Current News

Vermont Business Magazine VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region recently celebrated VNA Week, full of appreciation for our staff, culminating in our annual Employee Recognition Dinner. This special event is a chance to honor the dedication and hard work of our team members who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care to our patients and families. During the celebration, we proudly recognized our HEALTH Matters award winners and honored our Employee of the Year. The HEALTH Matters awards are a reflection of the core values that guide our agency's mission and service

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s annual Education Tax Letter was released today by the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Taxes. This year’s Letter projects an average tax bill increase of 5.9% next year under current budgetary projections. This is on top of the current year’s 13.9% increase. The average Vermonters education property tax will have increased by one-third over the past three years if today's projection holds.

Vermont Business Magazine For every gift to Vermont Public on Giving Tuesday, the Vermont Community Foundation and its generous fundholders will donate the equivalent of 23 meals that Vermont Foodbank can offer to community members facing hunger and food insecurity. Giving Tuesday is an annual global day of giving that arose in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This global celebration of philanthropy gives people an opportunity to focus their holiday spirit on organizations doing important work in their communities. In 2023, UVM released data showing that 2 in 5 people in Vermont reported facing food insecurity in the year prior. The last two years have brought catastrophic flooding around the state, which continued to amplify challenges for our neighbors experiencing hunger. 

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 2, 2024, Maryann Manning, 63, of Wolcott, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to two years of probation. Chief Judge Reiss also ordered Manning to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration in the amount of $119,978. Manning previously pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging Manning with receiving stolen government money.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association USDA awarded a Community Connect Grant of $2,847,276 to link Groton and parts of South Ryegate with fiber broadband access. The funding will be used to create a new community HUB; outfit Groton and South Ryegate libraries with new equipment; and deploy a Wi-Fi Hotspot at the Groton Nature Center that will help address an extensive dead zone communication area for visitors and first responders. The Community Connect Grant will transform the region by bringing internet service to its residents, businesses, and town officials to address the fundamental need for information on education, healthcare, public safety and community development. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on the passing of Don Turner of Milton: “Don was the embodiment of public service, from his decades of dedication to the Milton Volunteer Fire Department, to his time as a leader in the State House, as town manager in his beloved Milton, and the countless other roles he held over the years. I had the honor of serving in Montpelier with Don for well over a decade. Don was the Minority Leader in the House when I became governor and we worked together on shared priorities. He was respected and liked by most everyone he met and worked with. Whether you agreed with him or not, he treated all with dignity, respect and kindness."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts joined community members at Whitcomb's Family Tree Farm in Essex Junction today to celebrate the arrival of the 2024 Christmas season with the help of Vermont’s tree farmers. The Christmas trees cut during this visit will decorate the Pavilion Building in Montpelier, which houses the Governor’s Office. The Whitcomb family has been operating Whitcomb’s Land of Pumpkins and Corn Maze since 2003. This year will be the family’s first season offering several varieties of cut-your-own and pre-cut trees.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources sent a statement to VermontBiz saying that Secretary Julie Moore has asked Andrea Shortsleeve to serve as Interim Fish & Wildlife Commissioner starting December 1. Outgoing Commissioner Christopher Herrick is stepping down from the Fish & Wildlife Department to accept the position of Director of Safety and Emergency Management at the Agency of Transportation. Secretary Moore thanks Commissioner Herrick for his three years of dedicated work on behalf of Vermont’s natural resources, and welcomes Interim Commissioner Shortsleeve to her new role at the Fish & Wildlife Department. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced that it has awarded $1.3 million in grants through the Mobility and Transportation Innovation (MTI) program. The purpose of the MTI program is to incentivize innovative strategies that improve mobility and access for transit-dependent Vermonters, reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles for work trips, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.13 per gallon, up 3.1 cents per gallon from last week's $3.10/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.63/g while the highest was $3.25/g, a difference of 62.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.00/g today. The national average is down 7.7 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 23.2 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets It has been said that money does not grow on trees, but that phrase may not capture the whole picture, especially if you are one of the 400 or so Vermont and New Hampshire farmers that bring to market Christmas trees, wreaths, garland and other decorator items each year. Many trees are sold to the wholesale market for ultimate resale throughout the region. Others are sold directly to the consumer, who enjoy the process of visiting the farm and taking part in the “cut your own” experience. Within the New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association, the “cut your own” market is the most rapidly growing segment of an industry which annually produces more than 30 million trees nationwide.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) released the following statement about oligarchy in America: This is what Oligarchy looks like: Today, while 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, three multi-billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of American society. Today, we have a greater concentration of ownership than we have seen since the Gilded Age. In sector after sector — financial services, health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, food, housing, etc. — fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay. Today, in America, we have more media consolidation than we have ever had. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates that have a defining impact on our culture and the information we receive.