Current News

Vermont Business Magazine US Congressman Peter Welch and USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Lisa Mensah joined federal, state and local officials in Williamstown on Earth Day to celebrate the town’s efforts to upgrade a 47-year-old wastewater system. The Town of Williamstown received a $2,161,000 grant and loan combination from USDA Rural Development to improve their wastewater infrastructure and reduce the phosphorus flowing from the plant into the Winooski River and on to Lake Champlain.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this week joined 143 congressional colleagues in voicing strong support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement ahead of its signing Friday by Secretary John Kerry.  Under President Obama’s leadership and with the strong support of congressional Democrats, the United States rallied more than one hundred nations in support of the historic agreement last December.

by Michael Bielawski Vermont Watchdog The energy siting bill S230 is on its way to the House floor after a unanimous vote of support by the House Energy Committee on Thursday evening. With it are newly added wind provisions that would have retroactive impact on turbine projects applied for since April 15. The bill now states that on or before Sept. 15, 2017 the Public Service Board “shall adopt” specific sound standards for industrial wind turbines. These standards, once adopted, would apply to any project application submitted since April 15.

Vermont Business Magazine The State has resolved legal claims asserted by the Estate of John Grega under Vermont’s Innocence Protection Act arising out of his 1995 conviction for the murder of his wife, according to Attorney General Bill Sorrell. Under the terms of the settlement, the State will pay $1.55 million to resolve the Estate’s claim that DNA testing in 2012 exonerated Mr. Grega of the crime—a claim contested by the State as unsupported by the facts. Indeed, in 2013 a Vermont trial court stated, when denying Mr. Grega’s request to dismiss the murder case with prejudice, that the new “piece of scientific evidence which is not yet explained . . . does not exonerate [Mr. Grega] as plainly inconsistent with his guilt.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners has committed federal low-income housing tax credits and state affordable housing tax credits that will provide almost $25 million in upfront equity to construct and renovate housing for low-income Vermonters and will increase permanent supportive housing for people who were formerly homeless. The $2.578 million in 10-year federal credits and $400,000 in five-year state credits support 356 rental homes in 11 communities across the state. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Air National Guard 158th Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron personnel will return home Saturday, April 23, 2016, from Tyndall Air Force Base located outside Panama City, Florida after a 10-day all phases of deployment exercise. Silver Flag is a routine exercise the 158th Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron participates in annually to ensure combat-mission proficiency.

Approximately 35 personnel from the 158th Fighter Wing participated in an exercise where personnel learn to build and maintain bare-base operations at a simulated forward-deployed location.

Members hone a variety of combat and survival skills, such as repairing bomb-damaged runways, setting up base facilities and disposing of explosive ordnance.  Additionally, service members receive training on providing food service and lodging under simulated wartime conditions.

Vermont Business Magazine Executives from some of Vermont’s most iconic brands and companies converged in Montpelier on Earth Day to call on legislators to support a speedy transition to the low carbon economy of the future. New science suggests that the impacts from climate change may come sooner and be more destructive than previous climate models predicted. Representatives from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Seventh Generation, Danforth Pewter, the Alchemist Brewery, Capstone Community Action, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) held a State House press conference Friday morning highlighting the economic and environmental opportunities for Vermont in moving away from fossil fuels.

Vermont Business Magazine As tests for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contaminating drinking water in North Bennington, Bennington and Pownal continue this week, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) pressed two congressional committees, charged with finalizing legislation to regulate toxic chemicals, for stricter federal rules and deference to strong state protections already in place in Vermont and across the country.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell last week and below numbers from the same time last year. For the week of April 16, 2016, there were 809 claims, down 150 from the previous week's total and 171 fewer than they were a year ago. By industry, claims fell across the board. Services continued to garner by far the most claims with 70 percent. 

Altogether 6,828 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 197 from a week ago, and 186 fewer than a year ago.

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

Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available through the Walter Cerf Community Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation. Cerf, a native of Germany who made Addison County his home in his later years, gave more than $10 million to organizations and projects in Vermont before passing away in 2001. He focused much of his giving in Addison County and Brandon.

The Walter Cerf Community Fund committee aspires to continue that focus: roughly two-thirds of the grants are reserved for Addison County/Brandon projects and roughly one-third is reserved for statewide projects. Priority interests are the arts, education, historic preservation, and social services, reflecting the pattern of giving established by Cerf during his lifetime.

Vermont Business Magazine Leonardo’s Pizza Sauce is proud to announce both the local and nationwide distribution of their all-natural pizza sauces in four flavors: Original, Asiago, Garlic and Chipotle. Leonardo’s Pizza Sauce is now available for purchase at retailers such as City Market, Healthy Living and at every Hannaford location in the state of Vermont. Leonardo’s Pizza Sauce is also available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Leonardo’s Pizza Sauce is an offshoot of Leonardo’s Pizza, a second generation, family owned pizza delivery and carryout company based in Burlington, Vermont and Portland, Maine. Within the past few years, Leonardo’s Pizza noticed growing offerings in pizza dough, pizza stones and pizza peels, but a lack of quality, flavored pizza sauce. Realizing the importance of sauce to quality homemade pies, the family set out to share their renowned pizza sauce by the jar.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Legislature passed the "Ban the Box" bill (H261), which forbids employers from asking on an application if a prospective employee has a criminal record. The employer will still be entitled to ask that question during the subsequent hiring process. The bill now moves to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith offered the following statement following the House's final vote to concur with the Senate.