Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Efforts to boost the rate at which Vermonters attain post-secondary education will receive $50,000 in support from the Lumina Foundation. Improving the attainment rate from 45.5 percent to 60 percent is critical to the future of Vermont's economy and to the economic security of those who get a college degree or certificate. The nationally competitive grant proposal was developed by the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) in collaboration with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), the University of Vermont (UVM), and the State of Vermont.

Lumina will bring national experts on higher education continuation, access and completion to Vermont to consult with grant partners. With the grant, a working group appointed by the partners will convene stakeholders to develop policy recommendations to help the state reach its goal of 60% higher education attainment by 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Student Assistance Corp, celebrating 50 years of helping Vermonters pursue education after high school, has been selected to receive a $60,000 grant from the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation. The VSAC grant will be used to provide professional development training for middle schools, high schools and supervisory unions on implementing personalized learning plans, a key component of Act 77, also known as Flexible Pathways.

“We thank the McClure Foundation for this grant and for their unwavering support of education in Vermont,” said Scott Giles, president and CEO of VSAC. “This grant allows VSAC to continue its assistance to educators in moving forward with personalized learning plans that are focused on building and realizing a student’s education, training and career aspirations.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington Select Board has voted unanimously to become the first public investor in the redevelopment of the former Bennington High School Building. The Town will make a sum of up to $18,000 available from its Economic Development Fund with contingencies. This initial investment will help fund the first phase of a development plan required to move the project into construction.

Vermont Business Magazine Mamava, Inc, an innovative company that delivers design solutions for nursing mothers on the go, making the world a friendlier place for women to pump or breastfeed, announced today that it closed on a seed capital round of financing which included $250,000 of investment from FreshTracks Capital III, L.P. Cairn G. Cross co-founder and managing director of FreshTracks has joined Mamava’s board at the closing of the investment.

Vermont Business Magazine The nation’s top rural housing official joined US Senator Patrick Leahy June 30 to announce the availability of United States Department of Agriculture mortgages for Vermonters who want to purchase a Vermont-made, energy-efficient modular home. The mortgage is the first of its kind for residents of mobile home parks, where home buyers face high interest rates and short loan terms.

Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez and Sen. Patrick Leahy join housing advocates and local officials to launch USDA’s Energy Efficient Manufactured Home Pilot Program in front of a Vermod in Shelburnewood Mobile Home Park in Shelburne.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Deputy Inspector Brandon del Pozo as the City’s next Police Chief. A 1996 graduate of Dartmouth College, Del Pozo comes to Burlington following more than 18 years of service with the New York Police Department, including a number of command-level positions. The mayor has asked the City Council to approve the appointment at its July 13, 2015 meeting, and if approved, del Pozo would take up his position from Acting Chief Jannine Wright effective September 1, 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine Standing with VTrans Secretary Sue Minter and local transportation officials at the site of a crumbling East Montpelier bridge, Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today outlined his bipartisan effort to reach consensus on a long-term transportation infrastructure plan funded by a sustainable revenue source. Most of Vermont's FY 2016 $616 million transportation budget (begun June 30), which includes $116 million for bridges, comes from the federal government. Federal funding for road and bridge infrastructure projects will expire on July 31 if Congress fails to act.

Vermont Business Magazine All 22 of the drinking water systems on Lake Champlain began sampling this week as part of a new program to monitor public drinking water supplies for blue-green algae toxins. Some blue-green algae blooms produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals. Testing is the only way to know if an algae toxin is present in drinking water. This new 12-week monitoring program will bolster the state’s current efforts to visually monitor for blue-green algae blooms and protect the public from potential toxins in drinking water.

Algae in the lake by Lake Champlain Committee monitor Philip Brett

Vermont Business Magazine Last winter, Bellows Falls-based medical device maker Vermed was acquired by Buffalo, NY, based Graphic Controls, Governor Peter Shumlin and Graphic Controls CEO and Vermont native Sam Heleba today announced that the company has been awarded a Vermont Economic Growth Incentive award of over $500,000 and will remain committed to growing in Vermont. It also received another $200,000 in local development financing.

In January 2015 Graphic Controls, headquartered in Buffalo, NY, announced its acquisition of Vermed, Inc of Bellows Falls, VT. This marks the fifth major medical acquisition Graphic Controls has completed in recent years. Vermed, Inc. (formerly Vermont Medical Company) has a strong foundation in the manufacturing of high-end electrodes and medical sensors for patient care used by emergency services, hospitals and clinics for nearly 40 years.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) approved loans of $10 million for economic development projects totaling nearly $16 million. Four renewable energy generation projects are among those approved, receiving a total of $4.1 million in financing assistance. Agricultural, manufacturing and entrepreneurial projects are also included among the loan approvals.

“VEDA is pleased to provide financing assistance to renewable energy generation projects that will provide clean electrical power and reduce CO2 emissions throughout our state,” said VEDA CEO Jo Bradley. “In addition, loans approved by the Authority will help bring a new hotel to St. Albans, strengthen Vermont farms, and help a wooden bowl manufacturer expand into a renovated Hartland industrial building.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks 39th overall in a study that looked at each state's financial outlook. Of the five categories studied, Vermont was at its worst in cost of state services relative to personal income and in budget levels relative to revenues (the state does not run deficits but for many years has had to scramble to make up for shortfalls). Vermont was its best in "Long Run" and "Trust Fund" solvency. In new research for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Senior Research Fellow Eileen Norcross ranks each US state’s financial health based on short- and long-term debt and other key fiscal obligations, including unfunded pensions and health care benefits.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast today announced it is increasing the speed of its popular Blast! tier by almost 50 percent to 150 Mbps (formerly 105 Mbps) and introducing a new Performance Pro speed tier of 75 Mbps. New and existing customers who subscribe to many popular Xfinity Triple Play bundles will now receive Performance Pro, tripling their download speeds from 25 Mbps to 75 Mbps. These latest increases demonstrate Comcast’s ongoing commitment to continue to increase speeds for its customers, as it has virtually every year for more than the past decade, to support the increasing number of Internet connected devices in the home.