Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Jeremiah Smith, 44, of Burlington, was sentenced yesterday to 46 months of imprisonment in the United States District Court by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III. Smith previously pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Judge Sessions also ordered that Smith serve three years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment. According to court records, on November 3, 2021, Burlington Police received a report of a pickup truck being stolen from Pine Street in Burlington. The owner of the truck also relayed that a 9mm firearm had been in the truck at the time it was stolen. Burlington Police located the truck on Pearl Street in Essex, Vermont. Essex Police Officers responded to the location of the vehicle and observed Smith as the sole occupant. Smith refused to roll down his window or exit the vehicle after repeated requests.

Vermont Business Magazine Mascoma Bank has announced that two new members have joined its Board of Directors. The new members are Mohamed Basha, Founder/CEO of TLC Nursing Associates, Inc. and Jeff Chu, Co-Founder and Partner of Features Capital. "We’re thrilled to welcome Mohamed and Jeff to the Board of Directors. They both have a wealth of experience and interest in supporting our communities and the people within them in innovative and responsible ways,” shared Deirdre Goodrich, Board Chair. “They will be valuable contributors to Mascoma Bank as we continue to build our reputation as a forward-thinking community bank that keeps customers and reinvestment in our communities at the center of our decisions.”

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) on Tuesday visited Community Health Center in Castleton, VT, a primary care center serving Vermonters throughout Rutland County. Sen. Welch highlighted Community Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program and celebrated the Center’s community-based outreach programs. His visit coincided with National Public Health Week, which celebrates the contributions of health care providers like Community Health. These providers are particularly essential in rural states like Vermont, where health care access is more limited and consistent access to primary care is vital.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Carl Martin, 37, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to 48 months of imprisonment following his June 2022 conviction at trial on drug charges. United States District Judge William K Sessions III also ordered Martin to serve four years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. According to public records, in February 2018, Carl Martin was involved in a shooting in front of the Nectar’s Bar on Main Street in Burlington. Just before the shooting, Carl Martin punched Rashad Nashid in the face and pointed a firearm at him. In return, Nashid fired his own gun in the direction of Martin. The gunshot hit an innocent bystander who was seriously wounded. In connection with the shooting, Nashid received a 150-month sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Carl Martin was never charged for his involvement in the shooting.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $62,283,000 to Vermont to fund essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to a $6 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments available to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure. “Every Vermonter deserves clean and safe drinking water. I fought for improvements to Vermont’s water infrastructure in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and am proud to see these funds come to our state,” said U.S. Senator Peter Welch. “I look forward to working with the EPA and our local partners to put this major investment to good use.”

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to reduce Vermont’s recidivism rate and support workforce development, the Community College of Vermont (CCV) is partnering with the Vermont Department of Corrections to deliver the Corrections Post-Secondary Education Initiative (CPSEI). Supported by a federal grant from the Department of Justice, the program provides tuition-free college courses to Department of Corrections staff and Vermonters who are incarcerated. CCV and the Department of Corrections express their gratitude toward Senator Sanders’s Office for securing funding for the program as part of a $38 million package to support initiatives that strengthen Vermont communities.

Vermont Business Magazine For the past eight months, the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op of Middlebury has been marketing shares in a proposed community solar project, Acorn Energy Solar 4 (AES4), to be located on the closed Hinesburg landfill in Vermont Electric Cooperative’s (VEC) service territory. However, only about a third of the available units in the project have been spoken for as of April 1, 2023. Acorn has agreed with its builder, Aegis Renewable Energy of Waitsfield, that unless Acorn is able to complete the sale of at least 75% of AES4 shares to investors by Thursday, April 20, Acorn will cease its AES4 marketing efforts. Given the time constraints, Aegis has indicated that it intends to exercise its option on April 20th if Acorn cannot find enough investors by then. Aegis must complete project construction by July 6, 2023, to satisfy the CPG.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has hired Kevin Rushing to be the Office of Professional Regulation’s (OPR) new director. Kevin served in the Federal government for 38 years, at both the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Department of State. He was in high-level management positions that oversaw the United States’ national security and diplomatic interests, economic and social development programs, humanitarian efforts, and disaster assistance in developing countries. He also trained as a veterinarian, is a former deputy sheriff, and has most recently supervised a security team at Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate, in a unanimous voice vote, advanced legislation (S.25) that restricts PFAS and other toxic chemicals from cosmetic and menstrual products, and bans PFAS from textiles and artificial turf athletic fields. The bill will be up for third reading in the Senate tomorrow before heading to the House for their consideration. The chemicals banned by this bill – including PFAS, phthalates and formaldehyde – are all linked to numerous negative human health impacts. Recently, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued their first-ever proposal to regulate 6 of the thousands of PFAS chemicals, affirming that virtually no level of these chemicals is safe for drinking water. But much more work needs to be done to understand the extent of PFAS contamination in Vermont’s environment and our bodies, and to protect Vermonters from these harmful chemicals.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) announced Tuesday that Lamoille Health Partners will receive $495,000 to create a statewide primary care residency training program. The funding – awarded through the Health Resources Services Administration’s (HRSA) “Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program” – will help Lamoille Health Partners, in consortium with other federally qualified health centers in Vermont, develop a statewide family medicine residency program with the goal of becoming accredited in the next two years. Once accredited, the three-year program will start with 10 residents and increase to a total of 30 residents by the third year. Nationally, nearly $23 million is being awarded to support the planning and establishment of residency training programs in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, pediatric internal medicine, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and geriatrics.

Vermont Business Magazine Monday night, Mayor Miro Weinberger delivered his 12th annual State of the City address, stating that the State of the City “is reunited and stronger for having weathered so much. The priorities of the City are clear, and we are moving forward.” The speech reflected on the long period of turmoil experienced locally and nationally, and the community’s renewed strength and shared commitment to confront the challenges ahead: protecting public safety, advancing racial justice, continued action on climate, and delivering on the promise of housing as a human right. The mayor also announced the City of Burlington will rename its airport the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. In attendance for the celebratory moment was Marcelle Leahy, with the Senator watching remotely.

Vermont Business Magazine Gardener’s Supply Company, the Burlington, Vermont-based purveyor of great gardening products, is acquiring a fifth garden center, this time in Greenland, New Hampshire. Rolling Green Nursery has been committed to providing healthy and vigorous plant material and premiere horticultural advice throughout southern New Hampshire for more than 45 years. In addition to a robust catalog and e-commerce business, Gardener’s Supply Company already has four garden centers located in Burlington and Williston, VT; Lebanon, NH; and Hadley, MA.