Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic the SBA Vermont District Office is hosting a free daily webinar from 9 to 10 am Monday to Friday to discuss Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Advance, and any pertinent updates.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has received a grant for more than $21 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The grant funds will be distributed among public transit providers statewide in rural and urban areas and aid AOT in deploying transportation resources to Vermonters.

“This grant money arrives in Vermont just in time to provide needed financial relief to our many transit providers around the state,” said AOT Public Transit Manager Ross MacDonald. “This has been an unprecedented and difficult time for public transit. Drivers have shown courage and flexibility in navigating a serious and complex situation to continue providing essential public transportation options to Vermonters.”

Vermont Business Magazine To ensure Northern Vermont University’s strength and vitality as it rides out the demographic and disruptive challenges facing higher education, NVU must right-size—focus on its core mission, find new revenue streams, and form new partnerships so it stands ready to serve Vermont students and future generations. To guide this transformation, NVU is forming the NVU Strong Advisory Committee. The Committee will be charged with identifying financially sustainable models and initiatives that collectively will ensure a strong and thriving future for NVU’s Johnson and Lyndon campuses as well as NVU Online.

Vermont Business Magazine BTV Ignite, a public/private partnership in Burlington, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, and Burlington Telecom, announced an accelerated timeline for community investments, as well as new programs developed in partnership with the University of Vermont and a wide range of community partners focused on supporting businesses, our local workforce, and economic development. These community investment funds, which will total $3 million over 10 years, are a result of the competitive process directed by the mayor and supported by the City Council that culminated in the sale of Burlington Telecom.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has been awarded a $100,000 Humanities Connections Implementation Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to continue work on the Norwich Humanities Initiative, an interdisciplinary curriculum project which was launched in 2018 with the support of a $35,000 NEH Humanities Connections Planning Grant.

Vermont Research News A team of researchers led by UVM's Dr. David Krag have started a comprehensive data base of peer-reviewed published COVID-19 articles. The researchers cull through the vast volume of published articles, selecting original research, categorizing and summarizing the articles to make them more accessible to the public and health stakeholders. Also, Food insecurity survey; Social Distancing Business restrictions effective; Vermont among top 'pro-women' states; Low-income Vermonters at flood risk; Milk prices below costs – 4th year in a row; The role of slavery in early New England; and more...

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) Interim Chancellor Sophie Zdatny today expressed sincere appreciation for a pledge of support issued over the weekend by House Speaker Mitzi Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe. The VSCS plans for all of its college campuses to open this fall ending weeks of uncertainty about the future of Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College’s Randolph campus. The lawmakers statement said in part: “We are making progress on the steps we outlined and are gathering the financial and operational information needed to be able to fund a transition plan for this year.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced limited elective procedures would resume, which had previously been put on hold as Vermont’s health care system focused on preparing for, and responding to, COVID-19. This does not include elective surgeries that would require a hospital stay, like a hip or knee replacement. The governor’s decision comes as the state’s modeling continues to show spread of COVID-19 has slowed – thanks to Vermonters’ physical distancing efforts – and the state’s ability to track and trace outbreaks of COVID-19 has become more robust. Health care providers who recommence these procedures have been provided guidance and must meet specific mitigation criteria to protect patients and clinicians from possible infection.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Millions of Americans' economic security is being threatened due to this crisis. During this difficult time no one should have to worry about going into default or making additional sacrifices to make their student loan payments. The federal emergency relief bill (the CARES Act) suspends payments and interest accrual for federal student loans through September 30th. I've called on the Department of Education to cancel monthly student loan payments for the duration of the national emergency, and to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for all federal student loan borrowers. While I'm proud the CARES Act provides much needed relief for federal student loan borrowers, we must do more for the millions of Americans with private student loan payments. We must cancel all student loan payments and halt interest accrual for the duration of this crisis. As we work to address the debt crisis and immediate needs of American families during this pandemic, I will also continue to fight to make college accessible and affordable, and to cancel all student loan debt in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington, Vermont-based Encore Renewable Energy announced today the approval of all permits required to construct a 5MW solar array in Oakland, Maine on underutilized land near the center of the town. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company continues to work remotely and is poised to support the economic recovery in Maine with the development and deployment of clean energy across the state. Following the successful passage of a number of forward-looking renewable energy bills by the legislature and the Mills Administration, Maine’s solar market is poised to be a driver of the economic recovery coming out of the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported that there were 11 new cases of COVID-19 statewide for a statewide total of 897. There was one more death for a total of 52. And the number hospitalized decreased by one to 19. Mortality data indicate that women and white people have a lower death rate. The infection rate among females is over 4 percent higher, but the percent deceased from COVID-19 is over 15 percent lower. Whites represent 94.5 percent of cases and 88.5 percent of deaths.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, headquartered in Montpelier, Vermont, has announced that they will contribute $1,000,000 in charitable donations to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts in Vermont. Two organizations, the Vermont Foodbank and the Vermont Community Foundation have already been named as the first recipients, with $500,000 total being designated for the two institutions.