Current News

Vermont State Police Early Saturday, Oct. 19, the Vermont State Police arrested an individual in relation to the shooting at the Kneeland Flats Trailer Park in Waterbury.  On 10/14/24 Shawn Spiker was shot and killed and Micheal Perry was shot and wounded inside a trailer at the trailer park. State Police arrested Fabrice Rumama, 20, of Springfield Massachusetts in connection with the shooting and killing of Shawn Spiker.  Rumama is charged with second degree murder.  A judge ordered Rumama jailed without bail pending arraignment which is expected to occur Monday, Oct. 21, at 1:00 p.m., in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre. 

SBA Vermont District Office The SBA is accepting nominations for the National Small Business Week awards which recognize Vermont small businesses’ inspirational achievements and contributions to their communities. Join them for a free webinar on Wednesday, October 23rd at 12 noon to learn about the SBA Vermont District Office's nomination categories, eligibility, submission documents, and tips for writing an award-winning nomination! Visit the SBA’s dedicated website at www.sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria, and guidelines for submitting a nomination. Also, join the Vermont SBA District Office for Boots to Business - REBOOT, an introduction to entrepreneurship for veterans and military spouses. This special in-person class will be held in Williston, VT on Tuesday, November 12 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm in honor of National Veterans Small Business Week. 

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) application portal remains open for properties damaged by 2024 flooding. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis and the deadline to apply is November 15, 2024. Technical assistance is available to anyone who needs it, including translations, and people are available to work directly with applicants to help them through the process. All of this information is available at accd.vermont.gov/BEGAP. Additionally, the deadline for 2023 flood damage applications and supplemental funding inquiries has passed, and 2023 supplemental funding applications are now being sent out to eligible organizations via email. Supplemental applications are also due November 15, 2024. 

Vermont Business Magazine WhistlePig Whiskey’s karmic quest for whiskey wonder culminates with the debut this week of The Boss Hog XI. This year, WhistlePig’s whiskey makers searched over 7,000 miles from the WhistlePig Farm to find enlightenment in Rajasthan, India. The Land of Kings revealed the perfect blend of spices to crown the latest rare edition in the storied The Boss Hog collection. A mastery of whiskey creation embodying majestic complexity and elephantine might, WhistlePig presents The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut. The Juggernaut unites WhistlePig’s oldest and boldest Straight Rye Whiskey with the alluring and celebratory spices of Thandai, an aromatic Indian drink born of nuts and spices. 

Vermont Business Magazine Maple Wind Farm now offers dog and cat owners Pasture Pet, a brand-new line of nutrient-dense pet treats made from single-source, 100% non-GMO ingredients. Handcrafted in small batches and sourced exclusively from pasture-raised animals at the farm in Richmond, Vt., Pasture Pet treats are healthy, nutritious and free from fillers, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Waring, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Rural Development (RD) in Vermont and New Hampshire today announced that the Agency: Selected Cabot, Vermont, for flood-relief funding through the Community Facilities Disaster Grants Program (CF), and Invested $3,758,883 in 16 Twin State small businesses through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Each state will get nearly $2 million.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets received confirmation this week of a positive Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) test in a horse. This case is in Orleans County, a location in Vermont that had not previously been identified as having any mosquitoes testing positive for EEE. It is the second horse testing positive this year. The horse was unvaccinated and is now deceased. The horse was tested on October 4. It likely contracted the disease mid-September during a period of warmer than normal weather. EEE, which spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito, is rare but can cause serious and life-threatening illness in people and some animals. Although the risk is lower as temperatures cool and mosquitoes are less active, prevention is still important. Until the first hard frost is recorded in your area, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with mosquito bites.  

Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Electric Department is collaborating with Slippery Slope Goats LLC and Agritech Institute for Small Farms to launch an innovative grazing pilot program designed to sustainably manage vegetation along transmission lines. This initiative utilizes grazing goats to remove bush and invasive plants while improving utility reliability for Stowe Electric customers. The use of livestock for removal of brush along transmission lines located in rugged terrain offers an innovative, fossil fuel-free approach to vegetation management. Working alongside Aimee Braxmeier, the owner of Slippery Slope Goats LLC, Stowe Electric Department aims to reduce reliance on mechanical clearing methods while fostering biodiversity. 

Vermont Business Magazine At Governor Phil Scott’s weekly press conference on Wednesday, Interim Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders updated Vermonters on the work the Agency of Education has been engaged in to support educators across the state through their “Listen and Learn” tour, literacy successes and the Agency’s “Read Vermont” initiative, one-time grants to CTE centers, and their role in supporting schools through the budgeting process. She said several common themes emerged and include: Need for reliable, accessible, and easy to use data; Focus on expanding access to college and career readiness; Need to balance local autonomy with the desire for clearer direction from the Agency of Education to support academic outcomes; Recognize that student mental health needs reflect community needs and require integrated solutions; Issues related to housing, affordability, loss of industry/jobs also impact schools in terms of teacher recruitment and student enrollment; and More guidance is needed on short-term cost-containment strategies and how to design and measure long-term transformation for our education system.

by Ed Neuert The University of Vermont (UVM) has formally launched a new campus-wide Planetary Health Initiative that promises to build on UVM’s demonstrated strengths in research, education, and service in health and the environment. The UVM Planetary Health Initiative is based on the conviction that human well-being is inextricably linked with the health of the environment, and it explores these connections and inspires action for the benefit of both people and planet. This thematic research agenda recognizes collective work going on across the UVM, which is a member of the Planetary Health Alliance, an organization of more than 450 institutions from around the globe. Prelock announced several new programs in support of the Planetary Health Initiative. Foremost was news of $100,000 in seed grant funding in each of the next five years to support interdisciplinary research proposals.

Vermont Business Magazine As cleanup efforts continue at a major IV fluid production facility in North Carolina flooded by Hurricane Helene, University of Vermont Health Network hospitals are working to conserve IV fluids, closely monitoring supplies, and taking steps to minimize the potential impact to patients. IV fluids are an important part of many surgical procedures and are integral to delivering a variety of medications, balancing electrolytes and treating or preventing dehydration. 

by Catherine Morrissey, Community News Service Out of over 200 migrant dairy workers surveyed in Vermont this year, 77% say they have suffered an accident or injury at work and 87% make lower than the minimum wage, according to a report published recently by advocacy group Migrant Justice. Those figures are among a host of problems immigrant workers say they face on dairy farms across the state, including poor wages, unsafe working conditions, inadequate housing and discrimination. The survey, done with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Center this spring and summer, focused on 212 Spanish-speaking migrants working on farms who haven’t joined Milk with Dignity, a Migrant Justice program that commits dairy producers to providing workers with better working conditions. The group says it covers about 250 workers across 54 farms.