Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Valley Newspaper Group is pleased to announce two promotions within its ranks that will strengthen its three weekly newspapers in the region. Co-publishers Emerson, Angelo and Suzanne Lynn have tapped Milton Independent editor/reporter Courtney Lamdin to serve as executive editor of the Indy, Colchester Sun and Essex Reporter. Indy reporter Abby Ledoux was promoted to associate editor of the three papers. The leadership change comes after the Reporter and Sun’s editor/co-publisher Maria Archangelo, with Lynn Publications since last April, announced her departure to take a publishing position in her home city of Philadelphia.

“This is a great opportunity for Courtney, Abby and the readers of all three papers in our group,” co-publisher Emerson Lynn said. “With their leadership and direction, we look forward to Milton, Essex and Colchester becoming a powerhouse for news in Chittenden County.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin on Saturday announced the results of further testing for the situation in North Bennington, where a number of private wells have tested positive for elevated levels of a potentially harmful chemical known as PFOA. Twenty-nine new sites have tested above the acceptable level. The public drinking supply has been tested and is not affected.

Vermont Business Magazine Jasper Hill Farm cheeses captivated judges at the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, WI, last week. Along with Jasper Hill Farm, three other Vermont Cheese Council members, Vermont Creamery, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and Boston Post Dairy, also captured top awards in their categories. Jasper Hill Farm, located in Greensboro, won two “Best in Class” awards for “Winnimere,” a washed rind, seasonal cheese and “Moses Sleeper,” a brie style, bloomy rind cheese. In addition, its “Harbison” won a second place award and its much loved “Bayley Hazen Blue” won a third place award. “Winnimere” was one of four outstanding American cheeses that made the cut for consideration for Best in Show, but lost to the “Grand Cru Surchoix,” an Emmi-Roth USA cheese made in Wisconsin. This is the first American cheese to win the top prize in 30 years. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for January was 3.4 percent. This represents a decrease of one-tenth of a percentage point from the revised December rate (3.5 percent). The national average in January was 4.9 percent. Vermont’s unemployment rate was tied for seventh lowest in the country. 

by Senator Christopher Bray Vermonters want a greater voice in solving this century’s greatest challenge—how to change our economy from one powered by burning fossil fuels to one powered by clean, renewable energy. Over the past several years, the legislature has struggled to find the right way to promote this energy transformation while also empowering Vermonters to help determine how we make the transition. We have brought our hearts and mind to this work, and now we’re offering an answer.

by Michael Bielawski Vermont Watchdog After dozens of hours of testimony and debate — and plenty of jargon about renewable energy credits and portfolio standards — the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy approved a bill aimed at reforming Vermont’s energy siting process. On Friday afternoon, the five-member committee voted unanimously to approve S230, the Energy Development Improvement Act.

by Mike Smith Recent polling suggests that one reason some voters are supporting Donald Trump for president is because “he tells it like it is.” His appeal to so many appears to be based on the fact that he isn’t polished or politically correct. Many Americans think political correctness is running amok, especially on college campuses. Anyone who has followed the news can see that protesting, almost for the sake of protesting, has become an extracurricular activity for a few students. But when a sorority and fraternity are chastised for being insensitive to Mexicans for hosting a cancer research fundraiser dubbed a “phiesta,” some question whether the perceived harm is concocted. And quickly this leads to a second question: Is it possible to do or say anything without offending someone? 

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce announced a new initiative focused on professional mentoring. Recognizing the significant value that comes from a relationship with a seasoned professional, the Chamber, in coordination with its Burlington Young Professionals program, is developing a suite of opportunities for professionals at earlier stages of their career. The first program in our new Professional Mentoring Initiative is the Professional Mentoring Program, which, in its first year, will pair 10 early-stage professionals with 10 established professionals for six months of one-on-one mentoring. The Professional Mentoring Program is sponsored by People’s United Bank. People’s United Bank came forward with eager support of the Program and young professionals in our region. 

by Erica Houskeeper Jed Singer is President of Socialight Media, a digital consultancy firm in Philadelphia. He is an instructor in the UVM Digital Marketing Fundamentals Program. We talked him about the dos and don’ts of social media in the business world.

Vermont Business Magazine iCement Plant Solar, a 500 kilowatt group net metered solar array, completed its first two months of commercial operations this month, delivering over 65,000 kilowatt hours to the Green Mountain Power electric grid.

The array is located on the former site of the William E. Dailey Inc. ready-mix concrete facility in Jamaica. Previously, the site had been used for batch mixing jobs, many of which were associated with the construction of buildings at Stratton Mountain and the surrounding area. In recent years, however, the site had become inactive, and the company had been exploring several possible uses when the idea for a net metered solar array was introduced.

Vermont Business Magazine  “They who drink beer will think beer,” said the writer Washington Irving. The School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College is offering a new course in “Small Batch Brewing” for those who wish to think, drink, and make their own craft beer while being mentored by craft brewing experts including Anders Kissmeyer of Kissmeyer Beer & Brewing, and Jan Paul of Svaneke Bryghus, and featuring a master class with Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead Brewery.

Vermont Business Magazine The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, has awarded twenty Vermont high school seniors scholarships through its annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program.  The program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment programs, recognizes students' leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment to community service.