Vermont Business Magazine News

Verizon Wireless recently enhanced voice and fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage in Waitsfield, Vermont. 4G LTE empowers Verizon Wireless customers with compatible devices to surf the Web, post status updates and photos, and download files wirelessly at speeds up to 10 times faster than customers on 3G networks.

Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe will open its doors on June 28 following a multi-million dollar renovation. Anchored in the desire to bring the original structure into the 21st century, the updated Topnotch includes a reimagined arrival experience, modernized design elements and a fresh, new take on the Stowe restaurant scene. 

Governor Peter Shumlin, Agriculture, Food & Markets Secretary Chuck Ross, Commerce & Community Development Secretary Lawrence Miller, Forests, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder and the Working Lands Enterprise Board today announced the final grant recipients from the Service Provider and Capital and Infrastructure areas of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund, awarding more than $750,000 to 16 grantees representing sectors across agriculture, forestry and forest products. 

Campaign for Vermont (CFV) founder Bruce Lisman will be hosting three, 90-minute, public forums next week focused on generating discussion and ideas around building a stronger economy in Vermont where everyone is secure and can prosper. “We’re hosting these forums primarily to listen to Vermonters who want to share their point of view, the challenges they face and their aspirations for the future of our state,” Lisman said. “We also want to learn from the panel of local social service providers, employers and other experts.”

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $10,000 grant from TransCanada Corporation in support of our outreach programs and scholarship fund. Thousands of school children, teachers, conservation volunteers, and other adult learners from throughout New England participate in VINS’ environmental education, research, and rehabilitation programs each year at the VINS Nature Center (VNC) and in area schools, camps, and community organizations.

by Andrew Stein June 18, 2013 vtdigger.org Vermont Gas Systems has consistently maintained that its proposed 41.2-mile southern expansion into Addison County would help reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions. But an analysis from the Conservation Law Foundation suggests the natural gas pipeline would increase carbon dioxide pollution.

The State of Vermont has received 2 million dollars for cleanup of a contaminated gas station located in New Haven, Vermont. The recovery resulted from a lawsuit brought by Attorney General William Sorrell to recover payments that were made from the Vermont Petroleum Cleanup Fund (PCF) at the site and the future costs of cleanup. The suit was brought after the Department of Environmental Conservation discovered the existence of an insurance policy that had not been disclosed, as required, in the application for funding from the PCF.

The Melrose Terrace public housing development was full long before FEMA maps placed it squarely in a special flood hazard area. Its 80 or more elderly and disabled residents were accustomed to evacuations long before and long after President Bill Clinton issued a presidential order that no critical population shall be housed in a flood zone using federal money.

Mobius announced this week its expansion from a regional mentoring agency into Vermont’s Mentoring Partnership. Moving forward, Mobius will provide technical support, advocacy, and funding for youth mentoring programs throughout the state of Vermont. Since 2003, Mobius has served mentoring programs in Chittenden County as a regional mentoring umbrella organization. Mobius’ statewide expansion is a collaborative effort with mentoring programs and funders to provide mentoring services to all areas of the state, and to form a unified voice for the mentoring cause.

Georgia Mountain Community Wind farm (GMCW) opened the turbine doors and greeted over 750 community members atop Georgia Mountain at an open house recently.

On Monday afternoon, June 17th at a special awards’ reception at the VTC Williston Campus eight high school/technical center students from around the state were honored and received cash awards for their outstanding entrepreneurial business plan submissions in the 5th Annual VT REAL High School/Tech Center Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition.  Teachers, family and friends, school administrators,&n

Anbaric Transmission (www.anbarictransmission.com) is hailing the coordinated initiative by five New England states to include large hydro in the mix of resources that could be purchased under a regional procurement for renewable energy. 

Governor Peter Shumlin, EPA New England Brownfields Director Carol Tucker and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, along with representatives from Vermont’s congressional delegation, launched a new program today that will advance the redevelopment of brownfields, former industrial or commercial properties that are contaminated from historical uses making it difficult or impossible to put them to new uses. In addition, six Vermont organizations redeveloping brownfields were awarded funding for that work from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said a new report released today by the Joint Economic Committee showed the average student loan debt in Vermont was greater than the amount in all but six other states. New Hampshire's was by far the highest at ove

Governor Peter Shumlin was joined by administration officials, legislators, and mental health advocates today as he marked the completion of the Middlesex Therapeutic Community Residence. The facility will open Wednesday and will be Vermont’s first secure recovery residence designed to serve mental health patients who do not require long-term hospitalization or acute care but who may present a danger to themselves or others.

The RE/MAX of New England May Monthly Housing Report indicates that the Vermont median home price dipped slightly -2.3 percent year-over-year but experienced a boost in total transactions, up 7.9 percent. Across the region house sales are up both month-over-month and yea

by Andrew Stein June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont Public Service Board on Monday kicked off what’s expected to be the final two weeks of hearings on whether it’s in the public’s best interest for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to obtain a new state operating permit.

ASK-intTag, the US-based subsidiary of ASK, a leading provider contactless technology, has delivered TAP-compatible contactless paper tickets for Metrolink riders to transfer seamlessly to the Metro Rail Lines in Los Angeles. The tickets are produced at its facility located at the IBM campus in Essex Junction.

A new analysis from HealthPocket, Inc of early health insurance rate filings finds that the least expensive plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have higher out-of-pocket costs

US Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and US Representative Peter Welch Tuesday announced the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) has been awarded a $27,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to help attract snowmobilers to Vermont.

by Anne Galloway June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org The board of the state workers’ union voted Monday to reinstate Mark Mitchell as executive director of the Vermont State Employees Association, pending an investigation. Mitchell will be placed on paid administrative leave until the probe, which could last as long as a month, is completed.

by Hilary Niles June 17, 2013 vtdigger.org Bill Stenger found more money than he knew what to do with when he started developing the year-round water park that opened at Jay Peak in 2011. So he dreamed up a new idea — a much bigger one that’s unfolding at a rapid clip before his very eyes.

UTC Aerospace Systems has been selected by Airbus to supply a common fuel gauging system for its single-aisle aircraft. The system was designed and will be produced by the Sensors & Integrated Systems team in Vergennes, Vermont (formerly Goodrich). UTC Aerospace Systems currently provides the full fuel gauging system for the Airbus A321 aircraft. This selection adds the A319, A320 and A320neo platforms.

When we say North Country Hospital is the place where “caring runs deep” we really mean it! Not only do we give our best in caring for our patients, we care about the food they eat and their over-all health.

MVP Health Care has announced that it has selected sales automation technology company Connecture, Inc to facilitate an online shopping, enrollment, retention and billing platform for its Individual and Group products. Connecture's InsureAdvantage is a modular offering designed to integrate seamlessly with health plan websites and business processes. It will enable MVP's members to select and enroll online in the right health plan for them.

As part of its continuing effort to assist families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent future foreclosures, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced $37,810.00 in housing counseling grants to two local Vermont organizations: Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc. of Barre and Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council, Inc of Rutland. 

A new Vermont company, Touch ‘Em All, just announced that it has launched a crowd-source funding effort to bring baseball manufacturing back to Haiti.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Québec Premier Pauline Marois today unveiled the first sites of the Vermont-Québec Electric Charging Corridor. The corridor is the result of an agreement between Drive Electric Vermont and the Québec-based Electric Circuit.