Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC) continues to offer the Springfield Area Revolving Loan Fund, which is a source of debt financing for small and medium-size companies in Southern Windsor County, as well as those looking to start a business. The Springfield Area Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) utilizes funds from the Economic Development Administration to complement other funding sources in helping area companies to create and retain jobs as well as stimulate the creation and relocation of new businesses. 

Vermont Business Magazine With growing reports of horrific anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism occurring on college campuses and in schools across the U.S. since October 7, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, on Wednesday released the following statement: Given the horrific war taking place in the Middle East, we are seeing a significant increase in bigotry and in hate crimes here in the United States. This is unacceptable, not what this country is about, and all of us have a responsibility to end this growing crisis.

Vermont Business Magazine The October 31 deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance has passed, but that does not mean FEMA is leaving. FEMA will continue working with Vermont Emergency Management to help survivors and communities recover. If you applied for FEMA assistance due to damage from the July 7-21 storms, FEMA encourages you to keep in touch. By staying in touch, you can track the progress of your case, notify the agency of changes to your mailing or email addresses or phone numbers, and report insurance settlements or additional damage you may have discovered since your home inspection.

Vermont Business Magazine On November 8, Senators Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) introduced companion legislation in the House. Currently, Medicare does not reimburse Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers unless the patient is transported to a hospital. However, EMS providers regularly deliver vital services on-scene when responding to 911 calls. In rural communities, the demand for EMS services for medical emergencies continues to increase—especially for Medicare beneficiaries, who make up about 40% of patients treated by EMS. This bill would provide Medicare reimbursement for care provided by EMS on-scene, when transportation to the hospital is not needed. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University announced that Associate Professor Ross Lieblappen will lead students in a ground-breaking study about microbes in the Arctic through a nearly $3.3 million dollar contract from a collection of federal funding sources, including the US Army Corps of Engineering. Lieblappen submitted a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) proposal to fund, among other things, the purchase of x-ray imaging equipment that will allow him to study the effects of climate change on microbial environments and further U.S. leadership in knowledge of Arctic terrain.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Ian Quinlan, 50, of Montpelier, Vermont, was arraigned today on five felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. The charges brought against Mr. Quinlan are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of residential and online date search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Montpelier Police Department, and Burlington Police Department. The investigation was initiated when VT-ICAC received several CyberTipline reports that an individual was suspected of possession of images of child sexual abuse material on an electronic device, which was reported by Microsoft after the child sexual abuse materials were uploaded into their Bing web search engine.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.56 per gallon, down 3 cents per gallon from last week, down 6 cents/g from last month and down 42 cents from the same time last year. The lowest price in the state is $3.09/g in Brattleboro, while the highest is $3.99/g in Wolcott and Orleans. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.39/g today. The national average is down 27 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. The national average price of diesel has fallen 6.6 cents in the last week and stands at $4.38 per gallon.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Wednesday sent a letter to University of Vermont (UVM) President Suresh Garimella in support of the nearly 650 graduate student workers attempting to form a union and win a seat at the bargaining table. “In my view, it is more than appropriate that graduate students exercise their constitutional right to organize and achieve long needed improvements to stipends, benefits, and working conditions,” wrote Sanders. “For far too long, the trend in our higher education system has been going in the wrong direction: student workers are required to work longer hours for lower pay with weaker job security, all while taking on more and more debt. Too many graduate student workers have to take on two or even three jobs just to get by. In my view, stronger unions and worker protections are a key part of solving this crisis in our colleges and universities.”

Vermont Business Magazine ECFiber, Vermont's first communications union district, has obtained a BB rating for its 2023 Series A bonds from S&P Global, the nation’s preeminent credit rating agency. With the rating effective November 8, the District will issue a Series 2023A bond for $7.53 million. The proceeds will be used for ECFiber’s $30 million network completion plan, about 25% of which is in progress, and for which the Vermont Broadband Board has issued or approved about $16 million in ARPA-based grants. ECFiber intends to complete the network before the end of 2025, at which time it will have brought world-class broadband to more than 25% of the 80,000 unserved or underserved addresses in Vermont in 2012. This brings the District’s total bond issuance to $71.83 million.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted their inaugural "Heart of The Shires Luncheon," in collaboration with Coggins Auto Group and Fidium Fiber at the Bennington Museum’s Ada and Paul Paresky Wing on Wednesday, November 8. The luncheon honored exemplary nonprofits, social sector organizations, government agencies, and community leaders for their contributions to community well-being, public health, and civic service. Over 90 area nonprofit and community leaders attended the luncheon. 

Vermont Business Magazine Hunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day regular deer season that begins Saturday, November 11 and ends Sunday, November 26. A hunter may take one legal buck during this season if they did not already take one during the archery deer season.  The definition of a legal buck depends on the Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).  A map of the WMUs is on pages 22 and 23 of the 2023 VERMONT HUNTING & TRAPPING GUIDE available from license agents statewide. 

Vermont Business Magazine With high moose numbers in northeastern Vermont contributing to the abundance and negative impact of winter ticks, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has reported on the results of a successful, regulated 2023 moose hunting season. The department issued 180 moose hunting permits this year, resulting in 78 moose harvested between the October 1-7 archery season and the October 21-26 regular season.