Current News

by Heather Duhamel and Sharron Harrington When Vermont’s legislature passed Act 76 in May 2023, it represented a major step toward fully funding our state’s child care system as a public good. While the law takes effect, our organizations and others are working in partnership to build up the well-prepared early childhood education workforce Vermont needs. Public investment, plus programs and resources that support access to education and training, make a career in early childhood education more attractive than ever before. Act 76 promises a $125 million annual investment in Vermont’s child care system. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies After many years of ski racing and cycling, Carina Hamel and her husband and co-founder, Robby Ringer, were done drinking from moldy, plastic water bottles. They set out to revolutionize the water bottle, and Bivo was born. An innovative metal cycling bottle with a high-flow nozzle, Bivo makes it efficient, easy, and fun to stay hydrated on your ride. In this episode, Carina shares her story of how an active lifestyle and a career in the shoe business drove her to solve the problem that nobody else would.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington alum and notable abstract painter Cora Cohen ’64 donated a large painting to Bennington College before her death in June. The painting was given in honor of Pat Adams, a faculty member teaching during Cohen’s time at Bennington. The painting, Heart of Darkness, from 2004, was chosen from Cohen’s studio specifically for the Bennington context. Large and almost square, at 69 inches by 71 inches, its materials include acrylic, charcoal, copper, Flashe, oil pastel, pastel, and pigment on muslin. 

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of the very successful extension of Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express service to Burlington in 2022, $1 million in new federal funds will be advancing possibilities for a further expansion of the national passenger rail provider's presence in Vermont. The recently announced federal grants consist of $500,000 to plan expansion of service on the route of Vermont's other passenger train, the Vermonter, and $500,000 towards the inauguration of a new train that would originate in New York City and call in Manchester and Bennington on its way to Burlington. An informational release from Amtrak described the first appropriation as aimed at extending service on the Washington, DC-to-St. Albans Vermonter north to Montreal, and providing a second train on the route, although it would only go as far north as White River Junction. However, local commuter service is less likely and AllEarth's self-propelled cars might wind up out-of-state, from whence they came.

Vermont Business Magazine Each year, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce honors an outstanding Vermonter as the “Citizen of the Year.” This award is presented to the individual who has made major contributions to the betterment of Vermont; has been distinguished through outstanding service to their community and region; and typifies the true spirit of service and self-sacrifice in representing the finest ideals of Vermont citizenship. Nominations are now open for the Citizen of the Year and submissions are to be made online. The deadline to make a nomination is February 16. 

Leonine Public Affairs Lawmakers settled into their committees during the first full week of the 2024 legislative session as the House and Senate Appropriations committees worked through the proposed FY2024 Budget Adjustment Act (BAA). The budget writers are hoping to move quickly through the mid-fiscal year spending bill in advance of the FY2025 budget proposal. The governor has notified lawmakers that his FY2025 proposal will be limited to a 3 percent increase, which effectively level funds the budget and in some cases would reduce funding for programs due to inflation and other economic factors. Democratic leaders are also setting expectations with their caucuses and committees that pandemic-era spending levels will be curbed as emergency federal funding dries up.

Vermont Business Magazine The public is invited to join Vermont Law and Graduate School in celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 12:45 to 2 p.m. in the South Royalton campus’ Chase Community Center. Guest speaker Mia Schultz (she/her), Vermont State Truth and Reconciliation commissioner is a devoted advocate for truth, healing, and reconciliation in Vermont’s diverse communities. Originally from Arizona, Schultz’s transformative journey led her to Bennington, in 2016. Recognized as a human rights champion by both the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Education Association, Schultz currently serves as the Rutland Area NAACP president.  

Vermont Business Magazine A new year demands the latest and greatest products and trends, and Ben & Jerry's is wasting no time, launching its first flavor of 2024 with the smoothest and creamiest recipe ever. This unveiling features a fan favorite flavor in a new Non-Dairy format. Say hello to Strawberry Cheezecake! Why the Z? Strawberry Cheesecake was Ben & Jerry's fastest growing, top-selling ice cream flavor in the past 12 months, rising to the #4 spot in 2023. That's not the only reason Strawberry Cheezecake was selected as the newest Non-Dairy offering -- the clincher was that it was a fan-favorite during tastings of the company's brand new, smooth and creamy Non-Dairy oat base. As there is no real cheese in this cheesecake flavor - given its Non-Dairy, vegan profile - Ben & Jerry's dropped the word "cheese" in the name. Rest assured, it has all the right stuff: namely, a decadent strawberry "cheezecake" base with a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel, along with a thick graham cracker swirl that adds the perfect amount of texture and crunch. Some testers even preferred the new Strawberry Cheezecake Non-Dairy over Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream!

Vermont Business Magazine An amazing superhero without a cape will be in Sheldon to show students and educators how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond. Pat Fish, of Sweethearts & Heroes, will work at Sheldon Elementary School on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19. Champlain Chevrolet, of Enosburg Falls, is sponsoring these events. Sweethearts and Heroes is a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent bullying and suicide with a focus on the basic components of social-emotional learning (SEL). 

Vermont Business Magazine Following a push from the Vermont Congressional Delegation, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is increasing pay for federal employees in Vermont who support Vermonters through their work at places like the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The locality pay increase applies to federal employees in Addison, Lamoille, and Washington Counties in Vermont who will now receive the same locality pay as federal employees living in the Burlington Locality Pay area – and to Orange and Windsor counties in Vermont who will now receive the same locality pay as employees living in the Boston area. The classification changes will mean that more than 1,000 federal employees will now receive more competitive pay rates that took effect on January 1, 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced companion legislation in the House. “This bipartisan legislation will be a step forward in the fight to stop pharmaceutical companies from abusing the patent system. That will lead to fair competition and lower prescription drug prices. Congress needs to keep working together to cut drug costs for families and streamline access to care.” 

Vermont State Police The victim in Wednesday’s structure collapse in Dummerston is identified as June Howe, 70, who lived in a home on the property where the incident occurred. She died of her injuries on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 11, at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. This incident remains under investigation by the Vermont State Police but is not considered suspicious.