Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Committee of Vermont, New York, and Quebec has announced that Lori Fisher, its esteemed Executive Director, will retire on December 31 after more than 30 years of dedicated service to the organization and the Lake Champlain Basin. Under Fisher’s leadership, the Lake Champlain Committee has made significant strides in protecting and restoring the health of Lake Champlain. Her passion for the lake and her unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship have been key to advancing LCC’s mission. Fisher was instrumental in developing a nationally innovative approach for community involvement in the clean-up of Lake Champlain’s Pine Street Barge Canal Superfund site in Burlington VT and successfully advocating for PCB removal in Cumberland Bay, NY. 

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine Community College of Vermont and its long-time president, Joyce Judy, are inextricably linked, their histories intertwined in a seamless partnership. Founded in 1970, CCV has been led by Judy for the past 15 years. Judy, now 68, began her 41-year tenure at the college in 1983, becoming interim president in 2009 and assuming the presidency fully in 2010. “I’ve grown up and changed, and CCV has grown up and changed,“ Judy said. “In some ways, I feel like we have grown up together.“ Raised on a dairy farm, Judy learned the value of hard work early in life, crediting her upbringing for instilling the skills necessary to lead CCV. Her connection to the family farm remains strong, as she returns to help with chores as often as possible, embodying the practical, hands-on approach that defines both her personal and professional life. Judy tells the story of a regional director, who has since passed away, to illustrate the essence of CCV.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of August 26, 2024. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. 

by Kathleen A. Ehlers, vice president of Enrollment Strategy and Marketing and Chris Montagnino, vice president of Champlain College Online Earlier this spring, Champlain College and three of its fellow Vermont higher education institutions made a promise — to simplify the transfer process for students who have earned an associate's degree from the Community College of Vermont (CCV). It's not an entirely new concept, but it is one the schools are dedicated to seeing succeed now more than ever. A study published in March by the New England Board of Higher Education found that students who transfer from community colleges to four-year, private, nonprofit schools excel in academics, uncover new streams of financial support and bring diverse life experiences to campuses. This includes students of color and those older than the traditional post-high school student entering college. 

Vermont Business Magazine A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will be available in Barre starting Sunday, August 25th. The DRC will be open Sunday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The joint DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between Barre, the state of Vermont and FEMA, will have disaster assistance specialists available to help disaster survivors apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, upload documents needed for their application and answer questions in person: Barre Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill, Barre, VT 05641, Sunday – Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

by Annie Landenberger, The Commons The Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) annual Galbraith Lecture, is a tradition begun by world-renowned economist and longtime Newfane summer resident John Kenneth Galbraith, an early founder of the organization. That tradition has been continued by his son, former diplomat Peter Galbraith, of Townshend, whose talks have always been newsy and full of inside knowledge on U.S. foreign policy. This year's will likely be in that same vein as he shares the platform with another Vermont foreign policy expert, Tim Rieser. The event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the campus of the School for International Training, marking a re-establishment of a relationship between WWAC and SIT.

Vermont Natural Resources Council, et al This op-ed was written in response to concerns from Vermont community members, our own observations as landowners, and road crews cleaning up post-flooding damage. What we have heard and witnessed raise significant concerns that some of the activities are causing more harm to Vermont waters and violate Vermont’s laws that protect our public waters. As floods become more frequent in Vermont due to climate change, we must respond to these disasters in a way that protects our natural resources and does not exacerbate the impacts of flooding.

by Alora Zargo My name is Alora Zargo, and I’m a senior at Brattleboro Union High School and the Windham Regional Career Center, where I’m preparing for a career as an early childhood educator. I will graduate fully qualified to work with young children in registered child care programs. With approximately 10,600 child care slots still needed to meet current demand, Vermont needs me and my classmates.

Vermont Business Magazine Make-A-Wish Vermont and Co-operative Insurance Companies have announced that the 22nd Annual Wish Kids Golf Classic raised $30,000. Since 2001, this event has consistently provided critical funding to ensure that Make-A-Wish Vermont can continue to grant life-changing wishes to Vermont’s children facing critical illnesses. The Wish Kids Golf Classic was hosted at Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Middlebury, Vermont on July 12, 2024. The tournament has grown from raising $2,100 in its first year to a cumulative total exceeding $500,000 over 24 years.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Caledonia County on Tuesday, August 27 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff.

Vermont State Police On the morning of August 24th, 2024, the Vermont State Police were notified of an object floating in the Sherman Reservoir.  At approximately, 9:47 AM, the State Police located the body of a male floating in the reservoir.  The body matched the description of Matthew Houskeeper who was reported missing on August 14th,2024.  The body will be sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, in Burlington, Vermont where an autopsy and formal identification will be performed. 

Vermont Business Magazine As the Northeast Kingdom continues to recover from the devastation caused by last month’s flooding, two local organizations are partnering to make a difference. Passumpsic Bank has donated $10,000 to the KURRVE (Kingdom United Resilience & Recovery Effort) flood relief program, which Northeast Kingdom Human Services serves as the fiscal agent for. KURRVE is a collaboration of organizations working together with a mission to provide services to individuals and families affected by the multiple flooding disasters in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties. The group has been working tirelessly since two bouts of disastrous flooding happened within the span of three weeks on July 10 and July 30.