Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Following the close of a two-week collective effort, Attorney General Charity Clark, the Vermont Bar Association (VBA), the Vermont Paralegal Organization (VPO), and the Vermont Foodbank announced the positive outcome of the Vermont Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food Drive. For the past seven years, legal professionals across the state have come together to run the food drive during Hunger Action Month in September. Vermonters have faced many challenges over the last three years including a COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardships such as inflation, and recent flooding events. For many, these challenges have made it difficult to keep food on the table. This year, Attorney General Clark expanded the scope of the drive to include diapers, as there is no government subsidy for families experiencing diaper need in Vermont. In the two weeks of this year’s food drive, professionals across the Vermont legal community together raised $12,194, which will supply more than $50,483 worth of food to Vermonters. 

by Matthew Durkee, New England President, Community Bank For many of us, one of our first memories is going to a store with our parents and seeing a toy that we just had to have. Oftentimes, our parents would tell us that “If we save our money” that someday we could buy the toy.  Our parents then used that moment to tell help us understand how saving is an important part of obtaining our needs and wants.  Yet many young adults have either not been taught how to save or, unfortunately, they learn by trial and error. As with most phases of development, parents play an important role in teaching their children about money, including how to budget and spend wisely. What we learn as children can have a major impact on what we value as we get older. 

Vermont Business Magazine Do you ever wonder why our global economy produces an enormous range of goods and services yet fails to meet even the most basic needs of 45% of the people of earth? Do you worry that climate change has advanced so far that we are undermining the planet’s capacity to provide the resources and process the wastes on which life depends?  Are you troubled that anti-democratic forces seem to be on the rise, with explosions of political violence and insurgent racism? The Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) at Bennington College is pleased to invite members of the community to examine these questions during a two-day class called “Rethinking Capitalism.” 

Vermont Business Magazine AskFora Co, based in Norwich, Vermont, has announced AskFora Teams, a new SaaS offering that helps organizations save time and money on recruiting, optimize employee development, and tackle workforce planning. Built on AskFora’s AI-driven skills search platform, AskFora Teams automatically maps workers’ skills to open roles using public and internal data. Executives, managers, and HR professionals can quickly match employees and candidates to open positions, identify training programs for new projects, and focus on closing critical skills gaps.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, along with Washington County State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly, will host a free expungement clinic on Friday, October 27, 2023, with appointments available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Expungements wipe from your record specific convictions and dismissed charges after a certain period of time has passed. Under Vermont law, many misdemeanors, 14 different felony offenses, and all dismissed charges can be expunged or sealed. The free clinic will focus on expunging and sealing criminal charges and convictions from Washington County and will be open to the public by appointment.  

Vermont Business Magazine Newbriefs for August 2023 include: BEGAP grants issued to support flood-impacted businesses; GMCB lowers health insurance rate hikes to 13.3% for Blue Cross and 11.5% for MVP; Vermont’s unemployment rate decreased to 1.8% in July, the lowest rate on record; Tax revenues fall short in July; VCBB submits state's BEAD 5-Year Action Plan to federal government; Hospitals urged regulators to increase budgets; SBA physical disaster loans can help fund mitigation measures; Funding now available to support farmers impacted by storms and flooding; UVM plans public-private partnership for new apartment complex; and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) and Community College of Vermont (CCV) are partnering to provide free post-secondary education to Corrections staff and Vermont’s incarcerated population. The program, known as Corrections Post-Secondary Education Initiative (CPSEI), launched staff course offerings in Summer 2023 and began course instruction at Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) and Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) in early September. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Real Brokerage Inc (NASDAQ: REAX), the fastest-growing publicly traded real estate brokerage, announced today that it is open for business in Vermont, increasing the company’s presence to 49 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. and four Canadian provinces. Joining Real as Principal Broker in Vermont is Sandy Reavill. A long-time real estate investor and educator, Reavill went into residential real estate full-time when the pandemic closed schools. During her first year as an agent, she closed 61 transactions.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont tax revenues made up some lost ground last month as the General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund all surpassed their respective consensus targets for August. The Personal Income Tax came back after several lackluster months. The PI is the state’s most important General Fund revenue source. However, the Corporate Income Tax, which had been covering for the PI during that time, fell under projections. The State’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $239.2 million, exceeding the $220.0 million monthly consensus target by $19.2 million, or 8.7%. The Cannabis Excise Tax has brought in $2.6 million. However, Clauser cautioned that the July flooding has upended the reporting process (including some forbearance in some cases), which could take a few more months to sort out.

Vermont Business Magazine Building Bright Futures (BBF) is now accepting grant applications for the Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF). The application portal opened on Friday, September 29, at 8 am and will close on Friday, November 10, at 5 pm. VECF supports creative solutions to improve the well-being of children through age 8, their families, and the Vermont communities where they live. Thanks to a federal grant awarded to the state of Vermont in late 2022, the VECF will be able to expand its funding tenfold this year, from $105,000 for projects carried out in 2023 to $1.1 million for 2024 projects. Expanded VECF funding is slated to continue in 2025 and 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the North Country Career Center, who will begin work to restore a nearby vacant farmhouse thanks to the CTE Construction Rehabilitation Experiential Learning Program and Revolving Loan Fund. Governor Scott advocated for new program with the help of Rep. Michael Marcotte of Newport, lawmakers and other stakeholders. The initiative is designed to give students hands-on experience by working directly on construction projects, which will also help expand Vermont’s housing stock and support community revitalization.

Vermont Business Magazine After more than 24 impactful years of implementing comprehensive safe water, sanitation and hygiene education programs in some of the most rural and underserved communities of Haiti and Honduras, Vermont-based Pure Water for the World, Inc (PWW) is closing its doors. With the persistent economic realities of increased financial pressures and fundraising challenges inhibiting the organization’s ability to continue its sustainable development programming, the Board of Directors has voted to phase out work in both countries. PWW will fulfill its existing commitments to funded programs, with anticipated closure dates of December 31, 2023 in Haiti and June 30, 2024, in Honduras.