Department Chairman Jim Black, Apple Tree Learning Director Sonya Raymond, Lamoille Economic Development Corporation Executive Director John Mandeville, Founder and co-owner of Eden Specialty Ciders Eleanor Leger, and Northeastern Vermont Development Association Executive Director David Snedeker.

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain College Women’s Empowerment Initiative’s Spring Symposium will be held on April 3. A series of events will be held throughout the day to celebrate the 2017 theme -- “Being Brave: Cultivating Our Courage and Confidence.” The third annual Spring Symposium will bring together members of the Champlain College faculty, staff, students, alumni and community for learning and engaged discussion. Events are open to the public.

The day will begin at 8:30 am with a breakfast in the Morgan Room of Aiken Hall to recognize “Champions at Champlain” who have made a difference for women-identified people in the community.

Vermont Business Magazine David S Silverman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank announced today that, on February 15 the Board of Directors of Union Bankshares, Inc appointed Nancy C Putnam of Jeffersonville to the Board of Directors of Union Bank. Previously employed as a CPA with Marckres Norder & Company in Morrisville, Nancy recently retired after 21 years of employment. Prior to that she was Vice President and Trust Officer at the former Franklin Lamoille Bank in Morrisville and Vice President, Tax and Estate Officer for the former Howard Bank in Burlington, covering a span of 14 years between both positions. Nancy received her BA in Political Science from the University of Maine. She furthered her career with studies at Northwestern University in Chicago and Roosevelt University.

Vermont Business Magazine On a recent bleak winter day, spirits were lifted at HOPE with the news of a $2,000 grant award from Merchants Bank. Grant funds will support HOPE’s Project Real Job initiative – one of HOPE’s most utilized programs, will assist working low income residents of Addison County. Project Real Job is designed to keep low income working people gainfully employed. In 2016, HOPE assisted 55 different people in Addison County with small amounts of support to help cover approved job related expenses.

Vermont Business Magazine In a 7-4 party-line vote today, the House Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs voted favorably to advance H196, a bill that would create a family and medical leave insurance program. The program would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to cover a worker’s absence for a qualifying condition, including to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one or themselves. Governor Phil Scott, however does not love the bill because it pays for the $80 million benefit with what the governor calls a payroll tax.

As passed out of the committee, the bill eliminates the payroll tax and and funds the insurance program through a .93 percent income deduction, with the option for the employer to contribute to the cost. It would provide 100 percent wage replacement, for up to 12 weeks, capped at two times the livable wage, which is equivalent to about $1,000 per week.

Vermont Business MagazineGovernor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on legislative action on economic priorities for the state: “As we reached the halfway mark of Vermont’s legislative session this week, it’s important for those of us in Montpelier to prioritize our efforts to make a real difference in the lives of Vermonters in the final eight weeks of this legislative session.

“On my first day in office, I signed an executive order establishing three goals that guide my Administration’s efforts: Strengthen the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable. These are simple principles, but they are critical to solving the challenges we face and they should be the focus of each effort we undertake, and each policy we put forward.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont Agency of Natural Resources announced today that Walgreen Eastern Co, Inc, the owner of three Vermont Walgreens stores, was fined $20,000 for producing and selling batteries in Vermont without an Agency-approved battery stewardship plan. Under state law, manufacturers of “primary” batteries are required to identify how they will contribute to the free collection and recycling of batteries sold in Vermont. Primary batteries are defined as non-rechargeable alkaline, carbon-zinc, and lithium metal batteries. The provisions must be outlined in a stewardship plan approved by the Agency of Natural Resources in order for the manufacturer to legally sell batteries in the state.

Over 10 million primary batteries are sold to Vermonters each year. The precious metals and other materials used to produce batteries are valuable and recyclable, and can be kept out of landfills with proper stewardship.

Vermont Business Magazine Airbnb has announced that Vermont’s 3,000 active hosts earned over $17 million dollars in supplemental income in 2016 by welcoming approximately 140,000 visitors to the Green Mountain State -- a 87 percent year-over-year increase in inbound guest arrivals. The typical host in Vermont earned $5,600 last year, often using the additional funds to make rent or mortgage payments, save for retirement or repay student loans. The typical listing is occupied 23 nights per year and the average length of stay is 2.6 nights.