Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermonters prepare for the approaching cold weather, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging drivers to switch off their ignition to limit unnecessary idling of their vehicle engines. Motor vehicles are the largest source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in Vermont. The exhaust from vehicle idling degrades air quality for all Vermonters and is most detrimental to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease.

Vermont Business Magazine Beginning in late December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend several months gathering information about farm economics from farmers and ranchers across the Northeastern United States, as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2023 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).  To obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to more than 40,000 producers nationwide, between January and April in 2024. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold its final meeting of 2023 on Monday evening, December 11, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  In addition to receiving updates from NorthStar and Vermont State Agencies regarding recent Vermont Yankee (VY) decommissioning activities, the Panel will hear presentations from the Vermont Department of Health and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on radiological monitoring programs at VY.  Additionally, the Panel will discuss and vote on its 2024 Budget and Educational Expense Protocol.  The current draft of the Panel’s 2023 Annual Report to the Vermont Legislature and Governor will also be reviewed and potentially approved.  Lastly, elections for 2024 Panel Officers will be conducted. 

Vermont Natural Resources Council Explore the opportunity to shape the future of your community with VNRC’s Small Grants for Smart Growth program! This special grant round, open until January 15, 2024, offers 1-3 grants of up to $5,000 for initiatives promoting flood-resilient community development. Smart growth principles guide this program, emphasizing inclusive, community-driven decisions for sustainable land development. Projects supported range from advocating for improved land use regulations to revitalizing downtowns, enhancing sidewalks, promoting housing affordability, and conserving agricultural or forestry lands. Be sure to share this opportunity to catalyze positive change in your town. 

Vermont Business Magazine After voting against the $110.5 billion emergency foreign aid supplemental bill that came before the Senate on Wednesday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement: "I voted NO on the foreign aid supplemental bill today for one reason. I do not believe that we should give the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government an additional $10.1 billion dollars with no strings attached to continue their inhumane war against the Palestinian people. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists who attacked them on October 7. They do not have the legal or moral right to kill thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women, and children."

Vermont Business Magazine Technology for Tomorrow (T4T) kicked off its Microsoft TechSpark partnership with a Roundtable Conversation on how to address the challenges and opportunities with digital inequality on Dec. 1 at the South Burlington Public Library. Guests included TechSpark U.S. Program Manager Michelle Schuler, Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Vermont Community Broadband Board Executive Director Christine Hallquist, and Vermont nonprofit leaders from across the state. Enrollment is now under way for the free digital literacy courses T4T has designed as part of its partnership with Microsoft TechSpark. Both the 10-week basic digital literacy and 10-week introduction to AI courses will be offered January-March at the South Burlington Public Library. The courses, one for beginners and one for advanced learners, are free. Participants in the two cohorts will come from local nonprofit organizations.

by State Auditor Doug Hoffer Last week Vermont’s Tax Commissioner issued a letter announcing that education property tax bills are expected to increase by approximately 18.5% next year.  Among the chief contributing factors is a more than 16% increase in teacher health care costs. The governor, legislators, the unions representing teachers and state employees, and school administrators do not have to sit by and let these health care cost increases continue to strain public budgets. Fortunately, there are strategies to save money that would not hurt teachers or students, and which can be applied to the state employee health plan as well. Here, we discuss one of them, “reference-based pricing."

Vermont Business Magazine Outright Vermont (Outright) and the Green Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America (GMC) have signed a Purchase and Sales Agreement for Camp Sunrise, a 146-acre parcel of lakefront property in Addison and Rutland counties, currently owned by GMC. Should Outright acquire Camp Sunrise, the property will continue to serve as a vital resource for Vermont's youth and their families. This acquisition would sustain a hundred-year legacy of the camp being a safe and nurturing environment, fostering the growth and development of young people. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today highlighted the Vermont Lights the Way: Rays of Kindness initiative, which seeks to recognize Vermonters for everyday acts of goodwill and kindness. Proclaiming December as Rays of Kindness Month, the Governor is calling on Vermonters to nominate those in their community who have gone above and beyond, have given back, set a good example, or simply brightened someone’s day. Launched in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued since, Vermonters can nominate individuals for a Rays of Kindness recognition year-round. The program aims to call more attention to acts of kindness, selfless service and goodwill happening throughout the state to celebrate it and inspire more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) plays a major role in workforce development by helping thousands of Vermonters access education and training each year. This spring, State of Vermont employees got a huge boost to their academic and professional careers through CCV’s Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) class. APL offers credit for college-level learning gained outside the classroom such as in the workplace, in the military, or through volunteerism. Two sections of APL were offered to State employees in Spring 2023, with impressive results. Twenty students enrolled from a dozen divisions of state government. Students earned an average of 45 college credits in just one 15-week semester. This represents an average tuition savings of over $12,000, and over 600 classroom hours saved per student. It also translates to more than $250,000 in tuition savings for the State of Vermont.  

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group employees, directors and retirees donated $408,947 to more than 525 organizations across the globe through the annual “Share the Good” program, in which the National Life Group Foundation matches gifts up to $2,000 during the month of November, making the overall amount given more than $817,000. Four hundred twenty-three employees, directors and retirees made pledges this year, making this the highest number of donors and of dollars ever recorded for this initiative. Over the years, more than $5 million has been raised to benefit thousands of charities.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association The 2023 Annual VECAN Conference will be December 6th to 8th – virtually – from noon to 1:30 pm each day. Explore crucial topics around rebuilding and recovering from climate-induced disasters more equitably. Discover ways to access state and federal funding and programs, engage with legislators in a roundtable discussion, and participate in a peer-to-peer exchange with town energy committees. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and network with experts in the field of clean energy and community engagement.