Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $860,000 in supplemental funding for three current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees in Vermont. The Vermont recipients are among nine groups in New England selected to receive a total of $3.35 million. The recipients of Brownfields RLF funding in Vermont are the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission ($330,000), the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development ($330,000), and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission ($200,000).

Vermont Business Magazine Per the direction set by a 2018 Burlington City Council resolution, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has been evaluating whether to consolidate collection of trash, recycling and food scraps for small residential customers. Currently, the City picks up recycling while residents are responsible for contracting for their individual trash pickup and managing their compost. This results in multiple trash and compost haulers serving the same streets.

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission The State of Vermont Department of Finance and Management has opened a web portal where Vermont municipalities may request their share of $58,788,245 in American Rescue Plan Local Fiscal Recovery Funding. Every city and town in Vermont, and many villages, must take action in the next 30 days to ensure their community receives this funding.

by Paul Costello For more than 20 years at the Vermont Council on Rural Development, we have hosted community conversations with the goal of helping Vermonters come together, consider their local assets and challenges, decide on priorities for action, and then get to work making those priorities happen. At these “Community Visits,” as we call them, one of the most decisive moments comes when community members have chosen areas of action to drive forward together.

Vermont State Police On Tuesday afternoon, the North Troy Fire Department responded to a reported explosion at 159 Railroad Street in North Troy, Vt. Upon arrival, firefighters located an injured male, Wayne LePage, seated outside who appeared to have sustained burns to his upper body. He was rushed to North Country Hospital by a family member and later UVM Hospital by ambulance.

Vermont Business Magazine The Craft Beer Marketing Awards recently announced the winners from around the globe. There are three Vermont wins in this year’s world-wide competition (Burlington Beer won one and Harpoon won two). The CBMAS is the first of its kind international global competition to recognize the artwork, design and retail marketing efforts behind craft beer. Creative artwork and branding in retail marketing is becoming increasingly critical for business success and competition with the rapid increase in craft breweries around the world. To be timely there were pandemic and human rights categories this year.

Vermont Research News Researchers found that support for working at home has grown with 75% of the respondents saying they expected to telecommute more in the future. Also, a new report from The Energy Action Network examines Vermont’s progress towards meeting energy goals and climate commitments. The report finds that Vermont is making progress towards those goals with greenhouse gas emissions declining. And gypsy moths are back and maple syrup production is down. Both outcomes are blamed on weather that is too dry and too warm.

Vermont Business Magazine Nedde Real Estate in Burlington has announced several recent transactions.

Vermont Business Magazine With more than 80% of eligible Vermonters having received at least one dose of a COVID-19, vaccine, Governor Scott has removed all state COVID-19 restrictions and the State of Emergency will expire at midnight Tuesday. But he did sign an executive order that: Maintains the National Guard’s Active Services status to allow, and ensures continued State agency coordination, for ongoing support and management of the response; Extends Vermont’s access to federal funding for expanded emergency non-congregate housing and feeding programs; Allows bars and restaurants to continue pick-up and delivery of alcoholic beverages for the two-week period between the expiration of the Emergency Declaration and July 1, when recently enacted legislation makes it permanent.

Vermont Business Magazine With the state of Vermont dropping its State of Emergency order and COVID-19 restrictions, The University of Vermont Health Network is updating visitor access policies to reflect the state’s successful vaccination efforts. But masking requirements remain in place at the Network’s Vermont hospitals based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-four hours after he announced Vermont had reached its goal of 80% of Vermonters receiving at least one dose of vaccine, and lifting all state pandemic restrictions, Governor Phil Scott said the state is “not letting up.” At his Tuesday press conference, the Governor said that although our strategy will evolve as we move into a new phase, “the people we vaccinate tomorrow are just as important as those we vaccinated yesterday.” Scott said his administration’s goal is to continue the work of meeting people where they are, making shots as accessible as possible. The governor said that while the state has rescinded all restrictions, private businesses may still impose a mask mandate on employees or customers. Hospitals also still have some visitation restrictions, so you should call them to check. Also, there are still some federal restrictions on nursing homes and public transportation. So if you're taking a plane or bus or train, bring a mask along just in case. Meanwhile, the VDH is reporting 8 new cases of COVID-19 and no deaths, which are holding at 256. There has been only one fatality in nearly three weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine Element Real Estate, a leading boutique real estate firm in Vermont, expanded into the Stowe and Waterbury markets with the opening of their new office at 254 Mountain Road in Stowe. The expansion comes with Element Real Estate’s purchase of Stowe-based Little River Realty and the addition of former owner Gayle Oberg to the growing boutique firm. Oberg brings over 30 years of valuable experience within the Stowe and Waterbury areas and will be joining Element’s broker-owners, Jessica Bridge and Dan Cypress, at the new location.