Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Researchers at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system have been awarded up to $42 million to investigate environmental influences on child health. The highly competitive awards are part of a $157 million, seven-year initiative known as Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) that was announced Wednesday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has received an additional $16 million in federal highway funding after the state met all of its fiscal year deadlines for federally-funded projects. When states or other federal entities which are funded through the federal highway trust fund do not fully utilize their federal funds in a given year, the Federal Highway Administration makes those funds available to other states that have successfully obligated their allotment of federal dollars.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters are now encouraged to file complaints directly with Consumer Affairs and Public Information (CAPI) at the Department of Public Service about a company or developer’s  potential failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a Certificate of Public Good (CPG). CPG’s are issued by the Public Service Board for the construction and operation of telecommunications and energy facilities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fuad Ndibalema of Barre, Vermont was arraigned yesterday in the Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, on two misdemeanor counts of Operating without a License from Department of Health in violation of Title 18 V.S.A. Section 4351(a). As a result of the charges, Ndibalema faces a maximum fine of $500. According to documents filed with the court, on February 12, 2016, and April 8, 2016, Ndibalema prepared and served food at events hosted at the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont, without the proper license required by the Vermont Department of Health.

Ndibalema pleaded not guilty at arraignment. The court imposed conditions of release that prevent Ndibalema from preparing food for sale or selling food in the state of Vermont without first obtaining the proper license from the Vermont Department of Health.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced that early voting will officially open on Friday, September 23rd. Beginning this Friday, any registered voter will be able to request a ballot from their town clerk by phone, mail, or online and cast their vote for the November 8th election. The elections team has already finalized, printed and sent the ballots to town clerks - some towns may even open their early voting before Friday.

"Vermont's early voting system is one of the many ways our office ensures voting is accessible to eligible Vermont voters," states Secretary Condos. "We recognize that many Vermonters have busy schedules and may not be able to take time away from work or their families to vote on November 8th. Early voting ensures these people are not left out of the democratic process by giving them more opportunities to cast their vote."

Vermont Business Magazine In his continued effort to combat the epidemic of opioid abuse affecting Vermont, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday to authorize critical resources for the Anti-Heroin Task Force program that has proven effective in communities throughout the country. Leahy helped to establish the Anti-Heroin Task Force program in 2014, but without authorization, its critical funding is at risk. 

Vermont Business Magazine Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, with a campus in Colchester, is the number 3 ranked school in the country for salary of its graduates according to the latest update of the federal government’s College Scorecard. ACPHS, which climbed two spots from last year’s number 5 ranking, was measured against the 4,053 colleges and universities that make up the College Scorecard database.

Public Assets Institute After years of stagnant or falling incomes, Vermonters across the board enjoyed income gains in 2015, according to new U.S. Census data released last week. Median household income rose 5.1 percent last year^. But low-income households made even more progress, with average income for the bottom 20 percent of households rising 8.5 percent. While the news was good, this was just one year of data, and median household income in 2015 remained slightly lower than it was in 2007, before the Great Recession.

Vermont Business Magazine Even while many open jobs continue to be unfilled, the state’s unemployment rate rose one-tenth to 3.3 percent last month. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for August was 3.3 percent. This represents an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised July rate (3.2 percent). After a historic period of not increasing, the state jobless rate has gone up twice in the last three months, by a total of two tenths. The national rate in August was 4.9 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the State of Vermont submitted its final Lake Champlain implementation plan to the Environmental Protection Agency.  The comprehensive cleanup plan addresses phosphorus pollution sources across all sectors, including agricultural, developed and forested lands, as well as roads and eroding stream channels.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a comprehensive, 10-year capital plan to steward its public infrastructure for future generations. Major elements of the plan include: Street, sidewalk, fire engine, and Bike Path investments over next five years; proactive replacement of water lines over 75-years-old. Non-property tax sources are anticipated to fund over 40 percent of the capital investment. The capital plan will appear on the fall ballot for voter ratification.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber has a record number of large out-of-state companies committed to attend the 2016 Manufactured in Vermont Supply Chain Conference & Trade Show on Wednesday, September 21^st at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Airbus Americas, Raytheon, and Rolls-Royce top the list of out-of-state companies representing the aerospace, aviation, defense, naval, and medical device industries.

“Vermont plays an import role in optimizing the supply chain and competitive advantage for these companies,” explained Chris Carrigan, Vice President of Business Development for the Vermont Chamber. With over 500 meetings prescheduled, Carrigan stated, “these companies will have the opportunity to consider adding Vermont manufacturers to their supply chain, contributing to the economic growth of the state.”