Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections on Tuesday evening announced an unsuccessful escape attempt at Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St Johnsbury. Mid-afternoon Tuesday, Department security staff became aware of an incarcerated individual’s attempt to escape the secure section of the facility. The individual was identified as Seth Brunell, a detainee at NECC. Brunell did not leave the secure section of the facility and did not pose a danger to the public during the event.

by Ciara McEneany, Community News Service Vermonters are one step closer to receiving job-protected leave to deal with the fallout of sexual and domestic violence as part of Democrats’ major paid leave bill, which passed through the House and into the Senate last month. Since the start of the session the bill has seen a $17 million bump in its cost — likely heightening opposition from Gov. Phil Scott and employers in the state. The bill, H.66, aims to create the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. Along with providing traditional types of paid time off, the bill would also fund time off for survivors of domestic or sexual violence and their guardians.

Vermont Business Magazine Middle and high school educators in Vermont can increase their financial literacy and personal finance teaching skills by attending a free, online, asynchronous graduate level course that will be available from July 3 through August 25. Funding for the course is again being provided by Northfield Savings Bank Foundation. All of the available spots for this session are open to Vermont educators. Applicants will be notified of acceptance no later than June 2.

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications (Nasdaq: CNSL) is celebrating and thanking its employees for volunteering in the communities where they live and work, during National Volunteer Week (April 16-22). Across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, Consolidated employees volunteered nearly 2,000 hours with more than 50 organizations in 2022. One such volunteer, Dennis Barr, OSP Engineer at Consolidated, turned his love for sports into a way to help young athletes. The Greater Hartford Youth Football Association is a non-profit youth sports program serving the White River Junction, area. Each year about 50 kids in grades four through six, participate in the youth football program.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) delivered remarks on the House floor in opposition to the rule and against HR 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Schools Act. “I rise in opposition to the rule, and to speak clearly and directly on HR 734, which Republicans are ironically calling the “Protecting Girls in Schools Act.” This bill is undeniably an attack on our kids. And does nothing to protect girls. Bills like this are aimed at taking away rights from LGBTQ+ Americans, often time kids. Kids and their families are being targeted and harassed for political gain. Is this the nation we want to live in?"

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont announced today that it has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 as the cornerstone of a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan (CSP) that lays out strategies for increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The CSP prioritizes decarbonization and features objectives in the areas of operations, governance and planning, and research and learning. The university will develop a program for “greening” campus labs, and reduce waste generated per campus user 10% by 2035. Over the next six years, UVM will develop a campus energy plan to help prioritize renewable energy investments, increase the percentage of electric vehicles in the fleet, make buildings more efficient, and drill geothermal test wells on campus.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont is excited to announce the inaugural Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Summit, taking place June 21-22, 2023. The new RISE Summit will bring together researchers, business leaders, and alumni to spotlight the opportunities and challenges of economic development in Vermont and the surrounding region. The convened leaders will discuss solutions to pressing needs including clean water, sustainable energy, affordable housing, food production, and more, and demonstrate the potential for university-community-business partnerships to succeed in these areas.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a jury trial, Everett A. Simpson, 45, formerly of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was convicted on all counts – two counts of federal kidnapping and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. According to court documents and testimony, on January 4, 2019, Simpson absconded from the Valley Vista treatment facility in Bradford, Vermont, and stole a commercial van in Newbury, Vermont, eventually deserting that vehicle in a parking garage in Manchester, New Hampshire on the morning of January 5. Later that same day, in the parking lot of the Mall of New Hampshire, Simpson kidnapped a young woman and her four-year-old child after forcing his way into the young woman’s car. Simpson held the woman and her child against their will, driving from New Hampshire into Vermont, where Simpson attempted to locate his estranged wife.

by Representative Ashley Bartley (R-Fairfax) Highlighting a study from the University of New Hampshire, the number one concern for Vermonters today is housing; both finding affordable housing but also the ability to purchase. In 2022, Republicans and Democrats alike ran on combating the housing crisis facing our State. A crisis, I will add, that is decades in the making. That is why the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs committee spent the first half of the session on producing S.100, the Senate's omnibus housing bill that included funding to assist those experiencing homelessness and other important housing-related programs and organizations. The bill also contained strong and much needed Act 250 revisions.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Danielle (Danny) Fitzko as commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR). Fitzko has served as interim commissioner since January 2023, and has worked at FPR since 2003, including as director of forests for the past four years. She replaces Michael Snyder, who served as FPR commissioner for 12 years. Fitzko will lead FPR’s 130 full-time employees across four divisions, and over 400 seasonal workers that mainly operate our world class Vermont State Park system. The FPR team works to support the diverse offerings of the Vermont landscape: scenic vistas featuring mountains, lakes, and rivers; and a strong rural identity of working lands, outdoor lifestyle, and traditions.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed three bills into law. These are: H.28, An act relating to diversion and expungement; H.466, An act relating to technical corrections for the 2023 legislative session; and S.54, An act relating to individual and small group insurance markets. He noted that for H.28, that the expungement, which he agrees with, would be better served by sealing the records instead of destroying them.