Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased last week, with Construction taking the biggest hit. The holidays typically produce wild swings in unemployment claims, because of an increase in hiring in the Service sector, from retail to delivery-related businesses, and then an abrupt round of layoffs. The post-Christmas downsizing typically will produce many claims in the Service category.

For the week of December 17, 2016, there were 781 claims, up 115 from the previous week's total and 112 than than they were a year ago.

Altogether 5,349 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 248 from a week ago, and 61 fewer than a year ago.

The Department processed 0 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08).

by Bill Schubart

Jeeter’s friend Zephyr invited him to his mother’s memorial service in the Methodist church basement. He knew Jeeter had run out of venison, winter was setting in, and Jeeter’s meager garden plot was now frozen solid. What little Jeeter hadn’t picked and eaten, shared with ravaging critters, or stored in the garbage can beside his trailer that he used for a winter freezer was now frozen in the earth.

The church ladies always turned out a fine meal of casseroles ranging from the ever-popular mac and cheese with hot dog slices and hamburger goulash, to the less popular “Cheese Whiz broccoli,” a mortar-like dish made of frozen broccoli florets, Minute Rice, and a jar of Cheese Whiz.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Transit (GMT) Leadership Committee has announced the resignation of GMT General Manager Karen Walton. The Leadership Committee thanked Walton for her work and her many accomplishments under her leadership. No explanation for her resignation was given.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor-elect Phil Scott today announced new appointments and reappointments, including his senior legal counsel, two agency deputy secretaries and three department commissioners. Jaye Pershing Johnson will serve on Scott’s senior staff as Governor’s Legal Counsel. Newly appointed deputy secretaries include Martha Maksym to the Agency of Human Services and Peter Walke to the Agency of Natural Resources.

Governor-elect Scott also reappointed Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living Commissioner Monica Caserta Hutt; and Department for Children and Families Commissioner Ken Schatz. Christopher Cole will move from his current role in the Agency of Transportation to serve as the new Commissioner of the Department of Buildings and General Services.  Ethan Latour will join Scott’s staff as Assistant Director of Policy and Communications and Tracy Delude will serve as his Director of Scheduling.

Vermont Business Magazine For decades Merchants Bank and Merchants Bank employees have been pledging to the United Way throughout Vermont. This year, Merchants Bank continued its tradition of running a successful campaign, with individual employee pledges of over $24,000 and a corporate pledge of $35,000.  Merchants Bank employee pledges combined with the Merchants Bank donation, contributed to over $59,000 in pledges to United Way throughout Vermont and Massachusetts.  

Vermont Business Magazine In 2016, what might appear to be a small food shelf in the northwest corner of Vermont served 5,715 people, during 8,844 visits. This includes single mothers, elderly, veterans, underemployed and unemployed, disabled, refugees and Native Americans. Food shelf staff and volunteers distributed 308,806 pounds of food, not only at its location in St. Albans, but delivering food to those homebound at elder care facilities, and satellite sites throughout the two counties. Most of this food is donated by community members, but in addition the food shelf purchased $14,476 worth of food from the Vermont Food Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that it invested over $365 million in Vermont and New Hampshire communities in Federal Fiscal Year 2016 in housing, community and economic infrastructure through USDA Rural Development. The federal investment touched 465 communities, nearly every Vermont and New Hampshire town, and focused on increasing residents’ wellbeing by reducing poverty and investing in opportunity sectors including local food systems and renewable energy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office has issued a summary of propane rights and responsibilities. “Vermont has a robust set of propane rules, both to protect consumers and to promote fair competition among propane dealers. With another heating season upon us, we want to remind consumers of their rights and what to expect from a propane dealer,” said Attorney General Bill Sorrell.

by Ben Kinsley I, along with many Vermonters, read recently that the State Board of Education and its chair Stephan Morse were declaring victory for the controversial Education law known as Act 46. It “has been a huge success and does not require significant revision,” Morse said. Having followed Act 46 very closely through the Legislature and hundreds of hours of testimony, I was astounded. Act 46 is hardly a “huge success” by any objective measure. It is unlikely that we will have any reliable data on Act 46’s success until several years after the 2019 implementation date.

Vermont Business Magazine A national report released yesterday measures the 50 states on six performance indicators. The Commonwealth Fund concludes that, when it comes to health access and affordability, Vermont is first in the nation. While the entire country has made significant gains in health access since the Affordable Care Act created health insurance marketplaces, Vermont has risen to the top. In 2014 Vermont ranked fourth on the annual scorecard, then moved up to second in 2015 before claiming the top spot this year.

Vermont Business Magazine These photos from James Dwinell are of the new, temporary Cornwall/Salisbury bridge replacing the burned covered bridge, which was consumed last September. They started erecting yesterday, the bridge will be up today, then planking, and guard rails, open the middle of next week, the project manager said. VTrans was on scene too. The project manager said that the permanent bridge would replace this one two to five years hence.

Vermont Business Magazine The ability to clear US Customs at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is one step closer to becoming reality with President Obama having signed into law a bill ratifying the new preclearance agreement between Canada and the United States. The signing of the new law was commemorated earlier today by US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) at Burlington International Airport, as the first Porter Airlines flight of the season arrived. The law is part of an effort to make travel between the two countries more convenient for travellers while also further enhancing bilateral trade relations and reinforcing national security.