Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced his office will distribute $1.7 million to the University of Vermont (UVM), the Vermont State Colleges (VSC), and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) to support Vermonters seeking a higher education degree. The funds come from investment earnings on the state’s Higher Education Trust Fund, which is managed by the Treasurer’s Office and provides grants for Vermonters pursuing a degree from local colleges and universities. 

Vermont Business Magazine With the first production of the 2024-25 theatre/dance season—Spirits to Enforce—set to open this week, the University of Vermont's School of the Arts, located within the College of Arts and Sciences, is announcing a $1 million gift to launch much-needed upgrades to the Royall Tyler Theatre. The anonymous donation comes from a UVM Class of 1983 alum who is committed to seeing the arts thrive at the university and has made past gifts to help fund the renovation of Cohen Hall and the redesign of the Colburn Gallery. “We are so grateful to the donor for their incredible support of the arts in the College,” said William Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) reminds Vermonters impacted by the July 9-11, 2024, flood that the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits application deadline is October 25, 2024, for those living or working in eligible counties. The Biden Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) approved Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington counties as federal disaster areas. Under this declaration, individuals living, working, or scheduled to work in these counties may be eligible for DUA. This includes independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and agricultural workers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast has awarded a $20,000 grant to support MaturityWorks, a training program run by The WorkPlace in partnership with the State of Vermont’s Mature Worker Program. The grant helps address digital literacy barriers for low-income Vermonters, age 55 and older, who are looking to expand their job skills and re-enter the workforce. The WorkPlace is a nonprofit organization that coordinates regional and state-wide workforce development programs to prepare people for careers while strengthening the workforce. The funding from Comcast provides MaturityWorks participants with technology, including laptops, to access virtual learning and career readiness training, such as how to use email, write a resume with software tools, complete online applications and interview virtually.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today joined Vermont postal employees and American Postal Workers Union (APWU) members, the Montpelier Commission of Recovery and Resilience, community advocates, and postal customers to call on U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to improve rural mail service across Vermont and reopen the Montpelier Post Office. The post office has been closed for nearly 450 days following devastating flooding in Montpelier and across Vermont in July 2023.  

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending September 21, the Vermont Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases in Vermont fell but remain at over 300 cases. Hospitalizations however saw an increase in visits. Hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases increased to over 25 cases. The VDH reported 9 COVID-related fatalities, which is a two-week total as there was no report last week. Overall, COVID results have been increasing since the late summer. At the beginning of the summer there were only about 5 hospitalizations a week, but have been running, for the most part, at 20 or more for the past month. The number of COVID cases, which had fallen for the first time since the end of June, fell last week to 311 cases. Cases had been falling in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Ultra-low fare carrier Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: ULCC) is returning to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) on December 20 with the launch of new nonstop service to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and to Tampa International Airport (TPA). Service to MCO will operate four times per week, and service to Tampa will operate three times per week. Frontier left BTV in 2019. The announcement was made at the Burlington airport Tuesday morning. Nic Longo, director of aviation at BTV, said competition and availability are important factors to growing the airport. While Breeze Airways also serves those destinations, the planes are typically full and across all airlines, BTV is running well ahead of capacity standards at 87 percent, he said. The US average is 79%. The airport will soon begin a $50 million enhancement to the North Terminal.

Vermont Phone-Free Schools Over 150 independent medical professionals, parents, teachers, content experts, academic researchers, legislators, and attorneys from across the country signed a letter to Congressional leadership asking for action on the US Surgeon General’s call for warning labels on social media products. Signers include author and social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt; child psychiatrist and author, Dr. Victoria Dunkley; Fairplayforkids.org founder Dr. Susan Linn, author and child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Richard Freed, attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center, New Jersey School Nurse, Robin Cogan and state legislators from Vermont and Kansas. Signers also included members of the National Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay for Kids.

by Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski In 2016, Phil Scott was first elected as Governor and stated he was committed to making a difference in the lives of Vermonters. To this day, his website states: "He has committed to making a difference in the lives of Vermonters by growing the state’s economy, making Vermont more affordable, protecting the most vulnerable and restoring faith and trust in government." Protecting the most vulnerable and restoring faith and trust in government — a headline priority for his eight years as our state’s leader. Yet, at a time when the Governor has the ability to use the tens of millions in funds the legislature appropriated — money that could keep families, veterans, children with disabilities, and other vulnerable Vermonters sheltered — he has chosen to look the other way.

Vermont Business Magazine A panel of Saint Michael’s College faculty members and alumni working in professions grappling with the use and ethics of artificial intelligence, or AI, will speak at the College on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The panel, which will take place at 5 p.m. in the Roy Room on the 3rd floor of the Dion Student Center at the college in Colchester, is titled “Artificial Intelligence Unleashed: Navigating the Nexus of Innovation, Ethics, and Tomorrow.” The panel’s title was generated using AI.  

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) introduced the FEMA Operational Transparency Act, a new bill directing the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is spending it’s budget, and recommend ways to reduce the Agency’s bloated administrative costs. Recent reporting from Vermont Public found that FEMA’s recovery in the State is being held back in-part by outsized administrative costs. FEMA was previously required to publish administrative costs for disasters that occurred in the previous fiscal year and outline the Agency’s efforts to reduce costs. The reports are no longer required, and Congress does not have full transparency into how FEMA is spending funds on administrative fees.  

The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) seeks input from consumers regarding their experiences and concerns related to autobody repair issues and insurance companies. Act 32 of 2023 requires DFR to solicit feedback as part of a study and report to the General Assembly regarding a number of business practices in Vermont related to automobile insurance and autobody repairs. DFR would welcome any public comments from consumers on these issues. Our study is examining several topics that include use of aftermarket parts in repairs, appraisal practices, labor rate reimbursement paid to autobody shops, sufficiency of consumer disclosures in automobile insurance contracts, the use of direct repair programs and other consumer concerns related to insurance coverage for automobile repairs.