Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A groundbreaking data science effort to better understand and harness the power of stories has earned the University of Vermont a $20 million research capacity building award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The five-year Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 award, which promotes world-class research nationwide, will bolster research infrastructure at UVM and across the state. Harnessing the Data Revolution for Vermont: The Science of Online Corpora, Knowledge, and Stories (SOCKS) revolves around stories as an essential part of how people comprehend, explain, predict, and seek to navigate the world. SOCKS supports the Digital Humanities by developing a powerful approach to quantifying both individual stories and ecologies of stories through massive data collection, natural language processing, and large language models—computer-based encodings of the meaningful connections between words and phrases.

Vermont Business Magazine In a statement shared with state lawmakers and Governor Scott, the ACLU and its members are calling on state leaders to extend Vermont’s emergency housing program unless or until alternative programs are in place. ACLU of Vermont Executive Director James Lyall: “The ACLU and our statewide members, supporters, and community partners are deeply concerned by reports that state leaders may allow Vermont’s emergency housing program to lapse before establishing adequate alternatives. This would eliminate housing for thousands of people of all ages in the midst of an historic housing crisis and put them at imminent risk of harm.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington and Chittenden County residents will soon be able to enjoy the Richard Kemp Center’s Revitalization thanks to a recently launched crowdfunding campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program and led by the Richard Kemp Center. If the campaign reaches its $10,300 goal by July 3, 2023 the “Richard Kemp Center Revitalization” will receive a matching grant of $20,600 from DHCD’s Better Places program.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.53/g, according to GasBuddy's Monday report, down 2.5 cents per gallon from last week's $3.56/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.35/g while the highest was $3.69/g, a difference of 34.0 cents per gallon. Vermont gas prices have been falling but not as quickly as the national average, which is now lower than the state average. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 7.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.50/g today. The national average is down 7.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 80.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, May 8, Governor Phil Scott announced action on the following bills, passed by the General Assembly: S.3, An act relating to prohibiting paramilitary training camps; H.41, An act relating to referral of domestic and sexual violence cases to community justice centers; H.76, An act relating to captive insurance; H.146, An act relating to amendments to the charter of the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District.

Vermont Business Magazine TD Bank today awarded 2 grants totaling in $325K to local Vermont non-profits, through its annual Housing for Everyone competition. TD Bank has branches across the state. The grants will support the following organizations to work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitate affordable housing rental properties and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term: RuralEdge, awarded $150K; and Lamoille Housing Partnership, awarded $175K. This work is particularly important as affordable housing providers in Vermont and across the US face increased pressure as individuals and families grapple with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets As spring comes to the Green Mountains, shades of green slowly paint the contours of our rolling hills, valleys, and farm fields. Farmers are planting crops; gardeners are sowing seeds in earnest. Food and beverages are making their way to market. Visitors are traveling to Vermont for food, drink, experiences, and beauty. Vermont once again unfolds into a new season, and the Green Mountains continue to provide the backdrop for farmers, producers and those making their living off the land. Life meanders on - but clouds hang in the air as the Vermont Legislature, too, moves toward summer recess. If we do not invest in our food and farms, the system will suffer and along with it, the Vermont economy. Small communities in our rural regions are at risk. That is why the Governor, and the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets are proposing that the Legislature invest more in Vermont’s aging agriculture infrastructure. It’s our turn. The Legislature is considering a $14 million dollar package will help Vermont produce more food for the region and make our farmers more viable.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported May 3, 2023, that COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations both declined from the previous week. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Hospitalizations fell to 10 17 last week. Total cases were down 16 to 116. There were 2 COVID-related deaths in the last week for a pandemic total of 962 as of April 29 (this is the most recent update). VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, the fewest since the summer of 2021, and 16 so far in April.

by Greta Solsaa, Community News Service Vermont is the only state in the country where farmers cannot readily access a program meant to pay them back for restoring habitats around their farms. It’s called the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program — almost always referred to as CREP — and is run by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Farmers who agree to use some of their land for wildlife habitats, runoff buffer zones or other conservation-focused projects over a 15-year contract get reimbursed. But the program doesn’t pay for projects that are required by regulations, and because Vermont’s standards for conservation on farms mandate the same practices CREP covers, farmers here have to go through a separate application process with Washington, DC, to get the funds.

by Aubrey Weaver, Community News Service The Department for Children and Families has been in and out of the State House in recent weeks to initiate the process of building a new rehab and detention facility for juveniles in Vermont, the latest steps in a plan drafted back in December. Lawmakers in the Senate appropriations committee April 11 heard from recently appointed department commissioner Chris Winters and deputy commissioner Aryka Radke and adolescent service director Tyler Allen, who all testified about the significant need for a new juvenile facility. Then Radke joined Allen April 25 to urge members of the House judiciary committee not to increase the number of potential juvenile offenses as outlined in S.4, a nine-point bill more notable for its proposed gun control measures.

by Abby Carroll, Community News Service Changes may be coming to the admission process of publicly tuitioned students at approved independent schools with a bill legislators have been working on. The bill, H.483, looks to implement a nondiscriminatory admissions process for prospective students on public tuition. The approach would prevent approved independent schools from having mandatory interviews, campus visits or academic entrance exams, and it would bar those schools from reviewing students’ academic histories or considering their ability to pay as part of the admissions process. “There's a basic underpinning of a philosophy here that says a student who is on public dollars should not be told they're not the right fit.”

Vermont Business Magazine Starting Monday, May 8, the section of Home Avenue from just west of Foster Street to just east of Queen City Park Road will be closed starting at 7 am, as part of the Champlain Parkway project. The closure will be in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is anticipated to last approximately 6 to 8 weeks subject to change as weather and construction conditions dictate. Work will include the installation of water lines, stormwater infrastructure and drainage, utility duct bank, conduit, and traffic signal equipment and the reconstruction of a portion of Home Avenue and the railroad crossing. Utility service interruptions are anticipated. Impacted property owners will be notified in advance by the independent utility company.