Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, along with Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld, will host a free expungement clinic on Thursday, December 12, 2024, with appointments available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Expungements wipe from your criminal record specific convictions and dismissed charges after a certain period of time has passed. Under Vermont law, most misdemeanors, 14 different felony offenses, and all dismissed charges can be expunged or sealed. The free clinic will focus on expunging and sealing criminal charges and convictions from Franklin County and will be open to the public by appointment only.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports was awarded the prestigious 2024 Bill McCollom Community Award by the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, recognizing its transformative contributions to Vermont’s skiing and riding community. The award celebrates Vermont Adaptive’s commitment to accessibility, and empowering youth and adults with disabilities to experience outdoor sports and recreation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Paul A. Williams, 59, of Morrisville, Vermont, was arraigned Thursday on one count of felony Sexual Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult. The charge brought against Mr. Williams was the result of an investigation conducted by the Morrisville Police Department and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU), which allege that Mr. Williams, a licensed nursing assistant, sexually assaulted a 95-year-old vulnerable adult who was a resident of The Manor nursing home in Morrisville, where he was employed. Mr. Williams pleaded not guilty at the arraignment Thursday in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division.

Vermont Business Magazine The average gasoline price in Vermont is $3.12 per gallon, down 2 cents per gallon from last week, down 6 cents/g from last month and down 46 cents from a year ago. The lowest price in the state today is $2.38/g in West Brattleboro while the highest was $3.34/g in Lyndonville. For the third straight week, the national average price of gasoline declined over the last week, falling 2.2 cents compared to a week ago, and stands at $3.05 per gallon today.

by Beth Parent, CSWD With America Recycles Day just around the corner on November 15, we at the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) want to celebrate you for your commitment to the three R’s — reducing, reusing, and recycling. By giving materials a second chance at life instead of sending them to the landfill, you’re helping to build a more sustainable future. According to our own Waste Diversion Report, Chittenden County residents and businesses are making impressive strides in diverting waste from Vermont’s only landfill: 51% of all waste generated in our county was reused or recycled and kept out of the landfill last year. It might not sound like much, but with only 80% of the total waste stream actually able to be diverted, reaching a 51% diversion rate is a significant achievement.

Vermont Business Magazine There are not enough mental health professionals to support Vermont youth, particularly in rural areas. But a new program—the Catamount Counseling Collaborative for Rural Schools—run by an interdisciplinary team from the University of Vermont (UVM), will train and place 52 school counselors, social workers, and clinical mental health counselors in rural Vermont schools over the next five years. The project is supported by a $3.8 million Mental Health Service Professional demonstration grant from the U.S. Department of Education and addresses the state’s mental health workforce shortage by building a sustainable pathway for teaching and retaining professionals in areas of high need. The effort strengthens the pipeline between Vermont’s community colleges and UVM graduate programs, diversifies the workforce, and funds individuals to remain in their placement schools.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine OneCare Vermont, a pioneering Accountable Care Organization (ACO) dedicated to improving Vermont’s healthcare system, has announced plans to wind down its operations at the conclusion of 2025. This decision comes as the Vermont All-Payer ACO Model (VTAPM), a state-led initiative designed specifically for Vermont, is set to conclude at the end of the calendar year 2025. This pivotal moment in the region's healthcare reform journey follows nearly a decade of successful collaboration among healthcare providers to improve quality and reduce spending. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) announced that it has received $4.5 million for affordable housing through its third federal Capital Magnet Fund award. The funds will be invested in VHFA’s Housing Investments for Vermont (HIVE) Fund, which has now raised over $20 million from private and public investments. The new award will support the development and preservation of over 240 permanently affordable apartments for Vermonters. The $4.5 million award is VHFA’s third consecutive award from the Capital Magnet Fund, a program of the U.S. Treasury. This year the program awarded $246 million in funding to 48 nonprofits and financial institutions. The program is highly competitive, having received requests for over four times the available funding this year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) is updating its County Forester service areas to better support landowners statewide. Effective November 12, 2024, County Forester responsibilities will be redistributed on a regional basis, no longer restricted by county boundaries. This change aims to provide more equitable access to forestry services. County Foresters have long been key to providing forest management, stewardship guidance, technical assistance, and outreach to Vermont landowners, fostering lasting relationships. They offer expertise on topics ranging from forest management to wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont River Conservancy took the final steps to permanently protect more than 6,000 acres owned by Northeast Wilderness Trust at the headwaters of the Lamoille and Winooski Rivers, the organization’s largest undertaking in its 30-year history. The Preserve protects the summit of Woodbury Mountain, Eagle Ledge, expansive wetlands, and 36 miles of headwater streams. Beyond its flood resilience benefits, the project safeguards a crucial wildlife corridor. The Preserve is a cornerstone of the “Worcester-to-Kingdom” wildlife linkage. This forested corridor has been identified by the Staying Connected Initiative as regionally critical for wide-ranging mammals as well as species moving and responding to a rapidly changing climate. 

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department issued 180 moose hunting permits this year, resulting in 62 moose harvested between the October 1-7 archery season and the October 19-24 regular season.  Moose hunting was only allowed in Wildlife Management Unit E, in northeastern Vermont. Of the 180 permits available, 174 were issued by lottery, to which nearly 5,800 hunters applied. The department reserves the first five lottery permits for Vermont military veterans.  Three non-lottery permits are reserved for persons with life-threatening illnesses, and three more are auctioned as a fundraiser for conservation.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department biologists survey oak and beech stands around the state each fall to assess how plentiful acorns and beechnuts are because they are important fall foods for wildlife. In areas where acorns or beechnuts are not abundant many of Vermont’s wildlife species will be on the move looking for alternative food options before winter, and some bears will enter winter dens early.