Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with several Quebec organizations and the University of Vermont to establish the Northeast Semiconductor Manufacturing Corridor as a hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing. “This partnership is vital to Vermont’s semiconductor industry and economic development,” says Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle who signed the MOU on behalf of the state of Vermont. “This cross-border collaboration with Quebec and other northeastern states will make us stronger and more resilient and lead to the creation and retention of high-quality jobs throughout the Green Mountain State.”

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today grilled Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), about his refusal to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election. Senator Welch highlighted that Trump’s ‘Big Lie’– that President Biden did not win the election – led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Senator Welch also stressed the importance of combatting any attempt to weaponize the Justice Department and the FBI under the Trump Administration. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP), today delivered an opening statement at the committee’s hearing on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sanders’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, are herein. "Thank you, Senator Cassidy. And Mr. Kennedy, thank you for being with us. I will discuss later the issue of vaccines, which Senator Cassidy raised, and is of concern I think for all of us. But before I go there, I wanted to congratulate you for the phrase “Make America Healthy Again.” I think that is a cry that all of us – a goal that all of us share – because, as you have indicated, we are a very unhealthy society."

Vermont Business Magazine This Sunday, February 2, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recognizes World Wetlands Day and invites Vermonters to celebrate the value of wetlands. Marking where land and water meet, wetlands may be saturated or flooded with water either year-round or for only a few weeks of the year. First celebrated in 1997, World Wetlands Day raises awareness about wetlands and the functions and values they provide for people and for the health of the land. It also marks the anniversary of the global Convention on Wetlands (or the Ramsar Convention). Adopted in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty that provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.13 per gallon, down 1 cent/g from last week, up 4 cents from last month and down 7 cents from last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state yesterday this week $2.90/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 45.0 cents per gallon. The lowest prices are in Bennington County ($3.06/g), while they get higher the farther north one goes, with Franklin County reporting the highest average ($3.23/g). 

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New England Office recently awarded two 2024 Regional Wastewater Treatment Awards to one Vermont wastewater facility and one individual to recognize them for their commitment to improving water quality. For the past 40 years, the EPA Regional Wastewater Awards Program EPA Regional Wastewater Awards Program has recognized personnel in the wastewater field who have provided invaluable public service managing and operating wastewater treatment facilities throughout New England. 

Vermont Business Magazine Treasurer Mike Pieciak’s Task Force on the Federal Transition, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) will host a webinar for Vermont employers to discuss their rights, obligations, and prudent steps they can take to prepare for a worksite visit from Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). The discussion will feature leading Vermont and national immigration experts. The webinar will take place Thursday, February 6 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. The program will feature one hour of moderated discussion, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Attendees can RSVP here. 

Vermont Business Magazine Seventh Generation, a leader in plant-based household cleaning products, today announced it has named Kathleen O’Brien to serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). O’Brien’s leadership will usher in the next phase of the company’s journey, focusing on accelerating growth, advancing innovation, and championing its mission to create a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable future for the next seven generations. This is O’Brien’s return to Seventh Generation where she previously served as Vice President of Sales. Within that role, she was responsible for driving revenue growth across product lines for the business and developed a deep understanding of the brand’s approach to business with sustainability at its core. 

Vermont Business Magazine The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has released the nationwide performance results from the 2024 assessments in reading and mathematics. While Vermont students performed similarly to the national average in reading, the 2024 results reinforce a decades long pattern of declining performance. Relative to pre-pandemic (2019) and post-pandemic (2022) performance, 2024 Vermont reading scores were significantly lower in Grade 4 and Grade 8.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Wednesday raised concerns about the character and fitness of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to lead HHS’ ten public health service agencies and three human services agencies. Senator Welch also expressed concern about the lack of concrete plans by the Trump Administration and Mr. Kennedy to lower health care costs for Vermont families. 

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont Dam Safety Program has been working with the US Army Corps of Engineers, New England Division (USACE NAE), on plans for the Waterbury Dam Spillway Project. This major project aims to improve the operability of the existing flood gates and repair degraded concrete at the dam. The goal is to rehabilitate the spillway and restore full flood protection functionality to the dam. To date, the project team has completed preliminary engineering analyses and assessment. The plan is to begin engineering design in spring 2025 through spring 2027 and construction is presently slated to commence in 2027.

Vermont Business Magazine Three parcels at important locations in the Barton and Clyde River Watersheds are now permanently protected for fish habitat, flood resilience and public access thanks to a collaboration between the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Memphremagog Watershed Association. In East Charlson, the half-acre Whitcomb-Bedell parcel protects the confluence of Churchill Brook and the Clyde River.  Owned for more than 100 years by the Whitcomb-Bedell family, the parcel adds to the department’s Clyde River Streambank Management Area and provides public access to Churchill Brook and opportunities to fish for the wild brook trout that call the waterway home.