Current News

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of November 6, 2023. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.      

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Semiconductor, a Burlington-based design house involved in AI-related circuit design initiatives since 2014 and specializing in Custom Analog, Digital, and Mixed Signal Design with a focus on Memory (DRAM, SRAM, and Emerging NVM), has achieved a groundbreaking milestone on behalf of their client by unveiling an innovative AI processor architecture. This pioneering architecture boasts over 1000 cores, each equipped with its own memory, revolutionizing traditional Von Neumann computing paradigms and advancing the realm of ultra-low power in-memory computing. This milestone came about through Green Mountain’s work in support of New Hampshire based client company, Non-Von LLC, and their patented innovative chip design.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB), parent of Berkshire Bank with branches in southern Vermont, has reported results for the third quarter of 2023. Berkshire Hills has also announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 16, 2023, payable on November 30, 2023. Third quarter operating earnings were $21.5 million, decreasing $2.4 million linked quarter.  Net interest margin of 3.18 percent decreased 6 basis points linked quarter, which improved from the 34 basis point decrease posted in the prior quarter. Net interest income decreased $2.4 million, as funding cost increases outpaced loan yield expansion and average earning assets decreased 2%. Operating non-interest income advanced 2 percent quarter-over-quarter while operating non-interest expense was flat. GAAP non-interest expense included $2.6 million in non-operating restructuring charges primarily for branch consolidations. 

Vermont Business Magazine Gravel & Shea has announced that they have been recognized, once again, as a “Best Law Firm” in Burlington, Vermont in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms, as ranked by Best Lawyers. High ratings from clients and peers, as well as having “Best Lawyers” on the team, pave the way for this achievement. “We are proud to provide our clients with a top-quality law practice with a breadth of legal expertise across specialty areas,” says Managing Partner, Heather Hammond. The firm has been recognized in all 14 editions of Best Law Firms since the publication’s launch in 2010. 

by Alicia Wolfram, Community News Service Over 300 Vermonters braved the rain to learn about the landscape and its inhabitants at the 21st annual Dead Creek Wildlife Day in Addison. The event took place Oct. 7 at the Dead Creek Visitor Center in Addison, part of a 2,858-acre tract managed by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and ran from 9:30 a.m. through 4 p.m., with scheduled activities like nature walks, bird watching, decoy carving, face painting and deer processing. Around 10 organizations — including the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum, Let’s Go Fishing and state Endangered Species Committee — tabled underneath large tents just down the road from the visitor center.

Vermont Business Magazine Barr Hill, the esteemed brand known for producing award-winning gin crafted by Vermont-based Caledonia Spirits, continues to lead innovation in the world of distilling with the launch of its latest expression, Barr Hill Sherry Barrel Tom Cat Gin. This limited-edition offering, available exclusively at the brand’s distillery on Gin Lane, is part of the Barr Hill’s Distillery Selection series. An opportunity for the brand’s highly-experienced team to celebrate unique barrels, these Landcrafted small-batched blends showcase exceptional quality created for all barrel-aged spirit enthusiasts to enjoy. 

Vermont State Police On November 3, 2023, at approximately 8:50 AM the Greensboro, Hardwick, Woodbury, Walden, Craftsbury, Wolcott and Sheffield / Wheelock Fire Departments were dispatched to a structure fire at a single-family residence located at 108 Batchelder Rd in Stannard, VT. When fire crews arrived, they discovered the structure fully involved in fire.  Defensive firefighting actions were taken, and the fire was extinguished. During Greensboro Fire Chief David Brochu’s assessment of the scene, he learned an occupant was not accounted for and believed to be somewhere within the fire scene.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today filed an amicus brief asking a federal court to stay, or temporarily pause, a federal PCB lawsuit brought by a group of schools against Monsanto, after the State had already filed a suit in state court against Monsanto for PCB contamination in Vermont schools. The brief notes that the basis and relief requested in the later-filed federal suit, Addison Central School District et al. v. Monsanto et al., overlaps with the State’s first-filed suit currently proceeding in state court. The State’s suit seeks to recoup the millions of dollars the State is spending on its school testing and remediation program and alleges claims for PCB contamination in the natural environment, including Lake Champlain. Temporarily pausing the federal suit will conserve resources and is likely to save taxpayer dollars.

Vermont Business Magazine Maclay Architects and Vermont Integrated Architecture, PC (VIA) have announced that Maclay Architects will become “VIA - Maclay Studio” as of January 1, 2024. The staff at Maclay Architects will become VIA employees at that time. Nationally-recognized as a pioneer of sustainable architecture, Bill Maclay has been practicing in the Mad River Valley for over 50 years. With trailblazing projects throughout Vermont and the Northeast (e.g. Aiken Building at UVM, Coastal Maine Environmental Learning Center, Putney School Fieldhouse) Maclay helped set the standard for ecological design and continued to innovate throughout his career.

Vermont Business Magazine Come to the Natural Fiber Lab at Smokey House Center for a discussion of the processes involved in turning locally grown plant fibers into finished cloth with Smokey House Center’s Natural Fibers Researcher, Andrea Myklebust. This Explore Smokey House Series titled, “Local Cloth” will be held Friday, November 10 from 5pm - 7pm. Participants will learn about the tools and materials used in transforming bast fibers (flax and hemp) from raw straw to spinnable fiber, spun yarn, and woven cloth. Andrea will discuss her work at the Smokey House Natural Fiber Lab, our ongoing fiber hemp research projects with UVM, and current work being undertaken regionally to revive local bast fiber textile production. 

Vermont Business Magazine During a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing this week, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) raised concerns about persisting threats to the nation’s election administration and stressed the importance of holding those who interfere with elections accountable. Sen. Welch also emphasized the need to support and safeguard the welfare of civil servants assisting with election administration. 

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, GlobalFoundries opened its doors in Essex Junction to local high school students for a day of learning and tours in honor of Manufacturing Day (the first Friday of every October). Hosted by GF's GlobalAmbassadors, Juniors and Seniors from Center for Technology Essex and Winooski High School visited the site to learn about GF, tour the fab and facilities, learn different career pathways at GF, chat with engineers over lunch, and try a hands-on robotics demo with SPOT the robot.