Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Paintings and photographs by local artists are on display through early July in the Gifford Gallery at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph and at Strode Independent Living in Randolph Center. The exhibits are free and open to the public. Jennifer Dembinski, whose paintings hang at Gifford, is a resident of Woodstock. Her pieces include “Muskrat Meal,” an acrylic; “Emergence,” a watercolor showcasing spring flowers breaking through dead leaves; and “Pastoral Scene, Clay Hill Road,” an acrylic with sheep dotting a riverside scene. In her artist statement, Dembinksi, who has a degree in art history from the University of Vermont, says, “Art will always remain my language of choice and a source of deep contentment. I love to try different media and learn new techniques.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Legislature voted to override the Governor on several bills, despite reasonable compromises being offered that would have made sure more parts of the state benefitted. Lawmakers overrode the property tax "yield bill" veto, the Act 250/Housing veto and the renewable energy standard bill, as well as the safe injection site veto. “Today is a sad day for Vermonters who simply cannot afford further tax burdens and cost increases. Many will talk about these votes as a major loss for me, but it’s really a major loss for Vermont taxpayers, workers and families."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Lawmakers today at first sustained and then overrode Governor Phil Scott's veto of the safe-injection site bill (H.72). The House easily overrode the bill, but the Senate initially failed by a single vote. But in a kind of legal repechage, the Senate suspended rules and managed to squeeze out one more vote to get to the 20 required for the two-thirds override. Senator Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) changed his vote, thus assuring the override. Westman himself requested that the Senate suspend Rule 73 to allow reconsideration of previous vote taken, but that action was blocked. The House then resent the bill to the Senate, where Westman's request to suspend succeeded, leading to the override vote.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, PC Construction accepted a Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America’s New England Chapter. The CMAA award recognized PC’s work on the BETA Technologies’ Manufacturing & Assembly Facility, which will support the manufacturing and assembly of the electric aerospace company’s battery-powered aircraft and electric charging infrastructure. This project, which was completed last year, is Phase 1 of a two-phase master building plan on a 40-acre former brownfield site. 

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 17, 2024, defendant Everett A. Simpson, 46, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 300 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Simpson previously was convicted by a jury on April 18, 2023, of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle after a 6-day trial. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Downtown Development Board announced today $1,787,989 in Downtown Transportation Fund Grants to support projects to improve safety, access, and transportation in 11 Vermont downtowns and villages across seven counties. “Revitalizing our downtowns is important to strengthening communities across Vermont,” said Governor Phil Scott. “These grants will support projects to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to public spaces, improve ADA access, and spruce up downtown areas for Vermonters and our visitors to enjoy.” Alex Farrell, Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development and Chair of the Downtown Board, said that these investments are vital to drawing people downtown, supporting businesses, and enhancing Vermont communities. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Legislature today overrode Governor Phil Scott's veto of the property tax "yield bill" (H.887). The House voted 103-42 and the Senate voted 22-7, both comfortably exceeding the two-thirds requirement. With the bill now becoming law, average property tax bills will increase by 13.8%. In today's "veto session," lawmakers also overrode the Renewable Energy Standard bill (H.289), the Act 250/Housing bill (H.687), the Restorative Justice bill, (H.645), and sustained the data privacy bill, (H.121). 

Vermont Business Magazine An historic marker honoring the former site of Robertson Paper Mill was dedicated in Bellows Falls in conjunction with the Vermont Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference in June.  Over 50 people were in attendance, including conference-goers and local families whose relatives and neighbors, or who personally worked at the 120-year-old mill prior to its closure in the 1980's, and demolition in 2019. Funding for the Roberston Paper Mill historic marker, dedicated at the event, was a requirement of the Brownfields program as a measure to preserve the historical significance of the site. The marker was crafted from bricks, granite window lintels, iron I-beams, and rosette stabilizers salvaged for the kiosk during mill demolition, with an aim to provide visitors a tactile connection to the area's industrial past.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Women’s Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2024 annual grant round. A total of $365,180 was awarded to 36 organizations across Vermont. “The work these organizations do improves the lives of women and girls across the state,” said Emily Bush, director of the Vermont Women’s Fund. “These grants will help women advance their careers, find safe and affordable housing, and access high-quality childcare, while also building opportunities for girls to thrive now and in the future.”   

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and a group of bipartisan colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Ensuring Nationwide Access to Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act to allow people with disabilities and their families a permanent way to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts while protecting eligibility to federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also cosponsored the bill. 

Vermont Business Magazine Bourne’s Energy has introduced the "Fueling My Future" Scholarship, a new initiative to support graduating high school men and women who seek post-high school training to enter Vermont's skilled trades. Recognizing the vital role skilled trades play in the community, Bourne’s Energy is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a dedicated individual entering a trades program in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Nurses of Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals announced that their union is holding a strike authorization vote from Monday, June 17 to Sunday, June 23. After a few months of bargaining, the nurses and UVM Medical Center administration are still far apart from reaching a deal before their contract expires on July 9. Among the issues the two sides cannot reconcile are wages, benefits and working conditions that fall short of cost of living benchmarks and contribute to constant staffing holes that are only filled by travel nurses.