Vermont Business Magazine News

The US Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday approved a five-year farm bill that includes a new dairy program and other features important to agriculture in Vermont.  The bipartisan vote was 15 to 5, sending the bill to the Senate Floor for debate and votes.

The Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc. (NPCC) today released the results of its annual summer reliability assessment. The comprehensive assessment projects that the region will have an adequate supply of electricity this summer.

RE/MAX of New England’s April Monthly Housing Report indicates that median price and number of homes sold increased from the same time last year across the region.  According to RE/MAX New England, home sales in Vermont increased over 24 percent year-over-year, while the median home price increased by 6.3 percent, now standing at $210,000.

The Energy Co-op of Vermont’s Co-op Solar hot water heating program has received the Vermont Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its contributions to protecting the environment, conserving energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Governor Peter Shumlin, state transportation officials and legislators today announced a plan to reduce travel and parking demand among state workers, and expand parking at the popular Richmond Park and Ride bus stop off Interstate 89. 

Fletcher Allen Health Care filed two Certificate of Need (CON) applications today with the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB).    Conceptual CON

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today issued the following statement on a Congressional Budget Office report that the federal deficit is expected to total $642 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30: 

The eleven winners of the Vermont Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence were recognized Monday as part of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility annual meeting. The event was held at the University of Vermont Davis Center. The awards were presented by Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz.

by Nat Rudarakanchana May 14, 2013 vtdigger.org In one of the last items of Statehouse business Tuesday, top tax legislators decided against extending a tax break for users of cloud computing software for three more years.

by Andrew Stein May 14, 2013 vtdigger.org In a final-hour move, the Vermont House voted on Tuesday to strip a charge on health insurance premiums from Senate bill 152.

by Alicia Freese May 14, 2013 vtdigger.org Two education bills that were floundering on Monday met different fates Tuesday in the final hours of the legislative session.

by Anne Galloway May 15, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont Legislature adjourned Tuesday night after an exhausting two-day bill passing marathon that sapped the patience of lawmakers. Dozens of bills were churned through the House and Senate within a matter of hours. Some were small provisions; others were big ticket items like the budget and tax bills.

According to a just-released report, Vermont continues to hold its place as one of the likeliest places for embezzlement in the US. The 2012 Marquet Report on Embezzlement is the fifth annual white collar fraud study on major embezzlement cases in the United States.

by Nat Rudarakanchana May 14, 2013 vtdigger.org Despite much political drama and grandstanding, campaign finance reform failed this year, which means tighter regulations on money in politics won’t be imposed until at least the 2016 elections.

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery officially broke ground this spring at the newly acquired Ayers Brook Goat Dairy in Randolph, Vermont. The first demonstration farm of its kind in the US, Ayers Brook will model best practices in goat dairy farming, support regional agriculture and offer a teaching venue for potential and current goat farmers.

by Andrew Stein May 13, 2013 vtdigger.org The state Senate voted Monday to place a charge on health insurance premiums and extend an employer assessment to pay for the operation of the state’s new health insurance marketplace, called Vermont Health Connect.

by Alicia Freese May 13, 2013 vtdigger.org A contentious end-of-life bill that has ricocheted between the two chambers of the Vermont Legislature since February came to rest Monday when the House voted 75-65 to accept the Senate’s changes to the bill. The bill now heads to Governor Peter Shumlin, who supports the end-of-life initiative.

With a late season push across the country, which saw mid-winter conditions into mid-March in Vermont, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has announced that US ski areas tallied an estimated 56.6 million skier and snowboarder visits during the 2012/13 season. The results represent an 11 percent increase over the previous season, and the largest year-over-year gain in 30 years.

Berlin City Auto Group, a family of dealerships founded in 1980 in New England, and its Drive for Education foundation, a forward-thinking program created by the employees of Berlin City Auto Group, announce the award recipients in its Drive for Education program. Donating $33,050 to 24 K-12 schools spanning across New England, Berlin City Auto Group has succeeded in awarding of $204,695 to local schools.

Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) Director Peter Owens today announced the meeting schedule of the Waterfront Public Investment Action Plan (PIAP) Public Investment Team and encouraged community input into the 50 public improvement project concepts that have been submitted in response to the PIAP

by Anne Galloway May 13, 2013 vtdigger.org On Monday, legislative leaders capitulated to Governor Peter Shumlin’s wishes for the second time in a week.

by Anne Galloway May 14, 2013 www.vtdigger.org The final budget deal was set on Monday after 10 days of negotiations between House and Senate leaders. The chairs of the two Appropriations Committees pieced together $10 million in savings as part of an agreement with the Shumlin administration. Legislative leaders agreed to rescrub the budget in lieu of raising new General Fund taxes.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced $1.8 million in grants from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to help three communities replace municipal buildings damaged by flood waters.  The funding comes from $21.6 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funds ACCD received from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to help the state recover from Tropical Storm Irene and the spring floods of 2011.   

by Alicia Freese May 13, 2013 vtdigger.org The marijuana decriminalization bill is headed to Governor Peter Shumlin’s desk to be signed into law. The House agreed Monday to accept the changes made to the bill on the Senate side, marking an end to legislative work on the bill.

A Vermont National Guard outreach effort will receive $1.8 million this year for the pioneering program that informs veterans and their families about benefits they have earned, Vermont’s congressional delegation announced Monday.  The award is Vermont’s share of $20 million for eight states that have adopted the Vermont outreach program model and a new effort to expand the program to National Guard and Reserve units nationwide. 

At the Saint Michael's College 106th Commencement exercises on May 12, some 470 students earned bachelor’s degrees, 47 earned master’s degrees and 4 earned honorary doctoral degrees. The honorary degree recipients were lauded with citations, excerpts from which follow: 

Fletcher Allen Health Care’s Stroke Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get With The Guidelines” Silver Achievement award for its success in providing excellent care for stroke patients according to evidence-based guidelines. 

The Shumlin Administration and Vermont Troopers’ Association (VTA) announced today that the administration and the VTA have reached a tentative agreement on a new two year labor contract, subject to ratification by the VTA membership. The existing contract is scheduled to end on June 30 of this year.    

World Learning announced today thatDonald Steinberg, deputy administrator for the US Agency for International Development and a former ambassador, will be the organization's next president and CEO.

Valener Inc (Valener) (TSX: VNR), the public investment vehicle in Gaz Métro Limited Partnership, is today announcing its financial results for the second quarter ended March 31, 2013. Gaz Métro is the owner of Green Mountain Power and Vermont Gas Systems. Highlights: Valener