Current News

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Health Network and the Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV) partnered to bring global public health advocate Deogratias “Deo” Niyizonkiza to Vermont for a visit this week. Deo is the founder of Village Health Works. His dedication to community organizing, women’s and maternal health and healing in Burundi have made him a key voice in global health. Deo grew up in the mountains of Burundi, and survived a civil war and genocide before seeking a new life in America. In New York City he lived homeless in Central Park before finding his way to Columbia University. Deo opened the first Village Health Works outpatient clinic in 2007 – and it has expanded to include offerings around health care, education and food security.

Vermont State Police TUNBRIDGE, Vermont (Friday, May 24, 2024) – As a result of the investigation into the non-fatal shooting that occurred in Tunbridge on December 20th, 2023, Hugh Shackleton has been charged with Attempted Burglary. Shackleton was issued a citation to appear in Orange County Superior Court, Criminal Division, on June 19th, 2024 at 0830 hours.

Public Assets Institute We noted a real shift in the revenue conversations from previous years. We saw an increasing recognition that we have to rethink the “manage to the money” approach Vermont has been stuck in for decades, and there was an openness to consider Vermont’s capacity to increase revenue in order to address the many challenges we face. The Fair Share for Vermont Campaign focused on raising progressive revenue and equitable taxation this session—they supported a proposal for a three percent tax increase on marginal income over $500,000, and a proposal to tax unrealized gains at the state level. 
The 3 percent surcharge passed the House in H.829 with strong support, and the coalition are already laying the groundwork to see the bill through the Senate next year. The wealth tax proposal opened a timely conversation in both the House and Senate about raising revenue from those most able to pay and the coalition is looking forward to providing the Legislature with additional resources to move this complex proposal forward next session. 

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bancorp. held its Annual Shareholders meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. A quorum of shareholders cast ballots and voted affirmatively on two proposals: re-electing Directors Kathryn M. Austin, Bruce L. Baker, David M. Bouffard, Christopher L. Caldwell and Aminta K. Conant to three-year terms expiring in 2027, and ratifying BerryDunn as the Company's external auditors for 2024. Following the business portion of the meeting, CEO Kathy Austin shared that in 2023, the bank continued to generate solid organic growth in both its loan portfolio and deposit base, especially time deposits, as well as assets. Its success contributed to the decision to raise the bank’s quarterly dividend again in 2023. The bank reported $1.11 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2024, up 7% year-over-year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation announces the opening of the State Historic Sites for the 2024 season. Please join us for the opening weekend on Friday, May 24, at Bennington Battle Monument, Chimney Point, Hubbardton Battlefield, Mount Independence, President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site, and the Senator Justin Morrill State Historic Site. The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site has installed a new exhibit on the second floor of the Cilley General Store highlighting its use by President Calvin Coolidge as the “Summer White House” 100 years ago in 1924, and history panels for the 1890 school house and President Chester Arthur exhibits. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, will be the only ski resort in the Northeast open Memorial Day Weekend for skiing and riding, mountain biking, and golfing. Not only will skiers and riders enjoy the last lift-accessed snow in Vermont, but they’ll be able to ski and ride Superstar, the same trail which will host the Stifel Killington Cup over Thanksgiving Weekend 2024. Veterans are invited to participate in the sport of their choice for free on Monday, May 27, and Beast 365 passholders can earn a free t-shirt by participating in all three sports over the course of the four days. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, released the following statement following reports of two instances where flags bearing symbols carried by violent rioters on January 6 were flown at properties owned by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito: “The call for stronger ethics within the U.S. Supreme Court isn’t new, but it is increasingly necessary after decades of ethical violations that have eroded the public’s trust in this institution. Justice Alito’s apparent embrace of symbols linked to the January 6th insurrection—an attack on our democracy—is the only the most recent example of the highest court’s compromised impartiality. For the sake of the Court’s integrity and credibility, as well as the health of the independent judiciary, Justice Alito should formally recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection." 

by Peter Sterling, REV, Lauren Hierl, VCV, Johanna Miller, VNRC, Ben Edgerly Walsh, VPIRG, Vanessa Rule, 350VT In a dismaying attempt to obstruct Vermont's environmental and economic progress, today Governor Scott vetoed compromise legislation aimed at modernizing the Renewable Energy Standard and setting the state on a path to delivering 100% renewable electricity by 2035. By vetoing H.289, which was supported by nearly all of the state’s electric utilities, along with a host of environmental organizations, business groups and others, Governor Scott is again jeopardizing our state's progress in clean energy and needed climate action as well as threatening to curtail a needed clean energy jobs sector. To override the governor’s veto, the Legislature must vote with a 2/3rds majority at the veto session in mid-June.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today, as expected, signed the budget bill into law H.833, while vetoing H.289, An act relating to the Renewable Energy Standard. These were expected. Scott has long voiced his opposition to the renewable bill because of the cost and complexity of how the law could be carried out and the ultimate cost to consumers. Meanwhile, the governor and lawmakers found enough middle ground on the budget for him to sign it into law. He has vetoed the budget in the past. As for the bills he has vetoed, and there could be more coming, the Legislature will hold a "veto session" on June 17. For the renewable bill, the vote will be close whether his veto will be overridden in both chambers.

Vermont Business Magazine Breeze Airways and Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) proudly announce the launch of non-stop service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Breeze-Thru service to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). This marks an exciting milestone for both travelers and the Burlington community. The inaugural flight from Raleigh-Durham to Leahy BTV is scheduled to touch down at 12:07 p.m. EST, with the return flight departing for Raleigh-Durham at 12:52 p.m. EST. This debut flight follows Breeze’s successful launches at Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) on January 31st and February 14th, respectively.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine President Joe Biden said Thursday he intends to nominate Mary Kay Lanthier, the supervisory attorney for the Rutland County Public Defender's Office since 2007, to serve as the US District Court Judge in Vermont. Vermont News First was first to report on Wednesday that Lanthier had recently moved to the head of the line to replace Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford, who is moving to "Senior Status."  Three other lawyers that had been proposed were put on the back burner in recent weeks, while the FBI and Department of Justice vetted Lanthier. Lanthier, 53, of Orwell, began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the trial courts in Chittenden County and Addison County from 1996 to 1998.  She was an associate at Keiner & Dumont law firm in Middlebury from 1998 to 2000 before becoming a public defender representing indigent people charged in Addison County from 2000 to 2003.

by Cecilia Larson Community News Service Forged by the American Forest Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, a program that pays people to set aside forest to store carbon has been growing in Vermont over the last two years. The Family Forest Carbon Program launched in 2020 in Pennsylvania, and after learning from the foresters, stakeholders and landowners down there, its organizers migrated north in the summer of 2022 seeking to benefit Vermont communities. Since then, those involved say, close to 500 landowners have expressed interest in enrolling in the program and being paid close to $300 an acre, dispersed over a 20-year period, for preserving the sequestered land. People must own at least 30 acres of naturally growing trees to join.