Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A national study found that Vermont is in the bottom half of responding to the US Census online. A data table below ranks states from highest to lowest based on the percentage of respondents who filled out the 2020 Census online, which is a new response option introduced by the Census Bureau this year. Vermont ties with Pennsylvania for the 28th-highest figure in that metric, at 82.0 percent. This table also displays the total self-response rate in each state. Less than half of all households in Vermont (47.8%) completed the 2020 Census as of May 4, 2020. Out of all 50 states, Vermont has the sixth-lowest total self-response rate. The Census Bureau will also send canvassers around to knock on doors.

Vermont State Police Following a daylong search, law enforcement tracked Underhill shooting suspect Evan Labonte to a wooded, marshy area between Creek Farm Road and Interstate 89 in Colchester. When police, including members of the Tactical Services Unit of the Vermont State Police, attempted to begin speaking with Labonte from a distance, he was observed to place a handgun to his head and fire a shot, killing himself.

Vermont Business Magazine From canceled performances, fairs and festivals, to closed galleries and shuttered theaters, the losses to Vermont artists as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic are staggering. But for artists in marginalized communities where the virus is hitting hardest, the losses have been particularly acute. Rapid emergency relief funding from the Vermont Arts Council has tried to fill the gap, for artists in all communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is seeking comments on the draft of the Automated Vehicle Testing Permit Guidance and Application. The document outlines the process to approve the testing of automated vehicles, often referred to as self-driving cars, on public roads in Vermont in accordance with the Automated Vehicle Testing Act signed into law by Governor Scott on June 14, 2019 (23 VSA Chapter 41).

This guide is intended for use by applicants who are seeking a permit to test automated vehicles on public roads in Vermont and for municipalities that are considering allowing testing on town highways under their jurisdiction. It also serves as a guide to the Vermont Traffic Committee, whose approval is required for all automated vehicle test permits in the state, in its deliberations over specific permit applications.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank N.A. recently presented Pathways Vermont with a $5,000 donation to support its annual Community Breakfast, which was to be held in May. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s breakfast went virtual and evolved into a Housing is Healthcare fundraising campaign, and Community Bank was again honored to sponsor the nonprofit.

Pathways Vermont helps people live and thrive in the community at times in their lives when they are most distressed: when they are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or are experiencing homelessness, incarceration, institutionalization, mental health struggles or substance abuse challenges. Pathways Vermont is the first and largest Housing First organization in Vermont, providing permanent housing without requirements or barriers.

​by Devon Green, Vice President of Government Relations, VAHHS On Friday, Governor Scott announced that hospitals may resume inpatient procedures under the guidance released by the Vermont Department of Health. He also announced that dentistry and mental health and substance abuse counseling may resume as well.

Vermont Business Magazine 3...2...1...blast off! To celebrate its newest flavor with Netflix, Ben & Jerry's is headed to the stars. No, not a high-profile, Hollywood party. And not the Walk of Fame. The ice cream maker literally launched a pint aiming towards space almost 20 miles above the earth and with good reason. There's no better way to launch a flavor called "Boots on the Moooo'n"!

by Rob Roper Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, Vermont has gone from one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country to one of the highest. According to the Vermont Commissioner on Labor, 90,000 Vermonters have applied for unemployment insurance. That’s out of a total workforce of about 340,000. As we come out the other side of this, putting policies into place that encourage rapid employment, capital investment in new and old businesses, and entrepreneurial creativity must be our number one priority. Policies that present obstacles to this must be set aside or removed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont) has announced that the recipients of the 2020 Ski Vermont Grant, awarded annually through the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Fund, are Vine Ripe Greenhouse Construction in Roxbury and Walden Heights Nursery Orchard in Walden. The two grants, totaling just over $15,500, will help these two participants in Vermont’s “small farm revolution” improve their infrastructure and expand their capabilities with improved efficiency. To date, Ski Vermont has awarded nearly $51,500 in grants through the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Fund to a wide variety of in-state businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine If the pandemic is teaching us anything, it’s how each of our personal decisions and actions can make a difference. There’s a reason we are flattening the curve, and the Vermont Department of Health encourages Vermonters to take a moment to reflect and recommit -- how did things go this past holiday weekend? What worked well for any gatherings and outdoor activities, and what needs some tweaking to better keep yourself and others safe from the virus? As of today, there were five new cases of COVID-19 statewide for a total of 967; there were no deaths which held at 54; and there is only one person hospitalized.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) and Vermont PBS announced today a partnership with DISH Network to distribute PBS educational content to Vermont families through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. This partnership expands access to the educational content jointly developed by Vermont PBS and the AOE to more families across most of Vermont. The channels will be available to DISH subscribers in the Burlington-Plattsburgh media market.