Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor hosted its second spring Job Fest in Rutland last Thursday, continuing to help Vermonters find meaningful employment opportunities this season. The event attracted over 200 jobseekers and nearly 60 employers, adding to the over 100 employers from a variety of different sectors who have participated thus far in this statewide effort. More Job Fests are coming up this week across Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) led the Vermont and New Hampshire congressional delegations in sending a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis R. McDonough today, urging the VA to use authority granted under the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 to make it easier for veterans stationed in Kosovo from 1999 onwards to access health care and disability benefits for conditions related to toxic substance exposure during their service. The letter was signed by Senators Bernard Sanders (I-Vermont), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vermont), Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Ann Kuster (D-NH), and responds to concerns raised by the Vermont National Guard.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) grantees NEK Broadband Executive Director Christa Shute and Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT) Vice President of Industry Relations Roger Nishi will testify on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 3 pm before the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy. The hearing is entitled, “Rural Broadband: Connecting our Communities to the Digital Economy.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a series of important broadband programs geared to the most rural areas of America where it is most costly to build and operate broadband infrastructure. True high-speed internet is fundamental for effective participation in our nation's economy, healthcare, education, and personal job success, as well as access to federal and state services, the political process, and community engagement.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) joined Representative Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Rep. Eric Sorensen (Il-17) in introducing a resolution to expel George Santos from Congress. This resolution would force the full House to vote on the resolution to expel, potentially leading to the expulsion of Santos. “Democracies don’t die overnight; they erode slowly as we degrade our ethical standards and turn away from our values. The Republican party’s defense of this proven liar who’s been indicted on 13 criminal charges is sign of the deteriorating health of our government. Americans want to have faith in our democracy, but with trust in government at an all-time low it’s critical we take action to restore that trust. Today, we’re calling on Members of conscience to stand up for truth and finally expel George Santos.”

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s commitment to a high-quality, accessible, and affordable education has resulted in a projected 8% increase in the number of students from the state of Vermont in the class of 2027 compared to last year. The university has made concerted efforts to make a UVM education affordable for all students through a tuition freeze announced in 2019. Both out-of-state and Vermont students will pay tuition rates that have not increased for five academic years. The class boasts more BIPOC students, more men, more Vermonters and more foreign students and matches the most selective in school history, which was just last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Speaker of the House, Representative Jill Krowinski, has announced the formation of a Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry to investigate the conduct and potential wrongdoing of Franklin County Sheriff Grismore and State’s Attorney Lavoie. Today she announced the committee roster, which will be chaired by Representative Martin LaLonde and Vice-Chaired by Representative Mike McCarthy. The remaining committee members include Representative Matt Birong, Representative Carolyn Branagan, Representative Tom Burditt, Representative Karen Dolan, and Representative Kelly Pajala.

Vermont Business Magazine For the third time, the Renal Dialysis Unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), has earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS Stars Program is designed to help patients understand differences in the quality of services being provided by different dialysis centers. Having earned the highest rating possible in its most recent review, SVMC’s Renal Dialysis Department has the unique distinction of being the only 5-star renal program in the state of Vermont and is proudly in the elite top 10% of facilities nationwide to earn a 5-star rating. According to the CMS website, the rating system allows consumers to compare dialysis facilities based on measurements related to five key performance areas.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is currently experiencing high and very high fire danger due to drier than normal weather conditions. The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) is reminding the public to exercise caution and follow all state laws and local ordinances regarding open burning. The National Weather Service has issued Special Weather Statements for elevated fire weather and additional Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings are anticipated. Open burning requires a permit from your town forest fire warden, and Vermonters should always check with their town forest fire warden before burning. When conditions are dry, town fire wardens can institute a burn ban in their respective town.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a Williston-based solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50 years of experience accelerating the adoption of innovative electrical technologies, today announced financial results for the first quarter 2023. iSun reported first quarter 2023 revenue of $17.4 million, up 15% from $15.1 million in the same period in 2022. Revenue growth for the first quarter of 2023 was driven primarily by the fulfillment of our residential backlog and multiple commercial and industrial projects receiving notice to proceed; total backlog was $178.8 million as of March 31, 2023. iSun also generated new future demand by adding $32.0 million in new business during the first quarter, primarily driven by strong demand in commercial and industrial services as well as for project origination and design services.

Vermont Business Magazine DFR Commissioner Kevin Gaffney announced the recent appointments of Amanda Smith and Aaron Ferenc as deputy commissioners of the securities and banking divisions within the Department of Financial Regulation. In November 2022, then-Director of Examinations Ferenc was appointed interim-deputy commissioner of banking. Earlier last year, Smith, who was then supervising the administration and registration unit in the securities division, became interim-deputy commissioner of securities. Department Commissioner Gaffney said their contributions during the past year were instrumental in maintaining continual, effective operations.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Afghan Alliance today announced the hiring of former Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray as executive director of the non-profit. Gray will serve in an interim role for the time being, working to grow the Alliance’s capacity in meeting the needs of Afghans resettled in Vermont. The Vermont Afghan Alliance (VAA), a 501(c)3 and registered Vermont non-profit, was formally launched in April 2022 by Co-Founder and Board President Wazir Hashimi and Co-Founder and Board Vice President Dan Barkhuff with the sole mission of assisting Afghans in obtaining access to basic services and successfully resettling in the Green Mountain State. Today, the VAA’s signature offerings include a driving program, support with employment access and translation, and the hosting of cultural events and celebrations.

Vermont Business Magazine The Biden-Harris Administration announced Tuesday the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for rural energy and utility providers across the country to bring affordable, reliable clean energy to their communities. It is the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936. Funding is available through two programs under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program: $9.7 billion to eligible rural electric cooperatives for deploying renewable energy systems, zero-emission and carbon capture systems; Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program: $1 billion in partially forgivable loans to renewable-energy developers and electric service providers, including municipals, cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities to help finance large-scale renewable energy projects.