Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Local and state emergency crews in and around Northfield responded to an Amtrak train derailment Monday morning, the Vermont State Police has reported. The passenger train (the Vermonter, which travels between St Albans and Washington, DC, each day) was headed south when it struck a rockslide and derailed in the town of Northfield at 10:30 am. Seven people were transported to area hospitals with injuries. Six of those patients were taken by ambulance to Central Vermont Medical Center and one to Dartmouth Medical Center by DHART helicopter. A rock slide is blamed for the derailment.

by Tiffany Danitz Pache vtdigger.org Last week the Vermont Agency of Education issued a memo to superintendents and principals to “correct misperceptions” about a recent vote taken by the State Board of Education. A number of news outlets, including VTDigger, have zeroed in on the board’s clarification of a controversial provision of Act 46 that requires merging districts to either offer choice or to operate schools. Rebecca Holcombe, the secretary of the Agency of Education, says the decision doesn’t limit current school choice options, and she blames the media for “erroneous reporting.”

by Mike Smith In 1992, then-candidate for president Bill Clinton defeated incumbent George HW Bush and won the presidency by focusing on the economy. In 2016, more than 20 years later, Vermont politicians wishing to be elected to political office would be wise to have a similar focus. According to a recent poll conducted by the Castleton Polling Institute, Vermonters list economic issues as their top concern. More than a third of Vermonters said that the economy, jobs and the cost of living in Vermont was their top concern. But when you add that to those who cited taxes and government spending as their top concerns almost half of Vermonters expressed financial or economic concerns as the issue foremost on their minds.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has raised $70 million in year two of its five-year, $100 million “Forging the Future” capital campaign. University President Richard W Schneider made the announcement on Saturday to 720 alumni, donors, trustees, faculty and staff at a luncheon held in Kreitzberg Arena. Part of Homecoming festivities held October 1-4, the event launched Norwich’s “Year of Transformation,” the second themed year in the university’s five-year countdown to its 2019 Bicentennial. Norwich welcomed a record 2,000 alumni and guests throughout the weekend.

Norwich University’s five-year, Forging the Future capital campaign is timed to culminate during the university’s bicentennial in 2019. Funds will help further enhance the university’s strong financial footing as it steps into its third century of service to the nation.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin has announced the appointment of Josh Hanford as Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). “For many years, Josh has been providing critical support to Vermont communities, helping them build affordable housing and developing vibrant local economies. I’m pleased he is joining the team” said Shumlin.

Patricia Moulton, Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, added “Josh understands Vermont communities from the perspective of the municipality, business owners and the housing developers. He will continue to add insight and energy to our mission of improving the quality of life for all Vermonters and building strong communities.”

Vermont Business Magazine A diverse coalition of public and private colleges and universities that includes the University of Vermont is coming together with the goal of improving the college admission application process for all students. The coalition is developing a free platform of online tools to streamline the experience of planning for and applying to college. In creating the platform, the colleges and universities hope to recast the college admission process from something that is transactional and limited in time into a more engaged, ongoing and educationally reaffirming experience.

by Governor Peter Shumlin Last week, the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance held a Rally for Safe Roads on the State House Lawn. In attendance were bicyclists, motorists, equestrians, motorcyclists and pedestrians and more than a few who could claim to be all of the above. The rally was a reminder of the recent tragedies we’ve seen on Vermont’s roads and our shared responsibility to do better. It was also a reminder that we should broaden our thinking of highway safety. At the end of the day, no matter how you're getting there on Vermont's roads, we all have a responsibility to other members of our community to help everyone get home safely.

Vermont Business Magazine The three Vermont SHRM Chapter Presidents recently reaffirmed their chapter’s commitment to supporting their citizen-service members by signing an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support. The Chapter Presidents were three of over 250 Vermont HR Professionals attending the 2015 Vermont HR Conference in Burlington, Vermont in mid-September. The Statement of Support is the cornerstone of ESGR efforts to create and enhance relationships with the civilian employers of Guard and Reserve members, and is a visible sign to all who see it of the commitment an employer makes to value and support its citizen soldiers, airmen, sailors, Coast Guard, Marine and military spouse employees. Over 1,400 Vermont employers have previously signed an ESGR Employer Statement of Support.

Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) The information below represents the results from the latest reporting by a reduced crew of monitors. While most areas should see decreases in cyanobacteria populations there are places in New York, Vermont and Quebec where they may persist for several more weeks. Anyone recreating on the water or shoreline should be check the water and avoid contact with algae scums or blooms.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Foodbank and Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf celebrate the 19th Community Kitchen Academy graduation at the Food Shelf in Burlington. Food writer and recipe developer Tracey Medeiros is the keynote. Community Kitchen Academy (CKA) prepares underemployed and unemployed Vermonters for careers in the food service industry. Students develop and apply new skills by rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted from grocery stores, restaurants, farm and food service companies. Since its inception, CKA has graduated nearly 181 students, producing and distributing more than 320,000 meal servings since 2009. Over 89% of graduates have been successful in finding employment in the culinary industry and 11% have pursued higher education.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration is reminding Private NonProfit (PNP) organizations in Vermont of the November 3 deadline to submit Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications for damages caused by the severe winter storm on Dec. 9-12, 2014. PNPs that provide non-critical services located in the following parts of Vermont are eligible to apply: Addison,Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington and Windsor counties are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website athttps://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, Foley Distributing launches Foley for Food, a new customer program established to help the Vermont Foodbank provide nutritious food to Vermonters in need. For every new customer who enrolls in the Foley for Food Program, Foley Distributing will donate 1% of all sales to the Vermont Foodbank.

“At Foley, our mission since 1879 is to give back to the communities we serve,” says John King, Vice President at Foley Distributing. “We know that partnering with our customers to support the Vermont Foodbank will make a difference in the lives of Vermonters in need all over the state.”

With winter approaching, 153,000 Vermonters are facing tough tradeoffs to keep food on the table. Businesses can help by sourcing janitorial, sanitary and food service products through Foley Distributing’s Foley for Food Program. Every $1 donated to the Vermont Foodbank will provide three nutritious meals.