Current News

Vermont Business Magazine "Norwich University is honored to announce General Lori Robinson as the Commencement Speaker for the graduating class of 2024,” said Norwich University Provost, Dean of the Faculty, and Acting President, Dr. Karen Gaines. In 2016, Robinson became the highest-ranking woman in U.S. military history as Commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM. While leading NORAD/NORTHCOM, Robinson was responsible for commanding 1,600 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and civilians from both the United States and Canada. Norwich University’s spring commencement celebration will once again be held in Shapiro Field House on April 27.

by Aubrey Weaver, Community News Service Financial disclosure documents spanning the past four years raise questions about transparency and accountability within the state judicial system’s reporting requirements, according to data obtained by Community News Service. The disclosure documents, sourced from annual Vermont Judiciary statements between 2019 and 2022 for state superior and supreme court judges, indicate judges in recent years have provided scant information about their incomes — in part because Vermont does not require them to say much. There has been a substantial rise in judges reporting nothing since 2019 from 31% of judges that year to 49% in 2022. In the vast majority of cases, those judges checked boxes indicating they had no financial disclosures to make under the law, and only in a handful of cases did judges not specify disclosures despite indicating they had something to report. Over the four years of data, an average of 42% of judges who submitted forms said they had no required financial disclosures.

Vermont Business Magazine A new dimension to the Fairbanks Museum is about to open in St. Johnsbury, VT. The Tang Science Annex officially opens to the public on Saturday, February 17. Sen. Peter Welch is joining us for a ribbon cutting celebration to dedicate the Tang Science Annex on Thursday, February 15, at 11 AM. This annex was designed Middlebury-based Vermont Integrated Architecture. The Annex will be Vermont's demonstration mass timber structure, making use of new technology to create building materials using locally sourced Eastern Hemlock.

Vermont Business Magazine John Beal and Yves Bradley of V/T Commercial worked collectively in selling the property at 27 Piper Road, Berlin on behalf of Concord Insurance Group to Malone Properties. Bill Kiendl of V/T Commercial assisted in the sale of 2.01 acres located at 88 Red Pine Circle, Essex to Performance Food Group. John Beal of V/T Commercial, representing Catamount Holding Company, and Meg McGovern of Donahue & Associates, representing Architecture, Engineering and Land Surveying Northeast, leased 1,786 square feet at the Chace Mill in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS) has completed fiber upgrades in several Vermont communities to bring lightning-fast internet connections to more residents and businesses. Speeds up to 8 Gig are now available in communities including Baltimore, Cavendish, Ludlow, Perkinsville, Plymouth, Weathersfield, Northfield, and Roxbury. The upgrades are the result of an expansion of fiber internet services – known as the “gold standard” of residential connections – to about 7,700 addresses in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger and CityPlace Partners on February 8 announced recent progress and next steps at the CityPlace mixed-use housing development in downtown Burlington. After 15 Months of construction, the South Building is “topped out” at 10 stories, will be the tallest building in Vermont when complete, and is on track for completion in one year. Further, CityPlace Partners have finalized their building program for the entire site and last week received a permit amendment from the Department of Permitting and Inspection allowing for a minimum of 350 residential units including 70 permanently affordable units (approximately 340,000 sf), a maximum of 350 hotel rooms in two separate hotels (approximately 186,000 sf), 40,000 sf of retail, and 172,000 sf of parking. CityPlace Partners (CPP) also announced a new minority equity partner Giri Group, a well-capitalized developer headquartered in Massachusetts that will operate the two hotels. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Education (AOE) updated the Annual Snapshot today. The snapshot is an online tool that shows quantitative data about Vermont schools and helps communities to better understand how their schools are performing and find opportunities for growth and improvement. The Annual Snapshot reports a school’s current performance, improvement over the past year and success in achieving an equitable education for all students. 

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center’s Board of Trustees announced Wednesday the appointment of Sandra McGuire, MBA, as chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2024, after an extensive national search. McGuire has served as chief financial and operations officer for the last 10 of her 25-year tenure with the agency and is uniquely positioned to build on the organization’s strong foundation and strategically create a sustainable model of high-quality, community-based services for our community. She will be responsible for the oversight of all agency operations, including 50+ programs serving the mental health, substance use, and developmental needs of Vermonters in over 60 locations in three counties. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Christopher Camp, 32, of Waterbury, Vermont was arraigned on six felony counts and one misdemeanor count of possession of child sexual abuse materials. The charges brought against Mr. Camp are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police (VSP) and Vermont’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which includes personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Vermont Business Magazine Gasoline prices here and across the nation are rising at a slower pace than initially predicted. Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.20 per gallon, up 1 cent per gallon from last week, down 2 cents from last month and down 30 cents from this time last year. The lowest price in the state yesterday is $2.89/g in Brattleboro, while the highest was $3.39/g at several locations across the state. The national average price of gasoline is unchanged from last week, averaging $3.14/g today. The national average is up 7 cents per gallon from a month ago.

Vermont State Police An autopsy was completed late Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 7, 2024, on the man who died Tuesday in Pownal. The victim is identified as Casey Gras, 36, of Bennington. The autopsy at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined the cause of Mr. Gras’ death was multiple stab wounds of the abdomen and chest, and the manner of death is a homicide. The Vermont State Police investigation into this incident is continuing Wednesday, including processing by the Crime Scene Search Team of the location on Chickadee Drive where the stabbing occurred. Police have made no arrests.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Criminal Justice Council issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon. "Earlier today, during the general discussion portion of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council’s regularly scheduled public meeting, a Council member, Mike Major, made an offensive statement that was insulting to our invited guests from Migrant Justice, to our other Council members, and to the organizations and communities that our Council members represent... The Council accepted Mr. Major’s resignation from his seat on the Council which he tendered during the meeting. Mr. Major had been serving as the representative of the Vermont Police Association."