Current News

by Mike Faher/The Commons At a gubernatorial debate in Brattleboro last week, Republican Phil Scott declared that the economy “should be the issue of this campaign.” He likely didn’t need to convince an estimated crowd of 170 jammed into Brattleboro American Legion Post 5. Three Democrats and two Republicans spent most of their morning here talking about economic initiatives, affordability, and small businesses. They pitched some specific ideas for southern Vermont in light of a recent report on the area’s economic problems. And they jostled on statewide issues including taxes and raising the minimum wage, a topic that came up repeatedly throughout the forum sponsored by Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Chancellor Jeb Spaulding confirmed today that Lyndon State College President Joe Bertolino has accepted the presidency of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). The move will bring him closer to his family in New York and New Jersey. The VSC Board of Trustees is likely to appoint an interim president for Lyndon State College within the month. Bertolino has been president of LSC since 2012. He told VBM late last year that he felt his time in Lyndon was drawing near its end and that he wanted to be closer to the New York City area. He previously had been a vice president at Queens College/City University of New York.

Vermont Business Magazine Agrilab Technologies Inc, (AGT) the leader in compost heat-recovery technology, announced today the recent installation of a unique next-generation compost heat recovery system at Vern-Mont Farm in Vernon, Vermont. The Drum Dragon 200™ system generates continuous combustion-free hot water from the aeration exhaust of an aerobic rotary drum compost system, reducing propane use on the farm for milk-parlor washing.

Vermont Business Magazine Recent reports of spiny water fleas becoming snagged on fishing gear used on Lake Champlain have prompted officials to urge anglers and boaters to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of this and other harmful aquatic invasive species. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Shawn Good said it’s critical that anglers thoroughly inspect their boats and gear after a day of fishing. 

Vermont Business Magazine Many Vermonters saw the dramatic photos in 2011 documenting the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. The Neshobe River overflowed and swept through downtown Brandon with such force that the flood closed the state highway and damaged several businesses and other structures. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) said the State of Vermont, local officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are continuing to act on lessons learned from Irene’s devastation. On Thursday they announced that the Town of Brandon has been awarded a Hazard Mitigation grant of $1,346,411 from FEMA to minimize damage from future storms. The new grant will fund construction of a super-size culvert crossing under US Route 7, and related work.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) today announced that after a thorough national search its Board of Trustees has named Jeffrey Tieman as the organization's new president and CEO. Tieman, currently Chief of Staff of the Catholic Health Association in Washington, DC, will join the team in late August. Tieman has been with the Catholic Health Association since 2004. Prior to serving as chief of staff, he led advocacy work regarding health care reform and the Affordable Care Act.

Jeffrey Tieman

by Carolyn Shapiro Wetlands and floodplains protected Middlebury, Vermont, from as much as $1.8 million in flood damage during Tropical Storm Irene, a new University of Vermont study finds. The study is the first to calculate the economic benefits that river wetlands and floodplains provided during the major storms that have struck the US East Coast in recent years. Researchers analyzed 10 flood events to estimate the value of the Otter Creek floodplain near Middlebury. According to the study, the natural barrier saves the town an average of $126,000 to $450,000 per year, or up to 78 percent of potential damages.

Vermont Business Magazine Another landmark Northeast Kingdom Vermont business is going solar. North Country Engineering of Derby and AllEarth Renewables, a Vermont-based solar tracker manufacturer and developer of local solar projects, have announced a partnership that will provide the machine facility solar energy from a 150kW Vermont solar orchard. North Country Engineeringruns a full service, 18,000-square-foot machining facility for the manufacturing of precision machined parts and assemblies. They service the aerospace, valve and pipe line, industrial pump, precision electric motor, and other component industries. They anticipate that they will benefit from a new solar array by saving money on their electric bills and by greening their energy use.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Student Assistance Corp has announced it will award over $700,000 in scholarships to college-bound seniors who graduated from high school last month. Funded by VSAC’s federal GEAR UP grant, each of these 350-plus high school graduates who enroll at a postsecondary institution in the fall will receive the $2,000 scholarship. GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federal grant program of the US Department of Education designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

Vermont Business Magazine The Waltham, VT selectboard Tuesday night unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Vermont Green Line and allowing the project to be located along a specified route on Route 7 within the town. Project developers Anbaric Transmission and National Grid have proposed to construct the 60-mile cable project, which would bring 400 megawatts of onshore wind and hydropower from northern New York and Canada to New England. The project will originate in Beekmantown, New York; cross under Lake Champlain, and terminate in New Haven, VT. Both the land and lake portions of the project will be completely buried.

The agreement includes a commitment by the town to file comments of support for the project, including the route in Waltham, with the Vermont Public Service Board.

Vermont Business Magazine Pharmaceutical manufacturer Wyeth, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc, has paid $6,029,003.35 to Vermont to resolve allegations that it knowingly underpaid drug rebates to the Vermont Medicaid Program. The payment is part of a joint multistate and federal settlement totaling $784.6 million. The settlement primarily reimburses the Medicaid Program for the overpayments made to Wyeth, but also included nearly $900,000 in civil penalties and additional recoveries.

The settlement resolves claims that Wyeth knowingly engaged in a scheme to reduce the amount of rebates it was required to pay to state Medicaid programs between 2001 and 2006 for the sales of its products Protonix Oral and Protonix IV. The drugs are in a class of drugs called Proton Pump Inhibitors that are used to treat symptoms of acid reflux.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) was joined by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and others on Wednesday to say legislation that could soon come to the floor of the US Senate would undermine efforts in states around the country to help Americans stay informed about what goes into their food. In 2014, Vermont became the first state in the country to mandate labeling for food that contains genetically modified ingredients. The law went into effect last Friday. Due in part to the state’s bold action, many large companies such as Campbell’s, Frito-Lay, Kellogg, and ConAgra are already labeling their products nationwide.

Press conference begins at the 14 minute mark of the video below.