Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) and Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) issued a peak alert for today/Friday, July 28. BED members are asked to reduce their energy usage from 5-7 pm today. VEC members from 5-9 pm, to reduce energy costs by reducing usage during a peak event. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation announced today that it has awarded another $670,500 in grants to help individuals, businesses, farms, and downtowns recover from the devastating flooding across the state earlier this month. The new round of grants from the Foundation’s VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023 follows $330,600 in grants awarded last week. The total amount awarded from the fund now exceeds $1 million. The fund has raised $4.4 million in gifts and commitments since it was announced on July 11. That total includes $2.8 million in gifts and $1.6 million in pledges.

Vermont Business Magazine After the recent July floods, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking recovery efforts to prioritize river resilience and help impacted fish populations when possible. Rivers with features like fallen trees, large boulders, and winding channels provide better fish habitat and are more resilient to floods.  These features reduce flood impacts for landowners and downstream communities by slowing flood waters.  They also provide fish with shelter and places to forage that can be the difference between successful recovery and lasting impacts for fish populations.

Vermont Business Magazine Gardener’s Supply Company, one of the nation’s largest multi-channel marketers of gardening products and accessories, has announced a new CEO, Rebecca Gray, who assumes the role following the retirement of Cindy Turcot, who had held the position since 2020. Rebecca brings nearly 20 years of experience in the e-commerce space. She joined Gardener’s Supply Company in 2018 as Vice President of Merchandising, eventually overseeing all of the company’s Merchandising and Marketing activities. 

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) If you feel your home or business is unsafe, take necessary measures to protect your safety, including leaving the building. If you think work is needed immediately to stabilize the river, you may hire a contractor to do the work as an emergency protective measure, under authorization of the town. Contact your town to alert them of the issue, as they are required to report within 72 hours. A DEC River Management Engineer will get there as soon as their schedule allows. There may be additional work required at a later date if emergency work further destabilizes the river.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), the statewide, nonprofit business association with a commitment to advance a just, thriving and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet, has announced that nominations for the 22nd Annual VBSR Awards are open and will be accepted through Monday, July 31. Criteria and nomination forms for each award can be located by accessing the main VBSR Awards page. Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged. Any individual employed by a VBSR member who is a socially responsible enterprise is eligible to be nominated. You do not have to be a member to nominate.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) on Wednesday announced the recipients of the Vermont Community Leadership Award. It is presented each year to celebrate Vermonters who exemplify “dedication, integrity and honorable service to community and to rural Vermont,” and who have had a “transformational” effect on their communities. VCRD presents the award to highlight the work of community heroes who epitomize the best spirit of local community service, who volunteer their time, and who have made their community better. This year, the Vermont Community Leadership Award is being presented to the four members of the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion initiative. The driving force behind the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion include Norm Cohen, Bob Harnish, Barbara Noyes Pulling, and Al Wakefield

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Preci Manufacturing Inc. (Preci) has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling parts to the United States military that Preci failed to test, despite clear contract testing requirements meant to ensure the strength and durability of the parts. Preci, located in Winooski, Vermont, manufactures nuts, bolts, and other fasteners, which it supplies to the federal government. The fasteners provided by Preci are used in military equipment, including aircraft, and thus require precise manufacturing protocols and careful post-production testing. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) offered additional details today about the upcoming Business Emergency Grant Assistance Program.  The $20 million program will assist businesses and not-for-profit entities that sustained physical damage in the flood reopen and bring their employees back to work. Additional details about the grant program and how it will work are expected to be released on Monday, July 31, and the application portal is expected to open later that week.

Vermont Business Magazine Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston) today announced it will donate $250,000 to the Vermont Community Foundation in support of its efforts to help people and communities recover from the flooding experienced in July. The foundation established the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023 in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding and rainstorms. Contributions to the fund will support emergency needs, families, farms, businesses, and communities across Vermont. The foundation is working with local nonprofits, state government, relief organizations and other partners to rebuild.

Vermont Business Magazine Earlier this month, Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic settled its federal lawsuit on behalf of Wild Horse Fire Brigade (WHFB), achieving an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that will halt the agency’s unlawful roundup of wild horses from private lands in and around the Pokegama Wild Horse Management Area. Filed last October, the lawsuit called for an immediate halt to the roundup of wild horses from private property within and adjacent to the Pokegama Herd Management Area in southern Oregon along the California border. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) has been awarded $50,000 from the State Refugee Office of the Vermont Agency of Human Services to serve people from Afghanistan who immigrate to Vermont. The funding, which will run through VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), will enable VSAC to counsel Afghans on education and careers, as well as travel, materials, translation, and interpretation. Hundreds of Afghans moved to Vermont in 2022 and 2023.