Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Planning for college or training can be stressful, even when the process goes smoothly. And this year, students and families who applied for federal financial aid were stuck in a waiting game that lasted for months. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) updated their student financial aid (FAFSA) forms for the first time since the 1980s. With delays, glitches, and data processing issues, the past six months have not gone well for students, families, schools, or the FSA itself. One of the final challenges, the ability to make updates and corrections to the FAFSA financial aid form, has now been resolved and schools are sending prospective students their financial aid offers.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Philip B. Scott has declared May 2024 Physical Fitness and Sports Month in Vermont, encouraging Vermonters to be active this spring. The proclamation was requested by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a physical activity promotion and advocacy group comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor and representing a broad spectrum of Vermonters. The proclamation aligns with the national designation of May as Physical Fitness and Sports Month, an effort by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity. The Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports encourages families to be active outdoors through a variety of programs, including Vermont Parks pass exercise “prescriptions,” Vermont Senior Games, community wellness grants, and the Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race in Montpelier on May 16.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce a new installment of its fundraising series “Vermont Eats” a cultural event that focuses on the food and communities that make up Vermont’s diverse history and story. This year’s dinner is in partnership with Burlington’s Lost Mural Project and Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and will take place at the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue on June 6th at 5:30 PM. The event will feature Samuel D. Gruber as the evening’s keynote speaker, who will give a talk titled “Picture This: Art and Life for Vermont's Jewish Immigrants.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today called on Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with Congress and the Delegation to improve disaster response ahead of future emergencies and address the serious challenges Vermonters have faced in accessing FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) after the devastating flooding of July 2023. In their letter to Administrator Criswell, the Delegation expressed their appreciation for the role FEMA played in Vermont flood recovery, including providing over $25 million in individual and household assistance to over 3,600 households. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found Thursday, May 9, 2024, outside a home in South Hero. Police received a 911 call at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday reporting the discovery of two bodies at a location on Kibbe Farm Road. The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department along with members of South Hero Rescue and the South Hero Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene. The men, ages 68 and 35, were pronounced dead on scene. The Sheriff’s Department subsequently requested assistance from the Vermont State Police. Initial investigation indicates this was an isolated event involving individuals who knew each other. Everyone involved with this incident is believed to be accounted for at this time. No one is in custody. There is no threat to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Building Bright Futures (BBF) has announced a new round of grant recipients for the Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF), totaling $1.6 million for projects focused on Vermont children and families. Thanks to these grants, awardees in every region of Vermont will be able to pursue important and innovative projects, including: Creating more than 75 early childhood care and education slots across multiple counties; Increasing access to supports for educators, caregivers and parents through behavioral interventionists, family support workers, speech and language pathologists and wraparound services.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced Vermont’s participation in a multistate settlement with a coalition of wireless carriers AT&T Mobility, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless, Inc. The settlement resolves investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices. Vermont will receive $67,237 through this settlement and, nationwide, 50 jurisdictions will receive a total of $10.25 million. The settlement announced today addresses common misleading advertising practices of the Wireless Carriers, including misrepresentations concerning: (1) “unlimited” data advertisements; (2) “free” phone offers; (3) monetary incentives to “switch” wireless networks; and (4) wireless carrier plan comparisons.

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Waring, State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) in Vermont and New Hampshire, announced today that $8,268,380 is being invested in Twin State small businesses. The funding is part of $23,457,926 in program investments throughout the Northeast region, as announced earlier today by USDA Rural Business & Cooperative Service (RBCS) Administrator Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The announcements are being made to celebrate Small Business Week and Small Business Day on May 10th. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Nicholas Badger, 20, of Fairfax, Vermont, was arraigned today on four felony counts of Luring a Child, and one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of a criminal investigation, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and the Essex Police Department, and including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are unchanged from last week's $3.64 per gallon. Prices are up 7 cents/g from last month and up 14 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.45/g in Middlebury and Castleton, while the highest was $3.89/g in West Charleston. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.63/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) announced Wednesday that Thomson Timber Harvesting and Trucking LLC (Thompson Timber), a company that performs logging activities in Vermont, was fined $32,550 for violating the Vermont Wetland Rules and failing to follow Acceptable Management Practices (AMPs) for Maintaining Water Quality on Logging Jobs in Vermont. Healthy forests, wetlands, and waterways provide valuable and necessary services to the public and environment such as wildlife habitat and water quality protection. Vermont’s laws aim to improve water quality over time, protect wetland functions and values, and reduce existing risks, all while maintaining a working forested landscape and a vibrant forest-based economy. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont, once again, has been ranked as the most "equity-rich" state in the nation, and once again it isn't close. The ranking is based on mortgage loan to home value. In addition, three Vermont counties are among the most equity rich, with Chittenden County number one overall and Addison and Washington counties ranked third and fourth in the nation. As has been the case for many years, the Northeast and West Coast have the most equity rich states, while the lowest have been in the South and Midwest. Vermont (82 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Maine (59.2 percent), Montana (58.7 percent), California (58.6 percent) and New Hampshire (57 percent) were the top five, according to ATTOM. The bottom five were: Louisiana (20.1 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Oklahoma (28.1 percent), Illinois (28.3 percent), Kentucky (28.7 percent) and Alaska (29.5 percent). The US average is 45.8 percent.