Current News

Progressive Grocer It’s often the way of things that the big guys in the industry hog much of the media attention — think of those two grocery behemoths whose impending merger set off a veritable feeding frenzy among members of the press — but independents, like Healthy Living based in South Burlington, also deserve their time in the spotlight. While they may not be able to compete with larger chains in terms of scale, many have perfected the fine art of making themselves beloved and indispensable members of their respective communities, and this approach often helps to boost their bottom lines.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's newest flavor is a delicious take on a beloved global treat no matter how you scoop it. Today, the Vermont-based dessert maker announced Churray for Churros! as its latest ice cream innovation delivering on nostalgia, celebrating all the best components of a churro: crunchy buttery texture, cinnamon, and sugar. The result is a perfect translation from the hot, fried cinnamon sprinkled baked good experience into a decadent ice cream.

by Mike Donoghue, Correspondent, Vermont Business Magazine A former branch manager for the Vermont VA Federal Credit Union in White River Junction has been indicted for charging more than $140,000 on a fraudulently obtained credit card, federal court records show. Tracy Thibodeau, 46, of Windsor was named in the federal indictment for illegal conduct while employed at VVAFCU between 2015 and April 2022, U.S. District Court records show. Thibodeau, formerly known as Tracy Hill, developed a scheme that involved the fraudulent procurement and use of a personal VVAFCU credit card between April 2019 and April 2022, the indictment said. She had been promoted to branch manager in 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc (ticker symbol LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, with a branch in Vermont, today announced revised financial results for Q4 2022 and FY 2022. The revision reflects an evolved view of the current economic environment, with the net result of a larger ending reserve balance and a correspondingly smaller reduction of reserves than previously reported. The revision is not a response to concerns about any individual credit, or groups of credits. All other components of net income are unchanged, confirming the strength and resiliency of the Company’s core banking and wealth management businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine February 24,2023. In 2021 Vermont River Conservancy (VRC) received Clean Water Funding from the Department of Environmental Conservation River Corridor Easement Program. The objective was to engage in scoping and corridor development for several properties throughout Vermont. The goal of developing and ultimately implementing river corridor easements is to improve water quality, build flood resiliency to keep communities safe, and improve aquatic and wildlife habitat. VRC worked with 3 landowners and the DEC Rivers Program scientist over the past year and a half to discuss river corridor easement boundaries and landowner incentive payment – all 3 landowners are farmer families and have committed to developing river corridor easements on their properties.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $11,390,000 to Vermont from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure through this year’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The funding will support Vermont communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies. Nearly half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans helping underserved communities across America invest in water infrastructure, while creating good-paying jobs. This new influx of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will increase monies available for communities to undertake wastewater infrastructure upgrades in Vermont. Project awards are made by state evaluators to ensure they are targeted to the most needed areas.

Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Medical Center Board of Trustees recently appointed four new trustees, adding individuals with experience in health care administration, diagnostic radiology, professional development and diversity, equity and inclusion to the 15-member board. They are: Kevin Chu, Churchill Hindes, Betsy Sussman and Weiwei Wang.

Dartmouth College Technology developed by a team of scientists at Dartmouth, including faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, that contributed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines will allow Dartmouth to make major investments into advancing its research and education enterprise. The discovery at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine was instrumental in quickly bringing to market the COVID-19 vaccines credited with preventing more than 18 million hospitalizations and more than three million deaths in the US alone. The underlying research, conducted by Professor Jason McLellan and his team at Geisel with collaborators at the Scripps Research Institute and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, started in 2014 and culminated in 2016 with the development of a method to stabilize coronavirus spike proteins for use as vaccine antigens.

Vermont Business Magazine A new initiative by Pella Windows & Doors of Vermont was rolled out in 2022, the “Pella + Purpose” program kicked off last year with the commitment to donate $150 to the AIAVT Hanne M. Williams Scholar Recognition Fund (aka the Scholars Fund) on behalf of every VT Architectural Design Professional who completed two Continuing Education sessions. Pella and AIAVT (American Institute of Architects- VT Chapter) announced that the Pella + Purpose campaign successfully raised $7500 in 2022! Fifty participants from twenty-five firms, from around the state, were able to complete the program to raise this $7500 donation.

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) a leading broadband and business communications provider, today announced $22,500 in grant funding to innovative programs at five schools through the Consolidated Connects Educational Grant Program. Consolidated Connects grants support school and district initiatives within the Company’s service area that advance creative student learning, develop 21st century skills, promote critical thinking and utilize innovative technologies. Since the program launched in 2020, the Consolidated has awarded $82,500 to schools in the Company’s service area.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, February 22, Ben & Jerry’s co-founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, gathered with Burlington residents, advocates, and leaders in support of Item 7, a Town Meeting Day ballot question that, if passed, will create an independent Community Control board to oversee local police, with both investigatory and disciplinary authority. Burlington residents will have the opportunity to vote on Item 7 on March 7, 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Secretaries Julie Moore and Joe Flynn, and community leaders today highlighted the importance of securing the $150 million dollars in federal match funding, proposed in the Governor’s fiscal year 2024 budget request, to support critical infrastructure projects for communities across the state. During the Agency of Transportation’s budgetary process, for instance, an analysis determined the Agency would need an additional $79 million from fiscal year 2024 through 2026 to make full use of eligible opportunities for the state to secure federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this $79 million investment, the state could secure a minimum of $341.5 million in federal aid for eligible planned transportation infrastructure projects.