Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported January 11, 2023, that hospitalizations have fallen, but overall COVID-19 cases increased to a still "Low" 432. COVID-19 activity had risen to a "Medium" level during the holidays after being in the "Low" range in the late fall, according to the VDH. Hospitalizations fell to 40 last week (they were as low as 30 last fall). Following an analysis of COVID-19 data, the VDH is reporting a cumulative 86 additional COVID-associated deaths that occurred over the course of the pandemic but had not been previously reported. Most of these deaths occurred in 2022. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Vermont to 881, as of January 10. Of those, 697 of the fatalities have been of Vermonters 70 or older. There have been only 3 deaths of Vermonters under 30. Vermont has the second lowest fatality rate in the US (127 per 100K; Hawaii 125/100K).

Vermont Business Magazine Thirty-four percent of large, profitable corporations paid nothing in federal income taxes in 2018, the first year that the Trump tax cuts went into effect, according to a new study prepared for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO also found that, on average, large, profitable American corporations paid less than 9 percent of their profits in federal income taxes in 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) and VSECU officially merged and are legally operating as one entity as of January 1, 2023. The 2023 Annual Meeting for NEFCU will be held Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 5 pm, at NEFCU, 141 Harvest Lane, Williston, VT. All members are encouraged to attend. A Nominating Committee has been appointed as per bylaws and has nominated eight members to fill eight vacancies on the Board of Directors. Additional nominations for the Board of Directors may be made by petition.

Vermont Business Magazine Williston-based iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50-years of experience accelerating the adoption of innovative electrical technologies, has announced that it was awarded three contracts with a total value of $9.7 million to implement solar energy solutions in communities in northern New England. The new projects result from a new partnership that iSun has formed with an integrated nationwide solar developer.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced he has appointed Shawn Nailor as secretary and chief information officer (CIO) of the Agency of Digital Services (ADS), and Denise Reilly-Hughes as the Agency’s deputy secretary. Secretary Nailor has spent 34 years in public service. He started his career in engineering with the Agency of Transportation (AOT) and crossed over to information technology with the multi-state development of a construction management system. Reilly-Hughes comes to ADS with over 20 years of technology experience in the private sector. Her background includes licensing contracts, technology strategy, customer success, and executive leadership.

Vermont Business Magazine The Richards Group has acquired the WH Shaw Insurance Agency of Manchester, Vermont. The partnership with The Richards Group will benefit clients by ensuring that decisions and service remain local for years to come, while expanding client services and resources. Shaw Insurance's staff will remain at their current office, located at 135 Bonnet Street, Manchester, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich Solar has received a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) from the Vermont Public Utility Commission for a 500 kW AC solar array in Barnet. The ground-mounted system will generate enough renewable clean energy to power approximately 135 homes per year, and offset the carbon emission equivalent of almost 150 cars per year. Milarepa Center, located off Route 5 in Barnet, will host the array. Milarepa Center is a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center named for an 11th century yogi famed for attaining enlightenment in a single lifetime.

Vermont Business Magazine United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Northeastern Regional Field Office based in Harrisburg, PA, has released its field crop summary for New England. Vermont produced the most dry hay, alfalfa and maple syrup of any New England state, as production is up significantly in all three, with Maine leading the way in oat, barley and potato production.

Vermont Business Magazine TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank has launched its 17th Annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. This year, the competition will focus on organizations delivering rental assistance, rehabilitating affordable housing properties, and building organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term. The Foundation will award a total of $7 million to 37 non-profit organizations across 17 states and Washington, DC. TD Bank has branches across Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) delivers an urgent call for protecting reproductive rights during her first speech on the House floor. Representative Balint stands united with her Democratic colleagues as the House considers misleading and dangerous Republican-sponsored anti-abortion legislation. Rep. Balint has long been a champion of reproductive freedom and plans to fight continued attacks on abortion access for all Americans.

Vermont Business Magazine Polly, the leading embedded insurance marketplace for automotive retail, today released an in-depth study on car shopper expectations about insurance that found 72% of recent car buyers saying that they would like an opportunity to get auto insurance at the dealership. The study also found that compressed consumer budgets and inflation, along with shifts in insurance buying preferences, are reshaping consumer expectations about insurance in the dealership.