Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Collecting Insight Podcast, debuting its first episode on Leap Day 2024, is proud to announce it has already surpassed 1,000 downloads, marking the enthusiastic response from listeners around the globe. Co-Hosts Sara Byers (CEO turned soul explorer) and Lori Tarrant (mother/educator turned podcaster) use their combined century of life experience to engage in thought-provoking conversations about the essence of being human. Since its launch, Collecting Insight has garnered a five-star rating on Apple and Spotify Podcasts thanks to its engaging content, compelling storytelling and insightful discussions. Resonating with audiences in eighteen countries and over 250 cities, the podcast offers a unique blend of topics that inspire, entertain and educate, such as “Authenticity”, “Body Image and Ageism” and “Signs from the Universe.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House of Representatives advanced the Climate Superfund Act, S.259, today on a preliminary vote of 100-33. Members of the Democratic, Republican and Progressive caucuses, as well as Independents, voted in favor of the legislation. It now goes to a third reading in the House. The Senate voted April 2 to pass it 26-3. S.259 holds the largest fossil fuel corporations responsible for a fair share of the damages Vermonters have suffered due to climate change resulting from greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the massive amount of fossil fuels extracted and refined by those corporations.

Vermont Business Magazine Food security advocates, service providers, and administrators from around the state attended Vermont Foodbank's annual Hunger Action Conference at the Killington Grand Hotel Resort in Killington, Vermont on Friday. The theme of the conference, “Getting to the Root of Hunger, Together,” presented attendees with the opportunity to consider the many systems and policies that perpetuate poverty and hunger in Vermont and look to the ways that food security in Vermont is possible and how together, we can all build a shared vision, understanding, and act together to end hunger for good.

Vermont Business Magazine In celebration of School Lunch Hero Day, the School Nutrition Association of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont recognize the dedication, creativity and outstanding service of school nutrition professionals who ensure that Vermont students receive nutritious, healthy meals every day. As part of a national celebration, Vermont’s Essex Westford School District has received the School Nutrition Program of the Year Award. Newly established in 2024, the annual School Nutrition Program of the Year Award recognizes the Essex Westford School District for distinguishing itself with a spirit of excellence among the community of school nutrition programs in Vermont. This year the Essex Westford School District Child Nutrition Program is applauded for increasing its student lunch participation by 64 percent and doubling breakfast participation rates. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House voted to pass S.213, the Flood Safety Act. This bill takes important steps to reduce flood risk across Vermont, at a critical time when flood-related disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe. The bill will now head back to the Senate for their consideration of the House amendments. Following the devastating floods of 2023, and in recognition that Vermont averages nearly 2 major flooding disasters annually, Vermont lawmakers took important steps to advance policies to improve our collective flood preparedness. These policies will improve public safety, reduce damages and the mounting costs associated with flood recovery, better support our municipalities and our residents, improve water quality, support biodiversity, and protect recreational opportunities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Semiconductor Inc, a leading design house specializing in AI-related circuit design initiatives based in Burlington since 2014, has secured a Phase II contract from NASA. This achievement follows the successful completion of Phase I and underscores Green Mountain Semiconductor's commitment to advancing cutting-edge technology for space exploration. The Compute-In-Memory architecture developed by Green Mountain Semiconductor, with sponsorship from NASA, represents a significant breakthrough in edge AI inferencing for radiation-laden environments. This architecture integrates non-volatile memory directly on-chip, reducing data movements and enabling low-power, low-latency AI inferencing.

Vermont Business Magazine The national Citizens Business Conditions Index (CBCI) fell from 51.8 to 48.2 to start the year as business activity normalized from elevated levels in recent quarters. The reading below 50 indicates that economic momentum slowed during the first quarter against a backdrop of moderately restrictive monetary policy. The corresponding Vermont and regional indices also fell. Vermont was down from 50.7 to 45.9 and the regional number was down from 51.8 to 48.2. Labor markets and consumer trends remained resilient in the first quarter. However, Citizens’ proprietary data showed softening revenue trends during the period after solid performance across most industries in the second half of 2024. New business applications also fell compared to the fourth quarter, though they remain well above pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the US Department of Labor jobs report published Friday showed that the economy slowed, which might be a good thing.

SBA Vermont District Office Join us for a webinar to learn how a project management professional can help your small business. Click here on May 3rd 2024 at 1pm to join. For small business owners, handling numerous projects simultaneously can be daunting. A project management professional steps in to streamline this process, ensuring that products or services are delivered with quality, on schedule, and within financial constraints. They adeptly navigate risks, allocate resources efficiently, and engage with stakeholders effectively. Discover the advantages and cost savings of employing a project management expert at the upcoming VT SBA event featuring Vijay Desai, a seasoned Project Management Consultant.

Vermont Business Magazine As National Small Business Week comes to a close, Attorney General Charity Clark is reminding Vermont’s small businesses of the resources available through her office. Vermont businesses are covered by our state’s consumer protection laws, and the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) can be a helpful resource available to businesses. Through CAP’s free complaint mediation service, the office can help businesses resolve consumer issues. CAP’s Small Business Advocate can also help businesses respond to scams and navigate government programs.

Southwestern Vermont Chamber Get ready for an epic adventure as the Southern Vermont Homebrew Festival returns on May The Fourth! Prepare to taste intergalactic brews, explore rebel-approved vendors, and indulge in a Jedi-worthy feast. Join us on Depot Street in Bennington, Vermont, on Saturday, May 4th from 12pm to 1pm. Since 2015, the Southern Vermont Homebrew Festival has been a beacon for brewers across the galaxy. This year, we're transforming the event into a Star Wars-themed extravaganza, featuring the most out-of-this-world homebrews from every corner of the galaxy. Experience unlimited tastings of beer, wine, cider, mead, and more. Over 30 homebrewers will offer 120+ artisanal samples to tantalize your taste buds.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association The Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) selected Lyndonville's Route 5 Corridor Master Plan to receive a planning award for excellence. The awards ceremony will be held in Burlington on May 8th. Grant funding will be used to make repairs to five historic barns in our region. The state-funded program helps rehabilitate historic agricultural buildings that are a symbol of Vermont's rural landscape. Two farmsteads were selected in Barnet, the Gilkerson Farm and Maplemont Farm. The Morse Farm in Danville, Elijah Martin Homestead in Peacham, and Arba Joy Farm in Island Pond also received funding. The next grant round will be announced in August.

NEK Broadband Many people within our service area may only stay in Vermont for part of the year to enjoy some relaxation and natural beauty. We’ve developed some options for customers that are not year-round residents to choose from, including: Keep your service as is, year-round. This would allow you to utilize your smart home and security devices like cameras, security systems, temperature and humidity monitors, etc). This also contributes directly to expanding our network to reach your unserved and underserved neighbors in the NEK, and cover the significant initial costs we incur to connect each address; Choose a less expensive service package for the months you will not be living in the NEK. This would also allow you to utilize your remote monitoring devices. You will be asked to choose a date to have your regular, faster service package automatically resumed.