Vermont Business Magazine As announced in KeyCorp’s 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report released in April, the bank has surpassed the five-year goals of its National Community Benefits Plan, providing more than $26 billion focused on economic access and equity to communities across the country. With branches across Vermont, it invested more than $127 million in the past five years in the state.
VermontBiz You might say the "Bam!" moment in the life of trailblazing celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse came many, many years ago courtesy of a pastry chef he admired.
The pastry chef introduced Lagasse to the book "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David Schwartz.
Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's is making a bold commitment to bring greenhouse gas emissions on 15 dairy farms to half the industry average by the end of 2024. Once proven, pilot project initiatives will be expanded to farms across Ben & Jerry's global dairy supply chain. Dairy ingredients account for more than 50% of Ben & Jerry's total greenhouse gas emissions, so the company is focusing on dairy farms as the best opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks ninth with a ratio of 7.21 electric cars to a single station. There are 2,230 electric cars registered in the state of Vermont along with 313 electric charging stations. Financial comparison site Forbes Advisor analyzed data from the US Department of Energy as well as all 50 states to establish how many electric charging stations there are in each state, per registered electric vehicles in said state. However, some states rank high in part because of sporting few actual EVs. For instance, North Dakota ranks first, but has only 220 registered EVs and Wyoming is second with only 330. Meanwhile, Arizona is second worst despite having 28,770 EVs.
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 261 cases of COVID-19 for (248 Monday; 174 Sunday; 273 Saturday; 382 Friday). Cases have edged up in recent weeks, especially in Bennington, Washington and Rutland counties. Hospitalizations have been elevated since mid-April and today were 59 (down 16). The record was 122 on January 19. Health officials have focused on this as a key indicator.
Vermont Business Magazine Representatives from the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria formally entered into a partnership at 2 pm today. Though work between the Austrian military and the Vermont National Guard is not new, the ceremony marked the formal beginning under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.
Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced action on the following bills, passed by the General Assembly. Scott signed several bills and let a sixth become law without his signature, S.197, An act relating to the provisions of mental health supports. The governor said that while he supports the mental health supports contained in the bill, he is concerned with troubling language related to executive privilege.
Senator Patrick Leahy This is a debate about the Women’s Health Protection Act. Protecting women’s health. Protecting half America’s population in their right to seek the health care they require. Protecting their ability, half of America, to make decisions about their own bodies. How is this a question even up for debate? Today the Senate considers the Women’s Health Protection Act. A woman’s right to make choices about her own body is a constitutional right. It was affirmed by the Supreme Court nearly 50 years ago. Polling – as if that should be the benchmark by which we legislate – shows that nearly two-out-of-three Americans believe the fundamental right established in 1973’s Roe vs. Wade should be upheld. Yet here we are today – a body of 100, 76 percent of which are male – making decisions about the private lives of the nearly 168 million women in this country. That’s ludicrous.
Vermont Business Magazine Paul Cillo, founding Executive Director and President of the Public Assets Institute, is stepping down, the organization’s Board of Directors announced today. Cillo has led the think tank, which focuses on advancing racial, social, and economic justice, for 19 years. Cillo’s significant contributions to public policy work span more than 40 years, as a local and state political representative and a consultant on education finance, tax and budget policy, health care, and energy efficiency. He represented Hardwick, Walden, and Stannard in the Vermont House of Representatives for 10 years, serving four years on the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee and four as Majority Leader.
Vermont Business Magazine Today, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah F George announced her re-election bid for 2022. Sarah has served as the State’s Attorney for Chittenden County since January 2017 after Governor Phil Scott appointed her to the position. In 2018 she won the election with 99.1% of the vote. George had been considered a possible candidate for the now open position of attorney general, as TJ Donovan recently announced he would not seek reelection. George will have at least one Democratic primary challenger, as Ted Kenney from Williston announced his candidacy Tuesday.
Vermont Business Magazine Barton Village voters elected not to sell Barton Electric to Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) in an Australian ballot vote on Tuesday, 100-48. The decision allows Barton Village to continue owning and operating the electric utility that serves more than 2,000 customers in Barton, Brownington, Charleston, Irasburg, and Westmore. Barton Village Trustees first announced their recommendation to sell the electric utility to VEC in March. Two informational meetings were held prior to the vote on May 10.
Department of Fish & Wildlife Through interviews and scene processing it was determined that a 14-year-old juvenile was hunting with his father in Hartford. The juvenile had shot and wounded a turkey which resulted in the juvenile and his father splitting up to attempt to locate it. The juvenile’s father was attempting to shoot the wounded turkey and shot the juvenile. The father transported the juvenile to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he was treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.