Current News

Public Assets Institute There was good news on the jobs front in 2022, according to data just released by the Vermont Department of Labor. Last year, the state counted over 9,000 net additional jobs covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI). Every county except Franklin saw growth. This was the second record-setting year in a row; Vermont added more than 8,000 jobs in 2021. In the previous two decades, Vermont had never gained more than 4,000 jobs in a single year.

by John McClaughry The word “historic” is seriously overused these days, too often to describe events more curious than momentous. A case can be made, however, for the events taking place this week in the “veto session”, in which the supermajority Democratic legislature confronts a popular Republican governor. Consider this combination of facts.

Vermont Business Magazine The Addison County Economic Development Corporation has been awarded a $50,000 grant from USDA/Rural Development to undertake a study regarding the feasibility of expanding the ACORN Food Hub and adding a Commercial Community Kitchen to support the sale and distribution of local foods and increase local food access in the Champlain Valley region. The goal of an expanded Champlain Valley Food Hub is to maximize the volume of local food Champlain Valley wholesale buyers are sourcing and to increase access to markets for Champlain Valley growers and food producers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement regarding potential legislative action during the Legislature’s June Veto Session. The veto session begins today and is scheduled through Friday.  The new hotel/motel program being considered would extend benefits only to those who are in the program ending July 1, about 2,000 people, and who meet eligibility requirements. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Vermont Magazine today announced the winners of the 2023 Vermont Writers’ Prize, a top literary award in Vermont that honors local authors for their salutes to the state through poetry and prose.  Robert Bernstein of Bristol won for the poem “Job Site Repair of Worn Out Glove,” which brings the bitter cold of Vermont winters to life, and Mary Alexandra Peet of Richmond won for “Searching for ‘The Donut Man,’” a reflection on the power of childhood memories of family, community, and Vermont summers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating a fatal shooting by an officer with the Fair Haven Police Department that occurred Monday evening, June 19, 2023, in the town of Fair Haven. The shooting occurred at about 7:40 p.m. Monday at a residence on Washington Street when a Fair Haven officer responded to a report of an ongoing altercation. Preliminary information indicates that when the police officer arrived, an altercation occurred between the officer and a man outside the home. The officer subsequently fired his department-issued handgun, striking the man. He was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.60/g, up 1.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.58/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.39/g while the highest was $3.73/g, a difference of 34.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.56/g today. The national average is up 2.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 141.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Friday sent a letter to Amazon President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy following reporting that patients seeking to enroll in Amazon Clinic, the company’s “virtual healthcare storefront,” are asked to provide Amazon with expansive access to their health information and authorize the company to disclose that information to other entities. The letter requests information on the types of data collected by Amazon Clinic Services and how Amazon is using the data it collects.

Vermont Business Magazine Members of the Rutland Area Medical Community recently awarded seven $2,500 scholarships to local students pursuing a career in healthcare. The scholarship program has been made possible through the generosity of Rutland area physicians, retired physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The Rutland Area Medical Community scholarship is intended to stimulate the region’s best and brightest students, encouraging them to continue their education in the field of healthcare. The scholarship awards are aimed at creating opportunities that empower recipients to achieve excellence in education. 

Vermont Business Magazine The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region invites players to the fifth annual Golf Day Fore VNA, presented by One Digital on August 18, 2023, at the Mount Anthony Country Club at 180 Country Club Drive in Bennington, VT. The format for the tournament is a four-person scramble and features a post play beach-inspired BBQ lunch, tee prizes, and raffles. Registration begins at 11:30am with a shotgun start at 1pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed seven bills into law, as passed by the General Assembly, including H.175, An act relating to modernizing the Children and Family Council for Prevention Programs; and H.291, An act relating to the creation of the Cybersecurity Advisory Council. This concludes action on legislation as passed by the General Assembly. However, for the several bills that the governor previously vetoed, like the budget (which eventually must be passed) and the child care bill, lawmakers will hold a "veto" session beginning Tuesday, June 20.  

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto to protect and restore Vermont’s natural resources and schools affected by PCB contamination. The lawsuit, which seeks recovery for PCB contamination in schools on a statewide basis, is the first of its kind in the nation. The lawsuit alleges that, for decades, Monsanto knew its commercial PCB formulations were highly toxic and would inevitably produce the contamination and human health risks that have occurred. “Monsanto manufactured, marketed, sold, and distributed PCBs while knowing that its products would cause significant, long-term damage in Vermont,” said Attorney General Clark.