Current News

Vermont Business Magazine With a rainbow greeting early starters and showers throughout the day, more than 4,500 participants and some 1,200 volunteers welcomed a cool day in Hanover, NH, to raise more than $3 million for cancer care and research in the Prouty, Northern New England’s largest charity fundraiser. People from all over the country come together every July to raise funds through a wide range of activities for people whose interests run from golf to cycling 100 miles for two days in a row. Participants pitch in by walking or cycling through neighborhoods and roads in New Hampshire and Vermont, rowing on the Connecticut River, or hitting the links at the Hanover Country Club. It all supports Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer’s innovative research and ways to ease the journey of cancer patients and their families with such efforts as support groups, art and writing programs, a comfort cart, a resource library and gas cards.

Vermont Business Magazine - College of St Joseph receives a $2.2 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help renovate the Giorgetti Library. Giorgetti Library is the hub of College of St Joseph’s academic community. It’s where students spend hours studying and exploring the numerouselectronic databases for research materials, and where faculty and staff meet to share ideas and develop new programs.

Throughout the years, the Library has grown in response to the needs of the times, including updating its print collection and developing its digital resources. Now, it’s going to have a new look as well.

Vermont Business Magazine - Business owners and marketing teams alike are inundated with many new and old marketing strategies, platforms, and media channels. RetroMotion Creative, a Vermont-based digital marketing agency, doesn’t want small businesses to get left behind or feel frustrated. To simplify the process, RetroMotion Creative has just launched several managed service packages to give businesses a boost in leads. These packages were developed and perfected by Retro’s seasoned marketers.

RetroMotion Creative packages digital marketing services so that clients don’t have to guess which services they should purchase in the midst the multitude of marketing options. A package of services allows Retro’s clients to feel confident in their strategy and, ultimately, return on investment.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has received a grant for more than $72,000 from the National Science Foundation, with support from the National Security Agency, to lead a weeklong summer camp on cybersecurity for rising high school juniors and seniors. Dubbed GenCyber@NU, the comprehensive program is free to all participants and will be taught by standout Norwich faculty and alumni.

Twenty-one students will dive into the fields of cybersecurity and cyberdefense. The pre-college program will be held July 17-23 and is designed for students interested in information security, digital forensics, cyberattack defense, and personal online protection.

by Tom Hughes EIV At a press conference in Montpelier Thursday, Energy Independent Vermont released data from a survey of likely Vermont voters. The poll found deep and broad support for action to address global warming. The poll of 600 likely voters also asked for a preference in the governor's race. The poll found Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott (68 percent) with a commanding lead over businessman Bruce Lisman (23 percent) for the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side, former Transportation Secretary Sue Minter (36 percent) held a narrow lead over former state Senator Matt Dunne (31 percent). The primary election is August 9 and the general election is November 8.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin today announced the appointment of Gregory Glennon to replace Judge Susan Fowler to the Probate Division of the Chittenden Unit of the Superior Court. “Greg’s commitment to public service, understanding of state and local government, and his experience combined with his fresh perspective will make him a very strong addition to the probate bench,” Shumlin said.

Glennon, who lives in Burlington, currently serves as general counsel to the Agency of Education. Previously, he was in private practice at the South Burlington law firm of Kirkpatrick and Goldsborough, where his practice included probate litigation and family law matters. He has also served as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, MA, and as a legal counsel to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin has ordered the Vermont flag to fly at half-staff to honor those killed in Dallas Thursday night. The Vermont flag will return to full-staff Monday at sunset. The governor and other state officials have offered their condolences and thoughts on the tragedy which took the lives of five police officers. Because of the events in Dallas, the Burlington Police Department has suspended solo patrols by its officers.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims rose last week to an unusually high summer level. Claims tend to spike in June and fall back during the summer months. However, the number of Manufacturing claims doubled last week. For the week of July 2, 2016, there were 739 claims, up 110 from the previous week's total and 274 more than they were a year ago. By industry, claims increased for Manufacturing and Trade; Service, as is typical, carried the most claims. 

Altogether 4,825 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 126 from a week ago, and 478 more than a year ago.

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

by John McClaughry Once again, following the horrific shooting in Orlando, the advocates of gun control are in full voice. Congressional Democrats have even conducted an unprecedented sit-in and shoutfest to stop the workings of the House of Representatives. The difficulty the Democrats face is that, stripped of the emotion and politically driven posturing, their legislative demands either flagrantly violate the Constitutional rights of law abiding citizens, or are hopelessly ineffective and unenforceable against would-be terrorists and mass murderers.

Take the Universal Background Check. Omar Mateen, the ISIS-supporting Muslim who killed 49 at an Orlando nightclub, purchased his weapons lawfully by passing a background check. The Democrats say we need to find lots more reasons to disqualify “people who shouldn’t have guns”, and require checks for every transfer, without exception.

Vermont Business Magazine The 158^th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard (VTANG), in coordination with the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds," is extending their Hometown Hero Recognition Flight nomination. The extended deadline is Sunday, July 10, 2016, to nominate a deserving individual from Vermont for a chance to fly along in an F-16 with one of the world’s premier precision aerial demonstration squadrons, the USThunderbirds.

Thunderbirds calypso passing manuever. USAF photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Below is the full statement by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) today on the Senate’s "fast-track" attempt to preempt state laws over GMO labeling. Vermont's law went into effect Friday, July 1: "It has been just two weeks since negotiators released what can only be called a farce of a proposal to require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Less than a week after it was released – without any Committee action, any testimony or recorded feedback from proponents or opponents – the Senate Majority Leader filed cloture on a privileged vehicle to fast-track the bill.

Vermont Business Magazine Oak Hill Capital Partners announced today that it will acquire Oxford Networks, a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Oak Hill will acquire Oxford from its current private equity owners, Novacap and Bank Street Capital Partners. At the closing of the transaction, Oak Hill intends to combine the operations of Oxford with FirstLight Fiber, with operations in Vermont. FirstLight is another Northeastern US fiber provider for which Oak Hill announced an agreement to acquire from its current owner, Riverside Partners, in March 2016, subject to prior regulatory approval. Novacap, BSCP and Riverside are expected to continue as minority partners alongside Oak Hill in the holding company for FirstLight and Oxford.