Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D) applauded the inclusion of additional USCIS funding in the stopgap government funding bill (HR 8337) that passed the US House of Representatives on Tuesday night. The additional funds, long championed by Welch and Senators Patrick Leahy (D) and Bernie Sanders (I), will prevent the furloughs of agency staff in Vermont, and across the nation.
Vermont Business Magazine The Economic Recovery Grant Program is fully subscribed at this time and is now closed. The Legislature is working on another round of funding for the program and the Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD) will announce the details of that new phase soon. If you have an application that is in process, ACCD is continuing to process applications in the order they were submitted until the remaining money is gone.
Vermont Business Magazine People's United Bank, NA a subsidiary of People's United Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: PBCT), has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell People's United Insurance Agency (PUIA) to AssuredPartners. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the Agreement, the purchase price is $120 million in cash, reflecting a 3.7x multiple of LTM revenue. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor and Hodgson Russ LLP served as legal counsel to People's United.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont PBS and Vermont Public Radio have announced the 2020 VPR–Vermont PBS Debates, a series of pre-recorded debates among candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and U.S. House of Representatives. The debates will be moderated by Bob Kinzel and Jane Lindholm during VPR’s program Vermont Edition and broadcast by Vermont PBS.
Dartmouth College Dartmouth's endowment generated a return of 7.6 percent for the 2020 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2020, bringing the endowment's total value to $6 billion. For the past 10 fiscal years, the endowment has generated an annualized return of 10.4%. In fiscal year '20, the endowment contributed approximately 30%—more than $270 million—to the annual operating budget.
Vermont Business Magazine Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said at Tuesday’s press conference that although Vermont has seen a small number of COVID-19 cases in schools, none of the people who tested positive got the virus due to being in school. As for opening the economic spigot, Governor Scott said today that on the bar seating change announced last week, this change does not increase capacity at bars & restaurants. Capacity remains at 50% as it has since June 26. This change simply allows seating at the bar counter while complying with the capacity limit and all other safety measures in the guidance.
Vermont Business Magazine House Speaker Mitzi Johnson said, “Systemic racism stacks the rules and expectations of our society against Black, Indigenous and People of Color. In order to build a truly just and equitable society, we must be committed to breaking down structural racism. It is incumbent upon all of us to recognize it, name it, fight it, and right the centuries of wrong. People of all races, genders, and identities should feel welcome and at home in Vermont, yet in order for this to be true, there is work to be done.
Vermont Business Magazine Education Secretary Dan French announced today that when providing in-person instruction, all Vermont schools will operate at Step III effective September 26, 2020. This change in step level does not change the decision-making authority of a school district to offer in-person instruction or not, but if a district decides to do so, it must operate in-person instruction at Step III. This also means that this Saturday, fall school sports may resume competition.
Vermont Business Magazine Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont’s non-profit community mental health agency, announced today that they provided over $8,000 in support to local food shelves this summer. In response to learning that many of their clients were struggling with food insecurity and that the shelves of local food centers were running low as a result of the pandemic, the agency undertook a successful campaign to raise needed funding to support the food needs in southeastern Vermont.
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos “Today is National Voter Registration Day – a day we use as a reminder to encourage eligible Americans across the country to register to vote so that we can collectively be prepared to participate in our democratic process, from local budget elections all the way up to choosing the next leader of this country. Unfortunately, for too many Americans, discriminatory voter laws designed to restrict access to the ballot box have made the work of National Voter Registration Day even more important. Fortunately, in Vermont we have taken a different approach.
Senator Patrick Leahy I stand here today with an incredibly heavy heart. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – a tireless, legendary champion of equality who reshaped our society for the better – passed away on Friday, the first eve of Rosh Hashanah. Adherents of the Jewish faith believe that a person who passes away during the High Holidays is a person of great righteousness. Truer words couldn’t be spoken of Justice Ginsburg.
Vermont Business Magazine The Berkshire Bank Foundation announced today that due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic it has contributed more than $1 million to collaborative efforts supporting nonprofit organizations responding to community-based needs. The organizations supported in Vermont through Berkshire Bank Foundation’s contributions include Black River Good Neighbor Services, Inc, Arlington Food Shelf, Inc, Community Food Cupboard, Inc and Rutland Community Cupboard, among others.