VCIA to host America’s largest captive insurance conference August 8-11
Marks a triumphant return to a live, in-person event where networking opportunities will be emphasized
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Windham County Economic Report: You need housing, and housing needs infrastructure
by Clare Morgana Gillis, Vermont Business Magazine Windham County residents often speak of their appetite for more robust economic development and the desire to create a place where young people don’t need to leave to get a good job or be able to afford to buy a home. But the problem with that appetite is that even if it’s fed, there’s no place for the byproduct to run off; lack of investment in infrastructure, in particular wastewater treatment, hampers the construction of new housing. Chris Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission, said that while the housing problem has become much more acute due to pandemic buyup of housing stock, he’s heartened that the issue is widely recognized now. “There’s been an awakening on the issue of housing,” he said.
Vermont Creamery wins sofi for Sea Salt Cultured Butter
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Creamery, B Corp Certified makers of consciously crafted artisanal cheese and butter, today announced it won the Specialty Food Association's coveted Gold sofi Award in the "Other Dairy" category for its Sea Salt Cultured Butter for the sixth time in five years, bringing the brand's total awards to 21 in six years. The coveted award solidifies Vermont Creamery's commitment to high quality artisan butters, creams, and cheeses. The 2022 award marks the second Gold and third trophy for Vermont Creamery's Sea Salt Cultured Butter.
Ben & Jerry's celebrates spring with what could be best cherry flavor yet
Vermont Business Magazine There's no denying the appeal of sweet Bing cherries and dark fudge flakes. Cherry Garcia held the #1 spot on the list of Ben & Jerry's Fan Favorites for 25 years and remains one of the company's most popular flavors of all time. But that reign may be in jeopardy now, thanks to Ben & Jerry's newest Limited Batch. Welcome, Cherry Crumble: an irresistible concoction of buttery ice cream with cherries and swirls of oat crumble.
Secretary of Education French, Deputy Secretary Bouchey send recovery and revitalization letter to Vermont educators
Vermont Business Magazine Today Secretary of Education Dan French and Deputy Secretary Heather Bouchey addressed the following letter to Vermont’s educator and school staff community. Additional information can be found on the AOE recovery website: Dear Vermont Educators: We have come a long way.
Speaker Krowinski statement on the vetoes of criminal justice legislation
Vermont Business Magazine Today, House Speaker Jill Krowinski issued the following statement:
“It is deeply disappointing to see bills vetoed. H.505 and H.534 were both important pieces of our criminal justice reform work this year. H.534, a bill expanding eligibility for expungement and sealing of criminal history records for nonviolent offenses, builds on the already existing system of people being able to petition to have their records cleared and/or sealed. We know that many Vermonters go through difficult times, and not giving them the ability to clear their name after getting on a better path, only sets them up on a course to be denied employment, housing, and a better quality of life.
Vermont Phosphorus Innovation Challenge highlights outcomes and future
Vermont Business Magazine The Burnor Farm in Fairfield, Vermont played host today to visitors and state officials to highlight the developments of the Vermont Phosphorus Innovation Challenge (VPIC), and what the future may hold for the technologies and business models that have been developed to date.
Launched in 2018 by Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Phosphorus Innovation Challenge is an initiative to develop new technologies and practices that help to improve our state’s water quality. VPIC has facilitated the deployment of new technologies for removing phosphorus from our environment and utilizing the phosphorus residuals in value-added post-products. Improving the options for phosphorus management enables farmers and other land managers to better distribute phosphorus resources on the farm. These methods help prevent excess phosphorus runoff into the farm watershed, making the value-added phosphorus materials more readily transported, stored and applied to crops at appropriate times.
AOT road construction report
Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont. Most crews will stop work at noon on Friday, May 27 and be off Monday, May 30 in observance of Memorial Day. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.
UVM staff unions agree to terms of first contract
Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont and the institution’s two newest employee bargaining units, represented by UVM Staff United (UVMSU), have agreed to the terms of their first contract, which will raise wages for all union members and will especially benefit the lowest paid employees.
Union members completed voting today in support of the proposed contract and the university’s Board of Trustees has unanimously expressed its support.
Under the terms of the new contract, UVM will:
- Establish a new minimum wage for employees in the two bargaining units of $20 per hour, far above both state and federal minimum wage rates.
- Increase the base salaries of each UVMSU employee by at least $3,500, retroactive to July 2021.
- Provide two additional 3% increases to base pay of UVMSU employees in July 2022 and again in July 2023.
UVM medical commencement marks launch of much-needed doctors
Vermont Business Magazine With the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034, launching the careers of new doctors has never been more important. On Sunday, May 22, at 3 p.m., the Larner College of Medicine will celebrate the start of 118 new physicians’ careers at the medical Class of 2022 Commencement ceremony at the University of Vermont’s Ira Allen Chapel. (Get the link to the ceremony livestream.)
Key players in the Larner College of Medicine’s ceremony include Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D., Faculty Marshal Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., and Student Marshal Patrick Clarke. Page and UVM Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Isabelle Desjardins, M.D., will deliver welcome remarks and then guest speaker Senator Bernie Sanders will deliver the Commencement address.
Closure of VT 103 bridge #16 over Williams River in Chester, VT
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) announces the closure of VT 103 Bridge #16 over the Williams River just south of Smokeshire Road as part of the VT 103 Bridge #16 Deck Replacement Project. VTrans plans to implement a traffic shift on VT 103 onto the temporary roadway and bridge constructed to carry vehicles over the Williams River during the closure period.
Vermont’s unemployment rate decreased to 2.5 percent in April
Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering April 2022. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for April was 2.5 percent. This reflects a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The March seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate was revised down to 2.6 percent due to the inclusion of additional information.
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