Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, based in San Diego, has announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District ofVermont on behalf of shareholders of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. ("Keurig") (NASDAQ:GMCR) on December 7, 2015, in connection with the proposed acquisition of Keurig by JAB Holdings BV. On December 7, 2015, Keurig and JAB jointly announced that they had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which JAB will purchase Keurig for $92 per share in cash. Robbins Geller represents US and international institutional investors in contingency-based securities and corporate litigation.

by Speaker of the House Shap Smith The first major hurdle of the 2016 legislative session was resolved Saturday when lawmakers approved a tweak to the cost containment threshold in Act 46, last year’s education governance reform bill. The debate echoed many familiar conversations about our school system. There were speeches about declining enrollment, property taxes, and the relationship between state and local government. But what made the 2016 debate remarkable was that many lawmakers discussed the state’s educational system without ever mentioning how our decisions impact Vermont kids.

The irony was not lost on me – earlier in the day, my fourteen-year-old son, Eli, visited the State House on a class fieldtrip from People’s Academy. When they met with me, the students led a discussion about the legalization of marijuana. As we talked, I looked around the room and realized we could learn a lot if we listened to our kids.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin issued the following statement on legislation passed to amend the spending caps in Act 46. The governor reviewed the bill and signed it Saturday, following a rare midnight session by the House. A flood of complaints from towns about the school spending and consolidation bill, passed just last year, resulted in the Legislature hastily coming up with two options: repeal the whole thing or modify what the spending limits would be. The lawmakers had to act fast because towns are rapidly approaching their own deadlines to prepare school budgets for town meetings in March. The previous version of Act 46 would have inflicted penalties on towns which exceeded the spending limits, thus driving up property taxes, but the towns were finding it dificult to determine exactly what it was they would have to pay. Many towns spending below the per pupil maximum also faced penalties.

by Sarah Tuff Dunn University of Vermont Continuing and Distance Education Of the millions of profile titles on LinkedIn, the one that belongs to Kate McNellis is one of the most poetic: Flower farmer at Stray Cat Flower Farm. Dig a little deeper, however, and discover that McNellis, who graduated from UVM in 2000 with a degree in environmental studies, wasn’t always toiling in the soil. Instead, she was trimming garments for fashion designer Nanette Lepore, sketching swimwear for Aeropostale, and styling for Victoria’s Secret. 

McNellis might have continued living the Manhattan and high-fashion life by the book had it not been for stumbling upon a book by Barbara Kingsolver that inspired her to ditch her clothes-bound life and return to UVM for the Farmer Training Program. 

We talked to McNellis to learn what grew out of that creative career change.

Vermont Business Magazine Thirteen land-grant institutions, includinig the University of Vermont, and partner organizations are working across state lines to develop and enhance tools needed to limit the spread of Johne's disease (JD) and bovine tuberculosis complex (TB) in livestock. JD and TB are two of the most widespread mycobacterial diseases in the US. JD alone costs the dairy industry in excess of $200 million per year. In 2012, researchers formed the Multistate Research Project NE-1201 to fill knowledge gaps, improve diagnostics and vaccines, and strengthen outreach programs for both diseases.

"Collaboration among our diverse team of researchers and partners helps ensure that livestock producers and veterinarians have access to accurate, up-to date information and research about JD and TB," said Gary A. Thompson, administrative advisor of NE-1201 and director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.

Vermont Business Magazine When parents don't make their court-ordered child support payments it does not always mean that they are unwilling. Sometimes, they are simply not able to pay. They may be out of work. They may only be able to find part-time work. They may not earn enough to pay both their living expenses and child support bills. Those who can only make partial payments sink deeper into debt every time they miss or don't make a full payment. To help these parents meet their child support obligations, several state agencies are working collaboratively on Work4Kids -a pilot project that helps them find new or better paying jobs.

Partners include:

* Vermont Department for Children and Families - Office of Child Support (OCS);

* Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VocRehab Vermont); and

* The Vermont Judiciary.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Police released a statement Friday afternoon stating that its detectives have met with federal law enforcement authorities regarding a complaint of criminal misconduct received as a result of the civil review of campaign finance activities by Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell. The State Police have concluded that no state based investigation will be commenced. Federal authorities have been provided with facts and documents known to state police detectives relative to this complaint. The State Police statement said that "any decision to open an investigation will be made by federal authorities."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin seems to have gotten his way so far in Vermont taking a deliberate course toward legalizing marijuana. The Senate Judiciary Committee this morning passed, by a vote of 4 to 1 S.241, legislation to legalize marijuana in Vermont. The governor has opposed the legalization as a tax revenue grab, instead wanting the state to use legalization to benefit law enforcement and drug rehabilitation. He wants legal marijuana to be cheap enough to help drive out illegal drug dealers. He has also opposed edible forms, at least for now, until a new committee can review the matter. Supporters of edibles mostly have come from supporters of medical marijuana.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Health Connect announced today that its Customer Support Center will offer special hours this weekend, the final weekend of open enrollment, to accept new applications and to assist with plan changes. Wait times may be long as the Sunday deadline approaches. Vermonters who do not sign up for coverage or request a plan change by Sunday may have to wait until next January to do so. The toll-free number (855-899-9600) will be open:

·         Saturday, January 30: 8am to 4:30pm

·         Sunday, January 31: 10am to 5pm

Customers with questions that are not urgent or related to open enrollment deadlines are asked to wait until next week to call.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims have settled back into a more usual pattern and were unchanged from last week. Claims in 2015 generally were lower than in 2014, but since the holiday season they have been generally running ahead of the prior year. For the week of January 23, 2016, there were 753 claims, same as the previous week's total and 137 more than they were a year ago. By industry, claims were down for most categories but increased for Construction (40 percent of all claims and typical for this time of year) and Manufacturing (19 percent). 

Altogether 7,505 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 30 from a week ago, and 479 fewer than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation, in partnership with some of its fundholders, awarded a total of $93,148 in Small and Inspiring grants to 41 organizations for local projects in communities across the state during the fall of 2015. One of a number of competitive grant rounds at the Community Foundation, the Small and Inspiring grants program funds work that helps connect people to their neighbors, their land, and their history in ways that strengthen community.

“These projects remind us of the importance of community,” says Jen Peterson, vice president for program and grants. “As we are confronted daily with news stories that incite feelings of fear and distrust, we are honored to support work that brings us together and nourishes the social fabric of our Vermont communities.”

Vermont Business Magazine ECFiber located in Royalton, Vermont announced Thursday plans to increase its speeds by 40-500 percent, but not its prices. “Our Basic plan will increase from 7 to 10 Mbps; our Standard plan from 20 to 25 Mbps; our Ultra plan will double from 50 to 100, and our new 'Wicked' plan will increase by a factor of 5 from 100 to 500” said Corey Klinck, ECFiber’s Chief Technical Officer. ECFiber’s current Wicked customers will see an increase from 400 to 500 and a price decrease. ECFiber’s speeds are symmetrical, meaning that download and upload speeds are equal. Symmetrical service is becoming essential for interactive internet applications and for home businesses depending on cloud computing solutions.