Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas encouraged voters who are planning to mail their voted ballots back to their town/city clerk to do so as soon as possible. “Mailing your ballot back to your clerk’s office is a convenient, easy way to cast your vote, but it’s crucial that you mail it in time for your clerk to receive it by 7pm on Election Day,” Copeland Hanzas explained. “If you’re voting this way, make sure you get your ballot in the mail today!” All active registered voters in Vermont were automatically mailed a ballot for the November 5th General Election, a practice known as “Universal Vote by Mail” that is conducted in eight states and Washington, D.C.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a settlement with Amazon, resolving a dispute over violations of Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban, which prohibits shipping any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes or vaping products, directly to Vermont consumers. The dispute centered on Amazon’s failure to thwart efforts by third-party sellers to circumvent Amazon’s internal rules to prevent sale of tobacco and vaping products. In the course of its investigation, the Attorney General’s Office found that over the past several years many tobacco products, and especially vaping and electronic cigarette products, were being sold by third-party sellers on Amazon’s platform. These third-party sellers circumvented the inadequate systems Amazon put in place to prevent the sale of vaping and tobacco products.

Vermont Business Magazine Knightscope, Inc., an innovator in robotics and artificial intelligence technologies focused on public safety, today announces three new expansion contracts for its Emergency Communication Devices (“ECDs”) and other long-term ECD services provided by Knightscope. A law school in Vermont added the Knightscope Emergency Management System (“KEMS”) program for 2 of its K1 Blue Light Towers; a Pennsylvania university purchased an additional K1 Blue Light Tower; and a university in southern California renewed its Full Service Maintenance Plan (“FSMP”) for all Knightscope ECDs on campus. Emergency communications play a vital role in ensuring a secure and enjoyable environment for everyone by providing an extra layer of protection with reliable, one-touch access to services such as police, fire and EMS. 

Vermont Business Magazine This month, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, opened nominations (video) for the 2025 National Small Business Week (NSBW) Awards. For more than 60 years the SBA has been uplifting small businesses in America, and the annual NSBW awards recognize the exemplary achievements, triumphs, contributions, and resilience of SBA-assisted individuals and businesses that help to drive the American economy. VermontBiz hosts the Vermont awards ceremony in the spring.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s recent storms in July show just how much damage flooding can cause. Insuring your home or business with a policy from the National Flood Insurance Program can help you prepare for – and recover from – the next flood. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) helps property owners, renters and businessowners at risk of flooding get flood insurance. Managed by FEMA and accessible by most insurance agents who represent either a network of more than 50 insurance companies or the NFIP Direct, the NFIP provides flood insurance to help them recover faster after a flooding event. Flood insurance provides coverage for damages to your home or business due to flooding.

Vermont Business Magazine Excitement is brewing as the Vermont Craft Brewers Conference (VTCBC) presented by Tripleseat Event Management approaches, taking place on November 11th-12th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Burlington. This annual event, now in its 2nd year, brings together craft brewers, industry experts, and enthusiasts for two days filled with insightful discussion, networking opportunities, and of course, VT beer. Vermont has the highest number of craft breweries per capita, with over 14.7 breweries per 100,000 adults over 21 making it a prime destination to host a Craft Brewers Conference. The Vermont Brewers Association expects over 250 professionals from Vermont and beyond to attend over the two day period. 

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University continues its Todd Lecture Series with a presentation by Associate Administrator (AA) for the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Dr. Nicola “Nicky” Fox, on Friday, November 1st, at 7 p.m. in Plumley Armory. As the AA for the Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Fox directs ~100 NASA missions to explore the secrets of the universe – missions that use the view from space to assess questions as practical as hurricane formation, as enticing as the prospect of lunar resources, as amazing as behavior in weightlessness, and as profound as the origin of the universe. She is responsible for fostering an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere and supporting a diverse team of space scientists and engineers around the country. 

Vermont State Police The investigation into Monday’s shooting in Waterbury that left one man dead and another critically injured continued throughout the day Tuesday. An autopsy was completed at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. The deceased victim is identified as Shawn Spiker, 34, of Croydon, New Hampshire. The autopsy determined his cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death is homicide. The surviving victim is identified as Michael Perry, 36, of Barre City. As of Tuesday afternoon, his condition remained stable at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Human Services (AHS) today released the following statement from Secretary of Human Services Jenney Samuelson: “I would like to express my gratitude to the Green Mountain Care Board and their consultant, Oliver Wyman, for their important work. This was a large and intensive undertaking over many months. Understandably, many Vermonters are concerned about what these recommendations mean for them and their community. This is particularly true for the communities whose hospitals would be most affected if the report recommendations were implemented. In the next phase, it is left to all of us to assess both the feasibility and impact of their recommendations. In the coming weeks, we will be meeting with communities, healthcare partners, and all interested Vermonters. We will work collaboratively with our state partners, including the Green Mountain Care Board and the General Assembly."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police invites members of the public, especially anyone interested in a career in law enforcement, to attend an open house this Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Westminster Barracks. People will have an opportunity to meet troopers and dispatchers, speak with a recruiter, and tour the facility. The Vermont State Police currently is hiring for sworn trooper positions and for professional dispatching positions. More information about job openings is available on VSP’s hiring website.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending October 5, 2024, the Vermont Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases in Vermont fell and are now under 300 cases and just under where they were a year ago. Hospitalizations also saw a drop in cases last week. Hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases decreased to about 15 cases. The VDH reported 8 COVID-related fatalities last week, as COVID deaths are higher this fall than last so far. Overall, COVID results have been relatively high since the late summer. At the beginning of the summer there were only about 5 hospitalizations a week, but have been running, for the most part, at 20 or more for more than a month.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) State Highway Safety Office (SHSO) held the annual Highway Safety Awards ceremony at the Vermont State House today. These awards are presented to highway safety professionals around the state for their exceptional work and commitment to keeping Vermont’s roadways safe for all users.