Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General William H Sorrell announced today that his office has completed its review of a police-shooting incident that occurred on March 21, 2016, in Burlington, Vermont. Sorrell said in a statement that his office has concluded, as a matter of law, that Burlington Police Officer David Bowers was legally justified in the use of deadly force when he discharged his firearm at Ralph “Phil” Grenon. The legal standard for the use of deadly force is whether the officer reasonably believed that he or a third party was in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, and that deadly force was necessary to respond to that threat.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont has been awarded a $494,110 grant from the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture at the UD Department of Agriculture to implement and assess a new method of food distribution -- called food boxes -- that could add to farmers’ bottom line and increase traffic for retailers while making healthy, fresh food available to a population that doesn’t normally buy directly from farms, either via farmers markets or through a community supported agriculture (CSA) co-op.

by John McClaughry Three times in modern history Vermonters have witnessed a political battle over public power. In the 1960s young liberal Democratic governor Philip Hoff tried to break the political influence of the (largely Republican) investor owned utilities, CVPS and GMP. The Republican Legislature rejected his proposal for a state power authority to import power from the St Lawrence Seaway and Canadian sources. One immediate result of Hoff’s failed campaign was the creation by CVPS and GMP of the 600 MW Vermont Yankee Nuclear Station in Vernon. Their thinking was that Yankee would give Vermont “energy independence” and defeat liberal demands for imported public power. It went online in 1972.

The issue arose again in 2003, when USGen slipped into bankruptcy. The company owned six dams on the Connecticut River, two small dams on the Deerfield River in Vermont, plus other dams and three fossil fuel plants in southern New England.

Vermont Business Magazine Whether you are in Danville, Burlington, Manchester or points in between, now that winter is behind us, the threat of rabies increases as wildlife becomes more active. Fifteen animals have tested positive for rabies so far this year, most of them raccoons. Rabies is a fatal viral disease that mainly affects wildlife (especially raccoons, foxes, bats, skunks and woodchucks), but can infect domestic animals and humans. A cat tested positive earlier this year.

Vermont Business Magazine After days of negotiation, the budget conference committee decided to include financing for a study to explore expanding Vermont’s successful Dr. Dynasaur program to include everyone up through age 26 regardless of family income. The House and Senate approved the budget bill late Friday night.

“This is an important step toward addressing the out of control costs of health care in our state,” said Lindsay DesLauriers, Director of Main Street Alliance of Vermont. “We believe this study will show a way to find real health care savings for Vermonters and appreciate the work of the legislature and especially the leadership of Speaker Shap Smith and Representative Johnson.”

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Noelle MacKay as the City’s next Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) Director. MacKay comes to the City of Burlington following more than 16 years of community development, land use planning, and economic development experience. MacKay served for five years as the Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont, and for the last five years she has served as Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) focused on developing housing policy, overseeing the Mobile Home Park Program, and strengthening Vermont’s downtowns. Mayor Weinberger will request the City Council’s approval of this appointment at its May 16, 2016 meeting. If confirmed by the City Council, MacKay intends to step down as Commissioner at the end of June 2016 and will start her service to the City of Burlington on August 1, 2016.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce select the three finalists for the Deane C Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award: Black River Produce, PC Construction Company, and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group. One of these impressive finalists will be named the Deane C Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year on Thursday, May 26 in an awards presentation ceremony that kicks off the 32^nd annual Vermont Chamber Business & Industry EXPO. The award winner will be announced at 10 am in the foyer of the Sheraton Burlington Conference Center.

Vermont Business Magazine As the hills across Vermont turn a brilliant spring green, volunteers across the state once again spent the first Saturday in May helping to clean Vermont roadsides of trash as part of the Green Up Day annual tradition. Green Up Vermont extends its gratitude to its generous sponsors, including Green Mountain Power as it concludes its third and final year as the signature partner.

Green Mountain Power has supported this effort as signature corporate partner of Green Up Vermont for three years now, helping to sustain the organization and its activities during difficult financial times.

Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power said, “We are so honored to support Green Up Vermont once again as we all pitch in and do our part to clean up and green up the Green Mountain State. It’s heartwarming to see Vermonters young and old join together out of love for this special place.”

Vermont Business Magazine Bond Auto Parts, Inc, a Barre, Vermont based company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Smith’s Auto Parts located in Castleton. Smith’s Auto Parts is a family business with a rich history similar to our own. Founded in 1977 by Joel Smith on 528 Route 4A West in Castleton, it has been owned and operated by two generations. Smith Auto Parts already is affiliated with Bond Auto Parts. Smith’s has been a jobber store to Bond Auto over the past 30 plus years. Financial terms were not released.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos today submitted his 2016 Election Nominating Petition to run for re-election. In a statement, Condos said his petition shows broad support from across Vermont with signatures from all 14 counties in Vermont representing more than 125 cities and towns. Condos said his petition has well over the required number of 500 signatures for a statewide office.

Secretary Jim Condos

“I am pleased to have such broad support from Democrats, Progressives, Republicans and Independents across the state,” Condos said. “My focus on bringing this office forward with successful IT solutions has set us up to provide efficient, good government solutions for the future.”

Vermont Business Magazine The New England Office of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected GLOBALFOUNDRIES Vermont team to receive an Environmental Merit Award in recognition of its exceptional work and commitment to the environment. The CMP Project being recognized also recently won a Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. 

EPA’s Environmental Merit Award is an annual award that is very competitive and recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources. The award ceremony will take place in Boston in early May. 

by Mike Smith Different stages in our lives bring different priorities, different perspectives. In the first 25 years of our lives — and some years beyond — we are constantly looking forward, often frustrated by the pace of time and with anything that delays the unfolding of the future or advancement. We relish the frenzied pace that surrounds our young life. We want to get where we’re going. We thrive on the adventure. There’s a whole lot of living to do. There’s a mystery, too, which powers the excitement. How quickly can we advance in our careers, should we get married and when will this is all happen?