Current News

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this week joined local leaders, participants of Derby’s Senior Summer Day Camp, and members of the community to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Derby Park project, which will convert acres of unused land into a new community outdoor park. Sen. Welch nominated and secured federal funding for the project through the FY22 Community Project Funding (CPF) process during his last year in the House. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Waterbury-based NOMAD Transportable Power Systems, Inc. (NOMAD) is one of the nation’s most promising energy storage system (ESS) companies. Founded in 2019, NOMAD offers transportable battery systems designed for rapid deployment and operation. These systems alleviate grid constraints, modernize disaster response efforts, and provide electric vehicle (EV) charging at events and in remote locations. Most importantly, these solutions can be powered by renewable sources like wind and solar.

Vermont Business Magazine Registration is now open for popular tours of Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, Vt. to learn more about wind power. Each summer, experts from Green Mountain Power (GMP) host dozens of visitors at the site. This summer’s tours will be at 10:00 a.m. on July 10th and July 17th. Each tour takes about 90 minutes. Tickets are free. Space is limited, so make sure to pre-register. You can sign up for free tickets on GMP’s website.

VermontBiz Today, the White River Junction community celebrated the official grand opening of 42 new affordable apartments downtown with a ribbon cutting and an apartment tour. The apartments, named Riverwalk Apartments, were developed by DEW Braverman with an agreement to sell the building to Twin Pines Housing and Evernorth. The apartments will remain affordable forever.

VermontBiz Today the City of Burlington's Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) Office held an unveiling of Embrace and Belonging, a monumental public art installation dedicated to the city's commitment to racial equity, located in Dewey Park. 

The monument project was a cross-department collaborative effort with input and staff support from Burlington City Arts and Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront. 

VermontBiz The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Norwich University a grant in excess of $5,300,000 for cybersecurity research, education, and training. This generous funding, allocated over the next five years, enables Norwich to offer scholarships to students that will enhance learning and research opportunities into cybersecurity threats, artificial intelligence, and machine learning through an integrated B.S./M.S. program.

VermontBiz The Attorney General’s Office announced that Giselle Fichter (charged as Jarrod Fichter), 35, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

VermontBiz Today, Let’s Grow Kids Action Network (LGKAN) endorsed 107 child care champions for the upcoming Vermont primary election. The slate of candidates is made up of incumbents in the State Legislature who have demonstrated their commitment to solving the state’s child care crisis by voting for Act 76, making the 2023 Child Care Bill law. Today’s list includes 87 candidates in the Vermont House of Representatives and 20 from the Vermont Senate, representing every county and all major parties – Democrats, Progressives, and Republicans, as well as an Independent. Topping LGKAN’s endorsements are House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Senate President Phil Baruth, who both played pivotal leadership roles in the passage of Act 76 last year.

VermontBiz Today, the Colorado SecureSavings Program announced a partnership with Vermont’s public retirement program, Vermont Saves. The new partnership adds Vermont to the Partnership for a Dignified Retirement, an interstate consortium including Delaware and Maine. With more assets and accounts under management, the consortium will increase returns through economies of scale and reduce costs for savers. The partnership will also enable Vermont Saves to launch faster than anticipated, with an expected launch by the end of 2024.

VermontBiz When New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) and Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU) merged in 2023, the two legacy organizations came together with the singular vision of expanding financial services access for members and enabling them to create impact—both in their own lives and in the lives of others. Now, after a year of planning and preparation, the credit union is excited to announce a new name and a unified brand in support of that mission. EastRise Credit Union represents a bright new day for the credit union’s members.

VermontBiz The ACLU and the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) settled a lawsuit against the Vermont State Police on behalf of Gregory Bombard, whose First Amendment rights were violated after an unnecessary traffic stop and retaliatory arrest in 2018. The terms of the ACLU and FIRE’s settlement include $100,000 in damages paid to Bombard and $75,000 in legal fees. 

VermontBiz The Attorney General’s Office announced that Anthony Weber, 30, of Winooski, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday afternoon in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Luring a Child.

The Court, Judge Michael Harris presiding, sentenced the defendant on June 25, 2024, to a 10-year term of probation with conditions that he complete sex offender programming and that restrict his access to the internet and contact with the minor victim and minors under the age of 16. If Mr. Weber violates the terms of his probation, he faces up to 5 years in jail. Mr. Weber is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after the completion of his probation.