Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Department for Children and Families announced today that many 3SquaresVT households will continue to receive a higher benefit in November and December. This extra help is part of the federal Coronavirus Relief Bill. It will not permanently change a household’s monthly benefit. It is a temporary increase from the federal government to help those affected by the pandemic. Households at a zero benefit will not receive a benefit. Everyone else will receive the maximum benefit for their household size.

Vermont Business Magazine The national financial website FinanceBuzz used Google Trends data to determine which electric vehicles are the most popular in each state across the US in 2021. The most popular e-vehicle in Vermont was the Volkswagen ID.4. Most states went with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Electric vehicles aren’t a 21st century invention. In fact, the first electric vehicle was made in the mid-to-late 19th century. Even though electric vehicles weren’t really adopted until the 1870s, 40 years earlier in 1832, Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created the first crude version.

Vermont Business Magazine US Secretary of Commerce Gina M Raimondo today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $1 million American Rescue Plan grants to 30 states and territories across the nation, including Vermont, to support statewide economic development planning efforts. The funding will assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks, boost economic development, enhance U.S. competitiveness, combat the climate crisis, and recover from the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Travis Lathe-Godfrey, 26, of Hardwick, Vermont, was arraigned on November 3, 2021, on one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct by a Child. According to documents filed with the Court, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated that someone had used the social media website Facebook to send an electronic file containing child sexual assault material. VT-ICAC subsequently identified the user as Lathe-Godfrey after executing online and residential search warrants.

Vermont Business Magazine The 2021 Regional System Plan (RSP21), the biennial report that lays the foundation for long-term power-system planning in New England, was approved by the ISO New England board of directors November 1. RSP21 looks at the expected changes to New England’s power system through 2030 from factors driving grid transformation, including economic decisions of market participants, environmental goals developed to combat climate change, changing patterns of electricity use, and resource adequacy needed to maintain required reliability criteria. For Vermont, peak demand is forecast to grow due to the electrification of heating and transportation. The transmission system has sufficient capacity to serve expected future demand for the first 10 years of the 20-year planning horizon.

Vermont Business Magazine With this year's winter season officially underway, skiers and snowboarders have another reason to celebrate: Vail Resorts' 34 North American mountains have reached 85 percent renewable electricity—one big step closer to a zero net operating footprint by 2030. Through its operations, as well as by promoting collective participation, Vail Resorts is prioritizing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Vail owns Stowe, Mount Snow and Okemo in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, and part of POWDR, will kick off the 2021-22 winter season at 10 am on Friday, November 5, 2021, becoming the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and snowboarding. The first turns of the season, on Friday, November 5, will be reserved exclusively for Season Pass, Express Card, Beast 365 and Ikon pass holders. The resort will open to the general public on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 9 am.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Business Association in partnership with the City of Burlington is expanding its Downtown Safety program. The Burlington Downtown Ambassador Program will run through the holiday season and will provide critically needed services to the downtown community. Green Mountain Concert Services will provide Downtown Ambassadors from 2pm to Midnight, Wednesday through Sunday. Ambassadors will ensure visitors have an inviting, informed, and safe visit to Burlington. They will also be a resource for downtown workers, helping them get to and from their workplace safely and coordinate with Howard Center Street Outreach and BPD.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced Meagan Tuttle as the City’s next Planning Director. Meagan has served as Burlington’s Principal Planner for more than six years and brings more than a decade of planning experience to the role. Since June, she has also served as the City’s COVID-19 Response Leader, coordinating the City’s internal and external efforts to respond to the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer announced yesterday that the White House and Congressional Democrats had reached a compromise agreement on prescription drug pricing reforms to be included in the Build Back Better Act. The agreement includes a provision to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices, which is currently prohibited by law.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington High School (BHS) and Burlington Technical Center (BTC) are one step closer to having a permanent home. On Tuesday, November 2nd, the Burlington Board of School Commissioners voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Tom Flanagan’s recommendation “to select 52 Institute Road - North as the location of a newly designed Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center and to direct the Superintendent to focus all design efforts on this location.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting today that COVID-19 cases were 198 today, up 30 from Tuesday. There also were five additional COVID-related deaths, for 374 statewide. Meanwhile, the CDC gave final approval late Tuesday for Pfizer vaccines for children 5-11 and parents could begin signing up their kids starting today for shots starting Friday.